While Hank Williams, Jr. continues to vindicate ESPN’s decision to dump him from “Monday Night Football,” the network plans to soon announce his replacement. ESPN will announce plans for the “Monday Night Football” open next week, a network spokesman told Sports Media Watch. When asked, ESPN neither confirmed nor denied that the vacancy left by Williams, Jr. would be filled. Last October, ESPN dumped Williams, Jr. from the “MNF” open after he likened the U.S. president to Adolf Hitler in a cable news interview. Despite the media firestorm that surrounded ESPN’s removal of Williams, Jr., the decision has proven to be the right one. Just this past Friday, according to news reports, Williams, Jr. referred to the president as a “Muslim” who “hates” the United States and the U.S. military during a concert. He concluded his comments by saying “and we hate him” (cbsnews.com, 8/21). Beyond the inappropriate nature of espousing actual hatred of a sitting U.S. president (regardless of political party), such comments would undoubtedly been a public relations nightmare for ESPN, reports Sports Media Watch.