The most brilliant media analysts in the world stated, “Everything I learned, I learned from wrestling”. Professional wrestling mixes athleticism with opera and melds them into the ultimate entertainment vehicle. Before Vince McMahon perfected the that WWE format, there was Monday Night Football.
Producer Roone Arledge immediately saw possibilities for the new show. Setting out to create an entertainment "spectacle" as much as a simple sports broadcast, Arledge hired Chet Forte, who would serve as director of the program for over 22 years. Arledge also ordered twice the usual number of cameras to cover the game, expanded the regular two-man broadcasting booth to three and used extensive graphic design within the show as well as "instant replay."
The show came together when Don Meredith entered the booth. He was the good guy, the wildcard, the free radical, the guy that wasn’t Cosell and Dandy Don made the game better than it was.
The natural interchange between the intellectual and the street-smart savvy produced an entertainment product unrivaled in its era. Cosell would pontificate, Meredith would ask “Howard, where you get those words, what are you trying to say.” Much of John Madden’s success is based upon Mr. Meredith’s ability to see something common and related to the game.
More importantly Meredith provided a roll model for dealing with the pompous and self-important. Humor is the ultimate power. Following the footsteps of Mark Twain and Will Rogers number 17 infused the essence of comedy into the world of sports.
Don Meredith passed yesterday, his work and his genius is carried on today. Fox’s NFL pregame show is nothing more than the best elements of Meredith’s mind in stream of consciousness style.
A lesser-known, but equally significant impact Mr. Meredith had on television, was experienced by only a few, but never forgotten. In the early days of satellite television, we are talking 12 to 15 foot dishes in the backyard, the local stations would supply commercials. The network feed continued as an open channel. Not so any more.
Watching Monday Night Football with the open feed was classic. The cameramen, director and guys in the truck would provide borderline pornographic images of every attractive woman in the stadium. Listening to Dandy Don tell Howard that he couldn’t handle that woman if she was chained to a bed, was perfect. Cosell would try to explain that he was a man’s man. Meredith would enlist Frank Gifford to explain football heroes got more tail than short attorneys. It was rude, it was crude and it was very real.
In the passing of people who have touched our lives, we have a special obligation to carry forward the best elements of their personality. In addition to singing “turn out the lights, the party’s over”, remember how Don Meredith made insufferable bores into comedic foils with a grace and ease never seen before.
Rest In Peace Brother Don. You did good work!
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