|
Summerall
Speaks
Legendary
Broadcaster Recalls His Super Bowl Memories
In An Exclusive Conversation With ArmchairQB.com
 Fox's
Pat Summerall has been synonymous with football's biggest game since
he participated in the broadcast for Super Bowl I, a 35-10 Green
Bay win against Kansas City.
In the 31 years since that game, the former New York Giants kicker
has covered more than two dozen Super Bowls on television and radio.
In an exclusive interview Friday with ArmchairQB.com, Summerall
talked about covering the biggest game in sports and other memories
from his broadcasting career.
Between radio and television, this is your 25th Super Bowl.
What amazes you the most when you think about how much the game
has grown since Super Bowl I?
I believe it's my 26th, actually. The first one, I recall, was not
even a sellout at the Los Angeles Coliseum. There was very little
enthusiasm. We had one production meeting two nights before the
game with announcers and producers from CBS and NBC together, and
that was about it.
I guess when you look at what it's become ... the face value of
a ticket back then was $12. I was in Miami on Monday, and a guy
stopped me and asked if I needed a couple of tickets. I said, 'Sure,
I can always use tickets.' Then he said 'I've got a couple of good
ones at $5,000' and I said 'No thank you.' I believe the face value
was $425.
Also in the first Super Bowl, we had no pregame or postgame. Basically
you went on the air, kicked off and went off the air when the game
ended. This year, the pregame is 7 1/2 hours.
When was the last time you didn't do a Super Bowl game on radio
or TV?
Well, last year I was in Hawaii.
The last time you did a telecast for a Super Bowl in Miami was
Super Bowl X, Pittsburgh 21 Dallas 17. What sticks in your mind
about that game?
Actually, I did the 49ers-Cincinnati Bengals (Super Bowl XXII) from
Miami on the radio. I remember the last drive by Joe Montana and
the touchdown pass to John Taylor. It looked like the Bengals were
going to win, but Montana brought the 49ers back.
It's ironic that you mentioned that game because your first Super
Bowl TV broadcast with John Madden was San Francisco-Cincinnati
in Super Bowl XVI. Do you have any enduring memories from that game?
Well it was indoors, of course, but it was so cold and icy in Detroit
you couldn't do anything the week of the game - the social events
were almost nonexistent. The Silverdome was 45 minutes from downtown
where all the events were, but with the weather it was a two-hour
trip to get to the commissioner's party.
 As
for the broadcast, we rehearsed our opening over and over...We go
on the air, and I'm supposed to ask John a question and there was
to be a single shot of him and I would turn around and put on my
headset. Now I don't know how much it cost to produce but for a
game of that magnitude you'd think that every situation would be
accounted for.
But, I turned around and couldn't find my headset. Well, they always
tell you to follow the cable so I followed it and John was sitting
on it. Now, in those days, John was well over 300 pounds. Obviously
the headset was smashed beyond recognition. But I took it and put
it on, and they had to get me a real one. John has said 'You know
you've got a true friend when you sit on his headset, and he still
wears it.'
What is your best Super Bowl memory?
I don't think you ever forget the first one. If you ask me what
went on the week of the game, I'd be more able to tell you about
that one because, after a while, they all sort of run together.
I also remember the New York Jets upset of Baltimore, which I did
on radio. I did the pregame and postgame shows on TV and the game
on radio. We were supposed to have a trophy presentation for the
winners. And we had everything set up in the Baltimore locker room
so we had to get everything out of there.
Do you enjoy the week leading up to the Super Bowl?
I do enjoy it. You see so many people. Everybody that's connected
with the game, and everybody you've ever known from Reebok to Adidas
to assistant coaches to general managers to the league office. I
enjoy the social aspect and also the preparation. But there's a
sense of relief when they really kick off.
I know you filmed the All-Madden team this week. Where?
In Miami, and we also spent two days in Canton, Ohio. There's the
All-Madden team that's on this week and the All-Millennium team,
which is part of the Super Bowl pregame show.
