NFL Network will re-air Super Bowl I, the right way this time

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 18, 2016, 7:08 PM EST
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NFL Network took plenty of criticism for the way it re-aired Super Bowl I last week, turning the broadcast into a three-hour studio show that largely detracted from the game itself.

So it’s good news that this Friday, NFL Network will take another crack at it, and do it the right way.

NFL Media tells PFT that it will do a 90-minute re-broadcast this Friday at 8 p.m. ET, and that re-broadcast will be quite a bit different than what aired last Friday, on the 49th anniversary of the first Super Bowl.

The version that will be shown this Friday will have an introduction from Chris Rose in the NFL Network studio, but after that it will be the game itself, with no commentary other than the original NBC Sports radio broadcast.

That’s a great decision from NFL Network. What fans really want to see and hear are the sights and sounds just as they were shown half a century ago. That’s what fans will get this Friday.

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84 responses to “NFL Network will re-air Super Bowl I, the right way this time”

  4. They should take this approach more often. More football, less idiots yelling over each other and talking about fantasy games.

  5. Sweet. I’ll re-watch it.

    But this is almost like a plea deal from the NFL Network. I’m wary about anything else they’d try to do like this for the future.

  8. Thank you! That was brutal. They didn’t even know what plays were coming up so they would go “Oh, look , an interception. Let’s go back to the game.” Just in time for us to hear the announcers call the following play.

    At least they giving us a second chance to enjoy it.

  9. Remember Warren Sapp? Neither do I..one think we can all agree on is that pos is gone.

  10. Glad to hear it. Recorded last Friday’s broadcast, but had to zip through so much of the dopey studio banter that I didn’t enjoy the game.

  11. I wish they would replay EVERY Superbowl in its original broadcast (even the commercials). A fan like myself, who was born in 72, missed a lot the early games. I’m also a lover of history and would love a chance to see and hear the sights, sounds, rules, commentators and products of the time. Play them all!!!

  12. I recorded it but haven’t have the guts to watch it after hearing everyone tell me how stupid it was.

    Will rerecord and watch or watch live, depending on how drunk I am.

  13. coloradical420 says:
    Jan 18, 2016 7:18 PM
    I’ll have to tell my buddy. He’s a KC fan. It’s the only time he’ll get to see KC in a superbowl.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Nope. Chiefs beat the Vikings in SB IV

  18. I’m really looking forward to it. Saw the first one with my dad and brothers when I was in high school. Dad was gone at 93 five years ago so this will be a real trip down memory lane.

  20. Great news as I couldn’t even watch five minutes. A few years ago I experienced some sort of glitch that lasted multiple weeks where I was getting the sound of the crowd, the on field hits and the officials through the network broadcast but not the announcers. It was the best TV football experience ever. I wish this could be a regular option.

  21. If only this was the rule and not the exception. I lost all interest in actually watching games when Fox, then all of the other channels, started the 4-5 talking head studio show, weather girls, sideline reports before, during and after the game asking cliché questions, and ex-players trying to sound intelligent while jabbering nonsense. Its just too painful to watch.

  22. Too bad the NFL isn’t willing to air it where the general public can see it.

    Would be a great feature on the afternoon of the Superbowl. A nice book-end situation. Maybe a special of the greatest moments from Superbowl 1-49. . .

  23. Good call. I turned the volume down so I didn’t have to listen to the inane banter. But without the game sound, it was pointless. Glad I’ll get a chance to see it. I love that nostalgic stuff. Would be nice if they immediately followed the game with John Facenda’s recap with full orchestral accompaniment.

  24. If this works, then NFL Network should do this with ALL of the old Super Bowls. I enjoyed the “America’s Game” series that came out about 10 years ago but that was mostly interviews and recollections. If they presented the actual Super Bowl broadcasts as they were I think they’d have just as much (if not more) of an audience.

  27. Good. I’ve been a Packer fan since age 13 and about 1 1/2 hours of last Fri. was all I could watch. Now I can erase the recording and do it again this week.

  28. My next comment will be an example of what I expect to hear from anyone or anything not associated with the original broadcast…..

  29. Football fans want to see formations and blocking, plays developing and executed. How it used to be done.

    The focus now is breathless excitement about fantasy football scores and records. I like fantasy football. But enough of that, ok? Show the first Super Bowl as it actually happened.

