Trish Stratus

Lita tore her ACL when she connected with a Lou Thesz press off the ring apron, onto the arena floor. On December 22, 2003, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre put on one of the most defining moments of his career (while also ranking among his greatest game ever). On January 9, 2005 at New Year's Revolution in Puerto Rico, Lita defended her title against Stratus. Vanderjagt went on to become the first kicker in NFL history not to miss a kick attempt in a complete season, including the playoffs. She warned the eventual DS winner that she would be hazing them as part of an "initiation party" next week on Raw. Vanderjagt's subsequent kick was batted and hit the upright, but fell in good, winning the game for the Colts. The feud began when Jonathon Coachman was about to announce the winner of the first Diva Search Contest, and Trish Stratus's music hit and she came out wearing a short blue dress. In overtime, kicker Mike Vanderjagt missed a forty yard field goal, but Simeon Rice was called for a leaping penalty, a rarely-seen infraction that penalizes a player for running and jumping to block a kick and landing on other players.

One notable feud in her 2004 title run was with Christy Hemme. They forced a Tampa Bay punt and with under two minutes remaining, Manning led an 87-yard scoring drive, and the Colts scored the game-tying touchdown with 35 seconds left. Stratus would continue to hold the title for the next six months, fending off all challenges and even tying the record for the fastest match in wrestling history, pinning Nidia in just three seconds on the July 5, 2004 edition of RAW. The Colts recovered the onside kick and scored to narrow the margin to seven. This win was historic for Stratus, as she became the first-ever five time WWE Women's Champion. A Tampa Bay kickoff was returned 90 yards, setting up an Indianapolis score. Lita appeared to have victory at hand following a DDT to Gail Kim, but Stratus moved in for the kill, rolling up Lita from behind for the win and the title. On the October 6, 2003, episode (between the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis was trailing 35-14 with 3:43 remaining.

At Bad Blood on June 13, 2004, the Women's Championship was defended by Victoria, in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match. In Tafoya's place came Sam Ryan. As the Jericho/Christian feud reached its conclusion, Stratus refocused herself on the Women's Championship. In 2005, Tafoya sat out much of the season while on maternity leave. The Stratus/Christian union would continue for several more months, and even saw the addition of a "problem solver" to their mix, the hulking Tyson Tomko. Guerrero's performance on the broadcast was heavily criticized, and the following year (also in an apparent move to away from the "eye candy" concept) ABC replaced her with longtime TV sports journalist Michele Tafoya. She also revealed to the fans how much she "likes it rough." She ended the promo by proclaiming to Jericho and to the world, "You can't get no...Stratusfaction.". Also during the 2003 season, Lisa Guerrero decided to leave Fox's The Best Damn Sports Show Period to join the MNF television crew as a sideline reporter (replacing the pregnant Melissa Stark).

The following night on RAW, after the two squashed Spike Dudley in an unprovoked attack, Stratus revealed on how she had never forgiven Jericho for the Canadian dollar bet, how her feelings of sadness and hurt ate away at her for months as she plotted her ultimate revenge. ABC replaced the telecast with an opening weekend Thursday night game, and in exchange ESPN got a Saturday night game on the final weekend. Before they departed, Christian grabbed Stratus's hair, pulled her to his lips, and passionately kissed his new girlfriend. The move, which had been in effect for the first eight years of the broadcast (1970-1977), was the result of declining ratings, as well as problems involved for potential playoff teams. Christian and Stratus walked away holding hands, mocking their former friend who sat in the ring looking on with an expression of disbelief. In 2003, ABC and the NFL dropped the Monday Night Football game for the final week of the regular season. Stratus suddenly reared back and throttled Jericho with a vicious haymaker, which Christian followed with the Un-Prettier. The following year, the Pro Bowl remained on Sunday, but was moved to ABC's sister network, ESPN.

As Jericho tried to hold Stratus back, though, the fans witnessed the turn of Stratus. In February 2003, Madden declined to serve as color commentator for the game in Hawaii, citing his fear of flying; former MNF personality Dan Fouts took his place. After the match, Stratus appeared to be all apologies, but as she and Jericho argued in the ring, Christian came running back down the aisle, to seemingly get his hands on Stratus in a violent and hateful manner once again. After suffering through several years of dismal Pro Bowl ratings, ABC considered moving the game to Monday night. Her elbow jabbed Jericho's temple, and Christian scored a roll up pin for the three count. Immediately following each game, the winner(s) is chosen, and his picture is affixed to the trailer in the corresponding location. Jericho made the save, but when he leaned down to assist his fallen friend, Stratus thrust forth an elbow, apparently believing that it was Christian. By the first week of the regular season, an idea to decorate the plain white trailer with MNF decor, the entire MNF schedule, and a weekly MVP, was born.

