Sometimes news stories don't tell the story.   This morning, the Associated Press sent out an alert that Don Meredith had died.  The alert was followed by a longer story.  Here is the opening line;

 "Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith has died in Santa Fe after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma on Sunday."

Yes,  Meredith was a fine quarterback for the Cowboys, but never once does the article mention Dandy Don's true impact on the game.

I will always remember Meredith for his work on "Monday Night Football" with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell.  This was before the days of ESPN, the NFL Network and youtube.  There was only one place you could hear Meredith's hilarious folksy comebacks to Cossell's rants.   You didn't have 24 hour access to NFL highlights.  You stuck around for halftime to hear Cosell's amazing calls of Sunday's top action.

And the game wasn't over when the gun sounded.  It was over when Dandy Don started singing "Turn out the lights, the party's over".  Football in prime time was never better. 

It was the best show on TV.  And that show has come to an end.

Turn out the lights.