NFL Films tragically lost it's co-founder Steve Sabol to brain cancer yesterday. He had been diagnosed in March 2011 and had been battling the illness ever since. One of his few public appearances since was in August 2011 when his father was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his work with NFL Films.
NFL Films was not owned by the NFL, the Sabols have owned the company since its founding in 1962, but they're part in expanding professional football was important and very impactful. Coverage of the NFL prior to this time was limited to games and the view from television cameras covering the game. Fans did not get to know the players nor see what went on along the sidelines. The Sabols vision of the NFL was more in depth, more up close. They were the first to mic players and coaches, to bring cameras along to the sidelines and to even cover fans in the parking lots of stadiums. This made the game more personable and accessible. Football overtook baseball as the most popular sport in the country in part because of NFL Films. Steve Sabol became the face of the company; he was the one who would introduce the films when it would later be broadcast on television. He was known to players, coaches, referees, fans and even commissioners (Rozelle, Tagliabue & Goodell) for being personable, funny and friendly. The Sabols came to be beloved by the sport they covered. Sabol will be deeply missed but his legacy will live on in NFL Films for generations to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment