1957 NFL Season
As originally written by Tim Brulia:
As in 1956, 11 of the 12 teams are signed with CBS for their telecasts. The Browns are the lone exception. Their games are carried by the syndicated Sports Network (SNI), with the Carling Brewing Co. (makers of Black Label Beer) the prime sponsor. SNI has 57 affiliates across a wide swath of the country by a myriad of network affiliates, with the flagship, WEWS, being an ABC affiliate.
In order to better identify the teams in the game TV viewers were watching, the NFL passed a rule that the visiting team must wear white jerseys and the home must wear their dark tops. The Rams at first continued to wear their trademark yellow jerseys for away games but later in the season switched to white road jerseys.
WEEK 1, 1957:
Sunday 9/29:
Lions-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET). Byrum Saam, Jack Whitaker (PHI).
Redskins-Steelers, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald
Bears-Packers, 3:00, CBS. Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI). Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (GB).
Giants-Browns, 3:00. CBS. Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY). SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE).
Cardinals-49ers, 5:30, CBS. Tom Harmon, Fred Gehrke
Eagles-Rams, 5:30, Not televised
Notes: Les Bingaman is listed as part of the Lions crew on Wikipedia. I will list him here with an *.
A rare away game shown on the Chicago CBS network. An even rarer occurrence of an NFL regular season telecast shown in Chicago. This game was the first official game ever played in the new City Stadium, which we now know as Lambeau Field.
With the PHI-LA game not televised, the Eagles crew of Saam and Whitaker worked the DET-BAL game back to the Philly region.
Yes, the Jim McKay listed with Chris Schenkel for the NY-CLE game is THE Jim McKay.
WEEK 2, 1957:
Saturday 10/5:
Browns-Steelers, 8:00, WEWS-Cleveland. Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley
Giants-Eagles, 8:00, Not televised
Bears-Colts, 8:30, WGN-Chicago. Jack Brickhouse, Bob Wolff
Sunday 10/6:
Redskins-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH). Joe Boland, Joe Foss (CHI).
Lions-Packers, 3:00, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET). Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (GB).
Rams-49ers, 4:30, CBS. Bob Kelley, Gil Stratton
Notes: Per the 10/7/57 issue of Sports Illustrated, the Redskins-Cardinals game was a virtual national telecast, seen everywhere except the West Coast and the Green Bay and Detroit networks.
WEEK 3, 1957:
Sunday 10/13:
Cardinals-Steelers, 2:00, Not televised
Giants-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY). Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonals (WSH).
Eagles-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Byrum Saam, Jack Whitaker (PHI). SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE).
49ers-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Tom Harmon, Fred Gehrke (SF). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI).
Rams-Lions, 2:30, CBS. Bob Kelley, Gil Stratton (LA). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET).
Colts-Packers (Milwaukee), 3:00, CBS. Chuck Thompson, Bailey Goss (BAL). Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (GB).
WEEK 4, 1957:
Sunday 10/20:
Cardinals-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald
Browns-Eagles, 2:00, SNI. Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley
Rams-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Bob Kelley, Gil Stratton (LA). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI).
Steelers-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Joe Tucker (PGH). Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY).
49ers-Packers (Milwaukee), 2:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (SF/GB).
Colts-Lions, 2:30, CBS. Chuck Thompson, Bailey Goss (BAL). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET).
Note: Per the October 21, 1957 edition of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Scott and Lujack also covered the 49er network due to illness to 49er commentator Tom Harmon.
WEEK 5, 1957:
Sunday 10/27:
Browns-Cardinals, 2:00. SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE). CBS: Joe Boland, Joe Foss
Packers-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack
Eagles-Steelers, 2:00, CBS. Byrum Saam, Jack Whitaker
Redskins-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH). Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY).
Bears-49ers, 4:30, Not televised
Lions-Rams, 4:30, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds (DET). Bill Symes, Gil Stratton (Pacific).
WEEK 6, 1957:
Sunday 11/3:
Giants-Packers, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY). Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (GB).
Eagles-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Byrum Saam, Jack Whitaker (PHI). Joe Boland, Joe Foss (CHI).
Steelers-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Joe Tucker
Redskins-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH). SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE).
Bears-Rams, 4:30, Not televised
Lions-49ers, 4:30, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds (DET). Tom Harmon, Fred Gehrke (SF).
Note:
11/4/57 issue of Sports Illustrated lists the CB-LA game as not televised.
