On Sunday, November 28, “The NFL on CBS” will celebrate a major television milestone, when it broadcasts its 5,000th NFL football game.
Gus Johnson (read The SportsNewser Interview with Johnson here) and Steve Tasker will call the game between the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins.
The first “NFL on CBS” game saw the Pittsburgh Steelers crush the Washington Redskins 30-13 in Pittsburgh. That game was broadcast September 30, 1956, with Jim Gibbons and Arch McDonald calling the game for the Redskins audience, and Joe Tucker and Bob Prince calling it for Steelers viewers.
The NFL has been a staple of CBS programming since that game, save for a four-year break from 1994-1998. All told, “The NFL on CBS” has been televising the game for 51 years, an amazing feat by today’s standards.
“When you think of all the television firsts and the great broadcasters that have called all those games for CBS Sports, it is a tremendous contribution to sports television history,” said CBS News and Sports president Sean McManus, in a statement. “We are extremely proud to be broadcasting our 5,000th NFL game. And we look forward to broadcasting our next 5,000.”
More information, including CBS Sports’ Thanksgiving Day plans, after the jump.
HE NFL ON CBS: WEEK 12 (THURSDAY, THANKSGIVING DAY, NOV. 25 & SUNDAY, NOV. 28)
AUDIBLES WITH PRESIDENT, CBS NEWS AND SPORTS SEAN McMANUS AND
LEAD “NFL ON CBS” PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER JIM NANTZ5 0 0 0
The CBS Television Network continues its 51st year broadcasting the NFL with coverage of THE NFL ON CBS on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25 (12:30 PM, ET) and Sunday, Nov. 28 (1:00-7:00 PM, ET) beginning with THE NFL TODAY, the Network’s NFL studio show (12:00 NOON-12:30 PM, ET) and (12:00 NOON-1:00 PM, ET) respectively, live from THE NFL TODAY studio in New York City.
On Sunday, THE NFL ON CBS broadcasts its 5,000th game in its 51-year history of covering the NFL. Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker call the Network’s historic game, Miami Dolphins-Oakland Raiders, live from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. Victor Frank produces and Mark Grant directs.
THE NFL ON CBS lead announce team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms call the action from the Thanksgiving Day game, New England Patriots-Detroit Lions, live from Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. Lance Barrow is the coordinating producer and lead game producer and Mike Arnold is the lead game director.
Throughout the 2010 season, THE NFL ON CBS will broadcast all of its games each week in HDTV, the highest definition television format – 1080i lines of picture resolution – along with 5.1 digital audio.
Sean McManus is President, CBS News and Sports, and serves as executive producer of CBS Sports’ coverage of THE NFL ON CBS. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.
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THE NFL ON CBS’s first regular-season game was broadcast on September 30, 1956 between the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh won at home, 30-13. Jim Gibbons and Arch McDonald provided play-by-play and analysis for the Redskins audience, while Joe Tucker and Bob Prince called the game for the Steelers audience.
SEAN McMANUS
(On THE NFL ON CBS’s 5,000th game): When you think of all the television firsts and the great broadcasters that have called all those games for CBS Sports, it is a tremendous contribution to sports television history. We are extremely proud to be broadcasting our 5,000th NFL game. And we look forward to broadcasting our next 5,000.JIM NANTZ
(On history of THE NFL ON CBS and its 5,000th game): It’s a staggering number that gives one perspective on the full breadth of CBS’s long-running and close partnership with the NFL since television and professional football merged on CBS in 1956.I grew up as a young kid totally enchanted by the way CBS presented the NFL. It was part of the reason as a young boy I made the declaration to my father that I wanted to work for CBS Sports. Watching those old NFL championship games at Lambeau Field, the first Super Bowl and listening to Ray Scott, Pat Summerall and Jack Whitaker, they were all heroes to me. There is a long, impressive roster of Hall of Fame announcers who have been associated with CBS Sports’ presentation of the NFL at some time during this 5,000-game span. It’s an All-Star list that includes many of the guys calling games for other networks who called games for CBS at one time. It’s a great honor to be a part of the 5,000-game tradition and to sit in the booth that was once manned by Pat Summerall, John Madden, Tom Brookshier, Jack Whitaker, Ray Scott, the often overlooked and unheralded Frank Glieber, Verne Lundquist, Greg Gumbel, Vin Scully, Hank Stram, Jack Buck – all giants. To have the chance to sit in the same booth, same Sunday afternoon time slot, it’s a tremendous honor and I’m so proud of our legacy. Through all the games, including the Super Bowls we produced and broadcast, we delivered a very powerful message. CBS has a lot to do with the explosion and popularity of the game and we’ve been there to tell the story for a long, long time.
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Following are THE NFL ON CBS assignments for Week 12 and Week 13 (subject to change).
WEEK 12 – Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Day)*
GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
12:30 PM, ET starts:
·New England @ Detroit* Jim Nantz/Phil Simms Lance Barrow/Mike ArnoldWEEK 12 – Nov. 28
GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
1:00 PM, ET starts:
·Jacksonville @ N.Y. Giants Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman
·Pittsburgh @ Buffalo Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley
·Tennessee @ Houston Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith4:00 PM, ET starts:
·Kansas City @ Seattle Bill Macatee/Rich Gannon Bob Dekas/Andy Goldberg
·Miami @ Oakland Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker Victor Frank/Mark GrantWEEK 13 – Dec. 5
GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
1:00 PM, ET starts:
·Buffalo @ Minnesota Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots Jim Rikhoff/Bryan Lilley
·Cleveland @ Miami Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman
·Jacksonville @ Tennessee Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker Victor Frank/Mark Grant
·Denver @ Kansas City Ian Eagle/ Dan Fouts Bob Mansbach/Suzanne Smith4:00 PM, ET starts:
·Oakland @ San Diego Jim Nantz/Phil Simms Lance Barrow/Mike Arnold