The History of Pro Football (1983), Part 7 (The Teams)

No copyright infringement is intended with this, or any other video I upload. The purpose of uploading this video is for the viewing pleasure for those that watch it. This is a must-see for those that want to know and learn about the history of pro football.

This is the final of the eight feature that make up the NLF Films Legacy Series, and it may be the ultimate lost treasure of NFL Films, as it documented the entire history of pro football, as it existed in 1983. It is also, to my knowledge, the first feature-length movie ever made by NFL Films.

The final of seven parts documenting the history of the sport,focuses on the teams. Introduced by recently-retired Steeler great Joe Greene, this portion of the film mentions many of the great teams [the 1950's Cleveland Browns excluded] in the sport's history. First, there are the Chicago Bears, who bruising style of play under George Halas won them many championships [eight, according to this video, though it's seven under George Halas in other narrative mentions].

Only one franchise has won more championships than the Bears, and that's the Packers, with 11 at the time this film was made [it's 13 now], though the focus is on Vince Lombardi's team, which won five of those in seven years. But even they weren't able to do what the Miami Dolphins did in 1972, and that was to acheive a perfect season, as they were in the process of joining the Packers as just the second franchise to win consecutive Super Bowls.

But for a moment, we go from the best to the worst, as upstate in Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first team in modern history to lose all their games in a season, nearly doing so for two consecutive years. [In 2008, the Detroit Lions joined them in this infamous club.]

In contrast to the Bucs' historic ineptitude, the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders were the two winningest teams in the previous 20 years leading up to this presentation, but both took a back seat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who became the only team ever to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice, doing so with an almost endless supply of talent, and could win any way they wanted to, making them the greatest team of all-time. With that, a very short epilogue to this presentation is heard about the entire history of the sport.

All credits go to NFL Films, APM Music, HBO , which first broadcast this feature, Heron Cmmunications, and Fox Hills Video.

NOTES: With the end of this video, the NFL Films Legacy Series comes to an end. I hope those who have watched it all have thoroughly enjoyed seeing it as much as I've enjoyed uploading it. If these videos don't get taken off, there will be more NFL Films stuff coming in the future, such as seasons in review [since 1967], classic games [pre-Super Bowl era title games, and other classics, such as the 1971 Xmas Day Playoff and the Epic in Miami, among others], and all the Super Bowls, right from the start, as well as the documentary "They Call it Pro Football", the ultimate pro football tutorial for those to learn what position does what in the sport.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• NFL
• Films
• pro
• football
• history
• teams
• Chicago
• Bears
• Green
• Bay
• Packers
• Miami
• Dolphins
• Tampa
• Buccaneers
• Dallas
• Cowboys
• Oakland
• Raiders
• Pittsburgh
• Steelers

[mljbct89]

john facenda was the best voice of NFL Films.

[cjs3872]

@mljbct89

No, John Facenda wasn't the best voice of NFL Films. He is, and always will be, THE voice of NFL Films.

[cjs3872]

By the way, the "Sea of Hands" play that gave the Oakland Raiders that playoff win against the Dolphins occurred in the 1974 AFC Divisional Playoof, not the 1974 AFC Championship Game. And incidentally, unlike virtually every other highlight, in which NFL Films uses home team radio calls, the audio from the "Sea of Hands" play came straightt from the NBC telecast of that game, with Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis doing the honors.

[plntntvzn]

@1:14-28, from book Football Hall of Shame @1986."Ed Sprinkle (#7)tried to behead QBs.Typical of his ferociousness was pain he inflicted in 1951 game against Cleveland Browns.Sprinkle rushed QB Otto Graham & delivered him crushing blow to head.The cruel move knocked Graham's helmet off & broke his nose. Graham fumbled ball; Sprinkle scooped it up & rambled 55 yards for TD". In that game, there was combined 374 yards on 37 penalties on Bears & Browns.@2:55,was a later game between the two teams.

[mljbct89]

@cjs3872 yes that's even better sounding. I agree.