the hell you mean "telling it like it is"? Howard Cosell is Howell Cosell. quit it. Other than that, the best MNF ever got was in it's prime was with Al and Frank, even now with Steve Levy, MNF is great.
Got to hand it to all the youtubers who recorded this stuff back in the day and kept it all these years, if it wasn't for them we wouldn't see this sort of thing because I don't know if ABC even has this footage somewhere, and they're so out of touch that they don't know that a lot of people like to look back and remember "the good ol' days"
Being born in 72 seeing and hearing this just smacks me with a major magical feeling of being a kid back then. We have high def flat screens and surround sound today but nothing touches the magic of Monday night football coming on back in the day. This is the closest we have to a time machine!
To me football isn’t the same anymore. I don’t even enjoy watching now. Even the stadiums then had names that meant more than todays corporate american names. Everything is about the dollar now. I sure miss these days, truly the good ole days!
I was there at this game. I was 14 years old. It was my first ever NFL game in person. This game was exceptional because I was their towel boy in the preseason practices. And Jim Zorn, QB for the Seahawks, actually taught me how to throw a ball. On many occasions before and sometimes after their pratices, Jim took time out for a goofy kid (me) and taught me how to throw and control the football. I am left-handed as he is, and learning from a left-handed person was excellent. I wish I could see him one more time and shake his hand. Tell him 'Thank you' for the treasured moment in my young life. I am 58 years old now. Husband, father, and recently became a Grandfather.
Was I the only kid who thought Jim Zorn would be a Hall of Famer? For a few years, he was the most fun, exciting quarterback in the league and Zorn-to-Largent was one of the NFL's best combos.
No you were not. It was another southpaw QB, Ken Stabler who got me into NFL. Few years later I was cheering for the expansion Seahawks led by Zorn. They didn't win very often but they were entertaining to watch.
@John Galt from E.P.M.D. No, I mean, thought he would be a Hall of Famer when watching him early in his career, say, 1978-80. Obviously, by the end, he wasn't (and when Kreig surpassed him as a Seattle QB I felt a little sad)
Man alive! Can imagine being there back in 1980...jam packed with 60,000 screaming fans. Must have been wild. Remember when my dad took me to Candlestick for a Giants game in 1978...was 17...55,000 roaring fans. Envy the kid who was attending this game. Doc says to jump in...the DeLorean's ready.
The Ol' Kingdome. The stadium that the Superbowl was never played in. Also, the stadium that used to get so loud, and rockin' when Elway and the Broncos used to visit there! I loved those old multi-use stadiums of the 70's and 80's!:)
NFL coverage started here in the UK on 7th November 1982. On Channel 4,[five days after the channel had started itself]!] With out dout This was the best presenting team there ever was for Monday Night Football and [In no short measure helped the growth and intrest of the NFL here in the UK. Frank Gilford presented the NFL on british TV for one season in 1985. His presentation style was considered too patronising for UK auduinces [Although I liked him. Great intro music. Disabled UK viewer. GOD BLESS!
Thanks for not talking shit about American/Canadian style football, garry simpson. Sadly, too many international people do that without provocation and they earn my wrath for doing that to myself and others in return. Now with that being said, my city (but, sadly, not my team, despite them definitely earning the potential right to both play in, as well as host, Super Bowl LII) of the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area just got their first professional European style football/soccer team as well in the Minnesota United FC Loons in the MLS, but their American football team in the Minnesota Vikings has been doing a bang up job this year, even more so than their pretty impressive run last year, despite the turnover in coaching staff and a lot of drama and injuries, though, thankfully, those injuries have been reduced this year....sincerely, a fan of both soccer/European football AND American football.
We are oversaturated with NFL football now. We don't need football on Sunday nights or Thursday night. Just keep it like it was back in the days, football on Sunday at the regular time, and Monday Night Football. Some times less is better.
Of course, in the old days, there was also no NFL Sunday Ticket. This is desirable for people who want to see out of market games. This is true if you live in one city but your rooting interest is for a team or teams in another city, often far from where one lives.