Christian, apparently disgusted by Stratus's presence, pulled her violently into the ring and attempted to attack her. It was, in fact, a custom built trailer designed from the shell of a horse transporter, but inside housed sophisticated electronic equipment. Stratus surged toward the ring late in the match, appearing to be firmly in Jericho's corner. During the fourth quarter of a preseason game early that season, Madden was joking about doing some recording in the "horse trailer", a term the producers used for one of the ABC production trucks. Unbeknown to the fans in attendance, it was only just getting warmed up. In 2002, the broadcast debuted the mildly popular Horse Trailer award, in which a picture of the game's top performer(s) is displayed, as chosen by the broadcasting crew. It appeared this long and intense storyline would reach its conclusion on this night. Madden was a former coach for the Oakland Raiders, namesake of the seminal Madden NFL video game series, and successful broadcaster with the CBS and Fox networks for 21 years before joining Monday Night Football.

A match was soon signed for WrestleMania XX on March 14, 2004, in Madison Square Garden, pitting Chris Jericho against his former best friend, Christian. In 2002, both Dennis Miller and Dan Fouts were dropped and John Madden joined Al Michaels in a two man booth, which is arguably one of the most successful of all time. Stratus was taken out of action for several weeks with injuries, and Christian gloated over his actions. The three points also put Elam over 1,000 points for his career. In the ring, however, Christian instead plowed Stratus down with a clothesline, and locked her in Jericho's submission hold, the Walls of Jericho. Broncos kicker Jason Elam completed the task with a field goal during a 38-28 loss at Oakland on November 5. In the dressing room prior to the contest, Christian (feigning friendship with Stratus) promised her he would lay down and allow her to pin him. The 2001 season of MNF featured a season-long campaign promoting the anticipated 20,000th point scored in MNF history.

It looked like everything became crystal clear on the February 23, 2004 RAW, when Christian was booked to face Stratus in a one-on-one match by RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff. It was the second biggest fourth quarter comeback in NFL history and biggest comeback in Jets' history. To the face of Jericho, he was very accepting of his feelings for Stratus...but to Stratus's face, Christian seemed to be courting her affections. At 1:08 a.m., Tuesday morning, John Hall kicked a field goal in overtime to win the game 40-37. Meanwhile, Christian appeared to be harboring jealousy, accusing Stratus of driving a wedge into his partnership with Jericho and labeling her "Yoko Ono." But soon, Christian also appeared to have something of a change of heart, albeit a very condescending one. After Miami scored another touchdown, Testaverde threw to offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott to tie the game at 37-all. At first, Stratus was unwilling to show Jericho any forgiveness, but appeared to accept his apologies enough to at least accept him as a friend. Trailing 30-7 in the fourth quarter, Vinny Testaverde led the Jets to score 23 unanswered points to tie the game.

Soon, it became obvious that Jericho was feeling an enormous amount of guilt for initiating the Canadian dollar bet. On October 23, 2000, the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins competed in what is now known as The Monday Night Miracle. In what now can be viewed as a harbinger of things to come, Stratus seemed to take a lot more pleasure in beating down Jericho than Jericho had in facing her in a match. In another rather irreverent move, the scoring bug was seen to have nicknames for the teams, such as "Skins" and "Fins" (for Redskins and Dolphins, respectively) instead of their common abbreviations. Apparently, Jericho was starting to develop true feelings for Stratus, and was having a difficult time going through with the match before him. Besides the on-air talent, Ohlmeyer's changes included clips of players introducing themselves, new graphics, and music. While Christian seemed to take pride in beating down his female opponents, Jericho seemed to want no part of it. [3] After spending time at NBC, Ohlmeyer was lured out of retirement to spark interest and provide some vigor to the broadcast.

The following week, Stratus and Lita confronted and assaulted Jericho and Christian in front of a nationwide viewing audience on RAW, leading to a "battle of the sexes" tag team match held at Armageddon on December 14, 2003. Also in 2000, Don Ohlmeyer, the program's producer up until 1977 was brought back. Stratus, who was to present Jericho with a handmade Canadian hockey jersey as a gift, heard every word and every laugh from outside the dressing room, and it brought her to tears. Miller demonstrated a knowledge of the game and its personalities, although at times he tended to lapse into sometimes obscure analogy-riddled streams of consciousness similar to his "rants." ABC ultimately ended up setting up a Web page dedicated to explaining Miller's sometimes obscure pop culture references. On the December 1, 2003 RAW, Jericho and Christian were overheard in the locker room mocking Stratus' and Lita's affections, and revealed a bet the two of them had with one another (for one Canadian dollar) to see which man could sleep with their chosen Diva first. ABC briefly considered adding popular political commentator Rush Limbaugh before Miller was added to the broadcast team, despite having no prior sports broadcast experience. As it turned out, they were anything but. The move was ultimately a bust.

