The NFL on NBC Pregame Show
Encyclopedia
The NBC
television network's pregame/studio coverage for their National Football League
coverage
has had a rather inconsistent history in comparison to The NFL Today
on CBS
and Fox NFL Sunday
on the Fox Broadcasting Company
. The following is an overview of the various names and formats relating towards NBC Sports
' NFL pregame coverage.
during the off-season (GrandStand was also a pregame show for NBC's Major League Baseball Game of the Week
during the 1976 season
). GrandStand premiered in 1975
with hosts Jack Buck
and Bryant Gumbel
(who joined Buck sometime later in the season). Prior to 1975, NBC would air the public affairs program Meet the Press
in the NFL pregame show's time-slot (12:30 p.m. ET
).
In 1976
, Jack Buck left GrandStand in order to return to the booth for play-by-play (for NBC). Buck was in return, replaced by Lee Leonard
, who co-hosted GrandStand with Bryant Gumbel.
In 1977
, Lee Leonard left and was replaced by Mike Adamle
and Regina Haskins as Bryant Gumbel's co-hosts. Leonard would later become a co-host of ESPN
's SportsCenter
. For the postgame show, GrandStand kept the Sperry
NFL Report, although later incarnations of the postgame show would be renamed the Budweiser
NFL Report.
, NBC dropped the GrandStand moniker in favor of NFL plus the corresponding season. For example, NFL '77, NFL '78 and so forth. Beginning with NFL '80, NBC would pioneer the use of the in-game highlight ("Let's go to New York for an NFL '80 update") NBC would use this particular method of titling their pregame show until the 1987 season
. Beginning in 1987
, NBC used the title NFL Live!, for which they would use until the end of the 1994 season
. ESPN
would also use this titling method for its auto racing coverage from 1979 through 1986. In 1987, it became ESPN SpeedWorld
.
Bryant Gumbel would host the NFL on NBC pregame show through the 1981 season
, when he left NBC Sports for a job on NBC's Today Show. In his final two seasons on The NFL on NBC, Gumbel served as the sole host for the pregame show. Gumbel was subsequently replaced by Len Berman
, who was joined by Mike Adamle, Pete Axthelm
(who left following the 1985 season
), and Ahmad Rashad
.
In Len Berman's second season
(and what turned out to be his final full season) as the host, Bill Macatee
(who left following the 1984 season
) and Dave Marash
(who left following the 1983 season
) replaced Mike Adamle and Ahmad Rashad. Rashad would return to the pregame show in 1984
and continue onward through the 1988 season
.
In October 1984, NBC was also covering the World Series
between the Detroit Tigers
and San Diego Padres
. Even though one of the games was on a Sunday night, Bob Costas
(who anchored NBC's World Series coverage with Len Berman) was still New York
to host NFL '84. At the end of the pregame show, Costas said that he was on his way to Detroit to cover that night's baseball game. In the meantime, Bill Macatee filled-in for Costas, providing updates and halftime highlights. Costas later interviewed the Tigers in their dressing room that night.
In 1985
, NBC moved its Sunday pregame show to 12:30 p.m. ET
no matter what time that market got a game. CBS
followed suit in 1986
. Previously, NBC and CBS would do 1:30 p.m. ET and 3:30 p.m. ET pregame shows for markets that were only getting 2 or 4 p.m. ET starts.
From the mid to late 1980s, NBC would to open their NFL pregame show with a Great Games, Great Moments feature, which re-aired an original clip (i.e. from an NBC telecast as opposed to NFL Films
) of one play from an old NBC game.
During the 1986 season
, NBC attempted to use a studio audience
for the NFL '86 telecasts. This would be dropped after the season.
, Bob Costas
had taken over for Len Berman
as the studio anchor. During this particular period, Paul Maguire
was apart of NFL Live!, which from 1986
-1987
, only consisted of him, Bob Costas, and Ahmad Rashad
. Gayle Gardner
would join the team in 1988
. Also in 1988, Bob Costas' predecessor, Len Berman would temporarily return to the hosting seat because Costas was away in Seoul
to cover that year's Summer Olympics
for NBC
. Gayle Sierens
, who made history as the first female play-by-play announcer in NFL history one year earlier
, would join Len Berman while Costas, Rashad and Gardner were in Seoul. Also, Paul Maguire briefly returned to NFL Live! (Maguire left the program for booth work at NBC) during the Olympics period.
