Turn out the lights -- RIP Don Meredith

That was genuine of an emotion you can get when Frank nearly broke down at the end of the interview last night.

 

I was going to tell you to stop getting carried away, but yeah, this trio is bad enough to make the Miller Error look good. I guess I shouldn't have squawked so much about Michaels/Dierdorf.

I vaguely recall the three-man booth of Cosell, Gifford and Meredith. At least my childhood memories say it was pretty good, but again, that just may be my fondness for those sport coats talking.

 

I was around 4 years old in 1980, when my old man let me stay up to watch Cosell, Frank, and Don. The stipulation was that I head to bed when halftime arrived.

I'm glad that I broke that rule every Monday night, with my Dad's endorsement and my Mom rolling her eyes.

 

i remember meredith doing the tv series, "police story" but i heard today he also guest hosted on "the tonight show." did not know that.

 

Before Howard's highlights?

 

Yeah, the highlight show. Old Howie would always try to get in Boo Bulaich or the Human Bowling Ball, Don Nottingham.

 

Football legend Don Meredith sings Willie Nelson's "Turn Out the Lights" & "Varsity" on October 18, 2008, the night SMU retired his jersey - No. 17

 

Take it from someone who watched MNF right from the get-go, they really were that good.

Gifford wasn't a particularly great PBP guy, but as the straight man refereeing between Meredith and Cosell, he was absolutely perfect.

Really, though, the Dandy Don vs. Howard bit was all just an act. In fact, they had a lot more in common than you might think. Both were outspoken free thinkers, both very irreverent, both stereotypes of places with large egos (NYC and Texas), and, as the MNF tribute suggested, they really had a lot of respect for each other.

Oh, and yes, Meredith was a damn fine quarterback.

 

MNF was the most important event of the week during my childhood.

It would start with me and my dad playing the Monday Night Football board game...I'd usually win, by throwing a bomb. And it would end with me going to bed after the halftime highlights -- which was generally the only time all week we got to see clips from the crappy Falcons game the day before.

I can still here my dad singing, "Turn out the Lights" as he put me to bed at half.

Here's the game I'm talking about:

http://boardgamegeek.com/image/52183/abc-monday-night-football

Fabulous commercial for it:

http://www.liketelevision.com/liketelevision/tuner.php?channel=426&format=tv&theme=guide

 

Or Harold Carmichael, the Angular One.

 

MacAAAAAAAAAA-thur Lane!

 

I'll bet lot of young men have that same memory. (since everyone wanted to see what Howard would say about their team on the halftime highlights)