NFLN "A Football Life" tonight at 9pm... The Forward Pass (1 Viewer)

[Raider Nation]

If you like football even a little bit, this is a must-watch.

America is a country of inventions. The Cotton Gin. The Telegraph. The Light Bulb. The Airplane. And the Forward Pass. That’s right, the Forward Pass.

It was considered dangerous. Radical. A threat to everything football stood for. For the first four decades of football history, it was outlawed. Born from Teddy Roosevelt’s efforts to save the game from abolition, the Forward Pass transformed football from a dull, plodding sport of running and punting into the dramatic, larger-than-life spectacle we know today, a game that is uniquely American.

How did all of that happen? Did Knute Rockne and Notre Dame really invent the Forward Pass? Why did Don McLean reference the Forward Pass in the lyrics of American Pie? And can Boomer Esiason throw a spiral with a watermelon football?

Watch the story of a uniquely American revolution when The Forward Pass: A Football Life premieres on Tuesday, November 19th at 9 p.m. eastern on NFL Network.

 

[drummer]

What's a forward pass?

Sin, Tebow

 

[Raider Nation]

What's a forward pass?

Sin, Tebow Kaepernick

 

[drummer]

What's a forward pass?

Sin, Tebow Kaepernick

Sin,

 

[drummer]

Pretty cool first segment.

 

[Raider Nation]

Funny seeing the footage of football in the early 1900s. No matter what field position they had, teams simply snapped the ball and tried to bulldoze their way forward in the middle of a huge scrum just to gain a couple of yards.

Incidentally, Jim Harbaugh still uses that playbook.

 

[drummer]

Funny seeing the footage of football in the early 1900s. No matter what field position they had, teams simply snapped the ball and tried to bulldoze their way forward in the middle of a huge scrum just to gain a couple of yards.

Incidentally, Mike Singletary used that playbook.

 

[hammerva]

The idea of over 15 people dying playing football in the year 1905 is such a shocking concept to people. I mean 15 concussion in a year is considered tragic in Goddell world

 

[Raider Nation]

Mad Bomber highlights coming up.

 

[Raider Nation]

I never realized that a haughty, offhanded comment by Bill Parcells gave birth to the "West Coast Offense" phrase.

 

[Fariq]

I never realized that a haughty, offhanded comment by Bill Parcells gave birth to the "West Coast Offense" phrase.

Yeah, Parcells created the label.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Any Baugh stuff to be found in this?

 

[drummer]

Any Baugh stuff to be found in this?

Sammy Baugh? Don't recall hearing him talked about.

 

[Raider Nation]

Yeah, they showed him briefly when discussing what a multi-purpose threat the QB had become. Run, pass and punt.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Any Baugh stuff to be found in this?

Sammy Baugh? Don't recall hearing him talked about.

Thanks. I always enjoy whatever glimpses of tape these shows have of old-time football, and Baugh is usually credited as one of the first real forward-passing superstars. So I figured there might be some stuff in there.

 

[Gvindy]

The idea of over 15 people dying playing football in the year 1905 is such a shocking concept to people. I mean 15 concussion in a year is considered tragic in Goddell world

I thought this was amazing, occassionally you hear about a high school kid dying which is sad. The guys playing back then would probably laugh at all the protection offensive players get now. Although they hit alot harder than they used to.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

This is on tonight - fantastic.

 

[Bob Magaw]

This is on tonight - fantastic.

I saw part of it before, but thanks for the heads up, taped it this time.

So before the forward pass was developed, the QB wasn't what we know as the position now, but more of a blocker.

It was the halfback that did the passing, as well as running, and very importantly, kicking.

I forgot the ball was a lot different. Fouts compared it to a manhole cover. Boomer looked like he was trying to throw an overgrown pumpkin downfield.

 

[Bri]

Any Baugh stuff to be found in this?

Sammy Baugh? Don't recall hearing him talked about.

Thanks. I always enjoy whatever glimpses of tape these shows have of old-time football, and Baugh is usually credited as one of the first real forward-passing superstars. So I figured there might be some stuff in there.

just an fyi....his name has been in the press a lot lately. Google sammy baugh in the news part. It's unusual, thought you might enjoy

 

[Jeremy]

What I found interesting is that it was as much or more about punting and kicking than running in the very early days. Thus the name "football". Now a days they seem to want to eliminate as much kicking as possilbe with talk of eliminating the extra point, moving the uprights closer together, and possibly eliminating the kickoff. Even some fantasy leagues are elimating the kicker.

And it's a passing game now, where it used to be a running game. Almost a complete 180 from its roots.

I would have liked to have seen Don Hutson get a mention. He was way before his time as far as the passing game goes.