The First-Ever Monday Night Football Game

Pro Football in the 1970s

Pigskin Past is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

The 1970s ushered in a new birth of competition in pro football. As with many new things, a new idea sparked the entire pro football landscape at the very beginning of the decade. A new television contract was obtained by all three major television networks to televise the newly formed league of 26 teams. One of those television stations – ABC – was given the contract to televise a whole new idea, the idea of Monday Night Football. Today, we in 2021 look upon Monday Night Football as something that we have always had. But no, the idea had to have a start sometime, and that time was back in 1970......

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PIGSKIN PAST BACKGROUND

PIgskin Past is a podcast dedicated to teaching fans about the history of the NFL during the 1970s, a time when the host (Joe Zagorski) grew up as a rabid fan of the game. Joe is also an author of multiple NFL books. See Joe's books below.

The NFL in the 1970s: Pro Football's Most Important Decade

The Year the Packers Came Back: The 1972 Resurgence

America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier