Nov. 27, 1978- One of the more somber contests in the run of the series came on November 27, 1978 when the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers. Earlier in the day, San Francisco mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk had been murdered at City Hall. Despite the complaints that followed, the NFL chose to play the game, a decision that mirrored the league's playing the weekend of the John F. Kennedy assassination 15 years earlier.

SEPT. 3, 1979- After being paralyzed in a 1978 preseason game, Patriots wideout Darryl Stingley made an emotional return to Schaeffer Stadium for the 1979 opener against the Steelers, where he received a standing ovation from both players and fans.

NOV. 18, 1985- Many players have gotten their big break playing on Monday Night Football, but no break was as big- or as gruesome- as Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann's right leg. ''That's the shot everyone remembers,'' says MNF analyst John Madden, ''where Lawrence Taylor hits him. You knew immediately that that was it for Joe Theismann.'' And it was- the QB never played again. But for all those who miraculously did not vomit the first time while watching Theismann's bone snap and protrude out of his skin, ABC was kind enough to replay the image approximately...oh, 837 times. Still, there is one person who to this day has never seen the play- Theismann himself. ''I have no desire to look at it,'' says the victim (who, ironically enough, will be announcing MNF games on ESPN next year). ''I know what happened.''

DEC. 22, 2003- Packers quarterback Brett Favre has played through pain before, but nothing close to what he experienced against the Raiders in 2003. Suiting up the day after his father died of a heart attack, Favre threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 blowout. ''Anything that he threw up, his receivers were going to catch,'' says Madden. ''It didn't make any difference if it was single coverage, double coverage, triple coverage- the guys around him just felt, If he can get out there in this situation, we're not gonna let anyone else get that ball.'' ''We didn't witness a football game that night,'' says Theismann. ''We witnessed a man overcoming incredible personal odds to be at his best. That whole game transcended football." (Video)

NOV. 15, 2004- What started off as unintentionally hilarious (Terrell Owens saying selfless things like ''Donovan needs me'' and ''All of Philadelphia is counting on me'') turned downright scandalous when Nicollette Sheridan dropped her towel to reveal nothing- and everything- in a racy pregame skit. ''It was in poor taste,'' says Theismann. ''Especially on the heels of the Janet Jackson situation at the Super Bowl. Something like that has its place- on Desperate Housewives.''