ABC Monday Night Football intro (October 18, 1976): Patriots/Jets

Here is the intro for ABC's Monday Night Football from October 1976. The game features the surprising New England Patriots and Lou Holtz's New York Jets. In fact, if anybody has watched the NFL Network's top 10 coaches who should have stayed in college countdown, this is the origin of the clip where Alex Karras sings Holtz's "fight song" for the team. Enjoy!

Announcers: Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and Alex Karras (duh!)

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• abc
• nfl
• monday night football
• october
• 1976
• new england patriots
• new york jets
• howard cosell
• frank gifford
• alex karras
• lou holtz
• fight song

[FutureNewsAnchor]

Do you happen to have any MNF intros from the Al/Dan/Frank era?

[gamelover1949]

I'd have to look at my games to see.

[getswb]

Howard Cosell was doing his best to build up a game that ultimately didn't mean much by the end of the season.  This is vintage footage gamelover1949, thank you.

[gamelover1949]

Your welcome. He did his job well considering the result of the game.

[VeniUbique]

@jimdep333 Go fuck yourself.

[ICETVNetwork]

Shaffer Stadium was a piece of shit even during its first decade back in the 70s. Thank god they made Gillette Stadium in suburban Boston.

[Mcnzlea]

swami1: there was MNF in Foxboro in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981; then came a 14-year stretch in which every Patriots MNF appearance was on the road, and MNF would not return to Foxboro until 1995.

[STP43FAN1]

Chuck Fairbanks - he could have been the Patriots' best ever coach - what ruined him was Billy and Chuck Sullivan. The Sullivans bullied him into tearing up contract extensions he had with John Hannah and Leon Gray for 1977; Hannah and Gray held out until the other owners made the Sullivans pay them; Fairbanks began planning to quit the team. "Chuck Sullivan screwed up a good football team," Russ Francis said.

[indyfan22k]

@WhiteBoy41 REALLY ?? ALL of that is true ?? Damn. I can't believe they didn't come back for 20 years.

[swany65]

The Raiders and Patriots played a Special Sunday night game in 1978 (09/28) covered by MNF. It was the game after Tatum hit Stingley. Would you happen to have the opening of that game? My mom wouldn't let me watch it because I had to go to bed! For some reason I remember that one most, probably because it was dark out and I was amazed the game was being played in daylight.

[MrTommyg024]

When Cossell laughs after the fight song the way he does, that's a pretty obvious hint that the game is over before it starts. ;)

[stirlwm]

Only thing I imagine Alex Karras is at the end of Porky's--the "I promise the MMMMFFFFF...." line that the local sheriff made them repeat...

[kresblain]

@MrMichaelChua That song was "Leader of the Pack" composed by John Charles Fiddy. It was from the same album as the original "Heavy Action" (KPM Music's "Industrial Panorama").

[jcomeaux1]

It was a great time to witness. We looked forward to MNF! No longer...

[WatchVenusSpa]

Lou Holtz would go on to become an icon at Notre Dame.