1968 NFL Season
See also 1968 AFL Season.
As originally written by Tim Brulia and Jimmy Delach:
CBS after signing a two-year renewal with the NFL for 1968 and 1969, dramatically changed the way that commentators were used. Gone for good was the "local" approach of televising games, with each team heretofore having an announce crew. CBS would now use - like NBC - one crew for each game. This would cut in half the number of crews from 16 to 8. Obviously, this meant that at least 16 commentators were let go from 1967. Some of them had barely gotten their feet wet, but there were others, like Joe Tucker, Jim Gibbons, Bob Fouts, Van Patrick, Tony Canadeo, that had spent quite some with CBS or the teams they covered.
Also of note is that starting with this season, ALL games would be televised in color.
National Television
PRESEASON
Friday 8/2: Packers-College All-Stars (Chicago), 9:30, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson, Frank Gifford, Bill Flemming
Saturday 8/3: Cowboys-Bears (Canton, OH - Hall of Fame Game), 3:00, CBS. Frank Glieber, George Connor, Paul Hornung
Sunday 8/11: Lions-Eagles, 3:00, CBS. Don Criqui, Frank Gifford
Monday 8/19: Bears-Packers (Milwaukee), 9:30, CBS. Ray Scott, Paul Christman
Saturday 8/24: Packers-Cowboys, 9:30, CBS. Jack Buck, Pat Summerall
Sunday 9/1: Vikings-Cardinals, 9:00, CBS. Ray Scott, Pat Summerall
Saturday 9/7: Colts-Cowboys, 9:30, CBS. Chuck Thompson, Frank Gifford, Lenny Moore
NOTE: The 8/11 Detroit-Philadelphia game was originally scheduled for Mexico City, but was cancelled due to growing student demonstrations on 8/8. The following day, the game was rescheduled to Philadelphia. Just a guess, but the haste at switching the game may have been the reason for the seemingly odd pairing of Don Criqui and Frank Gifford.
NFL WEEK 1, 1968:
Saturday 9/14:
Falcons-Vikings, 8, WAGA-Atlanta, Hal Scott, Norm Van Brocklin
Sunday 9/15:
Giants-Steelers, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton
Browns-Saints, 1:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Jim Thacker
Eagles-Packers, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, John Fitzgerald
49ers-Colts, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bill McColgan
Redskins-Bears, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Bruce Roberts
Lions-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Morse
Monday 9/16:
Rams-Cardinals, 9:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 2, 1968:
Sunday 9/22:
Giants-Eagles, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bruce Roberts
Colts-Falcons, 1:15, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Ed Thilenius
Bears-Lions, 1:15, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, John Fitzgerald
Vikings-Packers (Milwaukee), 1:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Jim Morse
Redskins-Saints, 2, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Bill McColgan
Browns-Cowboys, 2:15, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Dick Stockton
Steelers-Rams, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Jim Thacker
Cardinals-49ers, 4, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 3, 1968:
Sunday 9/29:
Cowboys-Eagles, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Thacker
Colts-Steelers, 1:15, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Dick Stockton
Bears-Vikings, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bruce Roberts
Rams-Browns, 1:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, John Fitzgerald
Redskins-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bill McColgan
Cardinals-Saints, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, Ed Thilenius
Lions-Packers, 2:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Jim Morse
Falcons-49ers, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 4, 1968:
Saturday 10/5:
Steelers-Browns, 8, KDKA-Pittsburgh, Stu Nahan, Dick Stockton
Sunday 10/6:
Packers-Falcons, 1:15, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, Jim Thacker
Saints-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Ed Thilenius
Eagles-Redskins, 1:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Bill McColgan
Bears-Colts, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Paul Christman
Cowboys-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Morse
Lions-Vikings, 2:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald
49ers-Rams, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 5, 1968:
Sunday 10/13:
Giants-Falcons, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Ed Thilenius
Lions-Bears, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Dick Stockton
Steelers-Redskins, 1:30, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Thacker
Cardinals-Browns, 1:30, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, John Fitzgerald
Rams-Packers (Milwaukee), 2, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Bruce Roberts
Vikings-Saints, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Jim Morse
Eagles-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Bill McColgan
Colts-49ers, 4, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 6, 1968:
Sunday 10/20:
Bears-Eagles, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Jim Thacker
Packers-Lions, 1:15, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Bruce Roberts
Saints-Steelers, 1:15, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Ed Thilenius
49ers-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Dick Stockton
Browns-Colts, 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bill McColgan
Cowboys-Vikings, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Morse
Redskins-Cardinals, 2:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, John Fitzgerald
Falcons-Rams, 4, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 7, 1968:
Sunday 10/27:
49ers-Lions, 1, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, Jim Morse
Falcons-Browns, 1:15, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, John Fitzgerald
Giants-Redskins, 1:30, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Ed Thilenius
