Sports

Are You Ready? Hank Williams Jr. Returning To 'MNF'

/ CBS Detroit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Hank Williams Jr. is bringing his rowdy friends back to "Monday Night Football" six years after ESPN dropped the country singer for his comments about President Barack Obama.

ESPN executive Stephanie Druley tells USA Today Network-Tennessee that a new version of Williams' longtime "MNF" theme and its "are you ready for some football" catchphrase will debut before the first regular-season Monday night game — a Sept. 11 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings.

USA Today reports Williams filmed a new show opener in Nashville on Sunday.

ESPN dropped Williams in 2011 after he compared Obama golfing with then-House Speaker John Boehner to Adolf Hitler golfing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Druley says she's not concerned about any backlash. ESPN didn't immediately respond to a request for further comment.

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

First published on June 5, 2017 / 10:48 AM EDT

© 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.