The classic Hank Williams Jr. theme song for Monday Night Football will be back this season, ESPN reported Monday.
The “Are You Ready for Some Football?” singer was cut loose by the network in 2011 after he made disparaging comments on Fox & Friends about Barack Obama, comparing the then-president to Hitler.
A new version of the song will debut before the Sept. 11 game between the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings.
The original Williams’ Monday Night Football staple had been on broadcasts since 1989.
“I think it’s a return to our past in that it’s such an iconic song associated with football,” ESPN senior vp events and studio production Stephanie Druley told The Tennessean. “It was the original. It belongs to Monday Night Football.”
Druley told the newspaper she is not concerned about the backlash over bringing Williams back.
“I’m sure there’ll be some, but I’m not concerned,” she said. “It was the right time. We discussed it internally and it was just the right time to bring him back.”
In a statement to THR, ESPN said “Monday Night Football had the most iconic music video in sports television history with Hank Williams Jr. Fans told us they missed it, so we’re excited to bring this popular segment back to ESPN for the 2017 NFL season with some new twists. We expect to make a formal announcement soon.”
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