Steve Sabol: 1942-2012

Andy Hayman
September 21, 2012

Andy Hayman

Lives in: Chicago
From: Los Angeles
Occupation: Creative Director/ Writer/Producer
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When I was a kid I loved two things, movies and football. So when I learned about the death of Steve Sabol after a long bout with brain cancer I took a moment to reflect on what an impact he’s had on my life, both personally and professionally.

Steve Sabol was born in 1942 in New Jersey and attended Colorado College where he played football, but his real impact began when he joined NFL Films as a cameraman alongside his father Ed Sabol who founded the company in 1962.

Steve Sabol literally changed the way we watch and think about football. His style of “tight on the spiral” cinematography combined with incredible storytelling expertise simply revolutionized the way we enjoy our national pastime. Filmed almost entirely in slow motion, each highlight brought us closer and closer to the speed and ferocity of a game we thought we knew. Add a dash of John Facenda, “the voice of god” whose legendary narration could make a 3-3 snoozer feel like an epic battle between good and evil, and you ended up with transcendent filmmaking.

You cannot overstate Sabols’ impact on the business of television, or sport. His winning combination of sound and image won him 35 Emmys for writing, cinematography, editing, directing and producing. A feat no one else in television has come close to accomplishing. It is hard to imagine the world of televised sport, or the highlight without the imprint of Steve Sabols’ deft touch.

Because of NFL films unique style, bloody noses and bandaged hands became romantic images in my mind, and as a player, every time I took the field, thoughts of “frozen tundra”, and hot breath steaming from my facemask were always racing through my mind.

“Inside the NFL’s” Chris Collinsworth told a great story about how he used to play slow motion football in the backyard with his buddies, self narrating a long kick return down the sideline, a crushing tackle for a loss, and a last second game –winning touchdown. My friends and I did the same thing, and I can’t imagine we were the only ones.

Today, I’m lucky to have figured out a way to combine my passion for filmmaking and sport and apply the lessons I’ve learned from watching NFL films all these years. As a producer, I’m always looking to get closer, to slow things down, to reveal the unseen, or untold story, always looking for a way to make a 3-3 defensive struggle feel like an epic battle between good and evil.

Rest in Peace Steve.

Image by Ian Ransley Design.

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