| It is hard to overstate the effect Monday Night | | | | Michaels was busy with the Major League Baseball |
| Football had on the formation and popularization of | | | | playoffs, former Steelers wide receiver Lynn |
| the NFL. Bringing high profile games into the living | | | | Swann would step in to broadcast with Frank |
| rooms of the nation's sports fans during prime | | | | Gifford. |
| time built MNF into a tradition. ABC's marketing of | | | | - The onscreen graphic showing the time clock |
| MNF made it into a must-see event. Here is part | | | | and score during the entire game was first used |
| two of our compilation of Monday Night Football | | | | by Monday Night Football in 1997. |
| trivia: | | | | - Lesley Visser became the first female |
| - As of the end of the 2007 season there have | | | | broadcaster to be part of the MNF team when in |
| been two matchups televised more often than all | | | | 1998 she joined as a sideline reporter. |
| others. Oakland vs. Denver and Dallas vs. | | | | - In a 2003 game against the Raiders, Brett Favre |
| Washington have both been televised 14 times on | | | | threw for four first half touchdowns and 399 |
| Monday Night Football | | | | total yards as the Packers won 41-7 on the day |
| - The first MNF broadcaster to not last an entire | | | | after Favre's father had passed away. |
| season was Fred Williamson who only | | | | - The first sponsor of Monday Night Football was |
| broadcasted during the preseason before being | | | | Marlboro Cigarettes (this was before the FCC |
| replaced by former Detroit Lions player Alex | | | | rules changed regarding tobacco advertising). |
| Karras. | | | | - John Madden, the longtime head coach of the |
| - On December 8th, 1980 during a game between | | | | Oakland Raiders, has the best career winning |
| the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots | | | | percentage on MNF of any coach ever at .740. |
| announcer Howard Cosell broke the news to the | | | | - The final game of Monday Night Football on ABC |
| nation that former Beatle John Lennon had been | | | | had the New York Jets hosting the Patriots in a |
| murdered. | | | | 31-21 loss. This meant that both the first and last |
| - In 1985, the would-be Super Bowl Champion | | | | game MNF game ever on ABC shared the same |
| Chicago Bears would lose their only game of the | | | | score, 31-21. |
| season on MNF to the Miami Dolphins. | | | | - Vinny Testaverde holds the distinction of |
| - Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson were both | | | | throwing the last touchdown pass of ABC's |
| broadcasters for Monday Night Football in 1985; | | | | Monday Night Football era; the pass was caught |
| after the season they were replaced with Al | | | | by wide receiver Laveranues Coles. The final play |
| Michaels and for the first time MNF used a | | | | of ABC's MNF was a kneeldown by Patriots |
| two-man booth. Later in the season, when | | | | quarterback Doug Flutie. |