The folks at ESPN, which typically employs a cast of thousands to cover Monday Night Football, will add a zero or two for Week One of the 2008 season, when Green Bay, Wisconsin is unofficially annexed by Bristol, Connecticut for a football game between the Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that, in addition to the MNF crew of Mike Tirico, “Rob” Jaworski, and Tony Kornheiser, the Monday Night Countdown show will air from Lambeau Field, with Chris Berman, Stuart Scott, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Steve Young, Emmitt Smith, and Chris Mortensen in the house.

ESPN will also broadcast portions of two SportsCenter shows from Lambeau Field, along with PTI.

Throw in Sal Paolantonio, Rachel Nichols, Ed Werder, Suzy Kolber, Michele Tafoya, and whoever else gets carted to cheese country, and it will make for a great opportunity to burgle ESPN’s headquarters. 

Because no one will be there.

“We have not done this since the first ‘MNF’ season on ESPN in 2005,” ESPN communications director Bill Hofheimer told the Press-Gazette via e-mail.  “[B]ut with the Packers set to retire Brett Favre’s jersey — and this being ESPN’s first visit to Lambeau Field for a ‘MNF‘ game — the decision was a no-brainer.”