Peyton Manning Becomes A Broadcaster 

When we heard rumors there might be football games on Monday night, most folks' reaction was, "Who would watch games during the week?" But as a kid, it was THRILLING to stay up late and watch MNF with my dad. Before long, it was the most watched program nearly every week!

To us kids growing up in the 70s/80s, there was no better night than Monday night! Getting to stay up past regular bedtime to watch MNF..the halftime highlights were always my favorite part, hearing Cossell say "DEEP DOWN FIELD..."..still brings a good feeling inside thinking about it!

Peyton is a National treasure

Peyton sounds more like Katharine Hepburn than Howard Cosell. I see you laughing, Eli 😆

MNF was the thing for me as a kid, born in 1967. Dad would have the game on every Monday night, and it was always a battle being able to watch it, because I had to finish my homework first, before I could watch the game, but I never wanted to miss the halftime highlights, because like you said, that was the only way you knew what was going on around the league. Growing up in Miami, we had the Don Shula show before MNF every week, and Shula would go through the highlights of the Dolphins game, and break down plays, etc. Always great to watch. My Dad in his sarcastic humor, used to call the "Don Shula Show" the "Excuse of the Week Show" for when the Dolphins lost that week. It honestly wasn't very often back in the 70's.

Al Michaels’ hair suddenly disappearing <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="154">2:34</a> and then reappearing because of nascent green screen technology is hilarious. Excellent video!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

“ Miami might have the oranges but Buffalo got the juice.” -Howard Cosell.

I honestly can’t remember when Al Michaels wasn’t a part of my life.

I grew up watching MNF with my Dad...and Howard Cosell...the man was incredibly entertaining, smart and yes, obnoxious...🤣 But he made the game come to life on every extraordinary play. I miss the late 60's to tge mid 70's with "The Toupee"!🏈

Great job Peyton and Al! I love going old school. The Howard Cosell stories were priceless.

“Awwww Howard!” That was great. Monday Night Football was so amazing when I was a little kid, watched all those games with my grandpa. MNF pushed a lot of television technology forward very quickly. Video quality, handhelds, live time slo-motion, replay, on and in and on.

loved the replays of Archie....he was really the most underrated QB in nfl history.....Never had a defense..if the Saints scored 38 their D gave up 40

God, Peyton Manning is so flipping charismatic! I will literally watch any RU-vid video if he’s on it

This is great, busting on Cosell is hysterical lol

I loved how Peyton called Manning the #1 Dad in the old highlights!

I watched it all unfold growing up!! We had a neighbor kid that sounded like Howard Cosell, during our backyard football games he would announce it as we played. Recently I went to my 45 class reunion and the dude still sounds like Howard lol

Love the manning cast! 😄

Not gonna lie, Peyton with that wig on the thumbnail is what got me here, but I stayed for the stories.

Thank you Peyton! This was GOLD

This was one of his best and they're all solid. I cracked up and was interested the entire time too. It's fun doing Cossell impressions.

Thank you Payton! Well done.

OMG I JUST HAD A HUGE FLASHBACK SITTING WITH MY BROTHER AND GRANDFATHER WATCHING THE SAINTS AND EAGLES GAME AS MY GRANDPA SCREAMING AT THE BOOB TUBE CUSIN AT HOWARD AND ARCHIE CALLING THEM EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN. #GOODSTUFF

Peyton ALWAYS brings a smile to my face... his love and appreciation for the game of football and its history and legacy are unparalleled, perhaps second only to NFL Films itself (Ed and Steve Sabol).

Al Michaels worked mostly baseball with Howard Cosell on ABC from the late 1970s until 1985. When Al worked the Pro Bowl in 1979-1980, he was ABC’s #2 College Football announcer and didn’t work an NFL game that season until that Pro Bowl. You’ll never see that again. The 1980 Pro Bowl was Al’s first NFL game on ABC. He’d be the new MNF announcer in 1986.

growing up in the 70's and 80's i couldn't wait for half time highlights with howard cosell!

As a guy that witnessed this vintage era of football I can't thank you enough for bringing back these few precious moments!

Peyton Manning is so much fun🎉

Setting at our dinner table and hearing Howard's voice in the other room on the TV was my 70's childhood!!

I loved those old Monday night football games….they were classic and funny

Takes me back to my youth watching games with my dad! Great content!

Howard was awesome, his Monday night half time will never be matched and same goes for boxing commentary. 👍 John Madden would be #2 . 👍

Michaels is getting up there in age. We should try to enjoy him anyway we can, as much as we can, while we can!

This was fantastic!

AL is the only announcer I can tolerate now .

Great to see Al Michaels bring out his fave Cosell stories and impersonations. I loved MNF as a kid in the 70s. Even though I knew I was in the minority, I loved Howard. He was absolutely fabulous doing the halftime highlights - showing he could be great at play-by-play, not just commentary. And to learn that he would basically "wing it," I am just in awe of Cosell's unbelievably impressive, unprecedented intellectual abilities that he delivered forthwith with his dependable panache every single and separate Monday evening! He could -- and did -- go...all...the...way!

Those ABCs yellow jackets remember me the famous ABCs World Wide in Sports hosted by Jim McCay

howard is how Tony DORsett became To-ny Dor SETT.