To many fans, neither courtship looked to be on the up and up. Unexpectedly, comedian Dennis Miller joined the cast in 2000 along with Dan Fouts. At the same time, Jericho's friend and tag team partner Christian was courting Stratus' close friend Lita. Esiason and Michaels reportedly never got along, and it led to ABC firing Esiason shortly after calling Super Bowl XXXIV together. Stratus and Jericho appeared smitten with each other. Esiason's relationship with Michaels was questioned leading to his firing. One which apparently showed warmth, caring, and compassion. Boomer Esiason replaced Gifford in 1998, and Dierdorf left for a return to CBS in 1999.

Soon, however, Stratus started to slowly warm up to Jericho, seeing a side of him that many fans and fellow competitors did not see very often. Fox had begun using it first. Even Stratus seemed dumbfounded initially. Beginning in 1999, Monday Night Football telecasts used a computer-generated yellow line to mark where a team needs to get a first down. One night on RAW, as Stratus was being attacked by Victoria and Steven Richards, Jericho inexplicably rushed the ring and warded off the attackers. In actuality, MNF ratings had been hitting all-time record lows for the previous four years. October 2003 would mark the beginning of what would be Stratus' most emotional WWE saga; the triangle between Stratus, Chris Jericho, and Christian. That's down 8 percent from 1997's 15.0--the previous standard in ratings futility.

A miscommunication between Stratus and Kim during a tag team match on RAW (in which Stratus misfired a Chick kick and accidentally nailed her partner) left Kim embittered. for this particular season. Stratus was engaged in a heated feud with newcomer Gail Kim, who won the Women's Championship on her first televised WWE match, by winning a battle royal. The game would start around 8:20 p.m. Despite losing the Championship back to Jazz the following month, Stratus stayed in the hunt for the fifth Women's Championship. A special pre-game show that was hosted by Chris Berman from the ESPN Zone restaurant in Baltimore was created. At WrestleMania XIX on March 30, 2003, Stratus won her fourth WWE Women's Championship, in a triple threat match against two of her greatest rivals, the psychotic Victoria and Jazz. EST).

Trish improved a lot in 2002 she got in the ring all most every couple days being that she was defending the title on both SmackDown! and RAW. For the 1998 season, ABC pushed Monday Night Football back an hour (it has usually aired at 9:00 p.m. Stratus also became WWE's most popular Diva, gracing the cover of WWE Divas 2002 swimsuit magazine (an alternate cover with Lita), and also winning the Woman of the Year achievement award as voted by the readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine. Visser was followed by several women on the sideline who were perceived as "eye candy," none of whom affected the ratings. She even managed to win the Hardcore Championship from Crash Holly, on May 6, 2002, before losing it the same night to Steven Richards. She had been the first female beat writer in the NFL when she covered the New England Patriots for the Boston Globe in the mid-1970s, and was the first and only woman to handle a Super Bowl presentation when she was a sportscaster with CBS. Stratus would go on to show significant improvement between the ropes, winning the Championship on two more occasions in 2002, from Jazz and Molly Holly, respectively. In 1998, Lesley Visser became the first woman on Monday Night Football.

Stratus had won her first WWE Women's Championship. In 1996, ABC began using a scoring bug showing the game clock and score throughout the entire broadcast. Stratus pinned Ivory after unveiling her new Stratusfaction finisher, a modified bulldog headlock which saw Stratus apply the headlock, climb the ropes, and in mid-air, catapult herself backwards to the canvas with her opponent's head still gripped in her arms. The final score was Chiefs 31, Broncos 28. Her return came at the Survivor Series on November 18, 2001, in a six-pack challenge for the vacant WWE Women's Championship, with Stratus facing off with Lita, Mighty Molly, Jacqueline, Ivory, and former ECW mainstay Jazz. But then Montana led the Chiefs on a 75-yard drive to score the game-winning touchdown with just 8 seconds to play. By the time she returned to the ring, she was better prepared for in-ring combat than she had ever been before. With 1:29 left to play in the game, Elway scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to put the Broncos ahead 28-24.

