block numbers The New York Jets wore a modified white jersey in the first half of the season which did not have green stripes over the shoulders The Oakland Raiders switched from silver to black numbers on their white jerseys The San Francisco 49ers added alternate jerseys with no striping or TV numbers for hot games Television This was the second year under the league's four-year broadcast contracts with ABC, CBS, and NBC to televise Monday Night Football, the NFC package, and the AFC package, respectively. Frank Gifford's contract with CBS expired. He was then hired by ABC to serve as play-by-play announcer for MNF, while Keith Jackson returned to call college football for the network. Jack Whitaker and Pat Summerall replaced Gifford as hosts on The NFL Today, which was still a pre-recorded pregame show. At NBC, Al DeRogatis and Kyle Rote swapped color commentator positions, with DeRogatis joining Curt Gowdy as the network's lead broadcast team and Rote joining Jim Simpson at #2. References NFL Record and Fact Book () NFL History 1971–1980 (Last accessed December 4, 2005) Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League () 1971 National Football League