A good friend of mine has a great analogy. He said that growing up, Friday night was pizza night, or maybe even every other Friday or once a month----and the family looked forward to it because it was pizza only once a week at the most. But now, people are getting pizza for lunch, pizza at school, pizza delivered, pizza a few times a week----and it's not as special.
I have been saying this for a number of years now. Although I still love the game I find myself turning it off sometimes because it’s just over saturated. I barely watch the Thursday game unless my team is playing. I’m not one to say that the game was so much better back then. Football is football. But sometimes it’s just too much of it on television.
What has happened Joe, is that when NBC paid the NFL the billion or whatever, it made sure the NFL guaranteed them the best games. - especially down the stretch. So instead of the best games being on MONDAY Night Football, they are all on SUNDAY Night Football. And Thursdays NF's games are usually pretty bargain basement. Thats because NFL Net can't screw CBS or FOX out of good games for them. Thursday Night FB is getting killed really bad - so much so, the NFL is seriously considering letting fade out in a year or two!
exapno Actually, what happened was, Disney was losing $150 million a year on the Monday night ABC package while the Sunday night ESPN package usually was bad teams. When NBC won the rights to what was Monday Night Football in 2005, NBC had a strong Monday prime time lineup at the time and didn't want to mess with that. That's why what was Monday Night Football became Sunday Night Football while in turn what was Sunday Night Football became Monday Night Football if that makes sense. Disney actually bid MORE than NBC to get a beefed-up version of their old Sunday night package that became Monday Night Football that they make WAY more money on than they ever did on the old ABC package because they can milk cable operators for ESPN. As for Thursday night, it's actually getting bigger with CBS now doing half of the Thursday night games this season.
HRTVFan2 Right. The original response was written 21 months ago and has changed now to where CBS and NBC will each do five Thursday night games with the others NFL Network only.
It was his experiance , that he aged like wine in taking to the next level in '81' and '83' . I agree , he should go in easily . Its not easy winning one ring during a career , but 2 ? give it to him , your a 100 % correct .
...one more thing from a TOTAL NON- Raider fan, but I do respect GREATNESS and #21 at WR, Oakland's Cilff Branch! He has 3 RINGS AND the #'s! That guy took a pounding and was tough! The Steeler's Mel Blount tried to kill him for a few seasons! Branch was also the FASTEST man in the NFL for a long time! He, like STABLER ( who was his QB for many years!)...SHOULD be in THE Pro Football Hall Of Fame! I hated those 70's & 80's Oakland Raiders, but they were GREAT! With Madden coaching from 69'-79'! Best era in the NFL in my opinion!( I would guess the most HOF players came from that 10 year period)...plus the way they played the game in those days! I am now 53 and remember many of those classic years as a kid!
The pats fins game was the most memorable....cosell got a call from roone arledge that he heard from abc news that john lennon was shot and pronounced dead....the game ended in overtime, but the tragedy didn't stop.
Used to stay at my grandparents on Monday Nights since it was mom and dad's bowling night. At 9 p.m., the TV belonged to my grandpa to watch Monday Night Football. Watched many a game lying down on the floor waiting for my parents to pick me up. Typically I got to watch the whole game.
Underrated theme. . Heavy Action was great..but I put this one right up there... I believe this version was used from 1976 - 1982... before they started altering it.... degrading it imho.
I always use this clip as an example of how great the MNF open used to be. You got Howard doing the over-the-top narration over "Heavy Action" and then going into the actual theme. I do miss the "Roll tape! 3-2-1...", though.
You were born in August of 1980! Let me tell you young man...that was a magical time where I came from! I was a Sr. in high school, playing football for the mighty Pirates of Pittsburg Ca.! We would go on to be the 1st team from the east bay to WIN the NCS Championship! We beat Mission San Jose ( the team who beat Hayward High, led by the 1st team all NCS at MLB, Jack Del Rio!..Now the Oakland Raiders Head coach!) We also won that great game on 11/28/80..in The Oakland Coliseum! This same season, The Raiders won the Super Bowl! Great memories...*....it was a great time to be young growing up in the beautiful bay area..1980, I say again, was a magical year! ..*..In Feb. that year....the USA beat USSR in hockey, that started it all..!!