, NFL Live! consisted only of Bob Costas and O. J. Simpson
, who was on the show until the end of the 1993 season
. Around this particular period (1989
to be exact), NFL Live! featured the John Tesh
composed theme music "Gridiron Dreams". In 1990
, Will McDonough
moved over from CBS
' NFL Today
program to join NFL Live! McDonough, would leave NFL Live! after the 1993 season
to serve as a sideline reporter and host of their "News and Notes" segment. In 1991
, Bill Parcells
(who left after just one season
for a role as an in-booth analyst for NBC) joined the team.
Bob Costas held the main hosting position from 1984
through the 1992 season
. Costas would continue his involvement with The NFL on NBC, albeit in a more limited role such as delivering, pre-taped, intimate, one-on-one interviews. In 1993
, Jim Lampley
replaced Costas as the host of NFL Live! Lampley would stay in this particular role for the entire 1993 season before leaving the program in favor of going to the booth for NFL play-by-play work NBC. For the 1993 season, "Gridiron Dreams" was replaced by a composition composed by John Colby.
-1997
, former CBS
, NFL Today
host Greg Gumbel
served as the host alongside Ahmad Rashad. Gumbel's predecessor, Jim Lampley moved over to play-by-play work for NFL games on NBC. Meanwhile, a revamped version of John Colby's theme music appeared for this season only. Also, during the span of 1993
-1996
, Mike Ditka
was a regular commentator on NFL Live! A year after
Mike Ditka's arrival, Joe Gibbs
joined NFL Live!, who stayed on through the 1997 season
. In 1994
and 1995
, NBC ran an hour long edition of their pregame show before Week 1.
In 2003
, six years after NBC lost their NFL rights to CBS
, ESPN
took the NFL Live! name for themselves, renaming NFL 2Night
(though forgoing the exclamation point).
(1995
-1997
), the pregame show was simply titled The NFL on NBC. The theme music by Randy Edelman
was used for both the pregame show and the game coverage.
In 1995
, Joe Montana
joined The NFL on NBC but was gone after just one season. Montana was subsequently replaced by Cris Collinsworth
, who stayed on through the 1997 season
. Mike Ditka left NBC following the 1996 season
to become the head coach of the New Orleans Saints
and was replaced by Sam Wyche
.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television network's pregame/studio coverage for their National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
coverage
NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
has had a rather inconsistent history in comparison to The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and Fox NFL Sunday
FOX NFL Sunday
Fox NFL Sunday is the pregame show for the TV show NFL on Fox. The program is broadcast on Fox television affiliates nationwide. The audio portion of the show is broadcast over the Fox Sports Radio network, distributed by Premiere Radio Networks...
on the Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. The following is an overview of the various names and formats relating towards NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
' NFL pregame coverage.
GrandStand (1975–1976)
The first official NFL on NBC pregame show was called GrandStand, a program that doubled as a competing sports anthology series to ABC's ABC's Wide World of SportsWide World of Sports (US TV series)
ABC's Wide World of Sports is a sports anthology series on American television that ran from 1961 to 1998 and was originally hosted by Jim McKay. The title continued to be used for general sports programs until 2006...
during the off-season (GrandStand was also a pregame show for NBC's Major League Baseball Game of the Week
Major League Baseball Game of the Week
The Major League Baseball Game of the Week is the de facto title for over-the-air, nationally televised coverage of regular season Major League Baseball games...
during the 1976 season
1976 Major League Baseball season
The 1976 Major League Baseball season was the last season in which both the AL and the NL had the same number of teams until 1993. The season ended with the Cincinnati Reds taking the World Series Championship for the second consecutive season by sweeping the New York Yankees in four games...
). GrandStand premiered in 1975
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
with hosts Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
and Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
(who joined Buck sometime later in the season). Prior to 1975, NBC would air the public affairs program Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
in the NFL pregame show's time-slot (12:30 p.m. ET
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
).
In 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, Jack Buck left GrandStand in order to return to the booth for play-by-play (for NBC). Buck was in return, replaced by Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard is an American television personality who was involved in the launch of cable television networks ESPN and CNN.-Early life:...
, who co-hosted GrandStand with Bryant Gumbel.
In 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, Lee Leonard left and was replaced by Mike Adamle
Mike Adamle
Michael David "Mike" Adamle is a sports personality and former National Football League player. He is best known as the co-host of American Gladiators series for seven years....
and Regina Haskins as Bryant Gumbel's co-hosts. Leonard would later become a co-host of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
. For the postgame show, GrandStand kept the Sperry
Sperry Corporation
Sperry Corporation was a major American equipment and electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the twentieth century...
NFL Report, although later incarnations of the postgame show would be renamed the Budweiser
Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
NFL Report.
