NFL: Remembering Hall of Famer Frank Gifford: A Giant Living Legend

A Giant Legend

Source:The New Democrat 

Frank Gifford, was truly one of a kind. I don’t believe we’ve had another Hall Fame football player and Hall of Fame sportscaster in one person. Frank Gifford, was the voice of Monday Night Football. Howard Cosell, was the comedian of that show, but Frank made that show with deep knowledge of the game. As a Hall of Fame player for the New York Giants, his intelligence and his great voice. He was both an announcer and an analyst and did both jobs at the same time. His main role was as the announcer, but the way he would call what he was seeing was from an analyst’s perspective. Because he knew exactly what he was seeing and why he was seeing it.

Growing up as a kid, I couldn’t wait for ABC’s Monday Night Football. Still the best football show on TV, at least prime time show. I couldn’t wait to hear Frank do the intro for that show. Because he brought such passion, intelligence and humor to that show and brought the audience into the show as if you were going to a football party at someone’s house. With the host welcoming you in as you were at home. That’s what it was like listening to Frank call games. It was like as if you were there with him. The only NFL announcer I would take over Frank Gifford would be Pat Summerall and maybe be Al Michaels. But Frank is in the same class as both of those men.

As far Frank Gifford the NFL player, when you talk about hybrid players today, guys who could play running back, or wide receiver and are so good at both you have to use them at both positions, Frank Gifford was the first great hybrid NFL player on offense. He would’ve been a great running back, or receiver. Because he had great hands, quickness, footwork and size. He could’ve played quarterback as well. Very similar to a Paul Hournung with the Green Bay Packers. Frank, was the leader of those great Giants teams of the 1950s that went to five straight NFL Championship’s. But he was also the leader of ABC’s Monday Night Football the best prime time NFL show of all-time.

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CBS Sports: NFL 1978 Week 12- Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants: Miracle At The Meadowlands

Source:CBS Sports– the Eagles and Giants already had a great rivalry, but this might be the most signature play in it.

Source:The New Democrat

“The title speaks for itself. This is without question the biggest choke job in the history of the NFL. Fortunately for the Giants their fortunes took a turn for the better following this game.”

From Derek Ruff

There are games that can send mediocre teams to the playoffs and end seasons for teams that may think they are good and are in the playoff race. And 1978 Miracle at The Meadowlands is that game, because both teams were still in the NFC Playoff race at this point, but basically had to win this game. The Giants at 5-6, had to win out and probably get help from other teams to get the fifth and last playoff spot in the NFC.

The Eagles-Giants rivalry is one of the oldest and best in the NFL, top 3-5 and has had a lot of staple games. But when you lose or win a game where the team that is leading late in the game, only has to run out the clock with victory formation and they blow that and fumble the ball instead, that becomes the staple game of this great rivalry.

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CBS Sports: NFL 1985- NFC Wildcard- San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants: Pat Summerall Intro

Source:CBS Sports– San Francisco 49ers QB Joe Cool Montana, perhaps celebrating another TD against the Dallas Cowboys.

Source:The New Democrat

“NYG 1985 Wild Card Intro Vs 49ers”

From NY Giants

The NFL on CBS was a great show for many reasons and Pat Summerall might of been the number one reason. But their timing and intros were classic and so well done and knew exactly how to put things and show things to people.

Pat Summerall: “First New York Giants home playoff game since the 1962 NFL Championship that was at Yankee Stadium”, the day this wildcard game was played. Giants Stadium opened up in East Rutherford, New Jersey in 1976 and this was the first Giants home playoff game there.

How does CBS Sports introduce this game, with Bruce Spingsteen singing Glory Days. The Glory Days of the New York Giants from the 1950s and early 60s. With Pat Summerall a former New York Giant of course doing the intro. A simple two-minute video or so and this is one of best NFL videos and intros of all-time. Just for those reasons.

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Chicago Tribune: NFL 1963-NFL Championship-New York Giants @ Chicago Bears: ’63 Bears Reflect on Championship Season’

Source:Chicago Tribune– The 1963 Chicago Bears: the last of the great George Halas teams.