This music with Cosell, telling it like it is, was the best MNF ever got. It was so awesome to watch back in the day.
CLASSIC TIMES! I was 17 on this Monday night! Cosell could be an asshole, but he was great, with Ali too!
Just heard Bill Burr talking about these intros and had to look one up an YT.
@@gordons-alive4940 imagine listening to Bill Burr...
the hell you mean "telling it like it is"? Howard Cosell is Howell Cosell. quit it. Other than that, the best MNF ever got was in it's prime was with Al and Frank, even now with Steve Levy, MNF is great.
@@sillygoose635 if you don’t know, you have not seen it.
Dang, TV themes from the 1980s are just the best ear candy ever
Got to hand it to all the youtubers who recorded this stuff back in the day and kept it all these years, if it wasn't for them we wouldn't see this sort of thing because I don't know if ABC even has this footage somewhere, and they're so out of touch that they don't know that a lot of people like to look back and remember "the good ol' days"
I concur 1 Billion Percent.. and i only got to watch MNF Live for the 10 years when i lived and worked in the USA
Good times .. Awesome memories ❤
no, I'm pretty sure you're out of touch, considering you still are deluded with the "good ol days".
This WAS the NFL! I miss MNF on ABC. Great team with Gifford, Cosell & Meredith
yes, WAS, now there's the greatest
Being born in 72 seeing and hearing this just smacks me with a major magical feeling of being a kid back then. We have high def flat screens and surround sound today but nothing touches the magic of Monday night football coming on back in the day. This is the closest we have to a time machine!
dude,Monday Night Football back in the day was awesome!!!
To me football isn’t the same anymore. I don’t even enjoy watching now. Even the stadiums then had names that meant more than todays corporate american names. Everything is about the dollar now. I sure miss these days, truly the good ole days!
Best intro - really got you pumped for some action !
I was there at this game. I was 14 years old. It was my first ever NFL game in person. This game was exceptional because I was their towel boy in the preseason practices. And Jim Zorn, QB for the Seahawks, actually taught me how to throw a ball. On many occasions before and sometimes after their pratices, Jim took time out for a goofy kid (me) and taught me how to throw and control the football. I am left-handed as he is, and learning from a left-handed person was excellent. I wish I could see him one more time and shake his hand. Tell him 'Thank you' for the treasured moment in my young life. I am 58 years old now. Husband, father, and recently became a Grandfather.
I remember this intro. Thanks for posting it. Brings back memories of old times. Gifford, Cosell, & Meredith were great!
Brings back super great memories of Howard Cosell.
Was I the only kid who thought Jim Zorn would be a Hall of Famer? For a few years, he was the most fun, exciting quarterback in the league and Zorn-to-Largent was one of the NFL's best combos.
Snoop would agree.
No you were not. It was another southpaw QB, Ken Stabler who got me into NFL. Few years later I was cheering for the expansion Seahawks led by Zorn. They didn't win very often but they were entertaining to watch.
@John Galt from E.P.M.D. No, I mean, thought he would be a Hall of Famer when watching him early in his career, say, 1978-80. Obviously, by the end, he wasn't (and when Kreig surpassed him as a Seattle QB I felt a little sad)
My dad, me a big bowl of popcorn, and mondaynight football, ya those were the days !!! Boy i sure miss those days, 15 years old and the 80s.
👍 great post. I graduated in the 80s and find this nostalgic
Love this version. At 12 years old i had to watch monday night football. And this song reminded me to get ready
Man alive! Can imagine being there back in 1980...jam packed with 60,000 screaming fans. Must have been wild. Remember when my dad took me to Candlestick for a Giants game in 1978...was 17...55,000 roaring fans. Envy the kid who was attending this game. Doc says to jump in...the DeLorean's ready.
