The Greatest Game Ever Played

In association with NFL Films, ESPN Films has produced this extraordinary special to commemorate the 50th anniversary of what has generally been known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played" - the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants. Hosted by ESPN's Chris Berman from the actual site of the game, Yankee Stadium, this film features all digitally restored and colorized footage, including plays that have never been seen since the long-lost original game broadcast. <br /><br />Played on December 28th 1958, this classic title game featured the Giants coming back from a 14-3 deficit to take a 17-14 lead, only to see the Colts dramatically tie it at the end of regulation and then win it 23-17 in overtime. Featuring 17 Hall of Famers (12 players, 3 coaches and 2 owners), it remains the only NFL championship to be decided in overtime. This epic battle was voted the greatest game of the 20th century by ESPN's SportsCentury panel, and no game has been more important to any sports league than the '58 Colts-Giants game has been to the NFL. Coincidentally, the Colts and Giants won the last two Super Bowls heading into the 50th anniversary of the game that helped change the American sports landscape. <br />
In an effort to bridge the past with the present, 11 players from the '58 game (6 Colts and 5 Giants) were paired with coaches and players from today's Colts and Giants to screen the game and talk about life in professional football then and now. Participants in the film include: Raymond Berry, Art Donovan, Gino Marchetti, Lenny Moore, Jim Mutscheller and Alex Sandusky of the '58 Colts; Al Barry, Lindon Crow, Frank Gifford, Rosey Grier and Pat Summerall of the '58 Giants; Tony Dungy, Dwight Freeney and Adam Vinatieri of the '06 Colts; and Tom Coughlin, Brandon Jacobs, Antonio Pierce, Steve Smith and Chris Snee of the '07 Giants.

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For this new edition of great Super Bowl highlights, NFL Films jumps around a bit, staying away from viewing 34 Super Bowls in chronological order. The video is split up into 12 chapters focusing on different aspects, starting with "Masters of the Game," which focuses on the three players who won multiple MVP awards (quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Bart Starr). Other segments look at special-team play, defenses, receivers, and the like. "The Quarterbacks" includes a segment on the MVP of Super Bowl 34, St. Louis Ram Kurt Warner. The material really comes alive in the DVD version of the title, but any fan of the game will be charged up by NFL Films' gusto mix of music, action, and insightful interviews (from players, coaches, and such experts as Frank Deford, many of them new). <I>--Doug Thomas

Before Muhammad Ali, plenty of African American heavyweights boxed, but few did for the game (or for blacks) what Ali did. Ali was bold, outrageous, and controversial. His antics outside of the ring showed an often-hilarious flair for self-promotion, and his conversion to Islam and decision to avoid the Vietnam War only fueled the storm of controversy that surrounded him. The thing about Ali, though, was that he was good enough to get by with it; after all, it's hard to argue with success. In the ring, he showed a sheer prowess and technique that few before or since could approach (the bonus CD-ROM discusses the similarities and contrasts between Ali and the great Joe Louis). Outside the ring, Ali had a sharp mind, good looks, and the strength of his own convictions going for him. This DVD contains footage of Ali's 1964 fight in which he slaughtered Sonny Liston, the 1974 bout where his technique got the better of George Foreman and his fearsome punching power, and the brutal 1975 fight against Joe Frazier (all fights are shown in their entirety). There have been few heavyweight boxers who can compare favorably to Muhammad Ali, and this DVD should be in the collection of all those who consider themselves fans of the sport. --Jerry Renshaw

Decades ago, documentary filmmaker Leon Gast attempted to complete a feature about the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" championship bout between boxers Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. Sundry complications, though, held up the project until its release in 1996. It was well worth the delay. From Gast's perspective of modern history, the six weeks Ali and Foreman were forced to spend waiting in Africa for their fight to take place now looks like an important moment in America's cultural understanding of African American roots. In a nutshell, Ali had been stripped of his heavyweight champion title because his opposition to the Vietnam War-era draft had landed him in prison. Reigning champ Foreman agreed to a Don King-promoted match in Kinshasa, but after all parties got there the fight was put off. Gast captures the charismatic Ali, in the ensuing days and weeks, going out among the people and getting to know them while the more reclusive Foreman keeps to his own company. Meanwhile, King brings over black American artists such as James Brown and the Spinners to mix it up with African musicians. The sense of excitement and connection is thrilling, as is the boxing footage of Foreman and Ali finally taking swings at one another in a titanic duel. Writers George Plimpton and Norman Mailer, each of whom was covering the fight as journalists, are on hand to recollect the details. Whether you're a fight fan or not, this is a unique experience and a fascinating insight into America's sense of identity. <I>--Tom Keogh