Eagles-Steelers, 1:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Dick Stockton
Rams-Colts, 2, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Bill McColgan
Vikings-Bears, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Bruce Roberts
Saints-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, Jim Thacker
Monday 10/28:
Packers-Cowboys, 9:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 8, 1968:
Sunday 11/3:
Cardinals-Eagles, 1, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, Dick Stockton
Colts-Giants, 1:15, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Bill McColgan
Steelers-Falcons, 1:15, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Ed Thilenius
Bears-Packers, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bruce Roberts
Cowboys-Saints, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Thacker
Redskins-Vikings, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Jim Morse
Browns-49ers, 4, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
Lions-Rams, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald
NFL WEEK 9, 1968:
Sunday 11/10:
Colts-Lions, 1, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Dick Stockton
Rams-Falcons, 1:15, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Jim Thacker
Redskins-Eagles, 1:15, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Bill McColgan
Packers-Vikings, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Ed Thilenius
Saints-Browns, 1:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald
49ers-Bears, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Jim Morse
Steelers-Cardinals, 2:30, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor
Giants-Cowboys, 4, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 10, 1968:
Sunday 11/17:
Browns-Steelers, 1, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, John Fitzgerald
Falcons-Bears, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman
Cowboys-Redskins, 1:30, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Thacker
Eagles-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Bill McColgan
Saints-Packers (Milwaukee), 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer
Cardinals-Colts, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor
Rams-49ers, 4, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
Vikings-Lions, 4, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton
NFL WEEK 11, 1968:
Sunday 11/24:
Saints-Lions, 1, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald
Packers-Redskins, 1:15, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bill McColgan
Falcons-Cardinals, 1:30, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor
Eagles-Browns, 1:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Dick Stockton
49ers-Steelers, 1:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Jim Thacker
Cowboys-Bears, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron
Vikings-Colts, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Jim Morse
Giants-Rams, 4, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 12, 1968:
Thursday 11/28:
Eagles-Lions, 12:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bruce Roberts
Redskins-Cowboys, 6, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Frank Glieber
Sunday 12/1:
Giants-Browns, 1:15, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton
Cardinals-Steelers, 1:30, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, John Fitzgerald
Falcons-Colts, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore
Bears-Saints, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman
Rams-Vikings, 2, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Bill McColgan
Packers-49ers, 4, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 13, 1968:
Saturday 12/7:
Colts-Packers, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Frank Gifford, Bruce Roberts
Sunday 12/8:
Saints-Eagles, 1, CBS, Don Criqui, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald
Browns-Redskins, 1:15, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton
Lions-Falcons, 1:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Jim Thacker
Cardinals-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Jack Drees, George Connor, Bill McColgan
Steelers-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron
Bears-Rams, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Gil Stratton
Vikings-49ers, 4, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Jim Morse
NFL WEEK 14, 1968:
Saturday 12/14:
Browns-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton
Sunday 12/15:
Vikings-Eagles, 1, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Bill McColgan
Cowboys-Giants, 1:15, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie Le Baron, Jim Morse
49ers-Falcons, 1:15, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore, Ed Thilenius
Lions-Redskins, 1:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Tom Brookshier, Jim Thacker
Packers-Bears, 1:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, George Connor
Steelers-Saints, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer
Colts-Rams, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Gil Stratton
NFL Divisional Playoffs:
Saturday 12/21: Cowboys-Browns, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Frank Gifford, Frank Glieber
Sunday 12/22: Vikings-Colts, 2, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Bruce Roberts
1968 NFL Championship:
Sunday 12/29: Colts-Browns, 2:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier
Playoff Bowl from Miami:
Sunday 1/5: Cowboys-Vikings, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Frank Glieber
SUPER BOWL III from Miami:
Sunday 1/12: Jets-Colts, 3, NBC, Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote, Al DeRogatis, Jim Simpson
NFL Pro Bowl from Los Angeles:
Sunday 1/19: East-West, 4, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
Local TV Crews
Originally written by garretta
We begin our look at 1968 in the NFL by examining the Century Division. We begin with television:
Browns: WJW-TV, the CBS station in Cleveland, is airing two preseason games. Announcers and sponsors were not known at press time.
