NFL Films' The Timeline Reflects On The Moment The NFL Was Saved By A Single Season

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​​​​The Moment the NFL's Popularity Was in Deep Decline – And the Record-Breaking Season That Ended Up Saving the Sport

'1984 – The Season That Saved Football' Premieres Wednesday, December 7 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network

"There was a lot of negative publicity about that season in the NFL, but really…there was a lot of excitement in the league, so maybe people just forget." – Anthony Michael Hall

The second season of NFL Network's Emmy-nominated documentary series The Timeline from NFL Films continues Wednesday, December 7 at 8:00 PM ET with 1984 – The Season That Saved Football, telling the story of how stars such as Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, Mark Gastineau and others saved the NFL after suffering declining ratings and outside competition in the early 1980s.

Narrated by actor Rob Lowe, 1984 – The Season That Saved Football details American culture in 1984, specifically with regards to film, music and the NFL. The one-hour show features sitdown interviews with former players such as Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson and Mark Gastineau, actor Anthony Michael Hall, sports broadcaster Brent Musburger, musician Huey Lewis and more, each reflecting on the cultural significance of the 1984 NFL season.

Among the topics discussed in 1984 Comeback are:

The NFL's declining ratings in the early 1980s

The similarities between 1984 season and 2016 season, including a polarizing presidential election and the success of the Chicago Cubs

How Dan Marino 's celebrity and the glamor of Miami helped revive the popularity of the NFL during the Dolphins' Super Bowl run

's celebrity and the glamor of Miami helped revive the popularity of the NFL during the Dolphins' Super Bowl run The USFL's attempts to challenge the NFL

To view a trailer for 1984 – The Season That Saved Football, visit: http://www.nfl.com/videos/the-timeline/0ap3000000749355/The-Timeline-1984-The-Season-That-Saved-Football.

1984 – The Season That Saved Football includes interviews with the following people and more:

Dan Marino – Former Dolphins quarterback

Mark Gastineau – Former Jets defensive end

Eric Dickerson – Former Rams running back

Jimmy Cefalo – Former Dolphins wide receiver

Huey Lewis – Musician

Chuck Klosterman – Author

Anthony Michael Hall – Actor

Brent Musburger – Sports broadcaster

Provided below are some select quotes from 1984 – The Season That Saved Football:

- "There was a lot of negative publicity about that season in the NFL, but really there was a lot of records being broken and there was a lot of excitement in the league, so maybe people just forget." – Anthony Michael Hall

- "The stars brought the league back. They go through cycles. Right now, they're trying to replace Peyton Manning, one of the greatest of all time. Somebody will step out, somebody will put a few years together. That decline we're talking about in the '80s? Look how brief it was." – Brent Musburger

- "For sure the game is saved by the players. That's what makes the game exciting." – Eric Dickerson

- "I think America found the NFL again that year and realized that it was made up of stars and extraordinary athletes who do amazing things every Monday night and every Sunday afternoon." – Jimmy Cefalo

This year, the expanded 10-episode season of The Timeline airs on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network, chronicling seminal moments that formed the NFL's storied past, shape the present and, in some cases, set the stage for the future.

Provided below is a broadcast schedule for the upcoming episodes of The Timeline:

Lombardi's Redskins (Wednesday, December 14 at 8:00 PM ET) – The moment the game's greatest coach arrived in Washington and saved a struggling franchise, all in the midst of the cultural upheaval of 1969





– The moment the game's greatest coach arrived in Washington and saved a struggling franchise, all in the midst of the cultural upheaval of 1969 The Fog Bowl (Wednesday, December 21 at 8:00 PM ET) – The moment Mike Ditka faced Buddy Ryan in a playoff game no one could see

Each episode of The Timeline – as well as all NFL Network programming – is streamed live on the NFL Mobile from Verizon app (NFL.com/mobile) and via Watch NFL Network on tablet (NFL Mobile and Watch NFL Network apps), PC (NFL.com/watch), Xbox One and Xbox 360(NFL on Xbox app) and other connected TV devices (NFL app on Apple TV and Playstation 4).

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