Super Bowl I Like You've Never Seen It Before

A CBS cameraman shoots Super Bowl I on Jan. 15, 1967 at Los Angeles California's Memorial Coliseum. The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-21. - Image credit: National Football League

Fantastic news from the NFL Network, as they have assembled a complete cut of the very first Super Bowl.

Super Bowl I: The Lost Game will premiere this Friday on their network, and will give us the most complete look ever at this historic game.

NFL Network to re-air Super Bowl I for first time

Forty-nine years to the day after the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs squared off in Super Bowl I, NFL Network will be the first network to ever replay this historic game on television.

Super Bowl I was broadcast by both NBC -- the official broadcaster of the AFL- and CBS -- the official broadcaster of the NFL and remains the only Super Bowl to have been broadcast live in the United States by two television networks. Considered to be the Holy Grail of sports broadcasts, the CBS and NBC tapes of the game were either lost or recorded over and no full video version of the game has existed ... until now.

In an exhaustive process that took months to complete, NFL Films searched its enormous archives of footage and were able to locate all 145 plays from Super Bowl I from more than a couple dozen disparate sources. Once all the plays were located, NFL Films was able to put the plays in order and stich them together while fully restoring, re-mastering, and color correcting the footage. Finally, audio from the NBC Sports radio broadcast featuring announcers Jim Simpson and George Ratterman was layered on top of the footage to complete the broadcast.

The final result represents the only known video footage of the entire action from Super Bowl 1 and NFL Network will show it to the world for the first time on the 49th anniversary of the game between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs, January 15.

Super Bowl I: The Lost Game will air on Friday, January 15 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network. The three-hour program is enhanced with pregame, halftime and postgame segments, modern broadcast graphics and coverage, social media interaction, facts and information, with studio contributors and guests live reaction and storytelling throughout.

Host Chris Rose and Steve Mariucci anchor the broadcast and are joined by a plethora of NFL Media talent, such as Terrell Davis, Daniel Jeremiah, Steve Wyche, and Elliot Harrison. Additionally, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end for the Packers Willie Davis and former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman join in-studio, while former Packers greats Jerry Kramer and Dave Robinson join the show from remote.

In addition to the broadcast of the game, Super Bowl I: The Lost Game includes the following features:

• Wired sound from Packers head coach Vince Lombardi
• Footage of a postgame interview with Chiefs head coach Hank Stram and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle being interviewed by Pat Summerall
• In-depth discussion on how the Super Bowl I broadcast was lost and then re-assembled using NFL Films footage
• A feature on the merger between the well-established National Football Leagueand the upstart American Football League, giving birth to the modern-day NFL and the uniquely American spectacle called the Super Bowl.
• An interview with Super Bowl I CBS producer Bill Creasy on why the second half kickoff was kicked twice

All 145 plays of game footage from Super Bowl I: The Lost Game were compiled from NFL Films video shot at the game. The NFL Films crew for Super Bowl I were John Butterworth, Joe Fain, Morris Kellman, Stan Kirby, Stanley Leshner, Dave Marx, Skip & Ken Nelson, Walt & Jim Porep, and Art Spieller. There were only two ground cameras and just one sound camera, the rest of the staff were top cameras or assistants. By comparison, there will be approximately 35 NFL Films cameras at Super Bowl 50 and an additional support crew of well over 50 other NFL Films personnel.

Outstanding. What a rare treat for those of us who missed the game the first time it came around.

I don't have the NFL Network, but I'm confident they'll soon make it available to the rest of us on iTunes and the like. Until then, settle in, grab a beer and watch your Packers make history.

Nitschke Rampages Through LA

Last night the NFL voted to allow the Rams to return to Los Angeles, their home from 1946-1994. To celebrate the return of this little piece of football history, I offer a picture of Ray Nitschke tearing through the Los Angeles special teams line.

Green Bay Packers Ray Nitschke (66) in action, defense during punt attempt by Los Angeles Rams Danny Villanueva (11) at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles, CA PHOTO CREDIT: Neil Leifer/Getty Images

This game was played on December 16, 1962, the final game of the regular season. The Packers came out on top 20–17 to cap off a 13-1 season on their way to a second consecutive World Championship.

Much is being made about the Rams possibly ditching the 90s navy-and-being and returning to their classic color scheme when they take the field in LA. As a lover of bright colors, I'd love to see it, especially if they wore gold jerseys like they did in the early 1950s:

Do I Smell a Rematch?

The four teams left standing in the AFC playoffs are Denver, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and New England. That means if (yes, if) the Packers can make it to the final game Super Bowl 50 will be a rematch. It could perhaps even a uniform rematch, setting aside the fact that the AFC team will have home field advantage. Let's take a look at these possibilities in chronological order.

Packers/Chiefs would be an interesting one. The 50th Super Bowl as a rematch of the first, in the same state if not the same city.

A Patriots/Packers rematch would look the least like the original game, as the Pats have tweaked their uniforms greatly since the 1996 season. The colors are now darker, with an increased emphasis on blue at the expense of red.

Those two potential matchups would give the other team an opportunity to exact revenge on the Packers. Only the Denver Broncos allow the Pack an opportunity to avenge a loss in the title game.

All these years later, I'm still kind of surprised how thoroughly I've managed to block that game from my mind. Of course, in order for this to be a real throwback the Broncos would have to wear their alternate navy jerseys, as they did earlier this year.