Cardinals: KMOX-TV. the CBS station in St. Louis, will air four preseason games. Southwestern Bell will sponsor half of each game, and Lacede Gas will sponsor a quarter. One quarter remains unsold. Frank Glieber and Les Carmichael will call the action.
CBS will nationally televise the Cardinals' September 1 home preseason game against the Vikings at Busch Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8PM Central, with Ray Scott and Pat Summerall on the call.
Saints: WWL-TV, the CBS station in New Orleans, will air all six preseason games. Texaco and Jax Beer will sponsor a quarter of each game. Other sponsors include Allstate Insurance, Galey and Lord Slacks, Royal Crown Cola, and the local Ford Dealers. John Ferguson will call the play-by-play. while Hap Giaudi handles color. Other programs include a half-hour Saturday show with head coach Tom Fears and a fifteen-minute Sunday pregame show with linebacker Steve Stonebreaker, which will be partially sponsored by Burger King.
Steelers: KDKA-TV, the CBS station in Pittsburgh, will carry all five preseason games. Four of them will be in black and white. and an undetermined number will be on a tape-delayed basis. The station will also produce and air the team's regular season game in Cleveland on October 5. Either Frank Glieber or Stu Nahan will call the play-by-play on the preseason games; Nahan will call the October 5 game in Cleveland. Dick Stockton will provide color on all games.
(I've wondered at times through the years why the Steelers prefer play-by-play men from whichever of the three stations in town is carrying them at a given time rather than get a nationally-known play-by-play guy to come in, as quite a few teams do to this day. I looked at this year and stopped wondering. Glieber's also calling the Cardinals and Cowboys, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's still calling Browns games even though the article doesn't say for sure. Nahan's also calling the Eagles. Given Frank's history with the Boys and Stu's with the Eagles, it's safe to say that we weren't the top priority when it came to scheduling.
The bottom line is that given the state of air travel in '68, I find it hard to believe that either Frank or Stu made all of the Steelers' games that they signed up for, which had to drive Dan Rooney (who was running the day-to-day affairs of the team even back then) crazy. If we ever find an actual tape of a 1968 Steelers preseason game in some forgotten landfill somewhere, I'm laying money that Stockton called it. probably by himself unless they convinced Bill Burns to come in and help out.)
Now let's look at TV in the Capitol Division:
Redskins: WTOP-TV, the CBS station in Washington, will carry four preseason games. all in color. Phillip Morris and National Brewing will sponsor one quarter of each game; the rest was unsold at press time. Bill McColgan and Sam Huff will call the action.
Prior to each regular season NFL game, WTOP will air a show with head coach Otto Graham that will be sponsored by the American Motors Rambler Dealers. No host has been named as of press time.
Eagles: WCAU-TV, the CBS station in Philadelphia, will air all five preseason games. Sponsors are American Oil, Sun Oil, Resco Stereos, and Western Savings. Stu Nahan and Tom Brookshier are your announcers.
CBS will nationally televise the Eagles' home preseason game against the Lions on Sunday, August 11 at Franklin Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 3PM Eastern, with Don Criqui calling play-by-play and Frank Gifford providing color. (Note: This game was originally supposed to be played in Mexico City but was moved due to widespread political unrest.)
Cowboys: KRLD-TV, the CBS station in Dallas. will carry all six preseason games in color. Three of them will be CBS productions, with the two home games shown on a one-day tape delay. Lone Star Beer will sponsor half of each game; the rest will be sold to participating advertisers. Frank Glieber and Eddie LeBaron will call the three locally produced games.
