Casting MNF Ballots

There should plenty of eyeballs on ESPN’s election-eve special in the nation’s capital tonight.

In what is arguably the total sports network’s best remaining Monday Night Football matchup this season (Tampa Bay at Carolina on Dec. 8, ain’t too shabby on the field, either), the Pittsburgh Steelers will invade FedEx Field and the Washington Redskins tonight.

Ben Roethlisberger’s boys are atop the AFC North with a 5-2 mark. They’ll bring their national following to the small screen.

In D.C., the only thing denizens of the DMA (No. 9 by Nielsen’s count) dig more than politics is their Redskins. There also should be plenty of interest from NFC East fans in New York (Giants, 7-1), Philadelphia (5-3) and Dallas (5-4) to see how the second-place, 6-2 ‘Skins make out.

Then, there are those special halftime guests — guys named Obama and McCain, being interviewed by his Boomership, via satellite earlier in the day. Can’t wait to hear what monikers Berman bellows around the presidential candidates.

Add it all up and it feels like this could be MNF’s second-biggest night of the year behind only ‘Boys-Eagles on Sept. 15, which drew a cable-record 18.6 million live viewers. Minnesota-Green Bay tackled 12.5 million during the season-opener, ahead of Jets-Chargers (11.9 million) and Steelers-Ravens (11.8 million).