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Hank Williams Jr. Song Pulled From Monday Night Football On ESPN

Football fans tuning into Monday Night Football on ESPN this NFL season will not hear Hank Williams Jr.’s iconic “All…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

September 9, 2020

12:16 pm

Hank Williams Jr.; Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Football fans tuning into Monday Night Football on ESPN this NFL season will not hear Hank Williams Jr.’s iconic “All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night” as the song has reportedly been pulled from upcoming broadcasts.

According to Sports Business Daily, ESPN removed the song because they didn’t feel it would be a good fit for the 2020-2021 football season as fans will most likely not be able to attend games or gather to watch games due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Instead of “All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night,” ESPN will reportedly air a version of Little Richard’s“Rip It Up,” from the band Butcher Brown.

Williams Jr.’s song was first used in 1989 when MNF still aired on ABC. “All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night” was removed from the broadcasts in 2011 after the legendary entertainer compared President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. The singer later apologized for his comments, acknowledging “my analogy was extreme — but it was to make a point.”

The song returned to Monday Night Football in 2017.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.