  30. I think up until 5 or so years ago ESPN used to show hi.lights from all the previous super bowls. They did this a few days before the super. I recorded a bunch of them on vhs so maybe it’s been more than a few years

  31. I like those commentators for the most part. But it did take a lot away from the game.

    Us watching the game want to have our own talk and take on the game without the interruption from them.

    Maybe the NFL can pony up the dough and buy the tape from he guy that has more footage than they do!!

  33. Tells you all you need to know about the state of sports TV today that it didn’t occur to them to do it this way in the first place and that they would need to be browbeaten by criticism into redoing it.

    Somehow every network has gotten the idea that we watch sports to hear ex-athletes and talking heads bloviate endlessly about the games rather than to watch the games themselves.

    Everything about this bothers me. Whether it be the forced camaraderie or tortured attempts at humor, the analysis bathed in bias, or the predictions and news “scoops” that are constantly thrown out there with no accountability whatsoever.

    I haven’t watched 5 seconds of a pre-game show in a decade and I never plan to again.

  34. In the future, NFL Films will re-air the classic games of this era, inserting talking heads to replace Phil Simms’ commentary.

    There will be no fan outcry.

  35. Seems like the NFL is facing the same talent crisis in announcers that they have in refs. The commentary during the Chiefs-Patriots game was awful, they were a good 15 seconds behind even the drunken hobos watching at my house. “Seems like it would be good for the Chiefs to come away with some points here.” “Oh yah. If I were them, I would definitely try to pick up third down here.”

  36. As I was watching that train wreck last Friday,I was hoping stone cold Steve Austin was gonna run out on the set and start stunning everyone one of those guys. Was just terrible.

  37. The NFL didn’t know what they had in 1966.
    nobody thought watching a tape of the broadcast mattered.
    SB I was miraculously partially taped, and the owner wants to sell this heirloom to the NFL, and they can’t agree on a price.
    It is shameful that this has occurred, because SB 3 to present are all available.

  42. I’d like to see more the 1/2 Time.

    That dude is the Jet Pack and Al Hirt for a few seconds was not enough.

  44. armchairqb says:
    Jan 18, 2016 8:54 PM
    In the future, NFL Films will re-air the classic games of this era, inserting talking heads to replace Phil Simms’ commentary.

    There will be no fan outcry.
    ____________________________

    Agreed. It is painful to listen to him. But when he calls Broncos games, they win an extremely high percentage of the time. So I am forced to hope for him in the booth. This is the greatest example of suffering for your team that there is. Right up there with Factory of Sadness and Wide Right stuff.

    And Simms will be calling the Super Bowl this year so here’s hoping. Sigh.

  46. mikebel11 says:

    “They should take this approach more often. More football, less idiots yelling over each other and talking about fantasy games.”

    Are you saying you don’t enjoy listening to Deion yell “WHOA CAM!” over and over like a kid with Tourette syndrome? I mean, that’s quality television.

  52. I watch SB#1 on the tube, and attended SB#2 in Miami, a great experience, west end zone seats, $15.00 each…Bill…I think most viewers like to turn off the talking heads and just watch the action.

  53. atthemurph says:
    Jan 18, 2016 7:28 PM
    I recorded it but haven’t have the guts to watch it after hearing everyone tell me how stupid it was.

    Will rerecord and watch or watch live, depending on how drunk I am.

    Same here- kinda. Was going to watch it last weekend, but deleted it after hearing the uproar the following morning. But now..

  54. coloradical420 says:
    Jan 18, 2016 7:18 PM

    I’ll have to tell my buddy. He’s a KC fan. It’s the only time he’ll get to see KC in a superbowl.
    ——————————–

    You should have him watch Super Bowl XLVIII, which was the most hilarious Super Bowl ever.

    I still chuckle when I remember the first snap of the game.

  57. I saw it live the first time – Ray Scott (CBS) was priceless. Call me when that idiot for a commish buys the one and only copy left.

  60. NFL Network should take a page from the MLB Network. MLB Network shows the game in its entirety with original broadcasters and the only people who comment on the game were players who actually played in that game. MLB does much better with the history of the game.