The Ol' Kingdome. The stadium that the Superbowl was never played in. Also, the stadium that used to get so loud, and rockin' when Elway and the Broncos used to visit there! I loved those old multi-use stadiums of the 70's and 80's!:)
What a shame! ESPN kills everything
RIP Frank Gifford
NFL coverage started here in the UK on 7th November 1982. On Channel 4,[five days after the channel had started itself]!] With out dout This was the best presenting team there ever was for Monday Night Football and [In no short measure helped the growth and intrest of the NFL here in the UK. Frank Gilford presented the NFL on british TV for one season in 1985. His presentation style was considered too patronising for UK auduinces [Although I liked him. Great intro music. Disabled UK viewer. GOD BLESS!
Thanks for not talking shit about American/Canadian style football, garry simpson. Sadly, too many international people do that without provocation and they earn my wrath for doing that to myself and others in return. Now with that being said, my city (but, sadly, not my team, despite them definitely earning the potential right to both play in, as well as host, Super Bowl LII) of the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area just got their first professional European style football/soccer team as well in the Minnesota United FC Loons in the MLS, but their American football team in the Minnesota Vikings has been doing a bang up job this year, even more so than their pretty impressive run last year, despite the turnover in coaching staff and a lot of drama and injuries, though, thankfully, those injuries have been reduced this year....sincerely, a fan of both soccer/European football AND American football.
AMEN! I miss ABC Sports....BRING IT BACK!!!!
We are oversaturated with NFL football now. We don't need football on Sunday nights or Thursday night. Just keep it like it was back in the days, football on Sunday at the regular time, and Monday Night Football. Some times less is better.
Profits and ratings for their product.
Of course, in the old days, there was also no NFL Sunday Ticket. This is desirable for people who want to see out of market games. This is true if you live in one city but your rooting interest is for a team or teams in another city, often far from where one lives.
A good friend of mine has a great analogy. He said that growing up, Friday night was pizza night, or maybe even every other Friday or once a month----and the family looked forward to it because it was pizza only once a week at the most. But now, people are getting pizza for lunch, pizza at school, pizza delivered, pizza a few times a week----and it's not as special.
I have been saying this for a number of years now. Although I still love the game I find myself turning it off sometimes because it’s just over saturated. I barely watch the Thursday game unless my team is playing. I’m not one to say that the game was so much better back then. Football is football. But sometimes it’s just too much of it on television.
Would love to make a video game that starts like this.
Love watching this wish we had a classic nfl Chanel
Tuesday mornings in school were always rough. Why? Stayed up late watching the end of MNF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Raiders and Seahawks big rivals in the 1980s
Classic 70s monday night football intros was the best .
ESPN has ruined MNF.
What has happened Joe, is that when NBC paid the NFL the billion or whatever, it made sure the NFL guaranteed them the best games. - especially down the stretch. So instead of the best games being on MONDAY Night Football, they are all on SUNDAY Night Football. And Thursdays NF's games are usually pretty bargain basement. Thats because NFL Net can't screw CBS or FOX out of good games for them.
Thursday Night FB is getting killed really bad - so much so, the NFL is seriously considering letting fade out in a year or two!
exapno Actually, what happened was, Disney was losing $150 million a year on the Monday night ABC package while the Sunday night ESPN package usually was bad teams. When NBC won the rights to what was Monday Night Football in 2005, NBC had a strong Monday prime time lineup at the time and didn't want to mess with that. That's why what was Monday Night Football became Sunday Night Football while in turn what was Sunday Night Football became Monday Night Football if that makes sense.
Disney actually bid MORE than NBC to get a beefed-up version of their old Sunday night package that became Monday Night Football that they make WAY more money on than they ever did on the old ABC package because they can milk cable operators for ESPN.
As for Thursday night, it's actually getting bigger with CBS now doing half of the Thursday night games this season.
exapno Not this year. This is the "Golden Season", and CBS is milking it for all it's worth!
+Walt Gekko And this year, NBC's joining in on Thursdays (for football fans; you could call Thursdays on NBC "Must-See TV" again)
HRTVFan2 Right. The original response was written 21 months ago and has changed now to where CBS and NBC will each do five Thursday night games with the others NFL Network only.
Jim Plunkett is one of the most underrated QB's of all time. This coming from a Redskins fan.
So is Richard Todd , google on youtube 1982-83 afc playoff game between todd vs plunkett and you'll see what I mean .
