The Monday Night Football/NFL Studio Shows session started with terrific Sunday NFL Countdown promos featuring Chris Berman, Tom Jackson and a host of other ESPN personalities. Very funny!

Jay Rothman (Sr. coordinating producer, MNF); Stephanie Druley (Sr. coordinating producer, NFL Studio shows); analysts Trent Dilfer and Tom Jackson were on hand to discuss the upcoming 40^th season of Monday Night Football, NFL studio shows and the upcoming season  during this morning’s session at the ESPN Media Workshop.

Druley gave a detailed rundown of ESPN’s NFL studio shows such as Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. NFL Insider Adam Schefter will appear on the aforementioned programs. In addition, Druley said football analyst Matt Millen will appear alongside Stuart Scott and analyst Steve Young on Monday Night Countdown.

“We don’t miss a game.” -and- “This will be our most comprehensive insider segment on television.” - Druley on Sunday NFL Countdown

Dilfer, who won the Super Bowl in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens, gave his thoughts on key story lines of the upcoming MNF season and the nuances of the quarterback position. Dilfer said there are more quarterbacks in the NFL league that can handle the complexities of the game.

“When we start watching these [Monday Night] games, the hair still stands up on my arms because I don’t have any on my head.” - Dilfer

Jackson shared his thoughts on the story lines involving quarterbacks Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles) and Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings). Jackson said Favre succeeding is the better story but he doesn’t believe Favre can do it.

“He eventually could be the greatest story of redemption that ever lived.” – Jackson on Vick

Additionally, Jackson shared his thoughts on NFL PrimeTime and his relationship with longtime ESPN commentator Chris Berman.

“I thought that the simplest, purest form of talking football was when Chris and I were doing PrimeTime.” – Jackson

Rothman discussed MNF’s new booth lineup, Frank Gifford — the thread through 40 years of MNF, and his role this season — and the focus on football during the telecast.

“We will deliver football to fans at an unbelievably high level.” - Rothman on MNF presentation.

Some questions from the room answered:

Q - What are your thoughts on expanding to a 17 or 18-game NFL schedule?

A -  Jackson: If you’re actually a player and preparing to take a punishment … I’m not in favor of adding more games to a 16-game schedule.

Q - Do you have a Plan B if Jon Gruden goes back to the NFL?

A -  Rothman: I’m not worried about Jon. Jon wants to be great at this and is loving the experience.  He’s fired up I’m not worried about him walking out the door. We’re just getting better each week.

On Wednesday’s edition of SportsNation (weekdays, 4-5 p.m. ET, ESPN2), co-host Colin Cowherd was surprisingly passionate in his argument that newly annointed Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre has lost the luster that formerly made him synonymous with Wrangler Jeans.

SportsNation debated who is the better pitchman for Wrangler: Favre or NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr.

So passionate was Cowherd’s case (and impersonation of a whining celebrity), he went so far as to say that Favre is a former everyman and now more like Lindsay Lohan, unable to pick a side.

“Dale’s tough. Dale’s a guy’s guy,” he said. “Dale’s not a flippy, floppy guy. Brett Favre used to be everyman — he has literally turned off football fans.”

To Colin’s dismay, sports fans do not agree. SportsNation (and co-host Michelle Beadle) voted for Favre as the better Wrangler pitchman, 64% to Dale Jr.’s 36%. In the end, Colin attempted to show off his own appeal as a Wrangler man. View the segment of the show here.

Favre calls for a post pattern near the popular Tower of Terror attraction

Brett Favre’s appearance at ESPN The Weekend highlighted the sixth edition of the annual sportsapalooza at Walt Disney World in Orlando, which included an all star lineup of sports celebs and ESPN personalities. Orlando Sentinel coverage of the three-day event featured 60+ “Buzz Blog” posts. Some of the highlights from The Weekend:

• Favre described to the Sentinel’s Chris Harry how he could have blocked his being traded from the Packers to the Jets last summer. Green Bay had made the deal without his consent but he felt, “I’m not going to make things any worse.” And I think that’s exactly what the Packers were banking on.”

C. Schilling (2nd from left -- Roethlisberger jersey) w/ Dennis Eckersley and Baseball Tonight crew

• Former Red Sox World Series pitching hero Curt Schilling (currently a free agent) indicated he may be eyeing a comeback with the Chicago Cubs or Tampa Rays in 2009 … “The challenge would be in a place like Tampa Bay or Chicago … I’m hemming and hawing right now. I”ll make a decision in a couple of weeks.”
• Eight-time Grand Slam tennis winner Ivan Lendl believes it was a mistake for the ATP Tour to move the Masters Tournament from Madison Square Garden in NYC to Germany. … “I think The German boost [the rise of Steffi Graf, Boris Becker and Michael Stich] - and I’m going to get criticized for saying this - probably hurt the game.”
• N.Y. Giants RB Brandon Jacobs wants WR Plaxico Burress back as a teammate next season … “A guy like that gets so much attention out there. … Everyone in the locker room feels like I do … maybe except for a couple guys that may not care either way. But I care. And I would be insulted if we didn’t get him back, if he came through his case clear and didn’t have to go to jail.”

(middle, l-r) Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins of World Series champion Phillies w/ Karl Ravech and John Kruk on Sunday's Baseball Tonight