NFL (1977–1986)
In 19771977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, NBC dropped the GrandStand moniker in favor of NFL plus the corresponding season. For example, NFL '77, NFL '78 and so forth. Beginning with NFL '80, NBC would pioneer the use of the in-game highlight ("Let's go to New York for an NFL '80 update") NBC would use this particular method of titling their pregame show until the 1987 season
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
. Beginning in 1987
1987 in television
The year 1987 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1987.For American TV schedule, see: 1987–88 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
, NBC used the title NFL Live!, for which they would use until the end of the 1994 season
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
would also use this titling method for its auto racing coverage from 1979 through 1986. In 1987, it became ESPN SpeedWorld
ESPN SpeedWorld
ESPN SpeedWorld is the name of a former television series broadcast ESPN from 1979-2006. The program that was based primarily based around NASCAR, CART, IMSA, Formula One, NHRA, and IHRA....
.
Bryant Gumbel would host the NFL on NBC pregame show through the 1981 season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, when he left NBC Sports for a job on NBC's Today Show. In his final two seasons on The NFL on NBC, Gumbel served as the sole host for the pregame show. Gumbel was subsequently replaced by Len Berman
Len Berman
Len Berman is the former weekday evening sports anchor on WNBC-TV. Berman was with WNBC/NBC from 1982-2009. He was previously with WCBS-TV from 1979–1982, and before that at WBZ-TV in Boston from 1973–1978.-Early life:...
, who was joined by Mike Adamle, Pete Axthelm
Pete Axthelm
Pete Axthelm worked as a sportswriter and columnist for the New York Herald Tribune, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek. During the 1980s, his knowledge of sports and journalistic skill aided him in becoming a sports commentator for The NFL on NBC and NFL Primetime and horse racing on ESPN...
(who left following the 1985 season
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
), and Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
.
In Len Berman's second season
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
(and what turned out to be his final full season) as the host, Bill Macatee
Bill Macatee
Bill Macatee is an American sports broadcaster.-Early life and career:Macatee was born in Rome, New York, and grew up in El Paso, Texas. In 1978, he earned a bachelor of science degree in speech from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas...
(who left following the 1984 season
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
) and Dave Marash
Dave Marash
David Marash, known as Dave Marash is an American television journalist.Marash garnered considerable attention when he joined Al Jazeera English in January 2006 as the network's Washington, D.C. anchor, thus becoming the de facto American face of the new English language station. Two years later,...
(who left following the 1983 season
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
) replaced Mike Adamle and Ahmad Rashad. Rashad would return to the pregame show in 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
and continue onward through the 1988 season
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
.
In October 1984, NBC was also covering the World Series
1984 World Series
The 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers played against the National League champion San Diego Padres, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one....
between the Detroit Tigers
1984 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
and San Diego Padres
1984 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* October 21, 1983: Sandy Alomar, Jr. was signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent.* December 6, 1983: Joe Pittman and a player to be named later were traded by the Padres to the San Francisco Giants for Champ Summers...
. Even though one of the games was on a Sunday night, Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
(who anchored NBC's World Series coverage with Len Berman) was still New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to host NFL '84. At the end of the pregame show, Costas said that he was on his way to Detroit to cover that night's baseball game. In the meantime, Bill Macatee filled-in for Costas, providing updates and halftime highlights. Costas later interviewed the Tigers in their dressing room that night.
In 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
, NBC moved its Sunday pregame show to 12:30 p.m. ET
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
no matter what time that market got a game. CBS
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
followed suit in 1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
. Previously, NBC and CBS would do 1:30 p.m. ET and 3:30 p.m. ET pregame shows for markets that were only getting 2 or 4 p.m. ET starts.
From the mid to late 1980s, NBC would to open their NFL pregame show with a Great Games, Great Moments feature, which re-aired an original clip (i.e. from an NBC telecast as opposed to NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
) of one play from an old NBC game.
During the 1986 season
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
, NBC attempted to use a studio audience
Studio audience
A studio audience is an audience present for the taping of all or part of a television program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack . A studio audience can also provide volunteers, a visual backdrop and discussion participants...
for the NFL '86 telecasts. This would be dropped after the season.