Come to think of it , your right . Won 2 superbowl and went to the afc semi championship with the raiders in the span of 4 year ???
He does belong in The Hall of Fame! He hung in the NFL for almost 10 years before his major happiness! 2 RINGS also!
It was his experiance , that he aged like wine in taking to the next level in '81' and '83' . I agree , he should go in easily . Its not easy winning one ring during a career , but 2 ? give it to him , your a 100 % correct .
...one more thing from a TOTAL NON- Raider fan, but I do respect GREATNESS and #21 at WR, Oakland's Cilff Branch! He has 3 RINGS AND the #'s! That guy took a pounding and was tough! The Steeler's Mel Blount tried to kill him for a few seasons! Branch was also the FASTEST man in the NFL for a long time! He, like STABLER ( who was his QB for many years!)...SHOULD be in THE Pro Football Hall Of Fame! I hated those 70's & 80's Oakland Raiders, but they were GREAT! With Madden coaching from 69'-79'! Best era in the NFL in my opinion!( I would guess the most HOF players came from that 10 year period)...plus the way they played the game in those days! I am now 53 and remember many of those classic years as a kid!
Damn,I miss those days. Humble Howard, Dandy Don Meredeth, Frank ( The Giffer)Gifford. Turnout the lights, the party's over.
With those graphics I feel like I am about to enter the old Tron game.
Take me back! I want to go back!
I love the throwback Monday night football theme
Take me back ,away from this nightmare we in right now...
Those were the days when it was so retro looking back in the 70's and 80's.
MNF was made great by THIS MAN, Howard Cosell.
Miss you MNF, Cosell, Keith and Al, frank. Youll know to set the story line of the game.
There will never be this group again.
that guy, that man right there... loved Howard!
Raise ya hand if you had the metal lunchbox with all of the helmets!! ✋🏾
@Pete Kondolios All you have to do is search E-Bay, there are plenty of listings for the old NFL metal lunch boxes.
Yup!
Bet your ass !! ..lol. 👍
Back when football was football and you could actually tackle players.
It's funny that Miller is STILL using that "If you've got the time, we've got the beer...Miller Beer" slogan in its commercials almost 40 years later.
Those were the Goddamn days. Lol.
The pats fins game was the most memorable....cosell got a call from roone arledge that he heard from abc news that john lennon was shot and pronounced dead....the game ended in overtime, but the tragedy didn't stop.
Used to stay at my grandparents on Monday Nights since it was mom and dad's bowling night. At 9 p.m., the TV belonged to my grandpa to watch Monday Night Football. Watched many a game lying down on the floor waiting for my parents to pick me up. Typically I got to watch the whole game.
Football at its greatest. Great Teams, Great Owners, Great Coaches, Great Players, and Great devoted Fans. Look at it all now. A real disaster.
@Harry Diaz I agree with YOU wholeheartedly. You will note that this particular intro for Monday Night Football was from 1980.
Great memories of Monday Night Football on ABC - the real MNF. Not the watered down ESPN version. Awesome theme song.
Loved that theme tune
The graphics just scream late 70's/ early 80's
+llk517 LOVE IT!
Yep, the old days of Rotoscoping, long before CGI.
still unbelievable way before its time though! gotta hand it to the graphics folks back then!
I went to high school with Sam McCullem and his brother George.
I distinctly remember that game.One of my older brothers was at the game.
Underrated theme. . Heavy Action was great..but I put this one right up there... I believe this version was used from 1976 - 1982... before they started altering it.... degrading it imho.
"Heavy Action" was never the theme. It was always -- like it is here -- the music used during the narrated open before the actual theme.
This is when Football was cool. Now It's all about money and bullshit.
Hi tech ratings on cable
The CGI logos in this must have cost a few million dollars to produce. It was incredibly bleeding edge technology at the time.
hi great music for Monday night football
Jim Zorn. Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback before he was former head coach of the Washington Redskins.
1:27 great view of the Seattle skyline in 1980
How would a modern day version of this theme and intro would do and look like with ESPN/ABC?
This is it chief
1:44 I would love to see ESPN use these graphics for a Throwback Week on Monday Night Football.
