Football Saves Little Girl

Steve Sabol has won multiple Emmy Awards for writing, cinematography, editing, directing and producing. (Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)

NFL Films president Sabol recovering from seizure
The Associated Press - Posted: Mar 8, 2011 12:50 AM ET
Last Updated: Mar 8, 2011 5:19 PM ET Comments1 Recommend1

NFL Films president Steve Sabol is recovering from a seizure in Kansas City, Mo., where he was to accept an award on behalf of his company.

The 68-year-old Sabol was stricken Saturday night and taken to a hospital. He underwent tests over the weekend and was alert Monday, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday.

Steve's father, Ed, is the founder of NFL Films and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last month. Steve Sabol began working for his father in 1964 and has won Emmy Awards for writing, cinematography, editing, directing and producing.

"We hope Steve Sabol is doing much better. Our prayers are with him," Indianapolis Colts centre Jeff Saturday said from Washington before heading into labour negotiations between the NFL and the players' union. © The Associated Press, 2011 The Canadian Press

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Saintsfanatic wrote: Posted 2011/03/08 at 1:23 AM ET
Steve Sabol's VHS production of NFL Football Follies, and his superb narration, literally saved my toddler daughter from a very severe attack of croup late one night in the early 1990s. When nothing else worked, my daughter recognized her favourite football tape with the funny antics and sounds, and immediately calmed down enough to breathe normally.

Sabol has been my hero ever since, as I have watched hours and hours of his brilliant film work on the history of the NFL and AFL, and personal interest stories of football personalities. My daughter has since grown up to become an Illustrator, thanks, in part, to the contribution of NFL Films one scary night 20 years ago.
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http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/2011/03/08/sp-nfl-.html


It was indeed a scary night for two parents when our youngest daughter, who had a bad cold, suddenly developed croup in the middle of the night. As her coughing worsened into croup, the little girl, not yet three years old, began gasping, crying and panicking, because she suddenly could not breathe.

We were veteran parents of two older daughters, a fact which helped a little, but it was still difficult not to panic ourselves. It was the middle of winter, so we tried taking the girl out onto the balcony of our apartment, hoping the cold arctic air would stop the gasping and let her catch her breath. But that didn't work.

We then tried the second suggested remedy for croup, running a hot shower and letting the steam work its way into the air passages to ease breathing. When that didn't work either, we were at a loss to know what to do for our precious little daughter who was simply beside herself at this point.

I suddenly got an idea. Knowing how easily I got distracted while watching football, I thought about the the NFL Football Follies tape I had received as a free gift with a magazine subscription and which we had enjoyed watching together as a family. I thought it was worth a chance, since nothing else was working. I hit the play button and cranked up the volume.

It didn't take long until the hilarious plays of football players fumbling the ball and tripping over themselves, accompanied by the funny simulated sounds of the ball squirting out of players' arms and bouncing all over the place caught my little girl's attention, and she began to calm down. Gradually she stopped crying, hacking and wheezing, and soon she was breathing calmly, just like her parents. Eventually my daughter relaxed enough to fall asleep, and the croup never came back.

We all were happy to be able to watch Football Follies for awhile that night. Steve Sabol, the producer of the film, appears at the beginning of the tape, introducing the concept of follies on the gridiron. I didn't really know who Steve Sabol was at the time, but I was very grateful that his production was so effective at combating the sudden onset of croup.

Years later, my adult daughter still recognizes the face of that guy on the follies tape. Having had access to NFL Network, I have grown to admire Steve Sabol's work with NFL Films, as I have watched countless hours of his productions. I shudder to think what might have happened to my daughter, if we had not been able to stop the effects of the croup that night. Thank you, Steve Sabol, for helping to save my little girl that scary night two decades ago.