Monday Night Football will reportedly not be receiving an overhaul of any sort in 2019. ESPN is making a long term commitment to the team of Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, and Booger McFarland despite persistent criticism.
Lindsay Jones of The Athletic talked to Witten about his future and the way he deals with fan criticism. The former Cowboys tight end says he accepts that he is still learning the ins and outs of his new job.
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
There are two games left on ESPN’s Monday night schedule this season. While no personality changes are expected, it is likely the network will take a long look at things like the Booger Mobile and over-the-shoulder shots of Witten and Joe Tess and decide if the presentation is distracting from the game itself.
