Monday Night Football good for ESPN

By Paul J. Gough

NEW YORK -- Aaron Rodgers' first regular-season game as the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback was good for the Packers and good for ESPN, too.

The Packers-Minnesota Vikings game televised as the opener of "Monday Night Football" averaged 12.5 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research said Tuesday. It's the most-watched program on cable TV for all of 2008, as well as up 13% compared to last year's "MNF" opening game (Baltimore-Cincinnati, 11.1 million viewers). The Packers won, 24-19.

ESPN followed it up at 10:30 p.m. ET with the Denver Broncos-Oakland Raiders game, which averaged 9.6 million viewers. It was the second most-watched cable TV show this year, ESPN said. It was also up 14% compared to the second game of Week One on "MNF" (Arizona-San Francisco, 8.5 million viewers). The Broncos routed the Raiders, 41-14.

The Packers-Vikings game was also well ahead of everything else on broadcast and cable TV for Monday night, a night that included the season premiere of Fox's "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and the second episode of the season of "Prison Break."

Comments

[seb]

espn mnf commentators are a bunch of clowns. Do your job . they sound like a bunch of old ladies gossiping over a cup of tea. NOT funny I thought ESPN had better taste. Lost a viewer I LOVE Football, dont want to listen to other womens (commentators) opinions. give the facts and shut up you over paid monkeys. Professional comments on the sport. Theyre making fun of the jets coaching staff ha ha hope you lose your job to a pro!!!!! MALOCCHIO to the commentators . dont know how u got the jobv-stick to comedy. ill watch tmz if i want rumors bitch

[Jerry]

Get new commentators for monday night football....!!!
They are annoying!! I finally turned the volume down and just watched the game!! Especially Tony!! They talk over one another, give to many opinions...

[Neil McLean]

Normally love to watch Monday night football, but these commentators are terrible. Please do us all a favor and at least shut them up, they drive us all crazy, and they are not funny. They sure spoil a good evening watching football.

[dick reiff]

Get rid of that Kornholler guy. I would buy out his contract, but ESPN is probably paying more than I think he is worth. He brings nothing to the table but a distraction.Get him off the tube and onto the pavement.

[Edmond Hoy]

Who really cares to watch Monday Night Football? I changed my religion to Sunday nights; Al Madden and John Madden...they are football. You blew it!

[scott henderson]

thank you to craig lyndahl for solving my dilemna. I cant bear to hear another play, player, coach or team be over analyzed by Tony Kornhieser. I thought it was a desperate move to bring in dennis miller, but at least he made me laugh ( it may have taken me to the next day to get his humor but eventually i would laugh). So thank you mr. lyndahl for the suggestion of hitting the mute button.

[KAH]

I HATE all three of the MNF commentators. Is there a petition we can sign to get rid of these clowns? One doesn't know anything abut the game, one can't a word in edgewise because the other two are talking too much, and the third thinks he's knows more than the other two because he played the sport, but he's arrogant and doesn't know crap. I usually watch the game with the TV muted just so I can enjoy the ame in peace. Get rid of all of them. MNF is no fun with them talking so much.

[TJ Johnson]

I can't stand the MNF guys. Listening to them talk about how smart the Packers coaches were in their decision making made me sick. Kind of funny - give a guy a team that is 13 - 3- one game away from the super bowl and he probably isn't going to make the playoffs! Give Brett a team that was what 4 - 10 and who knows how far this season can go! Listening to these smart alecks shoot off their mouths irritates me to know end. Bring in John and Al. PLEASE!!

[JP LUMB]

CAN CORNHEISER PLEASE GET SHOT IN THE MOUTH AND SHUT THE HELL UP. THAT ONNOXIOUS ACCENT AND HIS ARROGANCE ARE TOO MUCH....HE IS JUST IN THE TOP ESPN JEWISH CLUB AND IS A MADE MAN. THEISMANN WAS TWICE THE MAN...AND JAWS???????? PLEASE....YOU WOULD MAKE BAYWATCH BORING ANALYZING HOW THE BOOBS BOUNCE IN THE POCKET WHEN THEY RUN UP THE BEACH

[JP LUMB]

CAN CORNHEISER PLEASE GET SHOT IN THE MOUTH AND SHUT THE HELL UP. THAT ONNOXIOUS ACCENT AND HIS ARROGANCE ARE TOO MUCH....HE IS JUST IN THE TOP ESPN JEWISH CLUB AND IS A MADE MAN. THEISMANN WAS TWICE THE MAN...AND JAWS???????? PLEASE....YOU WOULD MAKE BAYWATCH BORING ANALYZING HOW THE BOOBS BOUNCE IN THE POCKET WHEN THEY RUN UP THE BEACH

[Jake]

You know. I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one that think these MNF jerks should be tossed.
Cannot stand listening to them. I'll watch first half only.It's too much for me.I've switched over to NCAA. Far easier to listen too.
Kornheiser over analyzes everything...and they are a like a bunch of old Jewish women. Theisman used to keep Kornhole in line and now Kornhole runs amuck.
He needs a good hard jab to his piehole to shut-him-up.

I think too many shots of the coaches on the sidelines too. Don't really care about them at all.
I'm a football purist.I like a lot of hard hitting, lots of running plays,good execution, and scoring.
Why do I want to watch coaches talk to their upstairs coordinator while talking behind his play card so noone reads his lips? Show the field! What do I care ABOUT THE FREAKING 50 SHOTS EVERY GAME OF THE COACHES??? Show the cheerleaders..isn't that what they're there for? for the viewers?

[JAG]

The MNF season is over. Please, for the love of god, replace Kornheiser. What does he add that couldn't be done better by any number of former NFL players?