“Chicago Tribune photographer Michael Tercha sat down with former Bears players to talk about the chemistry and attitude of the 1963 team. For more video, visit:Chicago Tribune.”

From the Chicago Tribune

This was an end of an era because this would be the last time that the Giants and Bears would play each other for the NFL Championship. Because even though both teams were still competitive for the rest of the 1960s, they were no longer NFL Championship contenders. And by 1970 they were now playing each other in the same conference what is today known as the National Football Conference, after the NFL/AFL merger.

So the 1963 NFL Championship wasn’t the end of one of the best NFL rivalries, but it certainly changed and was no longer very important as far as the current league. Because both teams were fairly mediocre for the rest of the 1960s. Both teams were bad in the 1970s, only making the NFL Playoffs a total of two times. The Bears both times in 1977 and 79. With both clubs not becoming contenders again until the 1980s.

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Kyle Summerall: John Madden’s Eulogy of Pat Summerall

Source:Kyle Summerall– Pat Summerall’s longtime partner at CBS Sports John Madden, delivering his eulogy.

“John Madden Eulogy”

From Kyle Summerall

As John Madden said, Pat Summerall’s long time partner on the NFL on CBS and then later on FOX NFL Sunday when they were the lead announce team for CBS Sports and FOX Sports NFL coverage, Pat Summerall was the voice of the NFL. Because, one he did have a great voice for TV or radio, but he knew what we was talking about. He not only knew what he was seeing and could describe it so well, but he knew what it meant. You got an insiders look from Summerall because he played the game himself and knew what he was seeing and what it meant.

It’s almost as if you were hearing one man give the play by-play as well as the analyst in one voice. And then you add in John Madden perhaps the best sports analyst of all-time not just the NFL. And you are talking about a great team and watching a football game from two announcers who not only knew what they were looking at, but what it meant. And other than maybe with Frank Gifford and Don Meredith doing ABC’s Monday Night Football, its something that was never seen before except for Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier working together, again at CBS Sports. To have both an announcer and an analyst know so much about the game and sport they were calling.

Pat Summerall was an analyst calling NFL football because he played the game himself as a kicker and I believe a linebacker with the Chicago Cardinals and later of course the New York Giants. Where became somewhat famous and successful as a player. So listening to Summerall call NFL games, was a real pleasure because it wasn’t a fans point of view. Some broadcaster who just loves the sport and his job, but perhaps knows as much about the game as his audience.

But with Summerall you were listening to an expert not just doing the play, but someone who would analyze what he was seeing. Because he not only knew what he was seeing and what it meant. And I feel so lucky and it was such a pleasure to hear him call all of those NFL games. Because he and John Madden were the number one announce team for the NFL on CBS and later FOX NFL Sunday. So you got to see them practically every Sunday. But also as a Redskins fans whose team played in so many NFL games of the week on CBS.

Another thing I take away from Pat Summerall was his intros which were great and famous. Because they were so natural as if Pat Summerall wrote those intros himself and added his own humor to them. And then you throw in the great theme music from CBS Sports and you got to hear the voice of the NFL at his best. Laying out perfectly what to expect from the upcoming game and what to look for from both teams. And what made him so great and best NFL announcer of all-time.

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NFL Network: Tom Landry A Football Life

Source:NFL Network– from the NFL Network documentary.

Mike Ditka on Tom Landry: “Grantland Rice had a quote on class:

Class is a hard thing to define:

It could be the swing of a slugger’s bat.

It could be the lift of a thoroughbred’s hoof.

It could be the flick of a quarterback’s arm.

But once you see it, you’ll never forget it. Tom Landry was class.” No better way to start of A Football Life Tom Landry, than with Mike Ditka, who perhaps knew him the best.

“A Football Life Tom Landry”

From Sports Freak Podcast

Tom Landry is an interesting subject for me as a Redskins fan because here’s the guy who built America’s Team that became the new arch-rival of the Redskins in the early 1970s replacing the New York Giants and cost the Redskins division-titles in the 1970s which the Redskins corrected in the 1980s. But Mike Ditka I believe has the best quote that at least I’ve heard about Tom Landry so far when he was talking about class.

