TThe Dolphins are back on the NFL's grand stage Monday, much to the delight of their players who grew up watching Monday Night Football, and ESPN, which appreciates the franchise's national following.

``Monday night is one of the few regular-season games that mimic a playoff-style atmosphere, playoff tempo,'' quarterback Chad Pennington said. ``It is always special to play on Monday nights.''

It doesn't seem to matter that the games are now on cable (ESPN) instead of free television. (ABC lost rights after 2005.)

Monday Night Football, in its 40th season, still resonates with players. ``An amazing feeling,'' Dolphins guard Justin Smiley called it. ``It's a dream of every player to play on Monday night,'' Jake Long said Thursday.

No team has been on Monday Night Football more than the Dolphins, but there were just two appearances in the past four years (2006, 2007) as the franchise foundered before last year's turnaround.

``There has always been some attractive appeal to Miami,'' said ESPN play-by-play voice Mike Tirico, looking ahead to Monday's Colts game and the Oct. 12 Jets game, both at Land Shark Stadium. ``It's going to be an exciting time to see the Dolphins revitalized and return to a high profile.''

The Dolphins have made 73 appearances -- three more than Dallas -- and their 39 victories (against 34 losses) trail only the Cowboys' 41. Since the package launched in 1970, the Dolphins have made at least one appearance every year except 1989, 2005 and 2008. But this will mark the first time since 1975 that the Dolphins opened their home schedule on a Monday night.

Of the Dolphins' 73 games on Monday nights, the 38-24 victory over the previously undefeated Bears in 1985 sits atop anybody's list. ``It's still the highest-rated game in Monday night history,'' Monday Night Football information man Steve Hirdt said.

Former Monday Night Football announcer Frank Gifford, who spent 27 years in the booth, reminisced on a conference call Thursday. ``I was talking to [Don Meredith] about our trips to Miami, and he said, `You know, Frank, I really don't remember a whole lot about those trips to Miami.' And I can almost say the same thing.

``We did party a bit in that Monday night group. We stayed at a place called the Palm Bay Club. A lot of interesting things happened there over the years. I just enjoyed going to Miami.''

There was one sad memory, too. ABC was broadcasting a Dolphins-Patriots game at the Orange Bowl in 1980 on the night John Lennon was killed.

``We refused to let [Howard Cosell] make the announcement on the air until we were sure it had happened,'' Gifford said.

Gifford remembers the night in Houston when a fan, shown sleeping, woke up just in time to flash an obscene gesture into the camera. ``Don said, ``How about that Howard? They still think we're No. 1,' '' Gifford said.

• Heat guard Dwyane Wade will appear on ESPN's on-site set during Monday's 7 p.m. pregame show.

WQAM FIREWORKS

WQAM-560 general manager Joe Bell said he won't intervene in this week's contentious on-air squabble pitting Orlando Alzugaray against Jim Mandich and Joe Rose. ``It's guys being guys,'' Bell said.

Alzugaray and Rose have disagreed in the past about tight end Anthony Fasano. Alzugaray believes the Dolphins need to upgrade at the position.

Fast forward to last Sunday's game in Atlanta, when Fasano fumbled twice and Alzugaray -- during a commercial break -- made an off-air comment to Rose that Mandich and Jimmy Cefalo could hear in their headsets. ``Orlando said something like, `What do you think of your elite tight end now?' '' Mandich recalled off the air.

Alzugaray said he was joking and not gloating. On the air, Mandich called Alzugaray's comment ``petty'' and ``unprofessional.''

Alzugaray said on the air that unlike Mandich and Rose, he is not employed by the team; questioned Rose's toughness; and asserted ``in one stinking hour'' at the Senior Bowl and NFL combine, ``I talk to more NFL people than everybody at this station combined in a year.''

Responded Mandich, on the air: ``Who the hell does this son of a [expletive] think he is?''

Mandich said Alzugaray implied that he and Rose are ``bought off'' and Alzugaray's opinion ``is cleaner and much more sanitized.''

Said Mandich: `` My voice doesn't get bought.''

Mandich said Alzugaray ``dreams of having access like Joe Rose. Joe Rose calls, people pick up the phone. Big O calls. Huh? Who? Never heard of you. See your [butt] later.''

Alzugaray, off the air, said Mandich told him in April to ``be positive'' on WQAM's draft coverage. ``It's hypocritical to say, `We're not bought' and then tell me I have to be positive on the air at the draft,'' Alzugaray said.

Said Mandich: ``I don't know that I said positive.''

He said his message to Alzugaray was this: When you're broadcasting at a Dolphins draft party, ``be a little sensitive to the audience you are addressing.''

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