The two home preseason games that CBS will televise nationally will be Saturday, August 24, when the Boys welcome the world champion Green Bay Packers, and Saturday, September 7, when they entertain the Baltimore Colts. Kickoff on August 24 is ser for 8:30 PM Central, with Jack Buck and Pat Summerall calling the action, Kickoff on September 7 is also scheduled for 8:30 PM Central, with Chuck Thompson, Lenny Moore and Frank Gifford on the call. CBS will also televise the Hall of Fame Game from Canton, Ohio on Saturday, August 3, when the Boys face the Chicago Bears.
Before all regular season games, KRLD will air The Tom Landry Show a half-hour show that will be sponsored by Earl Hayes Chevrolet. There will also be a daily Dallas Cowboys five-minute report from 10:35 PM to 10:40 PM Central Time Monday through Friday and The Don Meredith Show from 10:40 PM to 10:55 PM Central Time on Wednesdays. The five-minute report will be sponsored by Sanger-Harris Department Stores. while Meredith will be sponsored by Serta Mattress Company.
Giants: WCBS-TV, the CBS station in New York, is broadcasting three preseason games. Sponsors will be Avco Corporation, Schlitz Brewing, and Shell Oil. Jack Whitaker will call the play-by-play; no analyst was named at press time.
Now let's look at the Coastal on television in 1968:
Rams: KNXT-TV, the CBS station in Los Angeles, will carry all six preseason games in color on tape delay. Sponsors are Shell Oil, Hamm's Beer, and the Volkswagen Dealers of Southern California. Gill Stratton and Don Paul will describe the action.
Colts: WMAR-TV, the CBS station in Baltimore, will televise three preseason games, two of them in color. Wester Electric will sponsor half of each game, with National Brewing and Commercial Credit each sponsoring a quarter. Bill O'Donnell and Jim Mutscheller are your announcers.
Before each game, there will be a half-hour pregame show on WMAR called Football Preview. The show will be divided into two fifteen-minute segments; the first will be sponsored by Norelco, while the second will be sold to participating advertisers. WMAR will also air a half-hour series on Monday nights called Corralin' the Colts, to be sponsored by National Brewing and First National Bank.
CBS will nationally televise the Colts' preseason trip to Dallas on September 7, as I outlined in an earlier post.
49ers: The Bay Area CBS station is KPIX-TV. It will produce a pregame show; no details were found in the article.
KTVU-TV will air three preseason games on a participating basis. Two will be live and in color; the third will be on tape-delay. Bud Foster and Gordie Soltau will be on the call.
Falcons: WAGA-TV, the CBS station in Atlanta, will carry all five preseason games. Four of them will be live; the one home game will be shown on a one-day tape delay. Before each game is a thirty-minute show called Falcon Faces. Sponsors include Sinclair Refining, Western Electric, Pabst Brewing, Eastern Air Lines, Burlington Mills, Allstate Insurance, First National Bank of Atlanta, the Atlanta Buick Dealers, and Kahn's Meats. Ed Thilenius and Johnny Sauer will call the games.
Prior to each regular season game, WAGA will carry a fifteen-minute edition of Falcon Faces. It will also air The Norb Hecker Show for ten minutes every Monday and Friday night.
In addition, WAGA will televise the Falcons' regular season opener on Saturday, September 14, when they travel to Metropolitan Stadium to take on the Minnesota Vikings, Kickoff is scheduled for 8PM Eastern. Hal Scott and Norm Van Brocklin will be on the call.
Now for the Central Division in 1968.
Vikings: The CBS station in the Twin Cities is WCCO-TV.
KSTP-TV is carrying two preseason games. Half of each game has been sold to Western National Bank; the other half remains unsold.
CBS will nationally televise the Vikings' preseason game against the Cardinals in St. Louis on September 1, as I outlined in an earlier post.
Lions: WJBK, the CBS station in Detroit, will carry the team's September 7 preseason game against the Jets at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. The broadcast will be sponsored by Ford, Marathon Oil, and Altes Beer. Van Patrick and Sonny Grandelius will call the action. WJBJ will also air a pregame show in the regular season that will be sponsored by Security Bank.
CBS will nationally televise the Lions' preseason game against the Eagles in Philadelphia on August 11, as I outlined in an earlier post.
Packers: WBAY-TV, the CBS station in Green Bay, is the head of a five-station network that will carry three taped preseason games. Games will be sold locally. On WBAY, sponsors for a quarter each include Savings and Loan Association, Blatz Beer, add the Northrup King (seed company) Dealers Association. Al Samson will call the games; no color commentator is listed. Also, new coach Phil Bengtson is supposed to have a videotaped show for regional syndication similar to that of his predecessor Vince Lombardi, but nothing was finalized as of press time.