Seeing the Steelers in the Super Bowl would mean a rematch of the Packers' most recent opponent. This is the only Super Bowl I've covered since turning my zine into a blog, and would certainly be satisfying.

So what do you say, Packers fans? What possible rematch would you like to see?

I have to admit, the urge for revenge is strong, and therefore I'd like to see the Packers thrash the Broncos in Santa Clara. But from a strictly æsthetic perspective, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to reprise the first Super Bowl.

Two traditionally-minded teams in uniforms virtually the same as they were wearing fifty years ago in California. It would be beautiful.

Looking Better!

The Packers were underdogs in Washington last night, but came out victorious. And, incidentally, looking pretty good. Except for a few niggling details.

Aaron Rodgers scrambles with the ball under pressure from Washington Redskins defensive end Chris Baker (92) during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

This photo perfectly encapsulates the three things I hate about the Packers' current uniforms.

I hate those silly Captain patches. Utterly pointless, cluttering up a classic uniform. Fortunately, the Packers only drag them out for the playoffs, but that's when they should be wearing their best uniforms, not adding extra geegaws.

I hate the contrasting compression shirts. Matching the jersey color would clean up the look tremendously, especially with the home greens.

And I hate the cheap-looking silkscreened sleeve stripes. Nike manages to weave proper stripes right into the fabric of the Steelers' jerseys, why do we get stuck with the low-rent alternative?

As a bonus, I also hate the striping pattern on the road jerseys, a bastardized form of the classic Braisher stripes that just doesn't work when you break the basic rules and put white directly next to gold.

Washington looked pretty good, too, at least they dressed pretty well. In recent years they've gone back to their Lombardi-era pants and socks, giving them a classic-Packers feel.

Washington Redskins linebacker Preston Smith (94) celebrates after a safety on the Green Bay Packers offense with teammates during an NFL wild card playoff football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016. (Perry Knotts/NFL)

It was a treat to see the Packers regain their momentum, and the spirit of Lombardi must have been looking down with a smile.

Green Bay Packers running back James Starks (44) carries the ball into the end zone for a touchdown as Washington Redskins cornerback Will Blackmon (41) watches during the second half of an NFL wild card playoff football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Even an ugly win, or a win in their ugliest uniforms, is a beautiful thing.

Now it's on to Arizona, where they'll face a team with a somewhat less-classic æsthetic sense.

Green Bay Packers tight end Richard Rodgers (82) celebrates with quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) after wide receiver Davante Adams caught a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md., Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Tenally)

A Little Touch of Gold (UPDATED)

No picture yet, but there's a small tweak to the Packers' helmets - the NFL decal on the back has been changed to match the gold/black version commemorating the 50th Super Bowl.

This has been around since January of last year, and has been featured on sideline merchandise (not to mention all manner of merchandise), but so far as I know this is its first appearance on uniforms.

Picture to come.

---

UPDATE:    Here's a good look:

Photo credit: Jim Biever, Packers.com

I don't mind this. I'm not a fan of all the clutter they slap on the back of the helmets, and at worst this is a little less busy than the red-white-and-blue logo they usually wear.

Kinda surprised they didn't do that with the league patch on the jerseys. Maybe they're saving that for the Super Bowl itself.

Video - 1936 Championship Game Highlights

Tomorrow, the Packers will be in suburban Washington for the first round of the NFL playoffs. Although the two teams have collectively played 180 seasons in the NFL, and account for a combined eighteen world championships, this is only the third time the teams have met in the postseason.

The first time was in 1936, when the other team was still in Boston and our Packers were in their second year of experimenting with green and gold uniforms.

The game was the 1936 Championship game, the fourth in league history (until 1933, titles were awarded by records) It was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City, the first title game to be contested on a neutral field.

The Bostonians were the host team, but had struggled for support in their home city. Team owner George Preston Marshall chose not to play in their regular Fenway Park, but New York.

The Packers dominated the game 21-6 to claim their fourth World Championship, the first to come via championship game.



Just a few days after the loss, Marshall announced that he was moving his club to Washington, DC, where they reside today. Let's hope the Packers can bring a little of their 1936 magic to Landover today.

Infographic - Packers at Washington Wild Card Preview

As we prepare for this weekend's Wild Card round of playoffs, Packers.com contributes this infographic preview:

This week’s infographic takes a look at the playoff brackets in both the AFC and NFC, the Packers’ and Redskins’ regular-season rankings in various offensive and defensive categories, and the stats behind safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix’s second pro season.

It's That Time of Year...

Playoffs this weekend, and that means the Packers are dragging out the captaincy patches again.

Sewing on the playoff captain patches. https://t.co/lcHzfD67D4

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 7, 2016

For those just joining us, the Packers select captains on a week-to-week basis, so they don't wear these League-approved patches during the regular season. But one slate of captains is selected before and for the postseason, so we get extra ugly uniform clutter for the biggest games of the season.

I'm definitely ready for this to stop being a thing.

Infographic - Vikings/Packers Preview

Tonight, the Packers take on the Vikings with the NFC North title on the line, and Packers.com has this preview:

This week’s infographic provides a list of the NFC North division champions dating back to 2002, a breakdown of the Packers’ six-sack effort on defense vs. the Vikings in the first matchup, and a closer look at the season defensive lineman Mike Daniels is having.

Packers/Vikings Game Program

The Vikings come to Green Bay this weekend, and the program is now available from the Packers Pro Shop.