Bill Simmons on the "End" of MNF

"And that's what confused me about Monday night's telecast -- they were saying good-bye to an era that everyone had already dismissed and digested. Sure, I miss Cosell and Dandy Don, but I also miss seeing Charlene Tilton in her soaked bathing suit after falling into the dunk tank on 'Battle of the Network Stars.' What's the point? The fact remains, 'Monday Night' started losing its cultural relevancy in the early '80s, as soon as everyone started getting cable and Cosell called Alvin Garrett 'that little monkey' during a Redskins game in 1983. Once everyone realized that the man was slowly losing his mind, that was it for him and the show. It became a simple prime-time sporting event after that."