Special Sub-Topic: Ready For Some Football? Pt. 1 Click Here To Play: Ready For Some Football? Pt. 1

Which two teams played in the first ever Monday Night Football game on ABC?

Cleveland Browns / New York Jets. The first ever Monday Night Football game pitted the Browns against the Jets on September 21, 1970. Cleveland won the contest, 31-21.

Which two teams were the last to play on ABC's "Monday Night Football" in 2005 before the show was moved to the ESPN network for the 2006 season?

New England Patriots / New York Jets. "Monday Night Football" closed out its run on ABC on December 26, 2005, by coming full circle on its final telecast. The game was the Patriots vs. Jets, with New York losing their last appearance just as they did their first by the exact same score, 31-21.

On September 22, 1997, the Jacksonville Jaguars made their first appearance on "MNF". Did they win or lose?

Win & W. After coming off a 9-7 season and a surprising AFC Championship Game appearance in January of 1997, the Jags hosted "MNF" for the first time ever and defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-21. It was their only appearance on the show that season.

The Carolina Panthers made their first ever appearance on Monday Night Football on September 29, 1997, against the San Francisco 49ers. Did the Panthers win or lose that game?

Win & W. A week after going to Jacksonville, "MNF" visited Charlotte, North Carolina for the first time ever and saw the Panthers lose to the 49ers, 34-21.

In 2000, the San Francisco 49ers did something that they had not done in 19 seasons on "Monday Night Football". What was it?

They did not appear on the show at all that season. The Niners missed appearing on "Monday Night Football" in 2000 for the first time since the 1982. Coming off the first of their five Super Bowl wins from the previous season, it was only due to the 1982 season's 57-day player's strike that prevented them from making a scheduled appearance. Nine games were lost that season. The last "MNF" game played before the strike was on September 20, 1982 (Packers, 27, Giants, 19). The next "MNF" game would be played until November 22, 1982 (Raiders, 28, Chargers, 24). The 49ers finished the '82 season at 4-5 and missed the playoffs.

In 1986, "Monday Night Football" went to a two-man announcer booth after 17 years of having three men call the game. Who were these two announcers?

Frank Gifford and Al Michaels. Frank Gifford was the booth's only holdover from the previous season. He had partnered with Joe Namath, who only spent the '85 season on the show, and O.J. Simpson, who had been in the booth since 1983. Simpson had replaced Fran Tarkenton.

Many "MNF" fans remember the night Joe Theismann's career ended horribly at the hands of Lawrence Taylor. Did the Redskins go on to win the game?

y. Although the Theismann injury was extremely gruesome and could have caused the Redskins to go into the tank, they rallied behind back-up QB Jay Schroeder to not only win that game, 23-21, but go on to 5-1 in their next six games. They just missed making the playoffs that year at 10-6.

During a 1972 blowout "Monday Night Football" game between the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Oilers, a fan did something that added a little spice to an otherwise boring game. What was it?

The fan flashed his middle finger while the cameras were on him signifying his distaste for the way the game was going. On October 9, 1972, in the third quarter of a 34-0 rout, one of the few fans left in the Astrodome displayed his displeasure with the Oilers performance by extending his middle finger to the camera, prompting "MNF" Announcer Don Meredith to quickly quip, "He thinks they are number one in the nation".

On the season premiere of "MNF" in 1983, in a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins, Howard Cosell called this Redskins receiver "a little monkey", inciting a storm of controversy. Which receiver was Cosell referring to, unfortunately?

Alvin Garrett. Howard Cosell was the man America loved to hate. He had been a part of "Monday Night Football" since it's inception in 1970, and this comment just cemented the hatred many Americans had for him. Although Cosell said that he was only referring to Garrett's smallish stature and not his race (Garrett was African-American), and that he also called his grandchildren "little monkeys", the comment was in poor taste. The negative backlash directed towards Cosell continued throught the year and it helped to lead Cosell to the decision of leaving "MNF" at the end of that season.

When did Fran Tarkenton come into the "MNF" booth?

1979. After 18 seasons in the NFL, Fran Tarkenton came into the "Monday Night Football" booth to join Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford on a part-time basis. He filled in for Don Meredith, who was only contractually obligated to work a 14 game "MNF" schedule instead of the 16 game schedule that the show had gone to starting in 1978. Tarkenton also had his other show, "That's Incredible" ,also on ABC which he was working on, further limiting his "MNF" appearances. His final season on "MNF" was 1982.