1956 NFL Season
As originally written by Tim Brulia:
The year that TV geeks like to cite the NFL came into the modern era as the CBS Television Network became a full fledged TV partner of the National Football League.
Excerpts from an article ("The Pros Spread Wide") in the 10/8/56 issue of Sports Illustrated:
"Professional football's emergence as a truly national game was dramatized from coast to coast Sunday afternoon when CBS telecast the first four of a total of 63 pro games which it will send to the country's television screens this autumn. It was the first time a major network had devoted itself to professional football on a nationwide scale - the games were carried by 187 stations - and in dozens of towns which had never seen pro ball on television (before)...
"The National Football League...will eventually gain at the box office (home games are blacked out for a radius of 75 miles) as a result of this vastly increased video audience...Last year (1955), although pro games were telecast only in regional circuits - by DuMont in the East, ABC in the Midwest on little "bastard" networks set up by the clubs themselves - it outdrew other Sunday afternoon programs almost everywhere. 'Our programs were getting ratings like 3.8 and 4.6,' says CBS's Bill MacPhail, 'and the Chicago Bears had a 36 in Omaha. The New York Giants outdraw anything on either NBC or CBS...on a Sunday afternoon.'
"Last January Columbia set out to sweep professional football up into one big - and exceedingly complex - Sunday program. Every club but Cleveland (which will be seen, however, when it plays out of town) joined forces with them. Meanwhile CBS - in order to show regional games to regional audiences - set out to divide its network into nine regional networks. Since a television signal goes only one way around the twisting maze of coaxial cable and microwave towers which link the stations, chopping the system into parts, each capable of operating as a unit for one afternoon a week, was a task calculated to drive network technicians to near distraction.
"By last Sunday however, CBS was prepared to operate nine networks,...New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Washington, Green Bay, Chicago and on the Pacific Coast (edit: Detroit is not listed) - and by temporarily merging pieces of them, week by week, to show its viewers in various parts of the country the pro game of the week in which they are most interested.
"The outlands have already begun reacting - as a result of seeing three preseason practice games - to the kind of football the big, fast talented pro teams offer their audiences. Every club has begun getting letters from new admirers requesting information or tickets."
Also, for the uniform geeks out there, this was the first season that teams began placing the player's uniform numbers on the sleeves as well as the traditional front and back of the jersey. This made for easier identification for the announcers in the booth as well as for the fans at home. Hence the term "TV numbers." 8 of the 12 teams began the practice this season.
With that lead-in, the assignments follow:
WEEK 1, 1956:
Sunday 9/30:
Bears-Colts, 2:00, Not televised
Browns-Cardinals, 2:00. SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE). CBS: Joe Boland, Joe Foss (CHI).
Redskins-Steelers, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH). Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby (NY).
Lions-Packers, 3:00, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman (DET). Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy (GB).
Giants-49ers, 5:30, Not televised
Eagles-Rams, 5:30, CBS. Byrum Saam, Bill Campbell, Les Qualey (PHI)
WEEK 2, 1956:
Saturday 10/6:
Browns-Steelers, 8:00, SNI. Ken Coleman, Otto Graham
Lions-Colts, 8:00, Not televised
Redskins-Eagles, 8:00, WTTG-Washington. Jim Gibbons, Morrie Siegel
Sunday 10/7:
Giants-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby
Bears-Packers, 3:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy
Rams-49ers, 4:30, CBS. Bob Kelley, Bill Symes (LA). Bob Fouts, Ernie Nevers (SF).
WEEK 3, 1956:
Sunday 10/14:
Rams-Lions, 1:30, CBS. Bob Kelley, Bill Symes (LA). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman (DET).
Cardinals-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald
Giants-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby (NY). SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE).
Eagles-Steelers, 2:00, CBS. Byrum Saam, Bill Campbell, Claude Haring
49ers-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Bob Fouts, Ernie Nevers (SF). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI).
Colts-Packers (Milwaukee), 3:00, CBS. Chuck Thompson, Bailey Goss (BAL). Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy (GB).
WEEK 4, 1956:
Sunday 10/21:
49ers-Lions, 1:30, CBS. Bob Fouts, Ernie Nevers (SF). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman (DET).
Colts-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Chuck Thompson, Bailey Goss (BAL). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI).
Cardinals-Eagles, 2:00, Not televised
Browns-Redskins, 2:00. SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE). Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH).
Rams-Packers (Milwaukee), 3:00, CBS. Bob Kelley, Bill Symes (LA). Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy (GB).
Steelers-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Joe Tucker (PGH). Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby (NY).
WEEK 5, 1956:
Sunday 10/28:
Packers-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy
Eagles-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Byrum Saam, Bill Campbell, Claude Haring (PHI). Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby (NY).