Finlay's schoolings served Stratus well. The October 17, 1994 episode between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos featured a duel between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Joe Montana and John Elway. She received extensive ring training from Dave Finlay, a former WCW Television Champion. The Monday Night Football team of announcers anchored the telecasts. When she was not doing the show, Stratus continued training and rehabilitation, preparing herself for her comeback in the ring. Along with the renewed television contract, ABC was awarded the telecast to Super Bowl XXV and Super Bowl XXIX. As she rehabbed, Stratus kept herself visible by co-hosting Excess on TNN. This replaced an original composition by Charles Fox and is now synonymous with the series.

It would be at least four months before Stratus would fully heal and be able to continue her pursuit of wrestling glory. Also in 1987, television composer Edd Kalehoff created a new arrangement of Johnny Pearson's "Heavy Action", the theme music of the original BBC Superstars, to be used as the new theme for Monday Night Football. Her journey was temporarily cut short in the summer of 2001, however, when Stratus chipped a bone in her ankle and underwent surgery to repair it. The trio would last for 11 seasons through the conclusion of the 1997 season. After her episode with the McMahon family, Stratus began focusing wrestling in the ring full-time. In 1987, Gifford and Michaels were joined by Dan Dierdorf, returning the series to its original concept of three announcers in the booth. Shortly thereafter, Linda stood up out of her wheelchair and kicked Vince in the groin, enabling Shane to gain control of the match and eventually pin his father. (The record was later tied and subsequently broken in 2005; see below.) Also in 1986, when Al Michaels became unavailable due to him calling Major League Baseball's League Championship Series, Frank Gifford moved up into the play-by-play spot while Lynn Swann filled-in as the color commentator.

When the action was taken to the floor, Stratus walked up to Vince and slapped the taste out of his mouth before chasing Stephanie from ringside. During that season, the Miami Dolphins again made Monday night history with the biggest blowout in Monday Night Football history in a 45-3 rout of the New York Jets. During a Street Fight between Vince and his son, then-WCW "owner" Shane McMahon, Stratus rolled out a seemingly catatonic Linda McMahon in a wheelchair to the ring. Michaels served as the play-by-play announcer, teaming with Gifford for a two-man booth in 1986. Few knew however that this was all part of a master plan Stratus had set into motion to embarrass her antagonist, and at WrestleMania X-Seven a month later, it all became crystal clear. In their place the following year came veteran broadcaster Al Michaels, who had previously anchored ABC's pre-game coverage of Super Bowl XIX. Shockingly, she did. Both Namath and Simpson would be replaced at the end of the 1985 NFL season, with critics noting their lack of journalistic and reportorial skills in comparison to Cosell.

Vince then said that the apology would only be accepted if she stripped down to her undergarments, got on all fours, and barked like a dog. The show gained a Nielsen rating of 29.6 with a 46 share. The following week on RAW, Stratus actually gave Vince an apology for the disruption she felt he had caused in his life. Two weeks after that painful memory, the series' most watched contest took place as the previously unbeaten Chicago Bears were defeated by the Miami Dolphins, who had not lost to an NFC team at home since 1976. Vince stood over Stratus, and he told her she was a toy that he had grown tired of playing with. On the play, which viewers could see in a gruesome slow-motion replay, Theismann suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in his lower right leg[2]. Regal executed the Regal Cutter on Stratus, and Stephanie then dumped mud over Stratus's prone body. Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann's career would end when Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor reached from behind to drag him down and Taylor fell heavily on the quarterback’s leg in the process.

In the midst of a tag team match that pitted Vince and Stratus against Regal and Stephanie, Stratus found herself the victim of a grand set-up by Vince, Stephanie and Regal. One of the more grisly moments in Monday Night Football history occurred during a game between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants on November 18, 1985, at RFK Stadium. At No Way Out on February 25, Stratus and Stephanie squared off, with "The Billion-Dollar Princess" scoring a tainted win via the interference of William Regal. In a coincidental twist, both Namath and Simpson were busy prior to the telecast with their induction into the shrine. Vince and Stratus's relationship increasingly angered the boss's daughter, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. After the 1984 season, ABC replaced Meredith with Joe Namath the following year, with the quarterback making his debut in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. In early 2001, Stratus became involved in a storyline with WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, during a time when Vince's wife Linda was "institutionalized" following a demand Vince had made for a divorce during a live show in Madison Square Garden in December 2000. Falling ratings also gave indications that much of the mystique that surrounded the weekly event had disappeared.

