ABC's Coverage of Super Bowls 19 (1985) and 22 (1988)

[TMC]

Who were the pregame announcers for ABC's 1980s Super Bowl coverage. Brent Musburger along with Dick Vermiel hosted the coverage for Super Bowl XXV (1991). I know for sure that Musburger was also there for Super Bowl XXIX (1995) since he can be seen covering the postgame, trophy presentation ceremony (nearby Steve Young) in the NFL Films highlight package. Chris Berman and Steve Young hosted the pregame coverage for Super Bowl XXXIV (2000). For Super Bowl XXXVII (2003), Berman and Young were joined by Michael Strahan and Brian Billick. For Super Bowl XL (2006), Chris Berman (and Mike Tirico, who could be considered Berman's co-host) and Steve Young were joined by Michael Irvin, Tom Jackson, and Bill Belichick, who sat next to Mike Tirico.

I'm pretty sure that Al Michaels hosted the pregame coverage for ABC's first ever Super Bowl telecast which was Super Bowl XIX (1985). I'm going to guess that Michaels was joined by O.J. Simpson. Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Joe Theismann called the game. I'm assuming that Simpson contributed somehow since the 1984-85 NFL season was his first of two seasons on "Monday Night Football."

I'm most interested in Super Bowl XXII (1988), which was the first Super Bowl that Al Michaels did play-by-play for. Who exactly hosted the pregame show for that one? Brent Musburger was still with CBS so he obviously, didn't host it. Meanwhile, ESPN (the normal employer for Chris Berman) wasn't quite the corporate synergy that it is today. So I'm assuming that Chris Berman or anybody else from ESPN had something close to do with ABC's Super Bowl XXII coverage.

[theshark8777]

ABC didn't own ESPN during Super Bowl XXII, so I think its safe to assume that ESPN an its personalities had nothing to do with it.

[danderson400]

Originally Posted by TMC

Who were the pregame announcers for ABC's 1980s Super Bowl coverage. Brent Musburger along with Dick Vermiel hosted the coverage for Super Bowl XXV (1991). I know for sure that Musburger was also there for Super Bowl XXIX (1995) since he can be seen covering the postgame, trophy presentation ceremony (nearby Steve Young) in the NFL Films highlight package. Chris Berman and Steve Young hosted the pregame coverage for Super Bowl XXXIV (2000). For Super Bowl XXXVII (2003), Berman and Young were joined by Michael Strahan and Brian Billick. For Super Bowl XL (2006), Chris Berman (and Mike Tirico, who could be considered Berman's co-host) and Steve Young were joined by Michael Irvin, Tom Jackson, and Bill Belichick, who sat next to Mike Tirico.

I'm pretty sure that Al Michaels hosted the pregame coverage for ABC's first ever Super Bowl telecast which was Super Bowl XIX (1985). I'm going to guess that Michaels was joined by O.J. Simpson. Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Joe Theismann called the game. I'm assuming that Simpson contributed somehow since the 1984-85 NFL season was his first of two seasons on "Monday Night Football."

I'm most interested in Super Bowl XXII (1988), which was the first Super Bowl that Al Michaels did play-by-play for. Who exactly hosted the pregame show for that one? Brent Musburger was still with CBS so he obviously, didn't host it. Meanwhile, ESPN (the normal employer for Chris Berman) wasn't quite the corporate synergy that it is today. So I'm assuming that Chris Berman or anybody else from ESPN had something close to do with ABC's Super Bowl XXII coverage.

Keith Jackson was the pregame host for Super Bowl XXII. He was still ABC's lead announcer for college football at that time. It does make me wonder if he would have done the second wild card game had ABC been doing that in the 1987 season. My guess is that Jackson would have been joined by Bob Griese for that game, and the Super Bowl pregame that season.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by danderson400

Keith Jackson was the pregame host for Super Bowl XXII. He was still ABC's lead announcer for college football at that time. It does make me wonder if he would have done the second wild card game had ABC been doing that in the 1987 season. My guess is that Jackson would have been joined by Bob Griese for that game, and the Super Bowl pregame that season.