And Iron Mike said and I’m paraphrasing here, but “that class is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. It might be a great throw from a quarterback or the sound of a ball off of a sluggers bat for a home run. Tom Landry was class”, that when you saw him or knew him you knew he was class and that’s a great way to describe Tom Landry. That greatness is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. You know a great play when you see it, you know a great player when you see them play and you know a great head coach when you play for him. Or watch his career and that’s what Tom Landry was.

Tom Landry’s philosophy of coaching was simply to get the best out of his players and teams that he could possibly could. To make them as good as could be, which is easier said then done and hopefully the goal of every head coach. But then how you do that and every head coach probably has their own philosophy to accomplish that. But with coach Landry it was about never being satisfied with any of his players until he got the best out of him that he could.

Which is why he never congratulated his players or tell them how great of a job that they were doing and never complemented them. Unless he was getting the best play and games out of his players that he could and when he did that is what we saw America’s Team in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys of the 1970s a team that was almost impossible to beat. When they were all playing up to their capabilities and winning championships. And with Tom Landry pushing his players to the limit was on both offense and defense always pushing his players to get the best out of them.

You want to talk about football genius’, how many head coaches do you know that could be either the offensive or defensive coordinator on the team. That knew enough about both offensive and defensive football that he could not only call the offensive plays and defensive plays for his team, put both the offensive and defensive game plans together for his team, not just do all of these things, but do them very well. The only person that did all of these things and did them well is Tom Landry.

Tom Landry is one of the top 3-5 head coaches of all-time because of how knowledgable he was about both sides of the ball. But then was such a great teacher and knew how to communicate his knowledge to his players. And show them exactly what he wanted out of them and very few if anyone did that better than Tom Landry.The numbers in Tom Landry’s career. Twenty consecutive winning seasons from 1966-85 which I believe will never be broken. Eleven straight playoff appearances from 1975-85, that may be never be done again. Two Super Bowl championships in the 1970s, the Cowboys being the only NFC team to win a Super Bowl in the 1970s. Twelve division-titles, five conference championships.

All of these things happening after inheriting one of the worst expansion teams of all-time in the 1960 Cowboys. But it’s not the championships and the 270 odd victories that Tom Landry had but all the knowledge he brought to the game. And his great ability as a teacher to teach his knowledge which is why he’s Ss high on the list of greatest NFL head coaches of all-time.

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CBS Sports: NFL 1990-NFC Final-New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers: Full Game

Source:CBS Sports– I believe this is the hit that was delivered by New York Giants DE delivered against San Francisco 49ers QB Joe Montana, that knocked out Montana for the next two seasons and essentially ended Montana’s career with the 49ers.

“1990 NFC Championship Game, January 20, 1991. Giants 15, 49ers 13.”

Source:CBS Sports

This is one of the best NFL football games, period, of all-time and perhaps the best conference championship of all-time as well. Two great teams that had a lot of respect for each other and who didn’t like each other. Whose fans hated the other team because of all the great games that they’ve played against each other over the last ten years.

The 49ers looking to make history and win a third straight Super Bowl and perhaps go down as the greatest collection of teams from 88-90 in NFL history. The Giants obviously having different plans and looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1986 and winning another one.

The 49ers of the 1980s were obviously stereotyped as soft and as a finesse team. Even though they had the best all around running back in the league at this point in Roger Craig. Who was a power runner and ran the ball up the middle for the most part, as well as power sweeps. A 6’0 225 pound tailback with the power of a fullback and the speed of a great wide receiver. Who was both a great all around running back and a great receiver and blocker as well. The 49ers even though having a light offensive line in weight, ran the ball very well against everyone and ran the ball up the middle as well.

And the 49ers were always big and strong on defense and have a very good tough defense in 1990 like they had for most of the 1980s. But yet they were called soft because they were a pass first team that threw a lot of short passes. Playing a team that was known for being tough and strong as the Giants were with tough physical defense, big powerful offensive line and a great power running game.

This was not a matchup of a power team in the Giants vs. a finesse team in the 49ers. When the fact was both teams were two of the strongest and most physical teams in the NFL in 1990. And as a result this was one of the most physical games in the history of the NFL as far as all the big hits in it from both teams.

