Farewell ABC Monday Night Football

Last night was the last NFL Monday Night Football game to be played on ABC. The New England Patriots beat the New York Jets last night 31-21. The score doesn’t really reflect how the Jets played. They scored a defensive TD in the first half and then some late time garbage points at the end of the game. The first three scores of the game were all defensive TDs, including two Mike Vrabel scores. New England made a strong case last night to prove that they are the team to beat in the AFC, not the Colts.

Starting in the 2006 NFL season next year, Monday Night Football will be show on ABC’s sister, ESPN. Both ABC and ESPN are owned by Disney, so why this move was made I’m still not sure. Don’t worry, ESPN isn’t hogging all the games. Sunday Night Football will be moved to NBC, who hasn’t shown a NFL game in years. Why did the NFL make this move?

Monday Night Football has become a tradition to some families and must watch TV over recent years. Why would the NFL switch MNF to a cable channel that millions of viewers do not pay for? That’s suicide! Isn’t it?

Here’s where it gets tricky. MNF is not as popular as you think. Over the last few years or so, CBS has posted a killer Monday night lineup that brings in more viewers than Monday Night Football. Headlined by Everybody Loves Raymond and 2 and ½ Men. CBS was smart. They played shows that the women would want to see. Raymond and 2 ½ Men appeal to men as well, so when the woman wants to watch them, the husband isn’t likely to say much. Besides he can just Tivo the game, or catch the second half.

If you ask me the NFL is making a mistake. I don’t care how many wives make their husbands turn the tubes off for a half hour, you can’t put Monday Night Football on a cable channel. There are millions and millions of viewers and football fans who do not pay for cable. And now the NFL is taking the tradition away from them. Sure they get to watch NBC Sunday Night now, but it’s not the same. Sunday Night football isn’t a tradition.

Are the Colts Screwed?

The Indianapolis Colts (13-2) have now lost 2 games in a row. Granted they were playing most of their back-ups the entire game, but nonetheless, they still lost. No team wants to lose. Professional athletes are competitive and want to win every time they step on the field. Tack those 2 losses along with the loss of coach Tony Dungy’s son, and the Colts might be hurting come playoff time.

No team wants to head into the playoffs with 3 straight losses, but that might happen if the Colts lose to Arizona in week 17. They could lose all momentum they had. The Colts secured a first round playoff bye a few weeks ago. With the rest of the starts last week and this week plus a first round bye, the starters are looking at almost a month without having played more than 2 quarters of football. This is not good. Tony Dungy will need to focus on keeping them players conditioned and focuses during their hiatus.

I think a hot team like the Jaguars or Patriots will have a much better shot in the playoffs. There’s no doubt that the Colts were the best regular season team in the NFL (even though Seattle is ranked above them now thanks to Saturday’s win). But the best regular season team, does not necessarily make the Superbowl, let alone win it. It’s all about momentum and the Colts just don’t have it.

The Colts will be pumped, and they will be determined to win when they play their first playoff game in mid January, but will their bodies be able to handle it? The starters will have gone a month without taking a big hit. The will have gone a month without running all game. If the Colts have to face New England or Jacksonville in the playoffs, I think they will lose. Indy will not beat Jacksonville 3 times in one season, and we all know how well Indy does against New England in the playoffs.

Resting players to help recover from injury is one thing, but resting them simply because you don’t want to get them hurt is another. People get hurt in football. It’s part of the game. They could get hurt in practice just as easily as they could in a game. You shouldn’t be resting players 3 weeks before the season ends.