Set Your Tivos - The 50th Anniversary of the Greatest Game Ever Played

I just came across this preview clip for an upcoming ESPN Film entitled The Greatest Game Ever Played, which is described in the the news release as "an innovative special presentation of the 1958 game played between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants at Yankee Stadium for the NFL championship."

Here is the link to the news release:

http://www.espnmediazone.com/press_releases/2008_10_oct/20081013_DecemberAirdatesDetailsAnnouncedforESPNFilms.htm




The Greatest Game Ever Played will be televised Saturday, December 13 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN, right after the Heisman Trophy presentation.

The film brings together 11 surviving members from the 2 teams that played that day and their modern day NFL counterparts from the past two Super Bowl champion teams which just happen to be the Colts and the Giants (what an interesting coincidence) to discuss the game.

The game footage has been colorized. My first thought when I hear the word colorization is that adding color to a B&W film is that it is wrong, but in this case, I think it actually enhances the game film as it allows you to watch the game footage in a whole new way. Watching the preview of footage I have watched before felt like watching the game for the first time as the action stands out so much better in color.

The press release notes that there were 17 future Hall of Famers on the field that day. Wow!

However, the person that most interests me wasn't on the field that day, but was in the stands. My father and some of his Colt buddies traveled up to that game and were lucky enough to see one of the most famous football games of all time.

My father passed away many years ago, but whenever I hear the Greatest Game mentioned, the memories come back of my dad telling me what an amazing event he witnessed, and how much having been at that game meant to him. You could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes how much having been present at that game and having his beloved Colts win their first World Championship meant to him.

I'm really looking forward to this broadcast as this is the game that really elevated the NFL into the national consciousness, as well as the fact that it also has a special place in my memories of my father. I know we're still a few weeks off from the premier date, but this film looks so good that I wanted to spread the news.