The Autumn Wind is a Pirate

[mattvan1]

No internet
No cable
No satellite
No DirectTV, red zone channel, game mix
No fantasy leagues
No ESPN, FOX
Just 3, 5, 8 and Goulardi on 61
AFL on 3 which no one watched until the Heidi game and then Super Bowl 3 and after the merger
Browns on 8 maybe if Muni sold out in time - which it did not more often than one would think

All you had was NFL films



RIP Steve Sabol

[e0y2e3]

BAH

[jerryroche]

Thank God for the Sabols and narrator John Facenda, who helped elevate NFL football to iconic status in the 1960s and 1970s.

Will never forget NFL Films' immortal version of the 1967 NFL Championship "Ice Bowl" in Green Bay. Cinematography (including slow-mo) and Facenda were near perfect.

Today's players can thank their multi-million-dollar contracts to Ed and Steve Sabol as much as to Pete Rozelle and he-who-shall-not-be-named.

RIP, Steve.

[mattvan1]

BAH

c'mon hipster. Even one as young and jaded as you should learn to recognize that some things from generations past were so innovative and ground breaking that they have stood the test of time. NFL Films is one of those things.

[bookelly]

NFL films kicked ass when I was a kid. That and "Wide World of Sports", and "In Search Of" with Nimoy were must see TV on weekends. Face as close to TV as possible...mind blown.

[Hikohadon]

BAH

c'mon hipster. Even one as young and jaded as you should learn to recognize that some things from generations past were so innovative and ground breaking that they have stood the test of time. NFL Films is one of those things.

If you wanted EO to say nice things about Sabol, you should've ripped him.

Sabol's got a great story.

[e0y2e3]

I'm not ripping on the dead dude, but the deification of some guy for NFL Films is astoundingly pointless to me.

[Love child of shawn kemp]

NFL films kicked ass when I was a kid. That and "Wide World of Sports", and "In Search Of" with Nimoy were must see TV on weekends. Face as close to TV as possible...mind blown.

What blew your mind? The fact that Nimoy got another series? Plus, I could tell those ears were fake from the couch, you didn't need to sit so close.

NFL films kicked ass and so did George Michaels sports machine.

[peeker643]

I'm not ripping on the dead dude, but the deification of some guy for NFL Films is astoundingly pointless to me.

^^^^^^

Angry that the Sabols' (like countless billions of others) weren't NBA fans.

Had Sabol chronicled the NBA Lee would have Sabol's face tattooed on his ass

[Hikohadon]

NFL films kicked ass when I was a kid. That and "Wide World of Sports", and "In Search Of" with Nimoy were must see TV on weekends. Face as close to TV as possible...mind blown.

I'm not sure how many times I watched Wide World of Sports, but I never missed the opening where the agony of defeat made that skiier wipe out.

[googleeph2]

Dozens of readers are replaying that skier wipeout in their mind's eye right now.

Facenda's deep, important voice must be why I always preferred Shanley to Chandler and Donovan.

WWoS was why I was pumped when ESPN started out. I thought it would be a natural extension.

From Wikipedia, on WWoS:
Usually, "Wide World" featured two or three sports per show. These included many types not previously seen on American television, such as hurling, rodeo, curling, jai-alai, firefighter's competitions, surfing, logger sports, demolition derby, slow pitch softball, and badminton. NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup racing was a Wide World of Sports staple until the late 1980s, when it became a regularly scheduled network feature. Traditional Olympic sports such as figure skating, skiing, gymnastics, and track and field competitions were also regular features of the show. Another memorable regular feature for many viewers was Mexican cliff diving. The broadcast was hosted for most of its history by Jim McKay. (snip)

FirstsWide World of Sports was the first program to air coverage of Wimbledon, The Indianapolis 500, the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, the Daytona 500, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the Little League World Series, The British Open Golf Tournament, the X-Games, the Grey Cup

[Hikohadon]