ESPN and Hank Williams Jr. Part Ways: Why a Rowdy-Free Broadcast Is the Right Move

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Rick Diamond / Getty Images

"Are You Ready For Some Football?" is no more.

In a move that likely surprises no one, save some Hank Williams Jr. fanatics, on Thursday ESPN announced that it was cutting ties with the country singer, whose energetic intro to Monday Night Football ran for 20 years. On Monday, Williams made the mistake of comparing President Obama to Hitler during an interview on Fox News. The song was pulled from the Oct. 3 Monday Night Football broadcast, and now that decision is permanent. “We appreciate his contributions over the past years," ESPN said in a statement. "The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue.”??

(MORE: ESPN Drops Hank Williams Jr's Monday Night Football Song Over Obama Remarks)

Williams says he, and not ESPN, did the dumping. “After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision," Williams wrote on his website. "By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You [ESPN] stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment, Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and  All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It's been a great run.”

It's easy to side with ESPN on this one. After Williams' inane, rambling Fox interview, he lacks credibility. And he seems to be confused about the First Amendment. Just as Williams has every right to say ridiculous things on national television, ESPN enjoys a right to pull a ridiculous singer off of national television.

Some football fans might be upset today. Monday Night Football loves to sell its storied history, and a rowdy-free broadcast may take some getting used to. However, Monday Night Football enjoyed its heyday in the 21 years before Hank Williams' ditty ever came along. Plus, Monday Night nostalgia is pretty fruitless at this point. It's no longer the showcase event of the NFL week — this Monday, catch Indianapolis and Tampa Bay! Curtis Painter vs. Josh Freeman! The game scores great cable ratings for ESPN, but the Sunday afternoon games on CBS and Fox, plus the Sunday night games on NBC, typically get fans the most jazzed.

And if a game doesn't get you excited, what good are rowdy friends anyway?

MORE: Are You Ready For Some Hitler?

Sean Gregory is a staff writer at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @seanmgregory. You can also continue the discussion on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

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Do you turn the channel when Keith Olbermann comes on Current TV? Does Rush Limbaugh make you crazy on the afternoon drive home?

As the 2012 election heats up, it seems like news commentators from both sides are becoming more provocative, leading Whispers to ask Washington's two prominent news watchdogs who they think are the most unfair in the business.

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The conservative Media Research Center and progressive Media Matters for America played along, giving us the top five on their bias hit list.

First on the conservative chart is HBO's Bill Maher. The Media Research Center notes that he once suggested that Obama push through his agenda and tell the opposition, "Republicans, you can suck on it."

Second on the conservative hit list is MSNBC's Chris Matthews, slapped on Media Research Center's website this month for insisting that Ronald Reagan "wasn't a social conservative."

Third on the conservative list is CNN's Joy Behar, who suggested after the killing of Osama bin Laden that the GOP "should just skip the next election."

Ed Schultz of MSNBC is fourth for MRC whose website notes he had to apologize for calling righty talker Laura Ingraham a "right wing slut."

And fifth on the Media Research Center list of those they see as liberally biased is Keith Olbermann of MSNBC, who has used words like "Neanderthal" to describe Republicans.

First on the progressive Media Matters hit list is Rush Limbaugh. Says the group, "El Rushbo has demonstrated time and again that there is no depth to which he won't sink."

Second on Media Matters list is Glenn Beck, even though he's off the air. "Beck may have lost his Fox News platform, but the wacky morning zoo DJ-turned-end-times-conspiracy theorist is still peddling his apocalyptic wares on the radio and his newly launched online TV service," says the group.

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Fox's Eric Bolling is third on Media Matters' target list. "In addition to being a birther, Bolling has landed in hot water more than once for inappropriate racial remarks," they say.

Fourth on the Media Matters list are the hosts of the popular morning show, Fox & Friends. "Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson, and Brian Kilmeade work seamlessly together each morning to turn Fox & Friends into a bubbly and poisonous mixture of right-wing talking points, Republican propaganda, and anti-Democratic hysteria," says Media Matters.

And fifth is Sean Hannity, also of Fox, who Media Matters says too often parrots GOP talking points.

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