Stratus would go on to manage Val Venis to the Intercontinental Championship, but by that time, Stratus seemed to be outgrowing managing, as she had bigger aspirations on her mind. Cosell's departure seemed to have the greatest effect on Meredith, who many believed to be a poor analyst in his absence. Although Stratus and her team lost the bout, she was not about to leave that night without making her mark, and proceeded to whip Lita with a leather strap before exiting the ring. When Cosell left prior to the start of the 1984, the trio of Gifford, Meredith and Simpson handled the duties. It was not long before Stratus began competing in actual matches, one of the earliest examples being a six-person tag team match at Fully Loaded on July 23, 2000, as Stratus teamed with T & A to face The Hardy Boyz and Lita. On October 17, 1983, the highest scoring game in Monday Night Football history took place in the Green Bay Packers/Washington Redskins game, with the Packers winning the game by a 48-47 score. More and more, Stratus found herself getting physically involved in the action, taking her bumps from Superstars like The Big Show and Chyna, and even suffering a stink face from Rikishi. The season would also see one of the most exciting Monday night games ever.

However, unlike many Divas before her, it only served to whet Stratus's appetite for in-ring action. Simpson replaced Tarkenton as a fill-in when Meredith or Cosell, who also was a broadcaster for Major League Baseball's playoffs, was unavailable. It was during her stint managing T & A when Stratus had her first taste of punishment in the ring, being driven through a table by The Dudley Boyz after weeks of taunting the team, in particular Bubba Ray Dudley, notorious for his fondness for putting females through tables. J. Not long after, Stratus began her first role in the company, managing Test and Albert in the tag team T & A. That same year, O. Stratus appeared on the runway, appearing to scout certain WWF Superstars, in particular Test and Prince Albert. Stung by the unrelenting barrage of remarks, Cosell claimed upon his departure from Monday Night Football that the NFL had become "a stagnant bore." In Cosell's book, I Never Played the Game, he devoted an entire chapter ("Monkey Business") to the Garrett episode.

Her first WWF appearance took place on March 19, 2000 on Sunday Night Heat. In fact, a later special on Howard Cosell done by NFL Films soon after his death showed at least two occasions where he had called white players little monkey(s). Growing up, Stratus idolized Hulk Hogan, and also had siblings and relatives who helped increase her interest in sports entertainment. In a game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, Cosell referred to Alvin Garrett, an African American wide receiver for the Redskins, as a "little monkey." Cosell noted that Garrett's small stature, and not his race, was the basis for his comment, citing the fact that he had used to term to describe his grandchildren. The WWF again had contacted her in late-1999, and this time, Stratus was ready to start her career in sports entertainment, having been a fan since her childhood. Cosell continued to draw criticism during Monday Night Football with one of his offhand comments during the September 5, 1983 game igniting a controversy and laying the groundwork for his departure at the end of that season. Soon afterward, Stratus began her training at the gym of Ron Hutchinson, the same facility where Superstars like Edge and Christian had also trained for the ring. During a game between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, Howard Cosell broke the news of famed Beatle John Lennon's murder[1], news that stunned a nationwide audience.

This caught the attention of the WWF, whose agents told Stratus that if she felt she had more to her than her looks alone, then she should start training for a wrestling career. One of the best remembered moments in Monday Night Football history occurred on December 8, 1980, yet had nothing to do with the game or football in general. At one point, she also co-hosted a Canadian pro wrestling talk show called Live Audio Wrestling. Stingley had been paralyzed in a preseason game the year before and was making his first visit to the stadium since the tragic accident. Under the stage name of Trish Stratus, Stratigias quickly risen as one of the most popular models in the fitness industry, having appeared on over twenty fitness magazine covers around the world. The opening contest of the 1979 season saw a poignant moment as former New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley was introduced to a sellout crowd at the Patriots' Schaefer Stadium. After accepting a job at a local gym, Stratigias found herself responding to the urging of her peers there and became a fitness model. Kennedy assassination 15 years earlier.

However, York University went on strike during her graduating year, leaving Stratigias with no other choice at that time but to pursue other career options. Despite the complaints that followed, the NFL chose to play the game, a decision that mirrored the league's playing the weekend of the John F. In 1997, with the World Wrestling Federation experiencing a change in "Attitude" (rougher-edged characters like Stone Cold Steve Austin replacing the clean-cut heroes of yore like Bret Hart), Patricia Anne Stratigias was a student at York University in Toronto, majoring in biology and kinesiology in hopes of reaching her goal of attending medical school. Earlier in the day, San Francisco mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk had been murdered at City Hall. . One of the more somber contests in the run of the series came on November 27, 1978 when the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers. She was voted "WWE Babe of the Year" three times between 2001 and 2003, but was defeated by Stacy Keibler in the 2004 competition. When the league expanded each team's yearly schedule from 14 to 16 games in 1978, ABC's MNF television package has included seventeen regular season games, the first two wild card playoff games (held on the first Saturday of the playoffs), and the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.

