OPINION

Common sense has prevailed.

The fallout of Hank Williams Jr.'s incendiary comments on FOX & Friends is the thankful conclusion to hearing and seeing Are you ready for some football? to start every Monday night football program.

ESPN cut ties with Williams's theme song after the country music star went on the FOX morning show program to make a hyperbolic comment about President Obama in comparing him to Adolf Hitler. It was a clip that The Daily Show with Jon Stewart jumped on with its Moment of Zen, and then a following program's full segment, earlier this week.

It didn't take long for ESPN to quickly drop Williams's opening segment that very night, and then later decide to end it permanently.

We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast, said a spokesperson for ESPN.

Since Williams is not an employee of ESPN, he can't be fired. However, it was a mistake for ABC and ESPN to let Williams maintain the opening theme to Monday Night Football for as long as he did, and it had nothing to do with his comments.

In a pointless effort to cater to a specific demographic, NFL fans have been subjected to that song for far too long. It's as if there was no other way to open the game than pumping out Williams and exploding light bulbs.

Not only was the song tired, the lyrics often tried to make the game sound as though the two best NFL teams were playing, and that was rarely the case. Monday Night Football games are usually no different from any other Sunday game, but just on a different day.

Though Williams's comments were completely outlandish, at least good taste ultimately prevailed by the decision to finally pull the plug on the unnecessary opening. ESPN took the right stand, and in the process saved many fans the time of hitting the mute button when Williams appears on the screen.

The comments by Williams are a different matter. Football isn't supposed to be associated with liberals or conservatives. Few fans watch games and think about the political affiliation of the people on screen, and that would have been the case with Williams.

His presence would have been a distraction, since watching sports is supposed to be a fun diversion from things like politics.

Many sports fans complain of the hoopla surrounding the NFL. As the most popular American sport, many have complained the sport receives too much production that goes into things like pregame specials, and theme songs. Often these theatrics are not in tune with the loyal fanbase.

Hopefully, NBC will drop Faith Hill's terrible opening for Sunday Night Football and without any type of politically inflammatory comment from the singer.

Williams, 62, got the interview off to a bold start by having his arms crossed as he was introduced, and then proceeding to direct an awkward flirtatious remark at anchor Gretchen Carlson.

Here were some of Williams's comments:

On the golf game House Speaker John Boehner had with President Obama: You remember the golf game they had? That was one of the biggest political mistakes ever. That turned a lot of people off. It just didn't go over, he said.

Come on, come on, that would be like Hitler playing golf with [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu. In the shape this country is in?

Boy was I ... I don't know, like I said guys they've turned a lot of people off. Look at USA Today poll, 89 percent said Congress should be completely replaced. I agree with them. The health care bill doesn't fly either.

He at one point made a Three Stooges reference, that seemed to be missing a participant.

Take a look at the full interview of Williams on FOX News:

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