Monday Night Football.

It’s a tradition unlike any other.

Last year people didn’t like the Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, and Booger McFarland trio calling the games. Witten un-retired to play a 16th year of football, so this season the crew is going to be Tessitore, McFarland, and Lisa Salters on the sidelines. The Booger-mobile was also sent to the junkyard.

I personally have no real opinion on that trio of personalities, but I really like the secondary crew that will work the season-opening double-header on September 9th.

Via ESPN Press Room:


Play-by-play voice Steve Levy, analysts Brian Griese and Louis Riddick and reporter Laura Rutledge will call the Denver Broncos-Oakland Raiders game on ESPN as part of the opening-night doubleheader to kick off Monday Night Football’s 50th season on September 9 at 10:15 p.m. ET / 7:15 p.m. PT.

This AFC West matchup will follow Houston Texans-New Orleans Saints (7 p.m. ET), which will feature the debut of ESPN’s new MNF commentator team: Joe Tessitore, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters.

Levy is a veteran and knows what he’s doing. Griese I’ve always thought does a good job in the booth. He actually did the second MNF game last year with Beth Mowins, if you recall. Rutledge has experience as a sideline reporter dating back to 2014 and Riddick, a Quakertown native and former Eagles front office member, I think is one of the best football minds on the network. I’m really interested to see how he does calling Monday Night Football.

Honestly, gotta say, I think that secondary crew is better than the primary crew, but we’ll see how Booger does without Jason Witten in the picture.

I, too, cannot wait for it.

Let’s play football.