As a sports entertainer, she was proclaimed the WWE Diva of the Decade on RAW's 10th Anniversary show. While the NFL moved to a 16-week schedule in 1978, Meredith was only contractually obligated to work 14 games, leaving Cosell and Gifford to work games as a duo or with newly-retired Fran Tarkenton beginning in 1979. She also released a calendar series called "Dream Team" with fellow model, Stacey Lynn. Meredith returned to the ABC booth in 1977, but seemed to lack the enthusiasm that had marked his first stint from 1970-1973. As a fitness model, Stratus has been featured on the cover of many major health and fitness magazines such as Musclemag, Flare and Total Women's Fitness. Karras made his debut on September 16, 1974 and immediately made an impact when he jokingly referred to Oakland Raiders' defensive lineman Otis Sistrunk as having attended "The University of Mars." That would essentially be the high point of Karras' three-year tenure, with a developing movie career often distracting Karras from showing any improvement. ^[1]. Williamson was replaced by fellow Gary, Indiana native Alex Karras, formerly of the Detroit Lions.

Stratus is marketed as the first woman in WWE history to have held the WWE Women's Championship six times, two more than the four title reigns of The Fabulous Moolah recognized by WWE. Fred Williamson, a former Kansas City Chiefs defensive back nicknamed "The Hammer" for his often-brutal hits, was selected by ABC to replace Meredith in 1974, but following a few pre-season broadcasts, proved so inarticulate that he was relieved of his duties prior to the start of the regular season, becoming the first MNF personality not to last an entire season. Patricia Anne Stratigias (born December 18, 1975 in Richmond Hill, Ontario), better known by her stage and ring name, Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler and fitness model, currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment's RAW brand. Meredith would be absent from Monday Night Football for a broadcasting and acting career on rival NBC from 1974 through 1976. 1-time WWE Hardcore Champion. President Richard Nixon as "Tricky Dick". 6-time WWF/E Women's Champion. Finally, during the Pittsburgh Steelers-Washington Redskins game on November 5, he referred to U.S.

Vince McMahon. On October 16, Meredith was drinking during the Buffalo Bills-Kansas City Chiefs game, followed one week later by his pre-game analysis of the Denver Broncos-Oakland Raiders game: "We're in the Mile High City and I sure am," --a not-so-subtle reference to his use of marijuana at the time. Viscera. By 1973, his motivation for the broadcasts seemed highly suspect, given incidents during a trio of contests. Val Venis. After beginning with critical acclaim, Meredith began to take his weekly assignments less seriously, while also beginning an acting career. Tyson Tomko. That seeming popularity was in contrast to the repeated criticisms in the media, as well as bar room contests in which winners were allowed to throw a brick through a television image of Cosell.

Test. That show is remembered today only as a trivia question, as its title, "Saturday Night Live", prevented a new late-night sketch comedy program on NBC from using that title until the ABC show was cancelled. Ashley Massaro. Cosell's abrasive personality gave him enough recognition to host a live ABC variety show in the fall of 1975. Chris Jericho. Gifford also had continual problems with Atlanta Falcons head coach Leeman Bennett's name, referring to him as "Leeman Beeman." Regardless, Gifford would have the longest tenure of any broadcaster on the show, lasting until 1998. Mickie James. Then, on September 24, 1979, Gifford referred to Dallas Cowboys defensive back Dennis Thurman as Thurman Munson, who had been killed in a plane crash less than two months before.

Christian. During the December 11, 1972 game between the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, he confused a receiver with former Raider wideout Warren Wells, who had been arrested on charges of sexual misconduct. Kurt Angle. While the NFL's image was often spotless to Gifford, his own broadcasting mistakes often proved to be embarrassing. Albert. In that capacity for Monday Night Football from 1971-1985, Gifford was often criticized for his see-no-evil approach in regard to discussing the NFL, earning him the dubious nickname "Faultless Frank.". Dominant hand: Right. The former New York Giant had been an NFL announcer for CBS during the 1960s but never a play-by-play man prior to joining Monday Night Football.

