I don't hide the fact that I'm one of NFL Films biggest fans. I probably have been since I first saw Football Follies and Super Bowl highlights on ESPN WAY back in the day. I figured with only seven games left in the NFL season, you might need an infusion of NFL Films in your life. As such, here are a few CAN'T MISS suggestions that you have to, at a minimum, record on your DVR.
- There's a new documentary series called The Timeline on NFL Network that is beyond outstanding. Films did programs on the Brett Favre return to Green Bay, the AFL-NFL merger and the Giants move from New York to New Jersey. But, if you're a history buff, in addition to being a football fan, you will love, LOVE The Timeline episode on the Iran Hostage crisis in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Films interviewed a half dozen hostages about their time in captivity in Iran and how the Super Bowl played a huge role in boosting morale for the Hostages. It's a compelling story that'll have your attention from the opening montage. It sat on my DVR for a week or two as the Texans fought for a playoff spot. The Saturday before the Jacksonville game, I finally got to watch it...and I was blown away. It's seriously one of the best historical documentaries I've seen, with a little football mixed in.
- Tonight, though, there'll be something pretty special on NFL Network. For decades, the footage of Super Bowl I was thought to be lost for good. With it being the first championship game between the two leagues, two different networks broadcast the game - NBC and CBS. But, all film from those broadcasts was lost. Supposedly. NFL Films was able to locate every single play of the game from multiple sources, mainly their crew that shot the game that day. It'll lack the graphical mastery and sharpness of today's broadcasts but I've always wanted to watch that first game between Green Bay and Kansas City. Films will also have "lost" footage of interviews with Pete Rozelle and Hank Stram, sound from Vince Lombardi and an interview with CBS' lead producer on the day who'll tell the story of why the second half kickoff happened TWICE.
- If you want to watch more Texans from 2015 (or 2014 or 2011 even), NFL Game Pass has every game broadcast dating back to 2009. Trust me when I say that I've gone down the historical game pass wormhole more frequently than I should admit. There's a free seven day trial for you to test it out and it's a must for the true football fan who can watch the actual broadcast, a condensed version, the All-22 coaches film and the audio of each team's radio call. Yeah, I've probably listened to Marc, Andre and myself a few times through Game Pass, I'll admit it. I mean, I went and listened to that win over Cincinnati a few times that following week and will probably do it again when I need a pick me up. And, I just got through watching the last Cincinnati drive before lunch. No joke.
The NFL Playoffs should have all of us on the edge of our seats, but if you need more football in your life when that's done, here's a few suggestions for you.
