Some context for younger Reddit posters: Monday Night Football used to be *the* biggest game of the week from the 70s through 2005 when it was on ABC. When ABC Sports merged with ESPN and MNF was placed behind cable in 2006, Sunday Night Football (which had just been acquired by NBC) became the biggest primetime game of the week, especially with Al Michaels, John Madden, Dick Ebersol, and others switching sides. Additionally, the MNF package was removed from the Super Bowl rotation.
Now, is it just me, or does it feel like Monday Night Football is (slowly) overtaking SNF on NBC to become the premier primetime game once again? MNF seems to have regained its credibility by poaching Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from FOX. They’ve also set several personal records for ratings this season, including a record 22.6M viewers on opening night, in large part due to each game getting simulcasted on ABC (part of an agreement to bring Disney/ABC/ESPN back into the Super Bowl rotation). Most importantly, MNF has out-drawn SNF in ratings on several occasions this season, and I’d expect this week to be no different with the Super Bowl LVII rematch. Between the matchups not being as compelling and the gravitas of Al Michaels leaving the program (no disrespect to Mike Tirico, who is an outstanding announcer), it almost feels like SNF has taken a step back. Of course, they still hold an important advantage over MNF with their ability to flex games later in the season.
So, is this considered an unpopular opinion, or do others feel the same way?
Used to find Buck annoying and was pretty meh on Aikman, but they are currently the best on tv imo. Way better than Tirico and Collinsworth.
Also MNF has mostly had better games.
For the halftime shows and pregame Id definitely give it to ESPN. NBC has some really terrible people like Jac and Simms. I basically don’t really like ANY of their people.
The gap has closed, definitely, in part because of the announcers but also because the NFL stubbornly opted to keep LV-NYJ and CHI-LAC in primetime when they easily could’ve been flexed out. Meanwhile, MNF has gotten exciting back-and-forth games out of CLE-PIT, DAL-LAC, SF-MIN, and DEN-BUF. The matchup quality has definitely improved on Monday nights and slipped on Sunday nights.
It’s all the same to me. I watch games on mute.
Troy and Buck are so good together that I forget to ever think to watch the Manningcast which is fun to watch in its own right.
Collinsworth and Tirico is a cringefest. Oh, some examples? Let’s start with them being at the Carrie Underwood show filming themselves with the Joker 😃 frok Batman 1989. I get it was part of the promo. It was still so off-putting.
Collinsworth and his homer shit isn’t fun. The calls are so over the top sycophantic, HERE’S A GUY and Mahomes with his f-n LABORATORY, it’s just “hehehehe” to the point that my soul melts like the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
And let’s not forget America’s creepiest uncle, Mike Tirico. He reads like a robot and would seemingly have the same medicated reply to a stunning TD as he would if you caught him stealing your daughters underwear in the middle of the night.
No. NONONO.
No because it’s on ESPN and ESPN just raised their monthly prices so I dropped it!!!
Do people still watch Aikman and Buck when the Manning Cast is on?
If the nfl would just be more flexible in flexing SNF games
I always thought Monday night football was bigger
I think SNF is still game of the week, but boy have they had some stinkers this year
MNG is great (besides pre game coverage. Imo Amazon has the best pre game experience especially interacting with fans. Fox I like as well.
Anything without Chris Collinsworth wins by default. Can’t wait until we are rid of that clown.
Yes Buck and Aikman are the Madden and Pat Summeral of right now.
Both are annoying since I can watch only the first half
I love listening to Troy & Joe. Tirico is fine, Collinsworth spends every single game sucking some player off and god forbid it is a game with Aaron Rodgers.
Idk if it’s just me but I enjoy SNF a lot more. Usually I’m drained from work on MNF and I’m tired lol