There was Mark Gastineau and Jim McMahon, Richard Dent and the Fridge, Dan Marino, John Elway and Joe Montana. Walter Payton, the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins. Doug Williams, the Miami Dolphins Laurence Taylor and Dionne Sanders.
This was a golden age in the NFL and it was brought to us weekly by Channel 4. Nicky Horne and Miles Aiken with the emerging Gary Imlach, explained the roles and hosted the UK’s introduction to American Football.
CHANNEL 4 INTRO
CHANNEL 4 INTRO
CHANNEL 4 INTRO
Cheerleader productions bought us American football complete with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Bonnie Tyler and other bombastic eighties themes tune in 1982 and it awakened my interest. I had always loved US sports movies (and still do) This show allowed the viewer to get involved with the mechanics of the game and it didn’t take long to get to grips with the strategies and the dynamics of those most dynamic of sports. The team that I chose to follow was the Washington Redskins with Quarter back Joe Theisman defensive player Dexter Manley and running back John Riggins.
I spent a number of years following the game and in fact saw the San Francisco 49ers play The Miami Dolphins at Wembley in 1988. Seeing the game in the flash gave context to the athleticism on display; seeing the quarter back throw a ball from penalty spot to penalty spot at a moving object while avoiding being flattened.
Washington Redskins v Dallas Cowboys
As the years passed there was less and less staying up into the early hours to watch the Super bowl and I have long since actively followed the game but occasionally I catch a game on Sky and am taken back to the glory days.
my first Superbowl