Hall of Fame Weekend- Thnk You, Mr. Sabol

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2011 will be inducted in less than two weeks and I can’t help but think about how some of these men shaped the game.  Many are so famous that everyone knows their name. “Neon” Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Shannon “Send the National Guard” Sharpe, Super Bowl XX MVP Richard Dent – we know the names.  Many of us grew up watching them play.  There are the senior nominees this year, Chris Hanburger and Les Richter, who waited many years for the honor.  All are deserving.  Of all the newly minted members, however, I think the most important, and maybe most overlooked, is NFL Films founder Ed Sabol.

Ed Sabol

Now Mr. Sabol wasn’t one of the NFL’s greatest coaches or players, but he was one of it’s greatest contributors.  For many football fans his film company WAS the league.  Many of us grew up watching his NFL Films tell the story of our game and the men who played.  We were able to experience the league and it’s greatest players in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.  For their part, NFL Films remains humble about their importance in the history of the league.  They see their role as “The Keepers of the Flame” and nothing more.  Well for fans, NFL Films means much more than that.

Through the lens of their camera, NFL Films captured anything and everything that fans love about the game.  They gave us a glimpse into the game and players like never before and educated fans about players from bygone eras.  I was too young to see guys like Jim Brown, Deacon Jones and Bart Starr play.  Through NFL Films though, I have been able to see them in action.  It’s like a portal to another era.

Some of the more famous productions from NFL Films were the Football Follies collections, the Game of the Week, and of course the Super Bowl highlight shows.  An exquisite package of style and substance, NFL Films has created such impressive productions that a Hollywood director would be proud to call them his own.  For the production value, there is no equal in sports.

Innovation and storytelling are some of NFL Films’ greatest assets.  From the music of Sam Spence, to the “Voice of God” John Facenda, NFL Films has demonstrated a perfect pitch, timing, and flair for the dramatic.  Every time the season is about to start, if you listen closely, it seems you can still hear the voice:

“The Autumn wind is a pirate”…

“Right from the very first play Super Bowl Twelve was a coach’s nightmare”…

“One last moment, for the Master”…

“On came Marcus Allen, running with the night”…

If anything, NFL Films, with all of it’s Emmy Awards, has stood the test of time.  It’s style is unmistakable.  It helped the NFL transition from it’s humble roots as a sideshow attraction to it’s current position as the most popular sports league in America.  Most if not all of the highlights in the Hall are from NFL Films.

For NFL fans everywhere, I say congratulations Mr. Sabol, and thank you.  We all owe you a debt of gratitude.  It is fitting that an organization that has helped grow the league as much as NFL Films is finally getting it’s rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.