In a surprising development this April, Mike Tirico left ESPN for NBC Sports and, with the move, opened up a seat that few men have sat in. The play-by-play announcer’s chair for Monday Night Football had been held by Tirico since 2006, and it’s a prestigious title that a mere four men have ever held before — along with Keith Jackson, Frank Gifford and Al Michaels. Think about that for a moment.
The fifth man this season will be broadcasting institution Sean McDonough, who ascended quickly in broadcasting and grew up steeped in sports as the son of famed Boston Globe NFL writer Will McDonough and with two brothers who also became executives in two different sports.