Three Packers preseason games will be nationally televised. The first will be the College All-Star Game at Soldier Field in Chicago on Friday, August 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 PM Central on ABC, with Chris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson calling the action. Bill Flemming will serve as a sideline reporter, and Frank Gifford (on loan from CBS) will serve as an NFL expert.
The second game is scheduled for Friday, August 16, when the Packers host the Bears at County Stadium in Milwaukee, Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM Central on CBS, with Ray Scott and Paul Christman calling the action. CBS will also televise the Packers' August 24 trip to Dallas, as I outlined in an earlier post.
Bears: WBBM, the CBS station in Chicago. will televise four preseason games in color. Shell Oil and Heileman Brewing will each sponsor a quarter of each game; the rest remains unsold. Ray Scott and Paul Christman will call the games.
WBBM's regular season pregame show, Eye on the NFL will return for another season. It will be sponsored by Citgo.
CBS will nationally televise two Bears preseason games. One will be their game against the Packers in Milwaukee on Friday, August 16. The other will be the Hall of Fame Game on Saturday, August 3, when they'll be the designated home team against the Cowboys. Kickoff is scheduled for 2PM Central, with Frank Glieber, George Connor, and Paul Hornung calling the action.
Local Radio Crews
Originally written by garretta
Now for a look at radio in the Century Division in 1968:
Cardinals: KMOX-AM will head a network of over forty stations in six states that will carry five preseason games plus all regular season games. One quarter of each game has been sold to General Finance; other sponsors signed at press time include General American Life and Mercantile Trust. The Cardinal Spotlight pregame show will be sponsored by Hamilton Jewelry and Associated Finance. The other pregame show, Coach's Corner. will be sponsored by Kroger. The postgame Star of the Game Show was still unsold at press time. Ray Geracy and Ron Jacober will describe the action.
Browns: WHK-AM has outbid WERE-AM for the team's radio rights, signing a three-year contract. It will head a network of about forty-five stations that will carry five preseason games and all regular season games. Sohio and Duquesne Brewing will each sponsor a quarter of each game on the network; other sponsors of a quarter of each game on WHK are the local Oldsmobile Dealers and Household Finance. Gib Shanley and Jim Graber will call the action. WHK will provide heavy on-air promotion of Browns games during the week and other forms of promotion as well.
A pre- and postgame package on WHK will be sponsored by Retail Clerks Local 880, Palevsky Hardware, East Ohio Gas Company, and American Express. The pregame Blanton Collier Show on WHK will be sponsored by Arby's Restaurants. while the Monday-Friday night version of the show will be sponsored by Union Commerce Bank. The halftime sports scores show will be sponsored by the Cleveland Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers; the halftime news will be sponsored by Uncle Bill's Shoes.
Saints: WWL-AM will head a forty-five-station network in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas. Alabama. and Florida. The network will carry all six preseason games plus all regular season games. Falstaff Brewing owns the team's broadcast rights and will co-sponsor the games with Humble Oil, The network will also air a fifteen-minute pregame show and a fifteen-minute postgame show, Al Wester and Maury Magill will call the action.
Other features on the air during the week include twice-daily training camp reports from quarterback Billy Kilmer, ten weekly five-minute shows and two fifteen-minute weekend shows with linebacker Steve Stonebreaker, and fourteen five-minute shows plus a fifteen-minute Saturday show with head coach Tom Fears under the title of The Tom Fears Show.
Steelers: KDKA-AM is the flagship of a thirty-four-station network in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia that will carry all scheduled games. Sponsors for a quarter of each game include Duquesne Beer, Associates Finance, and Lincoln-Mercury. Fifteen-minute pre- and postgame shows will also air on the network. Tom Bender and Jack Fleming will call the action. The Bill Austin Show, which features the Steelers' head coach, will air weekly on KDKA and be sponsored by American General Life.
Because of conflicts with Pittsburgh Pirates baseball, three preseason and two regular season games will be carried on WJAS-AM.
