Steve Young Joins Monday Night Football

Signs up with B-team for doubleheaders

By JOE KUKURA

Updated 5:45 PM CST, Thu, Jul 2, 2009

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Steve Young's playing career ended with a demolishing hit from Aeneas Williams on Monday Night Football. Now Young is returning to the scene of the crime to launch his new career, as an analyst on the second-game announcing team for ESPN's Monday Night Football.

Mike Ditka won't be returning next year as the "third guy" in the second-game crew for Monday Night Football, and that honor now falls on 49ers' Hall of Fame quarterback and the pride of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, Steve Young. Young will join the "Mike & Mike" crew of Mike "Greeny" Greenberg and Mike Golic for the second game on those very few weeks when there is a Monday Night Football double-header.

This year there is only one double-header scheduled for Monday Night Football. But it's in Oakland! Steve Young will make his Monday Night Football television analyst debut on Sept. 14 when the Raiders take on the San Diego Chargers.

The news broke this morning on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike show, a podcast of which is available online under the "Best of Mike & Mike 7/2" heading. Steve Young joined the two Mikes on the "Subway Fresh Take Hotline" which is evidently how Mike & Mike refer to any form of telephone call.

Young was his typical funny and articulate self in making the announcement in Thursday's conversation with the two guys he'll be joining in the booth. "The three of us, We're kind of an Island of Misfit Toys," Young remarked. "They put us together for a particular purpose and it's like a one-shot deal, we blow it all in one evening."

"I'm gonna be surrounded by two guys who use big words," Mike Golic complained."And that's a problem for me."

Young's been outspoken but not irritating in his NFL Sunday Countdown gig, and he'll hopefully work out well. He may be the just-right middle option between ex-announcers Dennis Miller, who was too smart to understand, and Mike Ditka, who was too dumb to understand.

Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who will definitely show up drunk and try to kiss Suzy Kolber if he is ever interviewed live on Monday Night Football.