When you think about the deep ties between ESPN, ABC Sports, and the NFL today, one name stands out as the architect behind it all: Howard Katz. His journey began humbly as a production associate for ABC Sports in the early 1970s, but he quickly climbed the ranks through stints at IMG Media and Ohlmeyer Communications Company—the latter being acquired by ESPN in 1993. From there, Katz became a pivotal figure in shaping how the NFL was broadcast on both ABC and ESPN, while also helping launch iconic platforms like ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPN Radio, and the ESPY Awards. After leaving ESPN, he joined NFL Films, where he eventually became the mastermind behind the modern NFL schedule.
But before all that, in 1999, Katz was named president of ABC Sports. At the time, the Monday Night Football booth featured Al Michaels and Boomer Esiason. Feeling the show needed a jolt, Katz made the bold move to fire Esiason and assemble the infamous trio of Michaels, Dan Fouts, and comedian Dennis Miller. The idea was to inject fresh energy and make Monday Night Football feel special again. While the experiment was memorable, it’s widely remembered as a misfire.
Fast forward to 2002, and Katz had a golden opportunity: bring legendary broadcaster John Madden into the fold. After several failed attempts to lure him to ABC, Madden finally signed on, ready to team up with Michaels. That meant both Fouts and Miller had to go. But here’s where it gets interesting—when Katz broke the news to Miller, the former SNL star didn’t go quietly. Instead, he made a pitch to stay on as part of a three-man booth alongside Michaels and Madden.
“Dennis really tried to talk me into a three-man booth with him staying on,” Katz recalled to Andrew Marchand on The Main Event with Andrew Marchand. “That’s not gonna work with John. I think the world of you. You’ve done great, but it’s gotta be Madden and Michaels.”
In the end, Katz held firm, and the iconic duo of Michaels and Madden went on to define an era of Monday Night Football—proving that sometimes, the best decisions are the toughest ones to make.