WEEK 7, 1957:
Sunday 11/10:
Colts-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald
Cardinals-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay
Lions-Eagles, 2:00, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman
Packers-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (GB). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI).
Steelers-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Joe Tucker (PGH). SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE).
49ers-Rams, 4:30, CBS. Tom Harmon, Fred Gehrke (SF/Pacific). Bill Symes, Gil Stratton (LA).
Note: Over 102,000 fans crammed the LA Coliseum for the SF-LA game, which stood as a regular season game attendance record in the NFL until the Giants-Cowboys game of 9/20/2009.
WEEK 8, 1957:
Sunday 11/17:
49ers-Lions, 1:30, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET/SF)
Colts-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Red Grange, Bill Fay (BAL/CHI). Joe Tucker (PGH).
Browns-Redskins, 2:00. SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE). CBS: Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH).
Rams-Packers (Milwaukee), 2:00, CBS. Bob Kelley, Gil Stratton (LA). Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (GB).
Eagles-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Byrum Saam, Jack Whitaker (PHI). Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY).
Not playing: Cardinals, Steelers
WEEK 9, 1957:
Sunday 11/24:
Bears-Lions, 1:30, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman
Packers-Steelers, 2:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack
Rams-Browns, 2:00. CBS: Bob Kelley, Gil Stratton (LA). SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE).
Giants-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY). Joe Boland, Joe Foss (CHI).
49ers-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Tom Harmon, Fred Gehrke
Redskins-Eagles, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald
WEEK 10, 1957:
Thursday 11/28:
Packers-Lions, Noon, CBS. Joe Boland, Bob Kelley (National). Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (GB). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET).
Sunday 12/1:
Cardinals-Browns, 2:00, SNI. Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley
Rams-Colts, 2:00, CBS. Bob Kelley, Gil Stratton
Steelers-Eagles, 2:00, CBS. Joe Tucker
49ers-Giants, 2:00, CBS. Tom Harmon, Fred Gehrke (SF). Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY).
Redskins-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI).
Note: For the T-Day game, Boland and Kelley worked the national audio feed for the GB-DET game. With both normally pxp commenators, it is likely that each split a half of the play by play call.
WEEK 11, 1957:
Saturday 12/7:
Giants-Steelers, 2:00, CBS. Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay
Sunday 12/8:
Browns-Lions, 1:30. SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE). CBS: Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET). CBS: Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY). CBS: Joe Tucker (PGH).
Bears-Cardinals, 2:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack
Eagles-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Byrum Saam, Jack Whitaker (PHI). Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH).
Colts-49ers, 4:30, CBS. Tom Harmon, Fred Gehrke (BAL/Pacific)
Packers-Rams, 4:30, Not televised
Note: NY-PGH was a national telecast, simply using the Giants on-air talent.
WEEK 12, 1957:
Saturday 12/14:
Cardinals-Eagles, 1:30, CBS. Joe Boland, Joe Foss
Sunday 12/15:
Browns-Giants, 2:00. SNI: Ken Coleman, Jimmy Dudley (CLE). CBS: Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay (NY). Byrum Saam, Jack Whitaker (PHI).
Lions-Bears, 2:00, CBS. Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET). Red Grange, Bill Fay (CHI). Ray Scott, Johnny Lujack (GB).
Steelers-Redskins, 2:00, CBS. Joe Tucker (PGH). Jim Gibbons, Arch McDonald (WSH).
Colts-Rams, 4:30, CBS. Bill Symes, Gil Stratton (BAL/LA)
Packers-49ers, 4:30, Not televised
WEEK 13, 1957:
Sunday 12/22:
Steelers-Cardinals, 1:00, Not televised
Note: This game was originally scheduled to be televised at least regionally, but with nothing at stake for this game and the Lions-49ers Western tiebreaker set for later in the day, this game was dropped from telecast.
Post Season:
Western Conference Playoff:
Sunday 12/22: Lions-49ers, 4:00, CBS. Bob Kelley (National). Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, *Les Bingaman (DET). Tom Harmon, Elroy Hirsch (Pacific).
1957 NFL Championship:
Sunday 12/29: Browns-Lions, 1:30, NBC. Van Patrick, Ken Coleman, Red Grange
Note: For the NFL Title game, Patrick and Coleman split a half of play by play and Grange, normally on pxp for Bears games on CBS, assumed the color role for this game. Red was color for NCAA games on NBC in 1957 with pxp master Lindsey Nelson.
Pro Bowl in Los Angeles:
Sunday 1/12: East-West, 4:30, NBC. Joe Tucker, Van Patrick
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