Super Bowl X NFL Films (Facenda vs. Kalas)?

[Gary Najman]

Recently I found the NFL Films Game of the Week of Super Bowl X, narrated by Harry Kalas, and compared it to the classic highlights of the game we all know narrated by John Facenda. I was in kindergarten when this game was played, so I didn't saw it on TV, but it struck me down to see many plays from different angles that I knew (among them Lynn Swann's "kangaroo catch"). Of the plays that were the same shot, one was noteworthy (John Stallworth's reception in the second quarter, which in the official highlight was cut and the first time I saw it I didn't knew was the final outcome when Stallworth lost the ball, that the officials ruled that the ground didn't cause a fumble, Facenda only said that "the pass was ruled complete". Now I saw the complete play, Dallas had recovered the ball after Stallworth dropped it). And of the plays missing in the Kalas' film I was struck that Percy Howard near catch in the endzone at the end of the game wasn't shown. Also, the music in the Kalas' film was the same they used it in nearly every Game of the Week back then (which it made sense, given the fact that the highlights were shown the following week, while Facenda recorded it a few months later).

Which is the better film? I still prefer Facenda's,

[Bryan]

I think the Super Bowl X film with Facenda is one of the greatest pieces that NFL Films ever produced. Outstanding stuff throughout.

The Super Bowl game-of-the-week shows are worthwhile...different angles and a strictly linear 'storytelling' technique. I liked that the SB X game of the week included the play where Franco Harris nearly had a long TD reception, and the wording of Stallworth's reception was much clearer as you mentioned. I really like the Super Bowl V game of the week episode, because flow of the game was so strange and its not really conveyed in highlight film.

[lastcat3]

Slightly off topic here as I don't think this is something that warrants its own thread but regarding Super Bowl V was it Dallas's decision to wear their blue jerseys for that game? The NFC would have been the home team that year yet as far as I know Dallas was wearing their white jerseys at home by then. So was it Dallas's decision to wear the blue jerseys or did the league make them (as most teams wore their colored jerseys at home)?

[Citizen]

I didn't know until now that they even did GOW episodes for Super Bowls in addition to the highlight films that were made well after the fact. How long did that go on for? Are they available anywhere commercially, or just among collectors?

[superbowlfanatic]

Slightly off topic here as I don't think this is something that warrants its own thread but regarding Super Bowl V was it Dallas's decision to wear their blue jerseys for that game? The NFC would have been the home team that year yet as far as I know Dallas was wearing their white jerseys at home by then. So was it Dallas's decision to wear the blue jerseys or did the league make them (as most teams wore their colored jerseys at home)?

I always wondered about this, and the blue jersey curse for Dallas.
Sometime in the last few years, I remember seeing somewhere that in the early Super Bowls, that designated "home" teams did not get to choose jersey colors, but rather, the "home" team had to wear their dark jerseys, and the "away" team had to wear white.
I can't recall the source (in print or video) and I don't know when this stopped, if it was actually in place.
But Dallas did choose to wear white jerseys in SB XIII.

[Retro Rider]

I didn't know until now that they even did GOW episodes for Super Bowls in addition to the highlight films that were made well after the fact. How long did that go on for? Are they available anywhere commercially, or just among collectors?

I believe SB GOW versions were produced starting with Super Bowl I and ending with Super Bowl 21. Super Bowl GOW versions #'s 17-21 were shown on the syndicated NFL Week in Review program. I remember taping Super Bowl 20 GOW and it was different from the official highlight film that came out later on.

You can still special order most of these from NFL Films:

http://www.nflfilms.com/specialorders/gameOfTheWeek.php

http://www.nflfilms.com/specialorders/weekInReview.php

[Rupert Patrick]

I didn't know until now that they even did GOW episodes for Super Bowls in addition to the highlight films that were made well after the fact. How long did that go on for? Are they available anywhere commercially, or just among collectors?

I believe SB GOW versions were produced starting with Super Bowl I and ending with Super Bowl 21. Super Bowl GOW versions #'s 17-21 were shown on the syndicated NFL Week in Review program. I remember taping Super Bowl 20 GOW and it was different from the official highlight film that came out later on.

You can still special order most of these from NFL Films:

http://www.nflfilms.com/specialorders/gameOfTheWeek.php

http://www.nflfilms.com/specialorders/weekInReview.php

The 1986 season (Super Bowl XXI) was the last season NFL Films did their own weekly highlights or Game of the Week shows. After that, they just sent their highlight clips to HBO or Showtime for the Inside the NFL series. In the years after 1986, NFL Films still continued to produce their annual team highlights films, Super Bowl highlights, Road to the Super Bowl/Championship Chase, and weekly anthology programs (NFL Films Presents/This is the NFL) during the football season, along with occasional specials.