The NFL lost one of it's true visionaries and its greatest storyteller yesterday. Steve Sabol lost his battle with brain cancer. When he was first diagnosed with cancer it seemed his only concern was whether he would make it to his father's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He did and he should have made it to his own.
"Few men in the league have had a longer run. None have had a better one." -Rich Eisen
Ed and Steve Sabol have probably done as much as anyone to enhance the image of the NFL and present it to the public. They changed how we view the game. All that we love about football can be found in the beautiful art created at NFL Films. It started out as a little family business with huge ideas. Fifty years later NFL Films is a big family business with even bigger ideas.
The Sabols and their NFL Films are the keepers of the flame. The life of the game we love. I know of few people that have ever put as much of themselves into what they do as Steve Sabol put into his creations. It's said that love is art's accomplice. Without love there is no art. Sabol lived his life's work with that in mind. He did everything at NFL Films. He was part of everything. He's the only person to win Emmys for cinematography, editing, writing, directing and producing. He won over forty Emmys in all including one for lifetime achievement in 2003.
I visited NFL Films this past June. It is one of the most remarkable places that I have ever seen. Steve Sabol has created a football paradise in Mt. Laurel, NJ. He decorated the place himself. He even created a little "board" room that was filled with vintage football board games. The walls are covered with incredible football photographs and memorabilia and even some of Sabol's own pop art creations. The building was mostly empty on a weekend but I noticed that his office door was open. It may not have even had a door. I wish that he was there. I'm sure there will be a lot of that sentiment in the coming years. There was just a very welcoming feeling surrounding the entire place. In addition to the incredible art produced there it looked to be an incredible place to work.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those that lost their friend and their guide. I wish that I could have chatted with him and heard some of his stories. I can not even begin to imagine the football landscape without Steve Sabol.
RIP Steve.
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