NFL Team Yearbooks: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

[ShinobiMusashi]

These are always so hit and miss but I still love watching them and collecting them. Proud to say I have a full 1992 set of every team's highlight film. Along with hundred of others from the old AFL days until 2009 Vikings. I hate that my favorite team the Houston Texans' ones are so hard to find. But I have damn near a full set for the Oilers, missing maybe 4 or 5.

So what were your favorite episodes? Any particular year where the show just felt better or worse overall? I've been watching the 1993 ones that are on Youtube and they seem really deep and well made. The Falcons 93 film that previewed their upcoming 94 season had interesting segment with June Jones saying they felt like Jeff George was better option than any QB coming up in the draft. For how it turned out they should have just taken Charley Ward lol.

But I'd like to have this thread as an ongoing place to post about oddball things I spot as I watch through these. Feel free to post about your favorites or least favorites or anything in general. I know a majority of these episodes are just fluff pieces almost to the point of being propaganda to aid in ticket sales for the upcoming season. But every once in a while you catch one that is solid gold.

I'd say one of the best ever made is the 1975 Oilers film, captured a really fantastic season in Houston, Billy White Shoes highlights and Bum's first season all done in a country themed film that perfectly captures NFL Films charm.

[ShinobiMusashi]

The Raiders ones feel self made and extra propaganda-ey, always different from the others from any particular season, extra ego.

[Brian wolf]

Owners usually have the final say on films and George Halas was known to complain about some of the shady fans captured at games by NFL films. NFL films used to like filming rowdy fans at Colts games as well but they were more a powerhouse team, especially at home. That highlight film of them beating the Raiders in Baltimore to win the AFC Championship in 1970 was one of the best I ever saw.

Speaking of the Raiders, their 1970 yearly highlight film was influential because John Madden still had wondered how Warren Wells had came up with a catch to beat the Jets that year. Once he saw the highlight film, he realized that Wells had tipped it away from two Jets defenders to himself. He felt it was the greatest catch he had ever seen. Imagine players and coaches being surprised by their own team, highlights reel?

[Sonny9]

Owners usually have the final say on films and George Halas was known to complain about some of the shady fans captured at games by NFL films.

In an NFL films video they touched on Halas not wanting Bears players highlighted in close ups as that would increase that players popularity and make him ask for more money.

[conace21]

Owners usually have the final say on films

The 1993 Cowboys highlight film had already been prepared when Jimmy Johnson was fired/resigned from the Cowboys in the spring of 1994. In the original version, Johnson was widely shown. But in the final version, Jimmy barely appeared. Jerry Jones made frequent appearances- in a sitdown interview, in the owner's box, on the sidelines. The highlight film was launched at a meeting of the Cowboys (Quarerback?) Club. Afterwards, Jerry took the mic and laughed, apologizing for being the MVP of the highlight film. One Dallas reporter wrote "You get the feeling there are two reasons the Cowboys won the Super Bowl- Emmitt and Jerry."

[Citizen]

In a perverse way, some of my favorite ones are those where they go to ridiculous lengths portray something positive about bad teams.

The 1977 Saints yearbook employs NFL Films' usual techniques for this (showing touchdowns from multiple angles, framing a late-season win as being far more dramatic than it was), but goes the extra mile by having highlights of Derland Moore's competitive arm-wrestling career and even clips from the previous year's Super Bowl, whose only connection to the Saints was that it was played in their stadium.

[Brian wolf]

I remember years ago getting jacked up about paying 50 bucks a piece for the yearly highlights/championship games. The films on VHS were crappy copies but I watched them over and over.

Watching SB III mesmerized me but then I got to record the actual game from the NFL network. Espn the magazine gave out info on football game collector's sites and it was off to the races!

[Ten Minute Ticker]

They’re all propaganda, and yet, I enjoy them. You get a time capsule of obscurantia/nostalgia.

I’ve not seen them all by any means, but the Packers films of my youth are probably funny. I’m sure there’s fawning montages to the coming stardom of Alphonso Carreker and Jessie Clark.

[ShinobiMusashi]

In a perverse way, some of my favorite ones are those where they go to ridiculous lengths portray something positive about bad teams.

The 1977 Saints yearbook employs NFL Films' usual techniques for this (showing touchdowns from multiple angles, framing a late-season win as being far more dramatic than it was), but goes the extra mile by having highlights of Derland Moore's competitive arm-wrestling career and even clips from the previous year's Super Bowl, whose only connection to the Saints was that it was played in their stadium.

I agree big time. The highlight film for the 1992 Falcons makes them out like they had this great defense that year, when in fact it was the very worst in the NFL. The Sam Wyche Bucs and any Pheonix Cardinals yearbook was always a good time for some reason.

[Mark]

I liked the yearbooks as I like to see all the highlights of the year. I didn't like it when they showed too much of players or coaches heads talking or tried to get too artistic, I just wanted to see the best plays and games. I have noticed some were more honest about a team's shortcomings such as the 1970 Redskins Yearbook.