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SPORTS Friday 28 december 2018
How Fox’s 25 seasons of covering the NFL changed the game

By JOE REEDY believe I was in the same
Terry Bradshaw thought his room,” Buck said. “I had
career as a football ana- been around my dad (Hall
lyst was over in 1993 when of Fame broadcaster Jack
CBS lost the NFL rights to Buck) and knew what the
Fox. But instead of going standard was and how it
back to cattle ranching, he had been done, and now
has had a front-row seat to I was hearing how different
the biggest sports broad- things were going to be. It
casting startup of the past was intimidating and excit-
quarter-century. ing.”
“It seems like an eternity. Production-wise, Fox ush-
We all have occasionally ered in the era of the
talked about where we constant time and score-
started. We’ve had all of box along with audio that
these innovations that has brought viewers closer
transformed broadcasting to the action. The score-
on television,” Bradshaw box may look like a simple
said. graphic, but at the time it
It was Bradshaw who was a technical marvel.
helped usher in Fox’s cov- Instead of having a cam-
erage of the NFL in 1994 rid- era fixated on a clock, a
ing a horse around Los An- black box was embedded
geles before arriving at the This March 5, 2013, file photo shows Jay Glazer, from left, Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw and Michael in each scoreboard so that
Fox set in Hollywood. That Strahan attending the Fox Sports Media Upfront party celebrating the new Fox Sports 1 network in the time and other data
entrance helped set the New York. could be transmitted to Los
tone that still drives the net- Associated Press Angeles and production
work’s coverage and has every day was important,” television, and the first opin- all along. trucks at the stadium.
included eight Super Bowls. he said. ion he had is there wasn’t “All the cameramen for the “There was a guy named
“Terry is what Fox attitude Many of the announcers enough fun or entertain- pregame had worked on Richard Flanigan who had
is all about,” said Joe Buck, and production personnel ment on Sunday broad- sitcoms during the week. to go to each stadium with
who has gone from one that started with Fox in 1994 casts. They all wanted to work a ladder and screwdriver
of the announcers for re- are still there as the net- Hill’s vision of Fox’s philoso- on football,” he said. “The and put the black box in
gional games to the voice work is in its 25th season of phy took root with the pre- camaraderie of everyone each scoreboard. But he
of Fox’s major properties. broadcasting the NFL. Bart game show. Not only was it flowed throughout the en- had to build a black box
“They played that during Simpson is still going strong an hour, but it was done in tire unit.” for each scoreboard be-
the preseason seminar this on Sunday nights, but Fox Los Angeles instead of New The pregame show was a cause they were all dif-
year and I got choked up. has become a grown-up York. He had a simple for- hit from the beginning and ferent,” said Eric Shanks,
It was a beautiful TV mo- network. mula for his pregame crew: also showed that viewers a broadcast associate in
ment.” “We’ve grown from the a host, former offensive had an appetite to con- 1994 and now Fox Sports’
David Hill, who built Fox rebellious new kid on the player, former defensive sume as much football executive producer and
Sports and came up with block and are now looked player and coach. content as possible. CEO. “The attitude from
many of its innovations, at as a responsible produc- “David understood that he “I remember opening David was the bigger, the
still considers Bradshaw his er of major sports. We’re wanted the viewer enter- weekend when I got home I louder, the better. We were
most important hire. now the establishment,” tained. We cover the news had a couple college bud- doing things with graphics
“He is the core of what Fox said Richie Zyontz, the lead but we tend to do things a dies that were raving about and sound effects that only
Sports is — he’s funny, self- producer for Fox’s top NFL little more jovial,” Bradshaw the pregame show and used to exist in big produc-
deprecating, but gets the game as well as coordinat- said. how great and fun it was tion movies.”
job done,” Hill said. ing producer for the net- Hill, who now runs his own with everyone,” said Troy THE NFL RIGHTS ARMS RACE
That core was put in motion work’s NASCAR coverage. production company after Aikman, who was Cowboys When the NFL entered tele-
25 years ago this month The NFL’s decision to go leaving Fox in 2015, liked quarterback in 1994 before vision negotiations in 1993,
when Fox won the rights to with Fox continues to re- Howie Long after seeing joining the network seven many predicted it would
broadcast NFL games for verberate on a number of one of his interviews, but years later. “It was refresh- be lucky to get near the
$1.6 billion over four years. levels, not only with foot- wasn’t sold after an audi- ing, new and unique, and $3.6 billion received from
Besides its personalities, the ball but in the way sports tion. It was so vanilla that that set the tone for the ABC, CBS, NBC, TNT and
network has given us the rights costs are perceived Hill told Long to come back network.” ESPN for four years in 1990.
scorebox, audio that brings among network execu- the next day with a dif- ELEVATING THE GAME Fox’s bid of $1.58 billion,
viewers closer to the game, tives. Among the things we ferent attitude. Long was The hiring of Pat Summerall along with increases from
the one-hour pregame have learned: more relaxed in the second and John Madden as the ABC, NBC, TNT and ESPN,
show, and a big produc- FOOTBALL IS ENTERTAIN- audition and was hired. top broadcast team gave increased the rights fees to
tion feel for sporting events. MENT Bradshaw and Long have Fox instant credibility, but $4.4 billion — and longtime
The fact that Hill was able to Fox’s credo of “same been the backbone of the network also helped NFL broadcast partner CBS
build a sports division from game, new attitude” really Fox’s pregame show de- launch the network foot- lost the NFC rights to Fox.
scratch in eight months re- applied to Hill. The affable spite their diverse personali- ball careers of Joe Buck, The contracts also ended
mains incredible consider- Australian, who had built ties. Thom Brennaman, Kenny up benefiting the players.
ing most networks now take sports networks in England Hill also suggested having Albert and Kevin Harlan. The salary cap started in
two to three years to build. and Australia, was tasked a comedian do predictions “I was sitting in the room 1994 and many predicted
“It was so intense that it with building Fox Sports in and having a weather re- during a seminar and look- with decreased rights fees
stays with you. Thinking eight months. port as a segment. The Los ing at Summerall, Madden, it would be $32 million per
back, though, we never Hill offered a fresh set of Angeles setting also gave Dick Stockton and Matt team. However, the sur-
had a chance to second eyes when it came to the show a different vibe, Millen while listening to Da- prise influx of cash pushed
guess anything because evaluating pro football on which is what he wanted vid Hill talk, and I couldn’t it to $34 million.q