December 8, 2010, will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. As everyone knows, Lennon was shot and killed by obsessed fan, Mark David Chapman, outside of Lennon's apartment building in New York City. What does Lennon have to do with Monday Night Football you may wonder?
In 1970, Monday Night Football (MNF) began on ABC. Throughout the 1970s, it elevated the exposure of the NFL and made Monday nights must see television. The first broadcasters of MNF were Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith. In 1971, Frank Gifford replaced Jackson. As the young MNF franchise began to grow, guest appearances by sports, movie, and music stars in the booth, became commonplace. On December 9, 1974, Lennon was interviewed by Cosell (click here to see interview) during the game that night. What no one knew was that exactly six years and one day later, Lennon would be shot, and his shocking and tragic death would be told to the world on football's biggest stage by the man who interviewed him that night, Howard Cosell.