I would automatically assume that ABC would in that particular scenario, use Gary Bender and Lynn Swann. If I'm not mistaken, they were the announcers for a game Broncos/Vikings game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, that had to be rescheduled to a Monday night (and only aired on the Denver/Minnesota markets) because of Game 7 of the 1987 World Series (which was also broadcast on ABC).

[TMC]

Originally Posted by theshark8777

ABC didn't own ESPN during Super Bowl XXII, so I think its safe to assume that ESPN an its personalities had nothing to do with it.

Technically, ABC by 1987-88 owned 80% of ESPN, which had been the case since 1984. Since ABC Sports at the time was unlike ESPN, an all-union shop they were still for all intent and purposes, separate entities.

[danderson400]

Originally Posted by TMC

I would automatically assume that ABC would in that particular scenario, use Gary Bender and Lynn Swann. If I'm not mistaken, they were the announcers for a game Broncos/Vikings game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, that had to be rescheduled to a Monday night (and only aired on the Denver/Minnesota markets) because of Game 7 of the 1987 World Series (which was also broadcast on ABC).

I do remember Bender and Swann doing the Broncos/Vikings game, but for the longest time, i thought that game went a bit farther than the Denver/Minnesota markets that evening.

[EricIdlefan]

If I am not mistaken after game 7 of the World Series, Al Michaels then went to join Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf the next night in Cleveland for Monday Night Football. Talk about dedication indeed. He could had taken a night off.

[danderson400]

I do wonder if ABC would have used it's then no.2 college football crew of Corey McPherrin and Lynn Swann for the Thursday/Sunday games in 86, that way Al and Frank could have focused on the Monday night games. and in the mid-80s i'd would have used the no.2 USFL crew of Tim Brant and Lee Grosscup to handle the extra games that Frank, Howard and Dandy Don could not do. Another possibility would have been Jim Lampley and Grosscup for the non-Monday games.

[danderson400]

Originally Posted by TMC

Who were the pregame announcers for ABC's 1980s Super Bowl coverage. Brent Musburger along with Dick Vermiel hosted the coverage for Super Bowl XXV (1991). I know for sure that Musburger was also there for Super Bowl XXIX (1995) since he can be seen covering the postgame, trophy presentation ceremony (nearby Steve Young) in the NFL Films highlight package. Chris Berman and Steve Young hosted the pregame coverage for Super Bowl XXXIV (2000). For Super Bowl XXXVII (2003), Berman and Young were joined by Michael Strahan and Brian Billick. For Super Bowl XL (2006), Chris Berman (and Mike Tirico, who could be considered Berman's co-host) and Steve Young were joined by Michael Irvin, Tom Jackson, and Bill Belichick, who sat next to Mike Tirico.

I'm pretty sure that Al Michaels hosted the pregame coverage for ABC's first ever Super Bowl telecast which was Super Bowl XIX (1985). I'm going to guess that Michaels was joined by O.J. Simpson. Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Joe Theismann called the game. I'm assuming that Simpson contributed somehow since the 1984-85 NFL season was his first of two seasons on "Monday Night Football."

I'm most interested in Super Bowl XXII (1988), which was the first Super Bowl that Al Michaels did play-by-play for. Who exactly hosted the pregame show for that one? Brent Musburger was still with CBS so he obviously, didn't host it. Meanwhile, ESPN (the normal employer for Chris Berman) wasn't quite the corporate synergy that it is today. So I'm assuming that Chris Berman or anybody else from ESPN had something close to do with ABC's Super Bowl XXII coverage.

I can tell you that i've seen footage of Jim Lampley hosting the trophy presentation of Super Bowl XIX (1985) but i do remember Keith Jackson hosting the trophy presentation of Super Bowl XXII (1988) as i remember him doing the interviews after the game before The Wonder Years, since that's what i remember watching. I'm sure of Brent Musburger doing the same thing in 1991 and 1995 as well.