Composed entirely of never-before-seen 8 and 16mm footage filmed by the players, their families and their fans between 1925 and 1961, When It Was A Game 2 brings many of these precious lost moments, and the men who lived them, to life the way you remember them - in living color. See Joe DiMaggio and Ty Cobb, Roy Campanella and Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and Satchel Paige, Willie Mays and unique footage of the great Babe Ruth, along with rare scenes of the young Chuck Conners and Tommy Lasorda in the Minor Leagues. These are the players - theirs is the game - that won the hearts of America. Now you can see them as never before in original film footage that will transport you to a time gone by. Narrated by Peter Kessler with Ellen Burstyn, Billy Crystal, Joe Mantegna, Jack Palance, Jason Robards and Roy Scheider, you will never forget the experience, but you can always treasure the magic of days gone by with When It Was A Game 2 59 Minutes.

These are the greats of baseball history, legends in their lifetime legends today. It's baseball as you've never seen it before the way you always imagined the way it was. When It Was a Game is composed entirely of 8 and 16 mm home movie footage taken by fans and the players themselves between 1934 and 1957. For the first time, star players and their stadiums step out of the black and white newsreel footage, and appear in living, breathing color. Players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio. Ballparks like Ebbets Field, Briggs Stadium, Crosley Field and Griffith Stadium. As time passed, baseball changed, some of the clubs, the parks, the players are no longer with us. But their memory is and the magic of those memories is brought vividly to life, in When It Was a Game.

When It Was A Game, the homerun series for baseball fans, returns for another glorious inning with an exciting and colorful new program narrated by Liev Schreiber: When It Was A Game 3. This retrospective look at the changing face of baseball in America takes on the 1960's, a time many believe was the last decade of baseball's innocence. Though Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and the powerful New York Yankees led off the decade with four straight World Series appearances, by 1964 they were headed for the showers. With the integration of baseball, spearheaded by Jackie Robinson in 1947,, Black superstars fueled the sports growth and a fresh Latin presence brought a new spirit to the game. New names of the 60's that neighborhood kids had to have to have would include the likes of Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Sandy Koufax. When It Was A Game 3 features never before seen home movies and vintage photographs with memorable storytelling that bring this incredible period to life. Interviews from the field include Tim McCarver, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Bob Gibson and Juan Marachal and from the stands, fans and sport writers include Billy Crystal, Geraldo Rivera and Bob Costas.

Statistics don't lie. And when it comes to the MLB All-Century Team DVD, you're getting a scorecard full.

Leading off with 100 years of baseball's best interviews, footage and statistical information on baseball's top 100 players of the 20th Century. Unforgettable players like Ruth, DiMaggio, Aaron and Mays -- just to name a few. Also covered are the thrilling All Century Celebrations at the All-Star Game and The World Series.<P> When it comes down to evaluating the All-Century DVD as a prospect, you'll have no choice but to go by the numbers. It's definitely a #1 pick.

The four programs on <I>NFL 2000: A Century of Pro Football provide a lively look at football past and present. A program entitled "In Their Own Words" features some of today's stars speaking directly to the camera, commenting mostly on their emotional involvement in the game. Their statements are juxtaposed with game footage, which, in typical NFL Films style, shows them at their heroic best. "Passing the Torch," a program in which NFL Hall of Famers meet with today's outstanding players, includes some hilarious and entertaining moments. For instance, legendary defensive end Deacon Jones demonstrating to Michael Strahan of the Giants how he'd hide a metal plate in his hand and use it to "ring the bell" of opposing linemen is priceless.

The mental aspect of the game is chronicled in "Coaching 2000," an intensive look at the fanatical dedication required to be a head coach in the NFL. Coaches are seen (and boy, are they heard) whipping players into shape in training camp, spending lonely hours watching game film during the season, and even bickering with referees. The NFL as family tradition is the theme of "Generations," a program about fathers and sons including Bob and Brian Griese, Archie and Peyton Manning, executives Dan and Art Rooney of the Steelers, and a family of fans whose devotion to the Green Bay Packers has endured for more than 80 years. These programs provide a mostly reverent, but occasionally quirky and comical, look at how pro football has endured and evolved. --Robert J. McNamara

Ken Burns tops himself with this epic of American history, told in "nine innings," with a skilled narration by John Chancellor and the voices of Paul Newman, Jason Robards, Billy Crystal, and other stars. The series spans 150 years, starting with the myth-debunking tale of baseball's true beginnings -- when it was a game "one degree above mayhem." Then follow the growth of America's National Pastime through the decades of glory and record-setting achievements, as well as the scandals, the bigotry, and the big money. The series portrays the game as a mirror of America itself -- the passions, prejudices, and ambitions that have shape the country.