This game also represents the end of an era. The last time that Joe Montana would represent the 49ers as their starting quarterback and leader. Who took a huge hit late in this game from Giants defensive end Leonard Marshall. And suffered a concussion and back injury that would cost him the entire 1991 season and most of the 1992 season.

This was also the last season that 49ers would enter the year as the favorite to win the Super Bowl, or expected to win the Super Bowl. The rest of the NFL at least the good developing teams were getting better and were catching up. Including a young team that represents Dallas, Texas. So this was a very important game in NFL history.

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NFL Films: Pat Summerall- A Life Remembered

Source:NFL Films– Pat Summerall & John Madden, as the lead announce team on FOX NFL Sunday.

Source:The Daily Press  

“Spanning an NFL career that lasted 50 years both on the playing field and broadcast booth, Pat Summerall dies at the age of 82.

Legendary television announcer Pat Summerall died on Tuesday at the age of 82. In the days before cable and Red Zone, NFL Sundays were spent with Summerall and John Madden, first on CBS, then on Fox. His distinctive, deep voice and understated style perfectly contrasted with the bombastic Madden to make the pairing an all-time NFL favorite.”

From Pig Benis 

As Pat Summerall’s former partner at CBS Sports and FOX Sports during the NFL season John Madden said: “Pat Summerall was the voice of the NFL. The best whoever was and is when it comes to calling NFL games, because he had a great voice and also because he knew what he was talking about. He was the play by-play announcer with an analyst’s voice because he not only could see what was happening, but he knew what it meant because he use to play the game himself. So you were getting an insiders look not just from the analyst, but the guy calling the game.

Pat Summerall was just like Frank Gifford when he did play by-play for ABC’s Monday Night Football. Frank Gifford not only being a great announcer, but a Hall of Fame player for the New York Giants and a teammate with Pat Summerall.

I also feel lucky to be able to hear Pat Summerall as the lead play by-play announcer when I did. He and John Madden became partners and CBS Sports lead announcers for the NFL on CBS in 1981 or 82. Which meant they got the top game in the National Football Conference every week.

My first year watching football was in 1982 just as the Redskins my team were starting their big run in the 1980s winning two Super Bowls in that decade and three NFC Championships. So I got to see Summerall and Madden calling a lot of Redskin games that decade.

When I was growing up, it seemed like every Sunday at one point Summerall and Madden were calling the Redskins game and they were either playing the Giants or Cowboys or Eagles on Sunday afternoon at 4PM. And if they weren’t playing at 4PM they were the Monday Night or Sunday Night game.

A big reason why I fell in love with football so early in life was because I was fairly athletic early on as a kid and enjoyed playing football for fun, as well as the Redskins being so good early on. But also because I got to hear the best broadcast duo of all-time calling so many Redskins games.

When I think of Pat Summerall I think of the voice of the NFL and especially the voice of the NFL when it came to intros to games and a lot of those intros involved Redskin games. Again I feel lucky to of heard him call so many Redskin games, because he would do the intro almost as if he wrote it himself. It seemed so natural to him and his ability to deliver when it came to calling game action. Or talking about the NFL seemed so natural which is why he is the voice of the NFL. And while he be missed because there will never be someone as good and as talented calling NFL games.

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NFL Films: NFL 1962- NFL Championship- Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants: Highlights

Source:NFL Films– Looks like Packers WR Max McGee catching a Bart Starr TD for a Green Packers TD against the New York Giants.

“Highlights of the 1962 NFL Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants.

With thanks to NFL Films for the use of their film. We do not own the rights to any of this film. This film is being used for teaching and educational purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.”

From Classic Sports

This is basically the game where the Packers became the dominant team in the NFL in the 1960s and where the Giants took a bit of step back.

I wouldn’t say that the New York Giants dominated the NFL in the 1950s and early 1960s, but you could argue that they dominated the Eastern Conference of the NFL in the 50s. The Giants won 4 Eastern Conference Championships in the 1950s and won the NFL Championship in 1956. And won two more Eastern Conference Championships in 1962 and 63.