1987–1989
By 19871987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
had taken over for Len Berman
Len Berman
Len Berman is the former weekday evening sports anchor on WNBC-TV. Berman was with WNBC/NBC from 1982-2009. He was previously with WCBS-TV from 1979–1982, and before that at WBZ-TV in Boston from 1973–1978.-Early life:...
as the studio anchor. During this particular period, Paul Maguire
Paul Maguire
Paul Leo Maguire is a former American football player and current television sportscaster.-Early sports career:Maguire attended Ursuline High School in Youngstown,Ohio and was recruited to play at The Citadel by the late Al Davis who was then an assistant coach and chief recruiter...
was apart of NFL Live!, which from 1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
-1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, only consisted of him, Bob Costas, and Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
. Gayle Gardner
Gayle Gardner
Gayle Gardner is an American sportscaster who has worked for ESPN and NBC Sports beginning in 1987 until 1993.-Biography:Gardner got her first job as a sportscaster because she hired herself. She got her second job as a sportscaster because a guy died...
would join the team in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
. Also in 1988, Bob Costas' predecessor, Len Berman would temporarily return to the hosting seat because Costas was away in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
to cover that year's Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
for NBC
Olympics on NBC
NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympic Games consists of broadcasts on the various networks of NBC Universal in the United States, including the NBC broadcast network, Spanish language network Telemundo, and many of the company's cable networks....
. Gayle Sierens
Gayle Sierens
Gayle Sierens is a news anchor on WFLA-TV. She joined the Tampa NBC affiliate in 1977 as a weekend sports anchor and reporter after working with WFSU in Tallahassee while she was attending Florida State University...
, who made history as the first female play-by-play announcer in NFL history one year earlier
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, would join Len Berman while Costas, Rashad and Gardner were in Seoul. Also, Paul Maguire briefly returned to NFL Live! (Maguire left the program for booth work at NBC) during the Olympics period.
1989–1993
Beginning in 19891989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
, NFL Live! consisted only of Bob Costas and O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
, who was on the show until the end of the 1993 season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
. Around this particular period (1989
1989 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1989–90 United States network television schedule.The year 1989 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1989.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
to be exact), NFL Live! featured the John Tesh
John Tesh
John Frank Tesh is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. His 10-year-old 'Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show' reaches 14.2 Million listeners/week, and is syndicated by Teshmedia on 400 stations in US, Canada, and the UK...
composed theme music "Gridiron Dreams". In 1990
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
, Will McDonough
Will McDonough
William "Will" McDonough was an American sportswriter for the Boston Globe.-Biography:McDonough attended the English High School of Boston, where he starred in baseball as a pitcher and in football as a quarterback...
moved over from CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
' NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
program to join NFL Live! McDonough, would leave NFL Live! after the 1993 season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
to serve as a sideline reporter and host of their "News and Notes" segment. In 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
, Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
(who left after just one season
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
for a role as an in-booth analyst for NBC) joined the team.
Bob Costas held the main hosting position from 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
through the 1992 season
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
. Costas would continue his involvement with The NFL on NBC, albeit in a more limited role such as delivering, pre-taped, intimate, one-on-one interviews. In 1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
, Jim Lampley
Jim Lampley
James "Jim" Lampley is an American sportscaster, news anchor, movie producer, and restaurant owner. Lampley has anchored a record 14 Olympic Games U.S. television broadcasts, most recently the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China....
replaced Costas as the host of NFL Live! Lampley would stay in this particular role for the entire 1993 season before leaving the program in favor of going to the booth for NFL play-by-play work NBC. For the 1993 season, "Gridiron Dreams" was replaced by a composition composed by John Colby.
1994
From 19941994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
-1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, former CBS
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
host Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS network...
served as the host alongside Ahmad Rashad. Gumbel's predecessor, Jim Lampley moved over to play-by-play work for NFL games on NBC. Meanwhile, a revamped version of John Colby's theme music appeared for this season only. Also, during the span of 1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
-1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
was a regular commentator on NFL Live! A year after
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
Mike Ditka's arrival, Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
joined NFL Live!, who stayed on through the 1997 season
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
. In 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
and 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, NBC ran an hour long edition of their pregame show before Week 1.
In 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, six years after NBC lost their NFL rights to CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
took the NFL Live! name for themselves, renaming NFL 2Night
NFL Live
NFL Live is a National Football League studio show, currently airing Monday through Friday at 4:00 p.m and 12:30 a.m ET on the ESPN cable network. Formerly known as NFL 2Night, the program is the only NFL-related studio program to air during the week...
(though forgoing the exclamation point).
The NFL on NBC (1995–1997)
During NBC's last three years as the television provider of the American Football ConferenceAmerican Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
-1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
), the pregame show was simply titled The NFL on NBC. The theme music by Randy Edelman
Randy Edelman
Randy Edelman is an American film and TV score composer.-Life and career:Edelman was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of a first-grade teacher and an accountant. He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played...
was used for both the pregame show and the game coverage.
In 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
joined The NFL on NBC but was gone after just one season. Montana was subsequently replaced by Cris Collinsworth
Cris Collinsworth
Anthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
, who stayed on through the 1997 season
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
. Mike Ditka left NBC following the 1996 season
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
to become the head coach of the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and was replaced by Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
.