Gotta love Cowell. He was great
Cosell was awesome!
ONE CLASSIC MNF MUSIC INTRO!!!
My dad loved Jim Zorn
Wow...look how small the Seattle skyline looked back then!
When was the Space Needle built?
ScorpioBornIn69 Early-60s I believe.
The Columbia Tower was built in the late 1980's. It's a pretty significant building with lots of companies. Also pre-Amazon and T-Mobile.
This game was played on November 17, 1980, and was won by the Raiders 19-17.
Best music ever!
I always use this clip as an example of how great the MNF open used to be. You got Howard doing the over-the-top narration over "Heavy Action" and then going into the actual theme.
I do miss the "Roll tape! 3-2-1...", though.
They've had Sunday Night Football since 1987.
And Sunday Night Football has been on NBC since 2006!
"A good football team plays good offense and good defense." -Jim Plunkett
Looked forward to Monday night back in 'dem dazz
I have to admit...I miss Howard. Sick huh?
Howard Cosell... the most annoying announcer ever... whom I couldn't wait to see on TV. Thanks for all the memories Howie...
Good teams, good announcers, no pc crap or wokeness!
The 1979 opening music was a hell of a lot better than the 1980 one. The 1980 one was just the 1979 one cut and re-edited.
I am being biased but I love this intro because I was born August of 1980 and this was a few months after I was born.
Joshua Kline- I hear you buddy. Guess it's a matter of preference and I respect yours.
You were born in August of 1980! Let me tell you young man...that was a magical time where I came from! I was a Sr. in high school, playing football for the mighty Pirates of Pittsburg Ca.! We would go on to be the 1st team from the east bay to WIN the NCS Championship! We beat Mission San Jose ( the team who beat Hayward High, led by the 1st team all NCS at MLB, Jack Del Rio!..Now the Oakland Raiders Head coach!) We also won that great game on 11/28/80..in The Oakland Coliseum! This same season, The Raiders won the Super Bowl! Great memories...*....it was a great time to be young growing up in the beautiful bay area..1980, I say again, was a magical year! ..*..In Feb. that year....the USA beat USSR in hockey, that started it all..!!
1964 right here, fuck I'm old as far as numbers go but don't feel it. What happened to all the years, ?
ALL TIME BEST!! HOWARD COSELL! I'll never ever forget
Does where the days!!!!!! Gone for ever.
I said the same but a different version.
All I remember is that the final play was Efren Herrera attempted a 61 yard FG or 59 Yard FG went right.
A 19-17 Raiders win was the game result.
Does anyone think that this song would be good on ABC today?Please respond.
The Kingdome... ;_;7
At least I still have a chunk of concrete to remember it by.
Great memories
I really like it when Cosell & Meredith start raggin on frank.
I like the second intro after this one didnt last long thought I like both actually
This must have been one of the last intros using this music
I think a few of my Raiders got hearing loss because of the Kingdome crowd. LOL
Howard Cosell... the most annoying announcer ever... whom I couldn't wait to see on TV. Thanks for all the memories Howie...
Wow the Maxima was under the Datsun brand in the US before it became the Nissan Maxima that it was already in Japan...who knew?
I was in the 6th grade in 1980 and I’m still waiting for the Vikings to win a Super Bowl. 😟
Did ABC change intros in midseason?...
1:15 Back when there were 28 teams. Today's 32 teams.
This was the game, I believe that Efren Herrera tried to kick a 60yard FG when time expired.
This were the games from ABC.
they meet every 4 years (since Seahawks moved to NFC)
I think because of rights reasons they had gone back to this theme. They had used another theme the first nine weeks of that season.
1980, Steve Largent is already being called “the great Steve Largent”.
or Steve Largent??
Some scanimate goodness right there.
Back when MNF was King
Jim Zorn before he was head coach for the Washington Redskins.
These guys are all dead right ? OMG
Yes.
I do love some more footy, they're should be footy everyday. Not the same teams everyday, tho :D
Color?!! They played football in color in 80?
pasnthr 62, They had color since the 60's.
Color television has been expirimented since the 1940s.
Music cue at 0:37