Now let's look at radio in the Capitol Division for 1968:
Giants (WNEW): This feed is for the New York area. WNEW-AM will broadcast all scheduled games. This is the first year of a three-year contract. Sponsors are Manufacturers Hanover Trust, TWA, Liggett & Myers, and the local Ford Dealers. Marty Glickman, Chip Cipolla, and Charlie Conerly will call the action. The pregame show Pro Football Report. halftime show, and postgame show (Locker Room Report) are sponsored by The Equitable Insurance and American Express.
Giants (East Coast) : This feed is for approximately eighty East Coast stations. Sponsors are Mobil Oil, Roi Tan Cigars, and Schaefer Beer. There will also be pre- and postgame shows. Woody Erdman, Dick Lynch, and Ted Hodge will call the action.
Redskins: For the fifth straight year, WMAL-AM will lead a network of more than thirty stations in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, The entire schedule will be broadcast. Sponsors for a quarter of each game are Washington Gas and Light, Ford, and Sears and Roebuck. The other quarter is split between American Express and Suburban Trust. There will also be a Thursday night half-hour show with head coach Otto Graham and a postgame locker room show with linebacker Chris Hanburger. Steve Gilmartin will call the play-by-play, with Mal Campbell handling color.
Cowboys: KFJZ-AM Fort Worth will originate all scheduled Cowboys games, including six exhibitions, to a local network of 140 stations: righty in Texas, thirty in Oklahoma, and thirty in Arkansas. (This is more than double the number of sixty-one stations that broadcast Cowboys games last year.) The Texas State Network will originate the feed for the Texas stations.
Schlitz Brewing and the local Lincoln-Mercury Dealers each sponsor a quarter of each game on the network; the rest is sold locally. There will be a five-minute show broadcast Monday through Saturday. a ten-minute pregame show on Sunday, and a ten-minute postgame show that will be sponsored by Texaco. Bill Mercer and Blackie Sherrod will call the action.
Eagles: WCAU-AM will feed five exhibition games and all fourteen regular season games to an eighteen-station network in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Chrysler-Plymouth and Schaefer Beer will each sponsor a quarter of each game; the rest is sold locally. Andy Musser and Charlie Gauer are your announcers
The pregame show, Around the NFL. will be sponsored by Harveson's Dairy, United Air Lines, and Hanover Shoes. Harveson's will also sponsor the postgame show along with Standard Brands and Jackie Gordon. (Note: I have no idea who or what Jackie Gordon is or was in relation to Philadelphia or the Eagles. Google was no help. If anyone can enlighten us, feel free to do so.)
Now for our look at the Coastal Division in 1968.
Colts: WCBM-AM is the flagship of a seventy-five-station network covering twelve states from Maine to North Carolina. All twenty scheduled games, including six exhibitions, will be broadcast. On WCBM, gameday will begin with the ten-minute pre-pregame Johnny Unitas Show sponsored by Eastern Air Lines, Next comes the fifteen-minute pregame show, Colt Kickoff, sponsored by First Federal Savings and Loan, Game sponsors on WCBM are National Brewing, Commercial Credit, Humble Oil, American Express, and Utz Potato Chips. The postgame End Zone will be sponsored by D&H Advertising. Bill O'Donnell and Jim Karavellas will call the action.
Falcons: WQXI-AM leads a network that currently has over fifty stations and could grow to sixty before the season starts. The network will carry five preseason games plus the entire regular season, and it covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, All programming on the network- pregame, postgame, and the game itself- will be sold locally, as will a pre-pregame show featuring Falcons coach Norb Hecker. The pre- and postgame shows will be fifteen minutes apiece.
Game sponsors on WQXI include Sinclair Refining, Midas Mufflers, Dayton Tire and Rubber, EconoCar Corporation, Ply-Gem Paneling Studios, the local Ford Dealers, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Jack Hurst will call the play-by-play, with Bud Erickson handling color.
Rams: KMPC-AM, which has carried the Rams continuously since 1954 and for twenty seasons overall, has signed a new two-year contract to head the team's twenty-two-station network in California, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii. Three new stations have joined this year. Sponsors for a quarter of each game are Schlitz Beer, Household Finance, State Farm Insurance, and the local Chevron Dealers and Standard Stations. Dick Enberg and Dave Niehaus will call the action.
