I’m a big football fan. Yes, the gridiron, the ballet that is football. It’s a great sport on many levels regardless of the fact TV has infiltrated it with gobs of time-outs. But it has transcended into a way of life for me on Sundays from Sept to Jan. The day is scheduled around the magic hours of 1 – 4pm and 4:15 – 7:30. Sometimes 8:00 – 11:00 as well. And, don’t forget Mondays at 9:00 — yes Monday Night Football. The 35 year tradition that has brought magic moments into my Monday evenings.
Which brings me to my disbelief this morning. Al Michaels, a longtime ABC sports broadcaster and the constant voice of Monday Night Football since pretty much its inception, is no no longer an ABC employee. In a bizarre move that is normally reserved for the athletes he commentates, Michaels was “traded” to NBC. In return for his loss of services (and large contract I presume), ABC’s parent company Walt Disney Co. receives the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character that precedes Mickey Mouse and was originated by Walt himself.  Also to sweeten the deal, NBC also handed over rights to more Olympic coverage and Friday coverage of the next 4 Ryder Cups. All in all, a pretty good deal for NBC. In case you’re wondering why NBC had rights to Oswald, they are in turn owned by Universal. Here’s a blurb describing the situation by Dick Ebersol – one of the high-ups at NBC:
“He told me this incredible story that Walt’s first really big production as a cartoonist for the cinema had been a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which was before Mickey,” Ebersol said. “And for reasons that aren’t still totally clear to me, Walt lost those rights. He didn’t have the money to hold onto them.”
Disney and his partner, Ub Iwerks, created the rabbit in 1927 at the request of Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Pictures, and made 26 silent cartoons. After Disney learned that Universal held the rights, he created a new character, eventually named Mickey Mouse, who resembled Oswald, but with shorter ears.
Universal continued to make Oswald films from 1929-38 — Mickey Rooney was one of his voices — and appeared in a comic book from 1943-62.
“We earn nothing from those rights; they’ve had no value in the United States,” Ebersol said.
The Walt Disney Co. had been trying to reacquire the rabbit for some time.
For the moment, it seems strange that Disney would shell out a big commentator for a cartoon character they claim has sentimental value, but I can see Disney taking this character and turning it into some serious coin.  A character designed by Walt himself that could very well be his first true love.  This guy could usurp Mickey in no time in the head of the vanguard.  And, if you dig a little further into the deal, it is clear that Michael’s wanted to get out of ABC sooner than later.Â
So my life is impacted in some slight way by a cartoon and a 61 year old hu-man. Both of whom I don’t care to really know. Except that Michaels is a very good broadcaster, and like a familiar scent, his voice brings back good memories. Fortunately, and most certainly not merely by coincidence, NBC has picked up broadcasting of Sunday Night Football, oddly enough, from ESPN. Simultaneously, John Madden, Michael’s somewhat annoying hulk of a sidekick (yet loved by most Americans) and some key producers of Monday Night Football had completed their contracts and already jumped ship to NBC. Which leads me to wonder how much of this was choreographed to begin with. And I really wonder if Universal had to give up those rights to Oswald.
In the end, Sunday Night Football is going to pretty much look and feel like Monday Night Football. And Monday Night Football? Well, its moving over to ABC sister ESPN, who up until now was doing Sunday Night Football. So the weiner Theismann and his clan of yippity know-it-alls (yes I mean you Paul Maguire) will be hosting the prestigious Monday Night game of the week. Bummer. Is there an upshot to this? Yes, at least Monday Night football will keep their kick-ass opening theme song and NBC, who was once into broadcasting NFL football and were great at it, are back in the ball game.
Oh, yeah, and Michaels:Â how embarrassing is that?Â