Steelers-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Joe Tucker (PGH). SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE).
Redskins-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH). Joe Boland, Joe Foss (CHI).
Bears-49ers, 4:30, Not televised
Lions-Rams, 4:30, CBS. Bill Symes, Gil Stratton (DET/Pacific)
WEEK 6, 1956:
Sunday 11/4:
Browns-Packers (Milwaukee), 2:00. SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE). CBS: Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy (GB).
Giants-Steelers, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby
Eagles-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Byrum Saam, Bill Campbell, Claude Haring (PHI). Joe Boland, Joe Foss (CHI).
Bears-Rams, 4:30, CBS. Bill Symes, Gil Stratton
Lions-49ers, 4:30, CBS. Not televised
Not playing: Colts, Redskins
WEEK 7, 1956:
Sunday 11/11:
Colts-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Chuck Thompson, Bailey Goss (BAL). SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE).
Cardinals-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby
Lions-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman (DET). Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH).
Packers-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy (GB). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI).
Steelers-Eagles, 2:00, CBS. Joe Tucker
49ers-Rams, 4:30, CBS. Bob Fouts, Ernie Nevers (SF). Bill Symes, Gil Stratton (LA).
WEEK 8, 1956:
Sunday 11/18:
Colts-Lions, 1:30, CBS. Chuck Thompson, Bailey Goss (BAL). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman (DET).
Cardinals-Steelers, 2:00, Not televised
Browns-Eagles, 2:00, SNI. Ken Coleman, Otto Graham
Rams-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Bob Kelley, Bill Symes (LA). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI).
Giants-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby (NY). Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH).
49ers-Packers, 2:00, CBS. Bob Fouts, Ernie Nevers (SF). Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy (GB).
WEEK 9, 1956:
Thursday 11/22:
Packers-Lions, Noon, CBS. Harry Wismer, Hunk Anderson (National). Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy (GB). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman (DET).
Sunday 11/25:
Bears-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby
Rams-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Bob Kelley, Bill Symes
Steelers-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Joe Tucker (PGH). Joe Boland, Joe Foss (CHI).
49ers-Eagles, 2:00, CBS. Bob Fouts, Ernie Nevers
Redskins-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH). SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE).
WEEK 10, 1956:
Sunday 12/2:
Bears-Lions, 1:30, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman
Packers-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy (GB). Joe Boland, Joe Foss (CHI).
Rams-Steelers, 2:00, CBS. Bob Kelley, Bill Symes
Eagles-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Byrum Saam, Bill Campbell, Claude Haring (PHI). SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE).
49ers-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Bob Fouts, Ernie Nevers
Redskins-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH). Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby (NY).
WEEK 11:
Saturday 12/8:
Packers-49ers, 4:30, CBS. Ray Scott, Jerry Dunphy
Sunday 12/9:
Steelers-Lions, 1:30, CBS. Joe Tucker (PGH). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman (DET).
Cardinals-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Red Grange, Bill Fay
Browns-Giants, 2:00. SNI: Ken Coleman, Otto Graham (CLE). CBS: Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby (NY).
Eagles-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Byrum Saam, Bill Campbell, Claude Haring (PHI). Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH).
Colts-Rams, 4:30, CBS. Chuck Thompson, Bailey Goss (BAL). Bill Symes, Gil Stratton (Pacific).
Note: GB-SF was a national telecast, with CBS simply using a single audio feed with the Packers on-air talent.
WEEK 12, 1956:
Saturday 12/15:
Giants-Eagles, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Gene Kirby
Sunday 12/16:
Cardinals-Browns, 2:00, SNI. Ken Coleman, Otto Graham
Lions-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Les Bingaman (DET). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI). Byrum Saam, Bill Campbell, Claude Haring (PHI).
Steelers-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Joe Tucker (PGH). Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH).
Colts-49ers, 4:30, Not televised
Packers-Rams, 4:30, CBS. Bill Symes, Gil Stratton (Pacific)
Note: NY-PHI was a national telecast with the Giants crew calling the shots.
WEEK 13, 1956:
Sunday 12/23:
Redskins-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald
This game was a national telecast with the WSH voices calling the game.
Post Season:
1956 NFL Championship:
Sunday 12/30: Bears-Giants, 2:00, NBC. Jack Brickhouse, Red Grange
Pro Bowl in Los Angeles:
Sunday 1/13: East-West, 4:00, Not televised
Note on the Pro Bowl: The game was offered to NBC, then CBS. Both declined to carry the game. ABC was then offered to televise and accepted, but could not gain enough clearence of affiliates in time to make it a profitable venture. Thus they also dropped out and the game was not televised.
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