Epic in Miami Intro

[upperslobodia]

"Epic" is perfect. Only English majors said Epic before this game was played.

This one game may be one of the major turning points in NFL history. It was a stunner - people talked about it for months afterward.  It had real hero's on the field doing just what hero's are suppose to do, stunning plays, players carried off the field only to return, complete momentum swings, 1,000yds of Offense, multiple plays that each could have won the game, and the OT ran until the final 2minutes.

[D0ntTaseM3Br0]

And to think this intro is 3 years older then me. XD

[NitroEng]

I would like to see NBC actually grab those NFC rights from FOX and run the afternoon games again.

[Jean0987654321]

@ScottyA222 G-men says HELLO!!

[paulsonj72]

Criqui was never with CBS Radio. For two years in the mid 1980's NBC had the radio rights to the NFL so he was the lead radio announcer before CBS regained radio rights

[paulsonj72]

Don Criqui and John Brodie basically got this game by default. They were the crew that always did the Orange Bowl for NBC and since this game was the late Saturday game played on January 2nd, 1982 they were already there so they got the game assignment.

[jcbsebrigh]

NICE VIDEO...THANX

[dolphinbuc]

All classic games should be shown in their original broadcast format.Even down to the old commercials.Just let the game run like it did back when it was live.I'd like to see Sabol just have an NFL classic channel where we can watch games like this one and others all day long!

[HamptonRoadsTVFan]

@dolphinbuc Yeah, that would probably be the ONLY remote upside if there was a labor stoppage (hoping of course, that NFL Network doesn't do like they did last season and complete skip the classic games).

[dolphinbuc]

@HamptonRoadsTVFan You know,I'm kinda leaning away from the NFL Network now.

[thndrct218]

Does anyone know what the temperature was for this game at kickoff?

[Jelperman]

@thndrct218

84 degrees with 90% humidity

[thndrct218]

@Jelperman jeez must of felt like 94 than wit that humidity

[charger619c]

You can't beat air Coryell and a Phil Hartman sounding announcer. Also a badass Schlitz commercial too.

[canarinhoamazon]

NFL football in the 1980's was so memorable! 80 and 81 chargers, 84 49ers and dolphins, 85' bears and the list goes on and on!

[yeshmayn]

why is this up, hate old school ball and 90s football, all about the 80 and past 7 years and years to come

[pbennett13]

I loved this theme. Anyone know what it was?

[FrsBigeasy]

I miss Don Criqui.

[dolphinbuc]

My Dolphins lost.I don't want a copy of this.I cried like a bitch when this game was over.But when San Diego went to Cincinnati the next week I thanked em cause we would have frozen our asses off in cold ass Cincy.You better believe in home field advantage.

[makemehavefun]

hehe, when you cried, I was celebrating like mad(I was only 10 years old, watching the game with my family)but we were amazed at what we just witnessed... just an incredible, nail-biting, frenetic playoff game. Kellen Winslow was one of my favorite players on the team but after that he made himself my favorite athlete of all-time.

Amazing. Just freaking amazing. If you love football then you have to watch this game. THIS is what football is all about.

[psufan001]

the nfl playoffs back then werent like todays playoff games.

[tomgalicia]

Well when you consider how the media is centered in New York, and Giants-Colts contained a New York team, they're gonna say that, but even though it was only about 23 years later, football was a different game in 1958 compared to 1981, this game was the best of all time though, hands down, even Dolphins fans (like myself) will say so despite the fact we actually lost that game!

[SFFOOL76]

I was 5 when this game happened (i.e.. didn't watch it) my dad and people who watched this game said it was the best football game they have ever seen. It had everything a jumpstart by S.D. 24-0/ It's hero's Winslow, Strock, Fouts....(I could go and on) , The flea flicker, blocked kicks, and overtime also.

[USAGiant]

This game has memories for me. I turned 10 years old in Sept 1982 and this was 'first bet' i ever did for a NFL game lol.

A slice of pizza with a classmate.

Went to my mom's friend house w/ SD leading 21-0 in middle of 1st period and thought game was over. When we got there it was tied at halftime. Wow. In my lifetime other than Bills-Giants in SB25 in Jan. 1991, best NFL match to date i ever seen.

[Freewayjim]

Giants-Colts 1958 can't touch this game!

[seabass11]

I hear you, man! This was the greatest game of all time, no matter what the media guys say.

[USAGiant]

Agreed. And i lived in or near NYC most of my life. And i was not around in 1958 lol.

[Nailgun51]

Best game ever. No matter who won..

I want a copy!

[wyldchyld76]

Wow... this game was played the day after Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album was released in stores, lol. GOD, I feel old!

[Godzilla1171]

This game was in Jan 1982. Thriller was released in Dec 1982. Yeah you feel so old you cant remember dates.

[johnnysama]

Great theme song. :)

[USAGiant]

Not happening till end of 2011 season at earliest. In 2005 the NFL signed it current 6 year deal w/ Fox, CBS & NBC for their main tv deals.

It not about so much the NFL regular season anymore, it about getting even couple of playoff & super bowl which now are normally get the four highest rated tv shows of year on US TV.

