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| A pioneer and visionary, Steve Sabol (above) passed away this afternoon. (Credit: Scott Halleran/Allsport) |
The National Football League, and the world lost a great man this afternoon. Steve Sabol, NFL Films visionary and, alongside his father and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed, revolutionized and romanticized professional football in the United States, lost his battle with brain cancer this afternoon. He was 69 years old. Steve was diagnosed with brain cancer in March of 2011.
He and his father were responsible for the founding of NFL Films, after they had a winning bid to film the 1962 NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers. From there, the Sabols along with many others turned NFL Films into a revolutionary film company. Steve eventually became the president of the company. Whether you intended to or not, if you have watched highlights, year in review videos, follies, Steve and NFL Films helped play a part in that.
There is absolutely no denying the impact and legacy that Steve left NFL fans, and all types of groups also. He helped create slow-motion and montage editing with sports movies, utilized custom composed soundtracks for NFL Films that have become a staple for the company and are known worldwide by NFL fans. You ask somebody how "A New Game" by Tom Hedden, or "The Magnificent Eleven" by Sam Spence sounds like, they'll start to hum it. Raiders fans could probably serenade you with "Autumn Wind" if you ask them to.
There has been nobody as decorated in the filmmaking business than Steve was. He attained over 40 Emmy awards in his incredible career. 107 Emmy awards were won by the NFL Films company while Steve was within the business, and he also won the Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, as well as the "Sports Executive of the Year" award in 2002 by Sporting News magazine. (NFL.com)
Most of all, on a personal level, I cannot say that there would be a chance in hell that I would be a fan of the National Football League if it were not for NFL Films. As a young kid growing up, I always, always watched NFL videotapes. In fact, some of the first that I can remember watching were the 1992 and 1993 Dallas Cowboys season in reviews, the 100 Greatest Tackles, 100 Greatest Touchdowns, and 100 Toughest Players VHS tapes. With those videos I was able to know the history of the game. I knew the likes of Dick Butkus, Joe Montana, Steve Young, John Taylor, Jerry Rice, Jack Youngblood and Jack Lambert. I knew the backstory of this infamous photo of Chuck Bednarik standing over a KO'd Frank Gifford, and the thumbs down that followed. I knew of Joe Montana's final drive in Super Bowl XXIII, the usage of "John Candy in the stands by the end zone, and John Taylor's final catch, when I was just a four or five years old.
I knew of unsung heroes like Frank Reich. I knew of great moments like "The Catch" and "The Immaculate Reception." And I knew of the greatest who ever played the game, like Walter Payton and Dick "Night Train" Lane. All because of NFL Films, and the great Steve Sabol.
Thank you, Steve Sabol, for helping me, my generation, and millions of others to romanticize the game of football in perhaps the greatest of ways. You were fortunate to see your father go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I'm certain of this, and this only: they always say "Can you write the history of the NFL without ________?" when discussing Pro Football Hall of Fame candidates. Well, there would be no way to see the history of the National Football League without you, Steve Sabol. There will be a bust in Canton with your name on it in no time.
He and his father were responsible for the founding of NFL Films, after they had a winning bid to film the 1962 NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers. From there, the Sabols along with many others turned NFL Films into a revolutionary film company. Steve eventually became the president of the company. Whether you intended to or not, if you have watched highlights, year in review videos, follies, Steve and NFL Films helped play a part in that.
There is absolutely no denying the impact and legacy that Steve left NFL fans, and all types of groups also. He helped create slow-motion and montage editing with sports movies, utilized custom composed soundtracks for NFL Films that have become a staple for the company and are known worldwide by NFL fans. You ask somebody how "A New Game" by Tom Hedden, or "The Magnificent Eleven" by Sam Spence sounds like, they'll start to hum it. Raiders fans could probably serenade you with "Autumn Wind" if you ask them to.
There has been nobody as decorated in the filmmaking business than Steve was. He attained over 40 Emmy awards in his incredible career. 107 Emmy awards were won by the NFL Films company while Steve was within the business, and he also won the Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, as well as the "Sports Executive of the Year" award in 2002 by Sporting News magazine. (NFL.com)
Most of all, on a personal level, I cannot say that there would be a chance in hell that I would be a fan of the National Football League if it were not for NFL Films. As a young kid growing up, I always, always watched NFL videotapes. In fact, some of the first that I can remember watching were the 1992 and 1993 Dallas Cowboys season in reviews, the 100 Greatest Tackles, 100 Greatest Touchdowns, and 100 Toughest Players VHS tapes. With those videos I was able to know the history of the game. I knew the likes of Dick Butkus, Joe Montana, Steve Young, John Taylor, Jerry Rice, Jack Youngblood and Jack Lambert. I knew the backstory of this infamous photo of Chuck Bednarik standing over a KO'd Frank Gifford, and the thumbs down that followed. I knew of Joe Montana's final drive in Super Bowl XXIII, the usage of "John Candy in the stands by the end zone, and John Taylor's final catch, when I was just a four or five years old.
I knew of unsung heroes like Frank Reich. I knew of great moments like "The Catch" and "The Immaculate Reception." And I knew of the greatest who ever played the game, like Walter Payton and Dick "Night Train" Lane. All because of NFL Films, and the great Steve Sabol.
Thank you, Steve Sabol, for helping me, my generation, and millions of others to romanticize the game of football in perhaps the greatest of ways. You were fortunate to see your father go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I'm certain of this, and this only: they always say "Can you write the history of the NFL without ________?" when discussing Pro Football Hall of Fame candidates. Well, there would be no way to see the history of the National Football League without you, Steve Sabol. There will be a bust in Canton with your name on it in no time.
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