Frank Gifford

Sportscaster
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Frank Gifford (1930-2015) outlines his career, beginning with his tenure as a professional football player for the New York Giants. Gifford then discusses how his football experience led to his involvement in sportscasting. He discusses juggling both careers at the same time, his eventual retirement from professional football, and the progression of his work as a sportscaster for CBS and ABC. He mentions highlights of his time in sportscasting, such as reporting for the first Super Bowl, covering the Olympics, and co-hosting the iconic ABC sports show, Monday Night Football for many years. He talks of the importance of human interest sports reporting and how it affected the popularity of Monday Night Football. Gifford describes covering Evel Knievel for Wide World of Sports and also recalls the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics. Lastly, he talks about meeting his wife Kathie Lee Gifford, and appearing on her show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. Karen Herman conducted the interview on September 18, 2006 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"In the early days of 'Monday Night Football' there was no competition from cable, none from satellite. Now when you put something on the air you know you're up against a thousand other pieces of entertainment that are out there ... It's an entirely different world. But if you put something on the air today and there's an attraction, people will find it, and they still find football in astonishing numbers."

People Talking About ...
Frank Gifford
Highlights
Frank Gifford on memorable moments while working on Monday Night Football
01:56
Frank Gifford on being part of  the CBS broadcast team for the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:42
Frank Gifford on how Roone Arledge changed sports broadcasting with his coverage of the Olympics
01:37
Frank Gifford on hosting The Frank Gifford Show
06:03
Frank Gifford on how he would like to be remembered
00:40
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On his childhood and early influences; on being drafted by the New York Giants; on working as an extra in the film industry
On another contract with the Giants; on his film acting roles; on his involvement with television and radio

Chapter 2
On his TV sports show The Frank Gifford Show; on his appearance on What's My Line?; on signing a contract with Warner Bros. and endorsements as a pro football player
On hosting a CBS sports radio show; on acting in Warner Bros. pilots; on his transition to CBS Sports; on doing local news sportscasting and hosting the early news; on hosting the NFL pre-game show

Chapter 3
On being part of the CBS broadcast team for the first Super Bowl in 1967 and broadcasting several later Super Bowls; on his transition to ABC's Monday Night Football
On how he and his co-stars prepared for a Monday Night Football broadcast; on how human interest sports-reporting affected broadcasting for the show

Chapter 4
On working in the broadcasting booth for Monday Night Football; on how the take over of ABC by Cap Cities changed the operations there; on impressions of Leonard Goldenson
On the changes made to the Monday Night Football broadcast team; on his departure from Monday Night Football; on memorable moments while working on Monday Night Football
On working on Wide World of Sports and the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics; on covering Franz Klammer's run at Innsbruck for the Olympics
On covering Evel Knievel for The Wide World of Sports

Chapter 5
On covering Evel Knievel for Wide World of Sports; on what television has done for sports; on guest hosting on Good Morning America and appearances on other shows
On advice he would give to someone starting out as a sportscaster; on reactions from fans he meets; on the biggest misconception about him; on how he would like to be remembered
Shows

ABC's Wide World of Sports

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Frank Gifford on working on Wide World of Sports and memories of the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00
Frank Gifford on covering Franz Klammer's run at Innsbruck for the Olympics on The Wide World of Sports
03:18
Frank Gifford on covering Evel Knievel for The Wide World of Sports
02:48
Frank Gifford on covering Evel Knievel for Wide World of Sports
04:14

Coach

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Frank Gifford on guest-starring on Coach
01:22

Good Morning America

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Frank Gifford on guest-hosting on Good Morning America
03:30

Live with Regis and Kathie Lee

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Frank Gifford on guest-hosting on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
01:22

Monday Night Football

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Frank Gifford on his transition to broadcasting for ABC's Monday Night Football
08:03
Frank Gifford on his role on Monday Night Football and his rapport with his co-stars
07:22
Frank Gifford on how human interest sports reporting affected broadcasting for Monday Night Football
02:16
Frank Gifford on surprising things that happened during Monday Night Football broadcasts
02:29
Frank Gifford on working in the broadcasting booth for Monday Night Football
07:25
Frank Gifford on the changes made to the Monday Night Football broadcast team; on memorable moments and his departure from the show
12:50

Olympics

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Frank Gifford on how Roone Arledge changed sports broadcasting with his coverage of the Olympics
01:37

Super Bowl

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Frank Gifford on being part of  the CBS broadcast team for the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:42

Webster

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Frank Gifford on guest-starring on Webster with Alex Karras
01:11

What's My Line?