Sadly the way the TV landscape is changing i think in next TV contract, the number of games on 'free' tv ie Fox, CBS, etc will be reduced even w/ plan 18 game season.

[DoctorSteelhammer]

RIP Don Criqui

[USAGiant]

He(Criqui) died? When? so sad? Man in last few years all of the great NFL announcers in last 5 years like Gowdy, Charlie Jones and now Criqui in league's hey day of 1970's are no longer with us. Very sad.

[johnnysama]

I have not heard news of that, so he is still alive as of right now.

[jpez123]

Criqui isnt dead! He teams with Dan Fouts as an announcing team on CBS! Saw them do Ciny/Tenn in week 1.

[tvgator1]

God, this game took SO much out of me. What an EPIC! Even though my team lost thanks to Uve Von SHANK (or Uve Von HOOK as he was in the other missed FG attempt) it was just absolutely the greatest single game I ever saw...

[SOEHS2YIMMT]

somebody please tell me where i can find this entire game on DVD !!!! please!!!

[oc61579]

or 3.hire either Dick Enberg or Don Criqui away from CBS.

[USAGiant]

I got bad news for you. NBC has the SNF package for another 4 more years (till end of 2012 season).

I also would not hold your breathe as in 2012 many games of the NFL could be then on Cable or even Pay per view.

Just look at all the other sports. Plus i am not sure if the ''free stations' ie CBS, NBC or Fox could afford to pay these multi billion dollar NFL TV contracts.

Bringing back the Theme to the 1970/early 80's for NBC is much more realistic.

[vanillacokehead]

When Don Criqui was with NBC, he had the fortune to cover A LOT of great college football bowl and NFL games. I still think he and Bob Trumpy made up one of the best NFL announce teams ever. It's sad that he's practically "on the back burner" at CBS; he and Dick Enberg have both gotten hosed with the way they've been pushed aside in terms of on-air assignments.

[SFFOOL76]

don criqui = america's most underrated announcer!

[ishotu747]

does anybody have '81 afc championship aka "Freezer Bowl"?

[seabass11]

I do somewhere...shoot me a message and we'll talk.

[DesiluTrek]

Definitely agree that Don Criqui is underrated. Among the other classic games mentioned where he did play-by-play, another was the '78 Eagles at Giants "Miracle in the Meadowlands" game (he was at CBS then.)

[holmes113]

Don Criqui was never with CBS!

[DesiluTrek]

Wrong, Criqui was at CBS then, as I remember well -- before going to NBC (and back to CBS again where he is today.) For proof, you can watch the DVD of the original '78 agles at Giants broadcast that I have.

[SuperBowlExpert]

Criqui also did games for CBS Radio in the 1980s...if you listen to the official NFL Films video for Super Bowl XXI (Broncos-Giants), you'll find he did play-by-play for that game. He also does some NFL games today on the Westwood One Radio Network.

[sukidillon]

Will the NFL Network ever air the NBC feed of this game. Instead of the NFL Films re-edit which is hard to watch.

[Jelperman]

I wish they would. The NFL Films footage is muddy and looks awful. You'd think the game was being played under dimmed lights. Someone posted a clip of the "hook & lateral" from the NBC tape and it's bright and clear as a bell.

[palmercomm]

"Hook & lateral"?

The NFL Network really let me down. They edit some of the credits in the "Football Follies" specials and replace it with the network logo.

I haven't seen a full network game from the 80's on the network. The earliest I've seen is a 1998 game from CBS.

[mdumas43073]

Great to hear the voice of Don Criqui and see that "proud N" NBC logo. Ah, the good old days...

[ericcollins81]

the cargers of course won that game but lost to the bengals in the afc title game in cincy in record cold temps of -13 degress

[KNS1996DFS]

The wind chill made it feel 25 degrees colder than that.

[baddog7676]

I thought the windchill in that game was -59

[KNS1996DFS]

You know, you could be right.

[crcracker1]

Still today the greatest playoff game ever.

[uncleartie]

Amen.

[paulgoodling]

tony nathan idiot

[scoutie101]

I vividly remember watching this game...SD won but the most memorable play was by the Dolphins -- the lateral to Larry Nathan for a TD.

[BradJamesBroncofan]

Don Criqui's one of the great underrated announcers in all of sports.

[SFFOOL76]

Hells yeah, I agree with you ! I have had posted the same testimonial's about don criqui's announcing skill. under f---ing rated.

[steve355]

Absolutely !!

One call he did, I've heard it a couple of times over the years was the Tom Dempsey 63

yard FG in 1970....

[USAGiant]

agreed. Too bad he always had to work in era of '2' of the top 5 NFL announcers of all time Gowdy and Enberg his entire carrer.

At least NBC should have let him call(be lead announcer) the NCAA championship game ie the Rose or Orange Bowls when the peacock station had what is now the BCS contract.

Criqui carrer highlight was calling the 1983/84 Orange Bowl between the Hurricanes and Cornhuskers still IMO one of the best NCAA football games of all time.

[SDChargersForever]

Nice.

[juan833blue]

Great theme from back in 1981-1982.

[KNS1996DFS]

"The Best of the National Football League: the American Football Conference." Damn right.