Shoe size: 7.5. In 1971, ABC Sports president Roone Arledge dropped Jackson, who returned to broadcasting college football for ABC, in favor of Gifford. Measurements: 36-24-36 D. Jackson and Meredith ended up announcing the rest of the contest. Eye color: Hazel. Already under the weather, Cosell drank at a promotional party prior to the game, then ended up vomiting on Don Meredith's cowboy boots near the end of the first half. Natural hair color: Brunette. Yet, Cosell dodged another controversy when he appeared to be intoxicated on the air during the November 23 game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

Back Chops. Cosell's presence initally caused Henry Ford II, chairman of the Ford Motor Company, the show's main sponsor, to ask for his removal. Standing Dropkick. That success would continue over the course of the season, helping establish a phenomenon on Monday nights in the fall: Movie attendance dropped, bowling leagues shifted to Tuesday nights and a Seattle hospital established an unwritten rule of no births during games. Leg Drop. Advertisers were charged $65,000 per minute by ABC during the clash, a cost that proved to be a bargain when the contest collected 33 percent of the viewing audience. Victory roll. Monday Night Football first aired on ABC on September 21, 1970, with a match between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Tilt-a-whirl headscissors. However, Gifford suggested former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Don Meredith, setting the stage for years of fireworks between the often-pompous Cosell and the laid-back Meredith. The MaTrish. Arledge's original choice for the third member of the trio, Frank Gifford, was unavailable since he was still under contract to CBS. Spinebuster. Looking for a lightning rod to garner attention, Arledge hired controversial New York sports broadcaster Howard Cosell as a commentator, along with veteran football play-by-play man Keith Jackson. Air Canada (Lou Thesz press) accompanied with right hands to the skull of opponent. Arledge also ordered twice the usual number of cameras to cover the game, expanded the regular two-man broadcasting booth to three and used extensive graphic design within the show as well as "instant replay".

StratusFear (handstand frankensteiner). Setting out to create an entertainment "spectacle" as much as a simple sports broadcast, Arledge hired Chet Forte, who would serve as director of the program for over 22 years. Running headlock bulldog from the corner. After the final contract for Monday Night Football was signed, ABC producer Roone Arledge immediately saw possibilities for the new show. Stratusfaction (springboard bulldog). Speculation was that had Rozelle signed with Hughes, many ABC affiliates would have pre-empted the network's Monday lineup in favor of the games, severely damaging potential ratings. Chick Kick (roundhouse kick). Only after Rozelle used the threat of signing with the independent Hughes Sports Network, an entity bankrolled by reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, did ABC sign a contract for the scheduled games.

Despite the network's status as the lowest-rated network, ABC was also reluctant to enter the risky venture. After sensing reluctance from both NBC and CBS in disturbing their regular programming schedules, Rozelle spoke with ABC. During subsequent negotiations on a television contract that would begin in 1970, Rozelle concentrated on signing a weekly Monday night deal with one of the three major networks. NBC followed suit in 1968 and 1969 with games involving AFL teams.

Two years later, Rozelle would build on this success as the NFL began a four-year experiment of playing on Monday night, scheduling one game in prime time on CBS during the 1966 and 1967 seasons, and two contests during each of the next two years. While the game was not televised, it drew a sellout crowd of 59,203 to Tiger Stadium, the largest crowd ever to watch a professional football game in Detroit up to that point. Undaunted, Rozelle decided to experiment with the concept of playing on Monday night, scheduling the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions for a game on September 28, 1964. An early bid in 1964 to play on Friday nights was soundly defeated, with critics charging that such telecasts would damage the attendance at high school games.

During the early 1960s, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle envisioned the possibility of playing at least one game weekly during prime time for a greater TV audience. Washington, with each matchup having been televised 14 times. Oakland and Dallas vs. The most common Monday Night Football pairings are Denver vs.

Franchises with the most Monday night appearances include the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and Miami Dolphins. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl after not having appeared in a Monday night game during the year. Two examples came during the 1981 season, when neither of that season's Super Bowl teams—the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals—had played on Monday night, and 1999, when the St. However, that process has come under fire, due to late-season contests involving promising teams whose fortunes had declined during the course of the season.

Monday Night Football has enjoyed success throughout its 36-year run, with the NFL using the national spotlight as a way of rewarding the best teams and biggest stars from the previous season. . ABC and ESPN are both owned by the Walt Disney Company. On April 18, 2005, the NFL announced that Monday Night Football would be televised on ESPN in 2006, ending the 36-year run on ABC.

ABC broadcasted a total of 555 Monday night games. Originally airing on the ABC network from 1970 to 2005, Monday Night Football was the second longest running prime time show on American broadcast network television (after CBS's 60 Minutes) and one of the highest-rated, particularly among male viewers. Monday Night Football (MNF) is a live television broadcast of the National Football League. Fred Williamson (1974 - preseason only).

Lesley Visser (sideline reporter, 1998–1999). Mike Tirico (play-by-play, 2006-present). Joe Theismann (analyst, 2006-present). Fran Tarkenton (1979–1982).

Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter, 2004-2005). Lynn Swann (sideline reporter, 1994–1997). Melissa Stark (sideline reporter, 2000–2002). Simpson (1983–1985).

