Monday Night Football on ESPN?

Am I reading this right? I never thought this would happen. After 35 years, someone at Disney got out a staple puller and yanked Monday Night Football out of ABC. I can hear the CEO of ABC, "WHAT THE F**K? How do I fill that time slot?" Do you think the whole TO fiasco last season has anything to do with this? I think we all have to say, Thank You, Janet. It has been one thing after another since then. May be that is what the NFL needed to stir things up. Or may be it is just money.

NBC will get the Sunday night package for $600 million over six years, sources told The Associated Press. The network will also get the Super Bowl in 2009 and 2012 as part of the deal, a source told the AP.(ESPN)

Under its current eight-year, $4.4 billion contract, ABC has paid an average of $550 million per year to broadcast “Monday Night Football” —(MSNBC)

NBC will devote its entire Sunday night prime-time lineup to the NFL. The Sunday night games will start at 8:15 p.m. ET and include flexible scheduling for the final seven weeks of the season, details of which will be developed by the league.(ESPN)

I hope this adds some kick. I hate going to bed early on a boring game, just to wake and find it was a shoot out. So the change of start times are a big plus. My kids can also see some of the game.

Monday night games will shift to the earlier start time of 8:40 p.m. eastern on ESPN. Here is a link to MSNBC's article.