Since its inception more than three decades ago, Fox’s iconic animated series “The Simpsons” has been tied to sports with episodes such as “Lisa the Greek,” “Homer the Bat” and “Bart Star.”

“I think it’s part of the DNA of the show,” Matt Selman, executive producer and showrunner of “The Simpsons,” said on “The Main Event” podcast.

The next phase of “The Simpsons” and sports will be as a replacement cast for the upcoming “Monday Night Football” match between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals. Using Sony’s Beyond Sports technology, the stream will air on ESPN+, Disney+ and NFL+, while ABC/ESPN will feature Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. ESPN2 will feature the replacement cast of Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.

For viewers watching the “Simpsons” version of the game, players, broadcasters, stadium scenery and all plays will appear fully animated and game action will reflect what happens in the actual game.

Selman and his team also prepared jokes and gags for ESPN creative producers Michael (Spike) Szykowny and David (Sparky) Sparrgove.

Spike and Sparky will host the show as if they were on Springfield’s KBBL 102.5 FM.

“It’s almost like they’re DJs and we’ve written a thousand little short comedy bits and visuals for them to incorporate during the game,” Selman said.

If there is a touchdown or a punt, there are plans for it, or the alternate lineup may show Mr. Burns in the owner’s box with Jerry Jones.

“Speaking of bad people – just Mr. Burns,” Selman said with his hands raised.

Mannings and ESPN analysts Mina Kimes and Stephen A. Smith will make guest appearances. Kimes, fellow ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky and play-by-player Drew Carter will make the decision. After the game, Selman said there would be a special celebrity day.

While Selman wouldn’t reveal who it will be, it definitely won’t be Roger Federer. “The Simpsons” has a long history of appearances by sports stars, but in an upcoming episode parodying the rise of pickleball, Federer was the rare celebrity not to appear on the show.

“He’s a busy guy, I guess,” Selman said.

Selman declined to say who the show got instead, but they will now know it was Plan B.

“The Simpsons” has a knack for making real life even more hilarious and absurd. The show Lisa the Greek, in which the Simpsons’ eldest daughter Lisa develops a flair for picking soccer winners and forms a strained relationship with gambling-loving father Homer, is a perfect example as the show deals with sports gambling Long before it was legalized.

“I was a ‘Simpsons’ fan before I was a ‘Simpsons’ writer, and I’m still kind of a ‘Simpsons’ fan,” Selman said with a wry smile. “Homer (was) a sports gambler when gambling was fun and illegal, rather than at the top of the corporate food chain like it is today.”

The show’s sports history could almost fill a book, and it continues.

“One thing we did recently that I’m proud of is we did a fake version of the (NFL RedZone channel) called Punt Zone,” Selman said. “‘You won’t miss a second of waiting. Nothing but punts.’”

There is an upcoming episode covering the Shohei Ohtani translator gambling controversy. In this segment, Fox Sports’ Kevin Burkhardt voices some of the roles “The Athlete”s Tyler Kepner makes an animated appearance.

Most people, including athletes, want to be on the show. “The Simpsons” has gone international with soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo struggling to get the lines across in a second language, while basketball legend Yao Ming only asked not to be portrayed as a monster for his performance.

It’s all good-hearted fun, and that’s exactly what Monday will try to achieve. The gags are in the hands of DJs Spike and Sparky to spread the magic after Homer eats too many hot dogs and falls into a dream in which he coaches the Cowboys against Bart’s Bengals on “Monday Night Football.”

“It has that Homer vs. Bart, father vs. son, strangling appeal that is so part of the 35-year-old show,” Selman said.

(Image via ESPNPressRoom.com)