J. O. Sam Ryan (sideline reporter, 2005). Joe Namath (1985).

Dennis Miller (analyst, 2000–2001). Al Michaels (play-by-play, 1986-2005). Don Meredith (1970–1973, 1977–1984). John Madden (analyst, 2002–2005).

Tony Kornheiser (analyst, 2006-present). Suzy Kolber (sideline reporter, 2006-present). Alex Karras (1974–1976). Keith Jackson (1970).

Lisa Guerrero (sideline reporter, 2003). Frank Gifford (1971–1997). Dan Fouts (analyst, 2000–2001). Boomer Esiason (analyst, 1998–1999).

Dan Dierdorf (analyst, 1987–1998). Eric Dickerson (sideline reporter, 2000–2001). Howard Cosell (play-by-play, 1970–1983). Chris Berman (halftime host, 1996–1997 and during wild card playoffs and Super Bowls).

As a coach, John Madden has the highest winning percentage (.740) in Monday Night Football history. The first sponsor of MNF was Marlboro Cigarettes; this was before the FCC banned all cigarette commercials from television forever. In the last network broadcast on December 26, 2005, the Jets lost to the New England Patriots; the final score was also 31-21. The New York Jets played in the first network broadcast of MNF (1970), a defeat by the hands of the Cleveland Browns 31-21.

The MNF crew of Michaels, Gifford, and Dierdorf made a cameo appearance in the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire, during the fictional Monday Night Football game in the film. For example, the MNF crew of Michaels, Gifford, and Dierdorf called the 1992 Sugar Bowl. For several occasions in the 1980s and early 1990s, the MNF broadcasting crew was used to cover one of the many college football bowl games on ABC. The Pro Bowl was rescheduled and broadcast Saturday, February 9.

However due to 9/11, Super Bowl XXXVI and the Pro Bowl had to be moved back a week. The ABC MNF crew was slated to broadcast the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl on Sunday February 3, 2002. The last 2 minutes of the 2nd quarter and the entirety of the 2nd half were not seen in Canada, as TSN, the cable network that held the rights to ESPN NFL games, choose instead to air WWE wrestling, and ABC had switched to the start of the Dallas-Washington game. ABC and ESPN interspersed both games with an on-air telethon to raise money for aid to the hurricane's victims.

the game shifted to ESPN while ABC began its regularly-scheduled MNF game of the Washington Redskins visiting the Dallas Cowboys. Eastern and the first half aired on ABC; at 9 p.m. In a unique television doubleheader, the Saints-Giants game started at 7:30 p.m. In September 2005, the New Orleans Saints vacated from the Louisiana Superdome in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and were forced to move a scheduled Sunday afternoon home game against the New York Giants from New Orleans to Monday night at Giants Stadium.

The tickets for the game were free. The game was moved to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe and shown as scheduled. The Cedar Fire in the San Diego area forced the teams to vacate Qualcomm Stadium, which was being used as an evacuation site. On October 27, 2003, the MNF game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins was moved to a neutral site.

In 2005, the New Orleans Saints played the New York Giants in a rescheduled game due to Hurricane Katrina. A similar scenario unfolded in 1997, when the Florida Marlins went to Game 7 of the World Series and the Miami Dolphins' Sunday game at Pro Player Stadium was shifted to Monday night. The Vikings game was subsequently moved to Monday night, and ABC aired it in a split telecast with the regularly-scheduled MNF game. Humphrey Metrodome unavailable for the Minnesota Vikings' scheduled game that Sunday.

In 1987, a scheduling conflict arose when Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins went to Game 7 of the World Series (which also aired on ABC), making the Hubert H. There have been a few occasions when two Monday night games were played simultaneously. Thusly, the game was almost over before it aired. or midnight eastern depending on which side of the daylight savings time date the game was played.

locally, meaning either 11 p.m. Additionally, this practice was done in Hawaii, which delayed the game until 6 p.m. The Seattle ABC affiliate then tried to accommodate having to show their news later than the other TV stations in the city by marketing it as "KOMO 4 NEWS PRIMETIME" saying it was a great way to watch the news at a more convenient time than evening rush hour. The practice, long opposed by viewers and ABC, was ended in 1996.

From 1970 to 1995, ABC affiliates in Seattle and Portland aired MNF games on a one-hour tape delay in order to accommodate local newscasts (unless the Seattle Seahawks were playing, in which case the game would be shown live). These were billed by the network as "Thursday Night Editions of Monday Night Football'.". For a time in the 1980s, ABC also aired occasional games on Thursday nights. Prior to 1978, there would be one "bye week" per season in which no Monday night game would be scheduled or televised.