ABC MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: ST. LOUIS RAMS VS. DENVER BRONCOS, 2000 (TV)
Summary
One in this seasonal series of weekly football games. This match, broadcast live from the Trans World Dome in St. Louis, Missouri, pits the Denver Broncos against the reigning Super Bowl champions, the St. Louis Rams. The game marks both the season opener and the debut of stand-up comedian turned color commentator Dennis Miller alongside the long-standing crew of Al Michaels, Dan Fouts, Melissa Stark, and Eric Dickerson. Following the program's traditional music-video montage opening number, Michaels and Fouts introduce Miller, who is dressed in an anachronistic bright yellow sports coat adorned with a comically outdated ABC Sports logo on the breast pocket. The commentators discuss the players they predict will be central to both the game and the season, including Denver wide receiver Ed McCaffrey; Denver quarterback Brian Griese, whose father Bob Griese was a talented quarterback himself; and Denver running back Terrell Davis, whose recent physical therapy for an injured ankle will cause his performance to be watched closely. Denver takes an early lead shortly after the kickoff, when quarterback Griese runs in a touchdown himself. St. Louis makes no haste in answering, however, as speedy special-teams standout Az-Zahir Hakim returns a punt eighty-some yards to tie the game at seven. The offensive volleying picks up in the second quarter as both teams easily pick up touchdowns and field goals with each respective drive. The first half ends with St. Louis ahead of Denver twenty one to seventeen. The halftime show features a "blooper" reel narrated by veteran broadcaster Chris Berman, a "closer look" at McCaffrey, and a recap of the first half's highlights. The second half opens strongly for Denver as the team makes an early field goal to bring the game to within one point. This rally stalls, however, when star Denver running back Davis is taken out of the game for spraining his ankle. St. Louis capitalizes on Denver's suddenly exposed Achilles' heel and scores a quick touchdown to bring the score to twenty eight to twenty, in favor of St. Louis.
The third quarter continues as Az-Zahir Hakim scores another touchdown for St. Louis, and Miller draws cryptic analogies to Romulus and Remus. Denver answers with a touchdown of its own, but the third quarter ends with Denver behind St. Louis, thirty-five to twenty-seven. The Denver offense continues its hot streak into the fourth quarter, coming up with a quick field goal and an interception-into-touchdown turnover that puts the team ahead of St. Louis by one point. As the fourth quarter of this high-scoring game winds down, the commentators begin to contemplate the significance of a possible Denver upset. Includes commercials and promos.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: September 4, 2000 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 3:05:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:61125
- GENRE: Sports
- SUBJECT HEADING: Football; Sports
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1970-
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - 3com software
- TV - Commercials - Adidas athletic shoes
- TV - Commercials - BF Goodrich tires
- TV - Commercials - Bud Light beer
- TV - Commercials - Campbell's Soup
- TV - Commercials - Canon cameras
- TV - Commercials - Charles Schwab investment firm
- TV - Commercials - Dodge automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Dr. Pepper soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Lee Jeans
- TV - Commercials - MSN electronics
- TV - Commercials - Mitsubishi automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Nortel Networks
- TV - Commercials - Office Max office supply store
- TV - Commercials - Toyota automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Visa credit cards
- TV - PSA - "Parents: The Anti-Drug"
- TV - PSA - United Way charities
- TV - Promos - "ABC World News Tonight"
- TV - Promos - "Any Given Sunday" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "Bait" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "Geena Davis Show"
- TV - Promos - "Madigan Men"
- TV - Promos - "Nightline: Hip Hop Special"
- TV - Promos - "Norm"
- TV - Promos - "Nurse Betty" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "Remember the Titans" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "The Drew Carey Show"
- TV - Promos - "The Trouble with Normal"
- TV - Promos - "The Watcher" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "Two Guys and A Girl"
- TV - Promos - The Emmy Awards
CREDITS
- Howard Katz … Executive Producer
- David Israel … Coordinating Producer
- Don Ohlmeyer … Producer
- Drew Kaliski … Associate Producer
- Brian Lockhart … Associate Producer
- Drew Esocoff … Director
- Eric Dickerson … Sports Commentator
- Dan Fouts … Sports Commentator
- Al Michaels … Sports Commentator
- Dennis Miller … Sports Commentator
- Melissa Stark … Sports Commentator
- Chris Berman
- Terrell Davis
- Bob Griese
- Brian Griese
- Az-Zahir Hakim
- Ed McCaffrey