Two absolute legends in this video! Thoroughly enjoyed this one

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="173">2:53</a> The ironic thing is he pronounced "wont" incorrectly. It's supposed to be pronounced like "want"

Go Vols!!

When I played high school FB me and my friends used to get together at someone’s house and bbq hamburgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings and iced cold coke or Pepsi . Half time buttered popcorn with a few cans of salted peanuts . I miss those days !

I still remember Howard doing the halftime highlights. He was the best. That was my favorite part of MNF.

Once upon a time the NFL only had Sunday 1pm and 4pm games for east coast and west coast. Sunday night was family night for a family movie.

thank you Peyton & Mr. Michaels for the smile today

Al Michaels & Cris Collinsworth are my number 1 broadcasters. I love this watching Al & Peyton Manning broadcasting together.

ABSOLUTE GOLD!!!!!👍👑🏆My favorite QB The Sheriff imitating The Coz....cant get any better than that!!! Remember watching the highlights on MNF like it was yesterday MY FAVORITE thing to watch on TV as a kid!!! Between Howard C, Al Micheals & John Madden u couldn't show me a better bunch of PROFESSIONALS when it came to broadcast!!!!

The trick to Cosell is to emphasize every consonant in a word punching up parts and lengthen the last one. And that odd gasp at the end of every word like a swimmer taking a quick breath on a 100 meter butterfly. Cosell could turn a 3 consonant word into 6 all day long. “Emphasize” for example, make it 3 words “eM-Pha-Si-Eyes-uh!”

I was 10 years old when MNF debuted. My parents would let stay up through halftime to watch the highlights of Sunday’s games. I loved MNF.

Miss Al, guy got done dirty. Loved the imitation Peyton!

And yes we loved Howard .

I can't imitate many people but Howard Cosell is someone I've had down pat! It comes in handy more often than one would guess. DOWN GOES FRAZER! Is one of my favorites.

As usual, this is great! Love you Peyton!

I would love to see Payton Manning and Tom Brady commentate on games together

those microphone holders were so hilarious. took them years to figure out a better way.

This is awesome 😅

LOVED MNF !! Hank Jr. singing ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL .........

I've been a Peyton Manning fan since he was a Vol. He is Mr Football, living legend.

Cosell was one of a kind

"Awww, Howard..." "The education of Dandy Don continues." 🤣 <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="170">2:50</a>

Back when the NFL was still good.

Awesome

Two of my favoirte people, Al Michaels & Peyton Manning. They are 2 class acts.

Cosell was an entertainer, a celebrity. .. and he knew it. My dad would argue with Howard during MNF. I can still hear him yelling, "Oh criminy, Howard! Shut up!" 😅

"#1 dad" love it. <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="510">8:30</a>

Peyton cracks me up every time!!

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="272">4:32</a>---Peyton is absolutely correct. As kids, we would do anything to stay up to see the halftime highlights on MNF.

LOVE IT!! :D

Fun stuff!

Lotta people hate Howard. I never will. He was looked forward to and bargained for by a teenaged me. Victory was won if I could stay up to the halftime highlights.

And. He. Might. Go. All. The. Way.

I wish Peyton could have a 15 round boxing match with Cosell.

You are the best Peyton

The original Monday Night Football, back in the days when men were men, football was football, and women were grateful for it....

Tom Brady will always be number one in my book, but Peyton Manning is not only a phenomenal player, but what a presence as far as personality and humor. Love him.

Manning turned into Cris Collinsworth with the hair.

Peyton looks like Dermit Mulroney in that Cosell get up 😂

Just DONT let Al Drive, especially in Santa Monica, CA!

Howard Cosell was the man.

My bedtime was always <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="570">9:30</a> pm, so I could get a quarter in on a good night. Hated the 9pm starts. When the end of the year sometimes took it to Christmas vacation, being able to watch the whole game was like a holiday.

Lol holy crap Peyton looks amazing in that toupee

With the toupee, Payton looks a little like Rock Hudson.

Al Michaels hair in the 80s needs a documentary

good stuff

I never thought Peyton and Eli looked alike until that photo at the with Peyton squinting

Are you ready for some football? A Monday might party 🎉 🏈 Because all my rowdy friends are coming over to night. 😊

This interview is taking place at Angel Stadium? Hahah😂

I have no idea how many times I heard my dad say, "Oh, shut up, Cosell!"

Peyton needs to rock that wig more often!

My dad hated Howard so much we would watch the games with the sound off and then he would find an am radio broadcast of the same game.

I remember watching MNF in the early days, looking forward to halftime to see if my Broncos made the cut to appear in the highlight show. If they did, it was usually because Floyd Little (HOF) had a great game and was the only noteworthy player on offense at that time.

Cosell watching this would laugh his toupee off

Great stuff.

HEY!!!! I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MR. HOWARD COSELL HAD MR. AL MICHAELS IN THAT PRO BOWL CLIP? 😮😮😮😮

Well done!

this is incredible. perfect

This is great and at Angels Stadium ❤.

Looking at the thumbnail, I thought it was Eli.

You should keep the toupee! 🤣

The commentary is great & makes it fun. The only downfall is Play by Play. Unless it's Radio it's not needed for TV. We can see it.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="185">3:05</a> Ah, so that's where Pierre McGuire picked it up.