Week 6: So long, Hank

Are you ready for some... controversy?

As most of you know, the iconic Monday Night Football theme song by Hank Williams Jr. is officially part of NFL history.  ESPN and Williams Jr. have both declared the 20-year relationship is over.    

Hank singing his theme live.

The singer is active in the political arena and has contributed to campaigns and appeared at Republican rallies.  On Monday, Oct. 3, Hank Williams Jr. was a guest on the Fox News program, "Fox and Friends."  During the interview he discussed a golf game earlier this year where President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner played against Vice President Biden and Ohio Governor John Kasich.  

Williams Jr. compared Obama and Boehner to Adolf Hitler and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  The singer says the comparison was supposed to compare the incapability of the two sides to work together.  ESPN pulled the song from that evening's telecast and then announced later that week that Williams Jr. and his opener would not be returning.   

On his website Williams Jr. posted, "I have always been very passionate about Politics and Sports and this time it got the Best or Worst of me. The thought of the Leaders of both Parties Jukin and High Fiven on a Golf course, while so many Families are Struggling to get by simply made me Boil over and make a Dumb statement and I am very Sorry if it Offended anyone."

Williams Jr.'s opening act has been a part of Monday Night Football since 1991.  The song was based on Williams Jr.'s 1984 hit, "All My Rowdy Friends are Coming Over Tonight."  The singer won four Emmy awards for the theme songs from 1991 to 1994. 

Hank has a lot of supporters including Kid Rock who wore a shirt the following Monday night that said, "If you don't like Hank Jr., you can kiss my (picture of an ass).  Williams Jr. also recorded a new song entitled, "Keep the Change," which was downloaded 180.000 times in the first two days.  The song includes lyrics like "this country is sure as hell goin' down the drain" and "I'll keep the government out of my business and you can keep the change."

The small little word that Hank should have never uttered is 'Hitler.'  Understandably, our country is sensitive to any comparisons to that evil leader.  Other celebrities have been fired or received negative press after mentioning Hitler.  Megan Fox, who was in the first two Transformers movies, compared director Michael Bay to Hitler in a magazine interview.  She was fired and did not appear in the third movie.  In a newspaper interview, filmmaker Oliver Stone claimed Hitler hurt Russians more than the Jewish people and had to issue an apology.

Here's the deal.  Anyone with a brain knows Hank did not say Obama is like Hitler or acts like Hitler or has done anything like what Hitler did.  He was using a metaphor to explain how the two political parties in our nation's capitol are having a difficult time working together and trying to get anything accomplished for the American people.  They can play golf and pretend to like each other, but it's a waste of time.  Instead of each side digging in their heels and trying to be right, they should work together and get something done.

The problem is that Hank issued a word that can never be forgiven.  And he said it on a nationally televised cable program so it can't be forgotten either.  ESPN had no choice but to pull the song and stop working with him.  You can't be a famous singer and talk about Hitler and the president in the same sentence on national television and then say he's the enemy.  Of course, everyone is entitled to say and believe what they want, but some Americans don't understand metaphors or similes.  ESPN had to protect themselves from all the dumb fans that weren't paying attention in English class.  Hopefully, Faith Hill has no political ties because I would really miss her on Sunday nights.


Two last thoughts... Green Bay and Detroit are the only two 5-0 teams.  I'm glad Detroit is doing well in order to bring some hope to that struggling city.  Like how the Saints were able to do that for New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  Detroit's baseball team was also doing well until our Rangers beat them last night to make it to the World Series! Go Rangers!!