  61. And miss Steve Mariucci repeatedly tell me how big of a game this was for him as a child?

  62. Remember the 1980 game between the Jets and the Dolphins ? Only the sounds of the game and the on field officials, and stadium announcer. Tough to follow and you had to pay close attention. I’d like to see this happen again.

  66. The only good that came out of that nightmare was Mike Garrett. Was professional and respectful to the game. The rest were clowns.

  67. who cares.. Old games don’t hold up anyways. It’s like like trying to watch an old wrestling match.. You can’t because it’s so boring… Same with football, the guys are so slow. It’s not fun to watch at all

  69. This is great because we were so disappointed, but why is it not showing up in the channel line up for Friday? I’d like to set my DVR and surprise my husband but it’s not showing up. Starting to feel disappointed already…………

  70. .
    their commentary driven games are unbearable. no one wants to sit through ANY game while some nobodies talk about the game… especially with the camera on the nobodies and not the game…

    them doing it to a super bowl game kinda drove that point home no?

  71. What is this DVD thing you talk about? can I stream it? (sarcasm)

    rutledge3197 says:
    Jan 18, 2016 10:27 PM

    You can purchase Super Bowls 3 through
    49 for $4 or $5 …. Original broadcast
    All on DVD

  72. That looked like an espn productions. Take a product bastardize is and turn it into something completely obnoxious

  73. slickzmoney says:

    Jan 18, 2016 7:51 PM
    Great news as I couldn’t even watch five minutes. A few years ago I experienced some sort of glitch that lasted multiple weeks where I was getting the sound of the crowd, the on field hits and the officials through the network broadcast but not the announcers. It was the best TV football experience ever. I wish this could be a regular option.

    ——————————————————————-
    I do that every weekend by disconnecting the center channel speaker from my 5.1 Surround Sound system. The center channel is where the play-by-play comes through. I’m then left with the game sounds through the other 4 speakers and the subwoofer. Agree. Best way to watch a game.

  74. No thanks. I’d rather see more footage of Mariucci leaning forward on the edge of a chair looking intently at something, then later talking about his childhood.

  76. I do not get the NFL Network and according to the woman who writes the checks around here, increasing our communications bills is out of the question. So I will not be watching SBI (although I did see the original broadcast 50 years ago) nor will I be watching the Thursday night games on the NFL Network. Be careful NFL don’t let me get use to missing games, I might start skipping Monday and Sunday games as well.

  77. Typical NFL–if it would just go right to always doing exactly the opposite of what they think they should do–they’d get it right the first time.

  78. bspurloc says:
    Jan 19, 2016 9:11 AM
    What is this DVD thing you talk about? can I stream it? (sarcasm)

    rutledge3197 says:
    Jan 18, 2016 10:27 PM

    You can purchase Super Bowls 3 through
    49 for $4 or $5 …. Original broadcast
    All on DVD
    —————
    I don’t know about the others, but SB49 is not available on dvd. I tried to get it last month. The only place I could get the entire game was on itunes. The dvds you get for $4 or $5 are encapsulations of the winners season, not the game.

  79. The ineptitude of the NFL and all of its offshoots is really staggering. Last week’s broadcast was an absolute garbage treatment of their history.

  80. hollymolley says:
    Jan 19, 2016 7:18 AM

    Remember the 1980 game between the Jets and the Dolphins ? Only the sounds of the game and the on field officials, and stadium announcer. Tough to follow and you had to pay close attention. I’d like to see this happen again.
    ——————————-

    You mean it was like actually being at the game?

  81. Speaking of doing things the right way, can we kick Deion off of NFL Network. How are you supposed to hear Chris Rose’s highlights when Deion does nothing but interrupt?

  82. @hollymolley says:
    Jan 19, 2016 7:18 AM
    Remember the 1980 game between the Jets and the Dolphins ? Only the sounds of the game and the on field officials, and stadium announcer. Tough to follow and you had to pay close attention. I’d like to see this happen again.
    ==================================
    The announcerless game!!!!!

  84. vikingdoode says:
    Jan 19, 2016 7:19 AM

    Hope the Chiefs win this time!
    ————-
    Don’t worry. The Chiefs will win when they replay the SuperBowl IV game against the Vikings.

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