I never really gave all that much thought into how much of an impact watching certain NFL Films productions had on me when I was growing up. They were gritty, melodramatic, and helped turn me into the fan I am today. They were also poetic, much of that due to the son of NFL Films founder Ed Sabol’s son, Steve Sabol. 

Steve Sabol passed away yesterday (read Chuck Klosterman’s obituary). When I heard the news I instantly flashed back to being 12, coming home from school and watching old videos the Sabol’s made of the great teams and games of the sport’s past. I also recalled Sabol’s famous poem about the Oakland Raiders, “The Autumn Wind.”

Also of note: In this month’s issue of The Atlantic, Rich Cohen has a piece on how the Sabol’s really changed the way we experience the game of football.

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