Advertisement
John Elway needs an ego boost like Courtney Love needs another image overhaul, but that didn't stop ABC Sports from honoring the ageless Broncos quarterback with a musical tribute fit for "Weird Al" Yankovic earlier this week.
During Monday Night Football's new ultra-hip halftime show, host
Chris Berman made like MTV VJ Carson Daly and introduced a new
video by former Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh. The half-witted re-make
of his 1973 hit "Rocky Mountain Way" renamed -- yep, you guessed it
-- "Rocky Mountain Elway" was retrofitted with football lingo and
marked the first of many touchdown tribute songs that will air on
MNF this season.
A spokesman for ABC Sports says the network has invited Ozzy
Osbourne, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, John Fogerty, Queen Latifah,
Shania Twain, Willie Nelson and Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli
to desecrate their greatest hits for some additional national
exposure. Thus far, none of the aforementioned artists have
officially agreed to submit modified melodies like "Gridiron Man"
or "The Interception That I Get," but ABC hopes six or seven
artists will gradually step up to the plate -- mixed metaphor
intended.
Even so, ABC has drawn some plans in the dirt: On the docket is a
football-tinged slant on a new song from Willie Nelson's latest
album, Teatro. That song, the title of which was not
divulged, would be spun to commemorate the twenty-ninth anniversary
of the first televised broadcast of an NFL game.
Later in the season, John Fogerty may pair up with the loquacious
Berman for a duet of "Bad Moon Rising" -- a Creedence Clearwater
Revival song that's become Berman's nickname for Kansas City Chiefs
wide receiver Andre Rison.
The final MNF game and final regular season game of the year
between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars will
feature a halftime replay of the year's highlights with background
music provided by Andrea Bocelli. The esteemed opera singer plans
to contribute a version of "Time to Say Goodbye" sung entirely in
Italian -- save the occasional Kordell "Slash" Stewart or Tony
Boselli mention.
A charity album featuring the season's football hymns is under
consideration, according to Walsh's manager David Spero.
ANNI LAYNE