GETTY
“Monday Evening Soccer” analyst Booger MacFarland watches a sport between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahwaks from a rolling platform 10 ft within the air at Soldier Subject on September 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.
There’s going to be some new faces on the following broadcast of Monday Evening Soccer.
The Athletic reporter Richard Deitsch tweeted out the information Saturday, confirming that the pair, who joined the ESPN broadcast for the beginning of the 2018 NFL season, wouldn’t be returning for the 2020 season.
The swap signifies that for the third straight season, there can be a brand new mixture of commentators for the ESPN broadcast. As Deitsch’s tweet says, the pair will nonetheless be an necessary a part of ESPN’s programming.
Booger McFarland
A defensive deal with in his enjoying days, McFarland was a standout participant for LSU within the late 1990s, seeing him chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 15th total decide of the 1999 NFL Draft.
McFarland went on to win Tremendous Bowl XXXVII with the Bucs and totaled 20 sacks, earlier than being traded to the Indianapolis Colts, finally profitable Tremendous Bowl XLI earlier than the tip of his profession.
Initially, McFarland was employed by ESPN primarily for faculty soccer protection however McFarland joined the MNF broadcast group in 2018 as a sideline analyst after 4 years with ESPN as a university soccer character and analyst.
After Dallas Cowboys tight finish Jason Witten got here out of retirement for the 2019 season, McFarland was moved as much as the sales space to hitch Tessitore, who was additionally changing Sean McDonough because the play-by-play commentator for Monday Evening Soccer.
Joe Tessitore
Tessitore has been an worker of ESPN since 2002, initially commentating on boxing and different fight sports activities as a spotlight.
Since, he’s been a play-by-play caller for ESPN’s protection of school basketball, horse racing and school soccer, by which he finally turned certainly one of ESPN’s lead play-by-play commentators for Saturday evening video games and the Faculty Soccer Playoff.
In 2018, Tessitore changed McDonough, who had returned to calling school soccer video games for ESPN.
ESPN Tried to Rent Peyton Manning, Different Legendary QBs
The announcement that the pair wouldn’t be returning isn’t of nice shock, particularly after the context of ESPN reportedly making an attempt to rent NFL legend Peyton Manning and failing.
In keeping with the New York Submit’s Andrew Marchand, the community had reached out to Manning a number of occasions since his retirement from the league, however to no avail.
The precise determine ESPN was prepared to supply Manning is unknown. Nonetheless, in accordance with sources, ESPN had capped its proposed provide to Romo at 10 years and $140 million. ESPN by no means bought the possibility to place it in entrance of Romo as a result of CBS signed Romo for $180 million in full worth over 10 years.
Apart from being Booger McFarland’s teammate on the Colts throughout Tremendous Bowl XLI, Manning has different connections with ESPN, doing exhibits like Peyton’s Locations for the community’s subscription platform.
Marchand additionally talked about that ESPN has checked out different retired, or soon-to-be retired quarterbacks like Fox shade commentator Tony Romo, New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees or Colts QB Philip Rivers.
The coronavirus outbreak has slowed sports activities media, however officers are nonetheless doing enterprise. ESPN executives might select to take a break from “Monday Evening Soccer” after plans to rent certainly one of Romo, Manning, Drew Brees or Philip Rivers didn’t work out. At this level, it seems an inside resolution is more likely, although somebody like Corridor of Famer Kurt Warner might nonetheless be thought of.
2020 Monday Evening Soccer NFL Schedule
READ NEXT: 49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk on Jimmy G Feedback: ‘I’ve Been His Bodyguard’
Evan Reier is a sportswriter masking the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and native sports activities for the Montana Customary in Butte, MT. Comply with and attain out to him on Twitter at @evanreier.