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Frank Gifford on his appearance on the TV show What's My Line?
02:30
Topics

Bloopers

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Frank Gifford on bloopers from the broadcast booth
00:37

Coverage

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Frank Gifford on his transition to CBS Sports and working on CBS Radio
04:02
Frank Gifford on being part of the CBS broadcast team for the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:13
Frank Gifford on how Roone Arledge changed sports broadcasting with his coverage of the Olympics
01:37
Frank Gifford on working on Wide World of Sports and memories of the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00

Emmy Awards

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Frank Gifford on the Emmy-winning telecast covering Franz Klammer's run at Innsbruck for the Olympics
03:18

Memorable Moments on Television

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Frank Gifford on securing an exclusive pre-game interview for CBS with Vince Lombardi before the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:42
Frank Gifford on working on Wide World of Sports and memories of the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00

Olympic Games

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Frank Gifford on how Roone Arledge changed sports broadcasting with his coverage of the Olympics
01:37
Frank Gifford on working on Wide World of Sports and memories of the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00

Sports

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Frank Gifford on first meeting Howard Cosell
00:52
Frank Gifford on his transition to CBS Sports and working on CBS Radio
04:02
Frank Gifford on hosting the NFL Pre-game show in 1963, that became a network show
01:02
Frank Gifford on being part of the CBS broadcast team for the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:13
Frank Gifford on how Roone Arledge changed sports broadcasting with his coverage of the Olympics
01:37
Frank Gifford on working on Wide World of Sports and memories of the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00

Super Bowl

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Frank Gifford on being part of the CBS broadcast team for the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:13

We Cried

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Frank Gifford on working on Wide World of Sports and memories of the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00
Professions

Sportscaster

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Frank Gifford on how he would like to be remembered
00:40
Frank Gifford on advice he would give to someone starting out as a sportscaster
01:31
Frank Gifford on reactions from fans he meets
01:22
Genres

Sports

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Frank Gifford on his role on Monday Night Football and his rapport with his co-stars
07:22
Frank Gifford on securing an exclusive pre-game interview for CBS with Vince Lombardi before the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:42
Frank Gifford on being part of the CBS broadcast team for the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:42
Frank Gifford on how human interest sports reporting affected broadcasting for Monday Night Football
02:16
Frank Gifford on the changes made to the Monday Night Football broadcast team; on memorable moments and his departure from the show
12:50
Frank Gifford on working on Wide World of Sports and memories of the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00

Talk Shows

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Frank Gifford on meeting his wife Kathie Lee Gifford on Good Morning America
04:52
People

Al Michaels

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Frank Gifford on working with Al Michaels on Monday Night Football and the impact of Monday Night Football on society
02:53

Alex Karras

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Frank Gifford on guest starring on Webster with Alex Karras
01:11

Bill MacPhail

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Frank Gifford on impressions of Bill MacPhail and James T. Aubrey at CBS
02:05
Frank Gifford on working with boss, Bill MacPhail, broadcasting the first Super Bowl in 1967 with Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker and the broadcasting team for CBS
04:13

Chris Schenkel

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Frank Gifford on hosting The Frank Gifford Show with Chris Schenkel
06:03

Dan Dierdorf

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Frank Gifford on working with Dan Dierdorf on Monday Night Football and the impact of Monday Night football on society
02:53

Dennis Swanson

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Frank Gifford on Dennis Swanson's involvement with Monday Night Football
00:36

Don Meredith

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Frank Gifford on how Don Meredith became involved in Monday Night Football
22:53

Howard Cosell

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Frank Gifford on first meeting Howard Cosell
00:52
Frank Gifford on Howard Cosell's involvement with Monday Night Football
22:53

Jack Whitaker

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Frank Gifford on working with boss, Bill McPhail, broadcasting the first Super Bowl in 1967 with Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker and the broadcasting team for CBS
04:13

James T. Aubrey

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Frank Gifford on impressions of Bill MacPhail and James T. Aubrey at CBS
02:05

Jim McKay

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Frank Gifford on Jim McKay's human interest approach to sports-reporting
00:46
Frank Gifford on memories of Roone Arledge, Jim McKay and Peter Jennings covering the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00

Kathie Lee Gifford

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Frank Gifford on meeting his wife Kathie Lee Gifford on Good Morning America
04:52

Leonard H. Goldenson

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Frank Gifford on impressions of Leonard Goldenson and his working relationship with Roone Arledge
02:27

Peter Jennings

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Frank Gifford on memories of Roone Arledge, Jim McKay and Peter Jennings covering the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00

Ronald Reagan

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Frank Gifford on Presidents such as Ronald Regan and other note worthy guests that had cameos on Monday Night Football
01:06

Roone Arledge

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Frank Gifford on discussions he had with Roone Arledge about Monday Night Football
17:02
Frank Gifford on Roone Arledge's departure from Monday Night Football
03:06
Frank Gifford on memories of Roone Arledge, Jim McKay and Peter Jennings covering the terrorist attack in Munich at the 1972 Olympics
04:00

Vince Lombardi

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Frank Gifford on how things improved for the New York Giants when Vince Lombardi took over
00:34
Frank Gifford on securing an exclusive pre-game interview for CBS with Vince Lombardi before the first Super Bowl in 1967
04:42

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