Despite the criticism its unorthodox broadcast booth has received this season, ESPN has made a long-term commitment to Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten and Booger McFarland, Lindsay Jones of The Athletic reports. That means Monday Night Football likely remains the same in 2019.
“I think it’s a long-term plan,” Witten told Jones. “I think a lot of people always assumed that I would get into coaching or management and all that kind of stuff at some point, and I don’t know that’s the case. I think that the biggest thing for me is you can’t allow noise to get in the way of what your goals are and what you want to do. I understand what the narrative is, and I’m committed to the long-game approach of being [an analyst]. If I could say anything, not in a sensitive or bitter way, it would just be, ‘Hey, look, if you really just studied it and looked at it and watched it, it has evolved.’”
Tessitore has received outside criticism for his exuberance, and Witten for, well, just about anything he says or does. The Booger Mobile hasn’t proved a hit with viewers, either from fans at home or fans in the stands whose view sometimes is obscured.
ESPN expected growing pains this season, Jones reports, especially since Witten had no broadcast experience. Dynamics among the three continue to evolve.
“What makes a three-man booth challenging is everybody’s got to give up a little something, right?” McFarland said. “Because normally you’d have one guy being the analyst, and he’s got the ability to go at his own pace and do everything and break down everything, but when you’ve got two people somebody’s got to give up a little something.”
Monday Night Football has two games remaining with tonight’s game between the Saints and Panthers and next week’s between the Broncos and Raiders.
