When we entered high school and the cartoonish antics of Disney Afternoon started to lose their luster, we had to find something to watch after school. Sure, there was "Saved by the Bell", but our favorite high schoolers only took up half an hour, so more time had to be filled before dinner arrived. So we turned to ESPN, and its then-midday mainstay, NFL Films.

There, we watched tales of gridiron happenings of yesteryear. We learned about heroes and villains, champions and losers. Unfortunately, we did not learn too much about the losers, or some of us would not have become fans of the Detroit Lions.

NFL Films were created by the previously-profiled NFL Hall of Famer Ed Sabol, but it was his son Steve who hosted and narrated the series. His steady voice added gravitas to the footage, making us feel like we were watching something of great importance.

Sabol recently passed away from cancer and will be missed by all NFL fans. Even those who support the Lions. Seriously, what were we thinking?