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06 Mar 2013

Joe Posnanski on Steve Sabol

Now working for NBC, Posnanski profiles Steve Sabol.

Posted by: Rivers McCown on 06 Mar 2013

10 comments, Last at 10 Mar 2013, 7:02pm by LionInAZ

Comments

1
by Aaron Brooks Go... :: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 10:21am

It's going to be a long time before we get another Steve Sabol.

2
by Led :: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 11:37am

Yeah. How long is never? The NFL Films phenomenon was a unique combination of the right guys (Ed and Steve) at the right time. Because that moment in history can never be replicated, we will never see anyone have the same impact of Steve Sabol on a US sport again. It's like expecting another Lincoln, or Henry Ford, or Babe Ruth.

4
by Aaron Brooks Go... :: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 4:33pm

The joke about Lincoln being in that list was that Lincoln himself lamented that there would never be another Washington. That happened about 10 years before he became another Washington.

3
by cisforcookie (not verified) :: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 3:52pm

He caught the low-hanging fruit that was pro football right at the time when television was going national. We'll never have another steve sabol because steve sabol was already steve sabol -- though maybe in a few thousand years when apes inherit the world they'll have their own steve sabol. But there are always breakthroughs, always vision, always someone in the right place at the right time with the right talent to take us one step further. But the next guy won't be steve sabol or henry ford or bill gates, he [or she] will just be himself. And for all we know, that person could be you.

8
by LionInAZ :: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 11:56pm

Yes, it was low hanging fruit, but the Sabols went way beyond conventional narrative, delivering an artistic vision and narrative that made the game feel like more than just a compilation of points and stats. People with lesser talent might have produced a more pedestrian product. The Sabols brought a filmmaker's eye to the NFL, something that no other pro sport has been able to match.

5
by Raiderjoe :: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 6:25pm

Am fnzn of old NFL Films stuff. When S. Sabol in prime. NFL films gerat late 1960$- 1980s. 1990s producitons not as greta. Still good but not gertam. In 2000s became even less great. Still good but not as thrilling. Tooo much sideline chatter, editoign that produce seizures, mediocre music, loud noises and bluster and fancy schmanzy stuff. When did slow motion with cool music and solid writing was when at beds.

6
by Karl Cuba :: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 8:01pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5CTKlF45Ds

9
by Raiderjoe :: Fri, 03/08/2013 - 6:35am

Nice post there. Aleawya fun to watch it

10
by LionInAZ :: Sun, 03/10/2013 - 7:02pm

Umm..., I think no there. Way too pretentious.

7
by JonFrum :: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 9:19pm

I don't know where all the over the top praise comes from. The early NFL films stuff was cool, but it never would have occurred to me to make a big deal of it back in the day. I was far more influenced by my Sports Illustrated subscription and the great color photos as a kid (who was still watching football in B&W at the time) than in the Sabol stuff.

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