You and John make it look so easy. I remember the Carolina-Dallas
game in Week 6, when you both were very good. You made an excellent
point as the Panthers kept punting the ball away from Deion Sanders
- 'If you kick the ball away from a guy, you won't kick as effectively.'
Is an observation like that a result of playing the game or broadcasting
it?
I think from playing the game. It's kind of like a pitcher - if
all of a sudden you start aiming the ball, you reduce your effectiveness.
In all the years I kicked for the Giants, I tried to kick with the
same motion whether it was from 25 yards or 45. Once you alter your
stroke, like what happened to (baseball Hall of Famer) Dizzy Dean,
you reduce your effectiveness.
You've worked with many broadcasters besides John. What did you
learn from some of them?
In my career, I've had
so many great teachers - Chris Schenkel was a great one, Jack Buck
taught me that you've got to have a sense of humor. And Ray Scott
was the consummate pro. If I copied anyone, it was Ray. You never
heard him rush to anything. He always did everything right.
One thing you don't see much of is ex-players switching from analysis
to doing play by play. Ray Bentley, from Fox, is the only current
name that comes to mind. Was it hard making the transition from
analyst to play-by-play?
Being a play-by-play man in a game of this magnitude is so difficult.
There are so many more mechanical things, you have to be aware of.
As an analyst you can watch what you want to watch, the offensive
or defensive lines, whatever.
As a play-by-play man, you have to stay centered on the ball. Then
you have promos to read. For the last three weeks I've been doing
'Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.' That's a distraction.
You've also got to know when to cut to commercials, when to come
back from commercials. You have to start the ball rolling on time
for everything, and you have to watch the game. At the Super Bowl,
I have to introduce the starting lineups, which I don't mind."
Who do you see as "up and coming" in the play-by-play
ranks?
Well, there's a lot of them and there's also a lot more who want
to be in the business than ever before. I wouldn't want to leave
anyone out. I think the guy you mentioned, Ray Bentley, will really
be helped by the fact that he played the game. Playing the game
is a great advantage that you can really use...if you can articulate
it.
I believe John is in the first year of a five-year contract,
can we assume you'll be around for a few more years?
Unless something happens to my health. I'm still enjoying myself,
and I still love the game.
How is your health?
Very good. Thanks for asking.
You were a participant in the "Greatest Game Ever Played" in 1958
(the Colts' 23-17 win against the Giants). Are you amazed at how
legendary that game has become in 40 years?
Yes, because we didn't know what the heck was going on. The game
was tied, and we didn't know anything about overtime. I was sitting
on the bench next to Kyle Rote and asked him 'What do we do now?'
and he said 'I don't know' and he was the captain. Then somebody
came to Kyle and said it was time to toss the coin again.
What's more exciting for you - broadcasting the Super Bowl, Sunday
at Augusta or championship weekend at the U.S. Open tennis tournament?
No question the Super Bowl is unmatched. I think the most emotional
was in '86 at Augusta when Jack Nicklaus won the Masters. I was
glad I didn't have to talk because I don't think I could've. There
was so much crowd noise I didn't have to worry about it. But there's
really nothing that compares to the Super Bowl.
I noticed your given name is George Allen Summerall. Are there
any similarities between you and the late coach George Allen?
No (chuckling), I don't think so. Not really. I was raised by an
aunt and an uncle who had a son named Mike and in those days Irish
jokes were the rage. So we became Pat and Mike. When I was kicking
for the Giants, everybody thought Pat stood for point after touchdown
but that was just a story.
Mr. Summerall, thanks for your time. Before you go, I'd like to
inform you that you and John Madden have won the first ArmchairQB.com
Award as the NFL's top announcing team. Congratulations.
Well, thank you. We've been at it for 18 years, something's got
to be working.
Photos
courtesy of Fox Sports
To return to the top of the page, click here.
To go to the NFL page, click here.
Click to Speak Out or to e-mail
Randy.
|
