Page "Monday Night Football" Paragraph 22

Despite the de-emphasis on entertainment on the overall telecast, ESPN did bring back Hank Williams, Jr. for his 20th season as part of the opening.

This time, the open was set in a private residence.

At the end of the song, Williams Jr. touched a foot pump which supposedly contained the helmets of that night's participating teams.

The helmets were launched from the home toward the stadium at which the game was held.

Through computer-generated imagery, the helmets " land " at midfield during a live shot, and then explode.

The " exploding helmets " gimmick was also used at various times in the 1980s and 1990s during the pre-game tease.

Williams Jr. then appeared again at the end of the game to promote the next week's matchup.