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'60 Minutes Sports' takes viewers behind the scenes of the Super Bowl

by jmaloni
Mon, Jan 28th 2013 07:00 pm

Armen Keteyian takes viewers inside NFL Films to talk to the Sabol family about the legacy and void left behind by Steve Sabol

Every year, more than 100 million people watch the biggest sporting event in the country, perhaps the biggest single-game event in the world: the Super Bowl. Some people tune in to see the year's best NFL teams compete for the coveted Lombardi Trophy, while others count down the minutes until the highly anticipated half-time show - this year, Beyoncé. The next "60 Minutes Sports," premiering Wednesday, Feb. 6 (10 p.m.) on SHOWTIME, will offer the chance to witness how much planning and resources it takes to execute an event of this magnitude.

Watch a preview:


"60 Minutes Sports" correspondent Armen Keteyian has been granted unprecedented access to the city, the broadcast team and the NFL's man in charge for a behind-the-scenes feature from New Orleans and Super Bowl XLVII.

Central to this special segment will be "60 Minutes Sports" cameras in the CBS Sports remote satellite truck - the big broadcast's nerve center, where cameras have never been - putting viewers alongside the producer and director as they determine what 100 million viewers will see.

As the Super Bowl continues to grow year after year, a supporting cast of more than 20,000 people and several years of planning is needed for each NFL season's ultimate event. From security to party planners, from broadcasting crews to make-up artists, each cog is essential to the success of the largest food, drink, sports and entertainment event on earth. The man the NFL depends on to pull it all off is Frank Supovitz, senior vice president of events.

"We'll use about 30,000 or more hotel rooms in any given Super Bowl," Supovitz said. "We issue about 20,000 credentials during game week. Every one of those undergoes an FBI background check."

Cameras will be with him and NFL Director of Strategic Security Jeff Miller in their Superdome perch as they monitor the event. Cameras will also follow CBS Sports lead play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz as he goes onto the field for the presentation of the NFL's Lombardi Trophy.

The NFL lost one of its pioneers last year when NFL Films' Steve Sabol passed away at the age of 69. Sabol revolutionized the way that football was watched with spectacular cinematography of the game's great plays set to dramatic music. Keteyian reports on the Sabol family in Wednesday's program, as NFL Films finds itself without a Sabol leading the way for the first time in its history. Keteyian gets the story on the legendary production house from Ed Sabol, Steve's father and co-founder of NFL Films. He also speaks with Steve's mother and his sister, who share the ins and outs of NFL Films for what they say will be the last time.

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