One of my favorite clips - even though I'm a diehard Packers fan - was the "Autumn Wind" with the Raiders.
“Autumn Wind”. I found a CD with some of the music from these clips on it. I wanted the cool “pirate” music from Autumn Wind. Great clip and soundtrack.
RIP.
I must agree completely with the statement that Ed Sabol “revolutionized Pro football”.
John Facenda was the voice.
One night in 1965, Facenda went to a local tavern, the RDA Club, which happened to be showing footage produced by NFL Films. He enjoyed the slow-motion game sequences that were already an NFL Films trademark and would later recall:
“ I started to rhapsodize about how beautiful it was. Ed Sabol, the man who founded NFL Films, happened to be at the bar. He came up to me and asked, ‘If I give you a script, could you repeat what you just did?’ I said I would try. ”
Thus began Facenda’s association with NFL Films, one that would continue until his death. Facenda narrated many highlight films during his career with the company. His dulcet baritone was the perfect match for the highly dramatic nature of the footage he narrated, and earned him the nickname “The Voice of God.” Probably one of the best-remembered (and most frequently-quoted) examples of Facenda’s NFL Films narration is something he never actually said: “the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field” was a quote the sportscaster Chris Berman made up, mimicking Facenda’s voice when he said it. Steve Sabol, son of Ed, claimed that “John may have made a game seem more important than it was because he read lines with a dramatic directness”[2] Bob Costas called Facenda’s voice “one of the most remarkable instruments in the history of broadcasting.”
“He was 98.”
He took his game into Overtime.
Both Ed and his son Steve were nice people. As successful as they were, it never seemed to go to their head. I worked at a Beechcraft dealer in Jersey when I was a kid, they would come in all the time... They owned Bonanza’s. They were alway nice to the kids working “the line”
I called Steve (five years ago or so) a while back because my buddy who play pro was turning 40 and I needed some NFLF stuff. He picked up the phone and chatted for 5 mins, he could have had a secretary take the call.. Doesn’t seem like much, but to me, I thought they were real down to earth
RIP
NFL films was the first time I heard that famous phrase, “there’s 3 things that can happen when you pass the ball and two of them are bad.”
Facenda was a Local Philly newscaster. and i think the company is located across the river in new jersey. nothing like Lombardi in suit and hat with snow swirling around walking on the field with john facenda narrating. i think his son steve died very young.
What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor.
John Facenda was the voice of the NFL; just as Keith Jackson was the voice of college football.
God Bless, Ed
I hope you enjoyed most of the 98 years. We certainly enjoyed your contributions to pro football.
I grew up on the 30 minute films, the “through frozen tundra, these mighty mighty merchants of Menace, ply their wares, on unsuspecting quarterbacks who happen to wander in there territory”. Etc, etc, . I LOVED THAT STUFF!
What a great legacy he leaves. RIP. Well done.
Gary Burbank’s old “All My Bengals” skits were, among other things, a loving spoof of NFL Films...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0j3s7b62eA
RIP...