We all enjoy the photographs of old gridiron warriors in action, as most of us were not present, either at those games or in those times. (I sometimes think I was born anywhere from 20-130 years too late.) The gray images from pro games we've been so used to leave us younger types wondering if life in general was as dis-spiriting.
Well, thanks to colorizing we may get closer to the essence of life in Grandad's day. Details pop out in the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2024-5 Wall Calendar. We can now see the bits of field rubbed into uniforms, the rip in Grange's sleeve, the basic colors that told teams apart. (Who today knows that the Giants wore red tops?) That ingrained pose of Sammy Baugh about to pass is now immediate. Frozen instant replay!
Some early-day shots show the pro game in its grit, the players neigh unto anonymous, workers building something on the weekend. No college flash here: that's for another calendar.
I await next year's successor, but let's keep the pictures to the pre-Rozelle/Namath years ..
