ESPN has reportedly made a big change to Monday Night Football for the upcoming 2020 NFL season.
On Wednesday, the network confirmed the Washington Post's report that it swapped out Hank Williams Jr.'s "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over For Monday Night Football" for a remake of "Rip It Up," a song made famous by the late Little Richard in 1956.
Williams' management team also confirmed ESPN's decision to the Tennessean on Wednesday.
Williams initially performed a reworded version of his hit "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" for Monday Night Football in 1989, which famously featured the tagline "are you ready for some football?"
The 2020 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee was previously removed by ESPN after comparing then-President Barack Obama's golf game with Republican House Speaker John Boehner to "Hitler playing golf with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu in 2011. Williams returned to the MNF's weekly broadcast in 2017.
The new version of "Rip It Up" will feature Richard's vocals over a new instrumental performed by the band Butcher Brown, according to the Post. Richard, who spent his later years living in Middle Tennessee, died at his Tullahoma home in May 2020.
Monday Night Football will kickoff with two games on September 14, beginning with a matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, followed by the Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos.
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