But when Vince Lombardi comes to Green Bay in 1959, he wasn’t building a contender or a winner, or even a champion, but a dynasty. And 1962 was the first of 5 NFL Championships, including the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 67 seasons that the Packers won under Lombardi’s leadership.

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Washington Redskins: Slingin Sonny Jurgensen

Source:Hogs Haven– Hall of Fame QB Sonny Jurgensen, against their heated rival the New York Giants, at Yankee Stadium.

Source:The Daily Press  

“Though he started his career with the Eagles, no player is more identified with the Redskins after six decades as a player and announcer than the ‘Old Redhead.’

Now in his sixth decade with the team as either a player or announcer, it seems strange to remember that Sonny Jurgensen, the quintessential Redskin, spent what by NFL standards would have been a fairly lengthy career in a different uniform.

To hear new Eagles Coach Joe Kuharich tell it in 1964, in fact, his quarterback was starting to decline at at 29. Thus Jurgensen was shipped to the Redskins in a deal for 24-year-old Norm Snead after seven turbulent years in Philadelphia.

Legend has it Philly bartenders donned black armbands the day Sonny was traded, but Eagle fans were far from crushed. Having watched the uber-intense Norm Van Brocklin lead the team to an NFL title in 1960, the transition to Jurgensen’s freewheeling style both on and off the field was difficult for many to stomach, even though he was setting team passing records that still stand.”

From Hogs Haven

“Decades before RGiii was even born, Sonny Jurgensen riddled enemy defenses for the Redskins with picture-perfect bullets. Host David Spada catches up with the Hall of Famer for a look back at his amazing career on Sports & Torts.

Brought to you by:Injury in Illinois.”

Source:David Spada– Redskins Hall of Fame QB Sonny Jurgensen. (1964-74)

From David Spada

Sonny Jurgensen isn’t one of the top 10-20 NFL quarterbacks because he’s one of the best winner ever. His career record doesn’t indicate that he’s one of the best winners ever. We’re not talking about Fran Tarkenton or Dan Marino, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubauch, Johnny Unitas, as far as the amount of games that he won. He also played for a lot of mediocre and bad teams where a good year for the Redskins in the 1960s was 6-8, 7-7, 8-6, so I’m not putting Sonny down.

I’m not making excuses for Sonny, because he did play a long time without leading a team to a championship. (Eighteen seasons from 1957-74) But for the most part, he played for a lot of mediocre teams. These are records that generally doesn’t get teams to the playoffs. So even as Sonny was playing for mediocre teams, he was a great QB on those teams, the best player on these teams. Doing every he can for teams that weren’t very good, had good players, great even, but not very good all around teams. Teams that struggled to win every week.

The way I describe Sonny Jurgensen, was a championship caliber QB who played on a lot of mediocre and even bad teams. I still believe that had Sonny played in Super Bowl 7 against the undefeated Miami Dolphins the Redskins would’ve given the Dolphins only loss that year. Because the Redskins did have a great team on both sides of the ball and I believe a better all around team than the Dolphins. That at least had more talent. But of course Sonny was hurt with a busted ankle, so that didn’t happen.

The reason why the Redskins didn’t championships in the 1960s and 70s wasn’t because of Sonny Jurgensen. They weren’t very good in the mid and late 1960s because of the players they had around Sonny. No running game, a weak offensive line and a defense that probably gave up more points than Sonny and those great receivers put up every week, to where they were one of the highest scoring teams in the NFL every year, despite not having much of a running game.

I believe Dan Marino is the best QB of all time as far as just throwing the football. And had he had the running game and defense that Joe Montana had in San Francisco with the 49ers, Marino leads the Dolphins to four Super Bowl championships or more in the 1980s and 90s. We’ll never know that of course, but that’s how great Dan The Man was. But no one handled the ball better than Sonny, as far as play action and knowing exactly when to throw the ball. And what to put on the ball, then Sonny.

I don’t believe a QB ever had better eye-hand coördination than Sonny. The ability to pick spots on the field as far when to throw the ball, how much to on the ball and where to throw the football. He was sort of like the Larry Bird of the NFL when it came to ball handling. And had great eye-hand coördination which is why he was such a great QB. Even though he never led a team to winning a championship.

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