The pregame Rams Warmup is sponsored on KMPC by Kentucky Fried Chicken. The postgame Rams Report is sponsored on KMPC by Western Air Lines. Both of these shows are fed to the other network stations but are sold locally. The George Allen Show, a ten-minute pregame feature with the Rams head coach, is only heard on KMPC and is sponsored by Adohr Dairies.
(Adohr Dairies will also hand out trophies for the Rams' Player of the Week at the weekly meetings of the Football Writers Association in Los Angeles and hand out Rams calendars with each home delivery. In addition, they will sponsor "Coach Rod Roach", a one-minute series of commercials based on what the article calls "humorous and atypical answers to questions posed on a typical football situation". The commercials will air on the following California stations:
KLAC-AM Los Angeles
KRLA-AM Pasadena
KEZY-AM Anaheim
KFOX-AM Long Beach
KBIG-AM Avalon-Santa Catalina)
Due to early-season conflicts with California Angels baseball, five games will be heard on KABC-AM in Los Angeles. Other network stations with similar conflicts will carry the Rams' games on a tape-delayed basis.
49ers: KSFO-AM and the Golden West Radio Network will air all twenty games, including six exhibitions. There are two networks: a regional network of twelve stations in California and Nevada and a bonus network consisting of KGU-AM Honolulu, KUAM Agana, Guam and the stations of the Alaska Broadcasting System (which only gets regular season games). The pregame and postgame shows will be sponsored by Household Fonance and Spreckles Dairies.
Game sponsors on KSFO and the rest of the California/Nevada stations for a quarter apiece are Bristol-Myers, Italian Swiss Colony Wine, the local Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers. and the local Chevron Dealers/Standard Oil of California. The stations in Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska sell their time locally. Lon Simmons and Hugh McElhenny will call the action,
Now for a look at radio in the Central for 1968:
Lions: The Lions have a new flagship station this year, as WXYZ-AM takes over for WJR-AM. WXYZ will carry all scheduled Lions games to a network of about forty stations; this is a one-year contract with an option for 1969. Marathon Oil will sponsor half of each game on the network, with Ford taking a quarter and Pfeffer and Drewry's Beer. Pre- and postgame shows will be sponsored by Monroe Auto Equipment Company, Bank of Commonwealth, Little Caesar's Pizza, and Robert Hall Clothes. Van Patrick and Bob Reynolds will be on the call.
(According to the article, WXYZ promised the Lions extensive promotion that included contests, as well as magazine exposure and about two hundred commercials a month on WXYZ-TV. Moving to WXYZ also ended many years of conflicts with Tigers baseball on WJR, which led to early-season games being broadcast by WWJ-AM.)
Packers: WTMJ-AM Milwaukee heads both a network of six Wisconsin stations and a bonus network of about twenty other stations. They will carry five preseason games plus all fourteen regular season games. Thorp Finance will sponsor half of each game, while Blatz Beer and Humble Oil will each sponsor a quarter apiece. The pregame Packers Preview will be sponsored by Jay Foods, while the postgame scoreboard show will be sponsored by American Express. Ted Moore will call the play-by-play. with Terry Bledsoe providing color.
Bears: WGN-AM will air two preseason games as well as all fourteen regular season games. There is a possibility of a radio network this year, but nothing was set as of press time. Standard Oil holds the team's radio rights and will be the primary sponsor for the twenty-third consecutive year. It will sponsor one-third of each game, with Heileman Brewing and Household Finance also taking one-third each. The pregame show will be sponsored by Rpbert Hall Clothes, the halftime show by Alpo Dog Food. and the postgame Scoreboard by Motgomery Ward. Jack Brickhouse and Irv Kupcinet will call the action.
Vikings: WCCO-AM Minneapolis heads a thirty-five-station network that will carry five exhibition games plus all regular season games. Hamm's Beer will sponsor half of a quarter of every game on the network outside of WCCO; the rest of the time is sold locally. Co-sponsors on WCCO are Twin City Ford and Midwest Federal Savings and Loan. There will be two pregame shows on WCCO: Fan in the Stands will be sponsored by Blue Flame Gas and F.C. Hare-RCA, while The Bud Grant Show will be sponsored by Jacob Reis Bottling Company. The postgame scoreboard show will be sponsored by Quarterback Sports Federation Restaurants. Ray Christiansen and Paul Giel will describe the action.