ESPN announced it will not use Hank Williams Jr. for its “Monday Night Football” open for the 2020-2021 season. Execs decided that the song “All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night” doesn’t make sense since most games that will be played in mainly empty stadiums. ESPN said it has not made a decision about whether it will bring back the song next season, when full crowds, presumably, will be allowed back. ABC first used the song to open “Monday Night Football” in ’89.
ESPN instead will use the Little Richard song “Rip It Up,” with modern-day instrumentals from a Virginia-based band called Butcher Brown combined with Little Richard’s voice.
