Inside the NFL (1977– ) User Reviews

The longest running show in cable history, but has slipped some.

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 14 December 2006]

"Inside the NFL" it's hard to believe is now in it's 30th season, it's very rare that a program runs that long being three decades. The show has lasted this long, due to it's great success and the popularity of the NFL and the hosting and the award winning highlights from NFL films have kept it around. "Inside the NFL" came to HBO in 1977, actually a year before I was born, I always had heard about the show growing up as a kid, I finally got the show when I finally got an HBO subscription in 1998 and I've been hooked since then. The show airs every Wednesday during the season all the way thru the Super Bowl featuring the latest NFL news and highlights from NFL films of the previous weeks games, plus interviews with players and reports from Peter King come in handy. The show takes a look at the upcoming games before anyone else, and I love the pick segment it's fun to win more games than the crew! During the highlights since the show's beginning the games are narrated by the legend himself Harry Kalas his voice is so smooth and professional, it just brightens your day to hear that voice. The shows host have came and gone it was best when the classy and legendary Len Dawson and Nick Buoniconti hosted, only they finally left in 2002 and newcomers Bob Costas and Dan Marino and Cris Carter took over with Collinsworth staying. The change was OK even though Costas is smart with vocabulary and well educated to me he's more a baseball mind as for Marino and Carter they are OK but fall short to Dawson and Nick. One good change was Jerry Glanville leaving who was a mediocre broadcaster just as bad as his coaching days. Still the king is Cris Collinsworth who knows his stuff who's not worried about voicing his opinions and making people mad, and he analyzes the games so well. The show is still running strong I watch it every week, but I miss Len and Nick and the highlights have watered down some for instance every game is not shown and the clips focuses now on to much behind the scenes stuff like family members of coaches, pr. people, cheerleaders, and fans in the stands. Also the show needs to bring back the NFL storybook, and where are they now segments, and focus less on comedy and more on the games. Still great though if your an NFL fan.

Gold standard for sports analysis shows

[Captain Ed · 10 January 2003]

For HBO viewers, "Inside the NFL" has brought detailed analysis and game recaps every week of the season and postseason for over 25 years. Dramatically edited and narrated game films are the main reason to watch; after all, you can't see every game every week, and unless you're satisfied with the 15-second recaps on ESPN, you can't get a feel for out-of-market teams any other way. The game films are balanced with commentary, analysis from the hosts and from experts on both the game and the business, some great interviews, and occasional "where are they now" segments.

However, it seems to me that the current line-up is a step down. First off, Bob Costas was brought in to host the show, replacing Len Dawson after 25 years. Maybe Dawson wanted to retire, and Costas is a terrific sports presence. However, Costas is mostly about baseball and seems lost in discussing game elements of football. (He is outstanding on business matters.) Dan Marino is a good but not spectacular addition, replacing Nick Buonoconti, who was also good but not spectacular. Cris Carter replaces Jerry Glanville, which can only be a step up, but not by much. Carter is not suited for this format -- he just seems out of place here. He's much better on the sidelines or in a game situation as a third man. The only continuing presence this season is Chris Collinsworth, an erudite, knowledgeable, and supremely annoying egomaniac. He was easily #3 in the old lineup (only Glanville was more annoying) and has an attitude that he should be #1 in this lineup. He talks over people, talks down to people, and talks around people.

However, Inside the NFL is still heads above the pregame shows on Fox, CBS, and ESPN. The only thing that it gives up to those three is that it's taped on Thursday, so any breaking news after that will be missed. If you already have HBO, you should be watching this if you are a football fan. If you don't have HBO, try catching this on one of their free recruiting weekends (it's repeated several times until game days). It may be a factor in deciding whether to subscribe. Hopefully, by next year there may be another lineup change.

NFL Films

[Maniac-9 · 10/10 · 30 January 2012]

What makes Inside the NFL such a great football recap show is they don't use the video footage from the networks who broadcast the games every week they use the footage shot by NFL Films which is always so much more breathtaking then normal footage. Plus the video over announcers that NFL Films use always have such great sounding voices that make the viewing experience so much funner.

The show originally aired on HBO from 1977 to 2008 and since has been airing on Showtime. The long standing team on Inside the NFL had been Len Dawson, Nick Buoniconti and Cris Collinsworth. Later on other former players like Dan Marino, Cris Carter, Warren Sapp and Phil Simms with former coaches Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Glanville added to the group. Bob Costas currently serves as the current anchor of the show.

THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA

[tombev-48212 · 10/10 · 30 October 2020]

When this show began in 1977, it effectively ended the weekly syndicated "This Week in Pro Football" show which ran from 1969-1975 and its one season successor "Pro Football Playback" half-hour show. NFL Films ran half-hour weekly syndicated shows for a couple of years until HBO became more readily available. Their "NFL Game of the Week" continued in syndication through the late 1980's, hosted mostly by legendary Philadelphia sportscaster Harry Kalas, who also was the lead voice of baseball's Philadelphia Phillies until his death in 2009.

Inside the NFL is terrible this year

[mike-20612 · 1/10 · 1 October 2023]

For years Inside the NFL has been the best NFL football recap game. This year there are 4 "nobody's" hosting it and they can barely read the teleprompter. It is terrible. Bring back James Brown, Phil Simms, Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Steve Smith Sr, and Julian Edleman.

I Could tolerate Brandon Marshall but the crew hosting now is terrible. They barely know their subject matter and between them they probably don't have as much NFL experience together as any one of the ones I listed above.

I can't believe that the ratings this year are reaching 10 percent of what they were reaching on Showtime or Paramount.

Just.....No

[superman4017-712-680039 · 1/10 · 30 September 2022]

Brandon Marshall is super cringe and is a Homer. The show isn't nearly as great as it once was. I'm sad to see just how far this show has fallen from Grace. I used to be so excited to watch this show every week when I was younger bc it was a fun recap of week to week NFL action. We used to have fun pick 'em segments and every game and almost every team was discussed and the analysis Was more detailed and enjoyable. Now we have half baked arguments, segments that aren't entertaining in any way shape or form, and I will never again watch this show or support it in any fashion as long as a murder (Ray Lewis) is not only on the show but getting payed to be. He "found Jesus" and that makes all his last transgressions evaporate. Got it.

This show is tired!

[yinyangexistence · 5/10 · 12 September 2018]

You need to bring back Cris Collinsworth, get rid of Ray Lewis (Lawrence Taylor would be a great add!), Boomer is ok but how about Joe Montana, as for Simms he and Collinsworth were hilarious so you could keep him around to be picked at but Collinsworth, Montana, and LT would be all you need! Please consider these recommendations! Thank you!

It's worse now

[wferri6 · 4/10 · 19 November 2008]

The show, in the 2008/9 season, is terrible. I've watched it, on and off, since the beginning, with the Dawson and Company group. It was a great show back then, during the early years of cable. Even into the 90s, it had not lost that much. But these days, this season, no expertise...nothing. Dialogue is uninteresting. Game commentary is, quite frankly,adolescent at best. If the program's objective is to record the largest, most offensive idiot on the field, and play back his edited vulgarities, this excuse for a sports program succeeds. On the up-side, Inside the NFL does fit in nicely with a lot of the erosion prevalent today. Yes, it's a fitting show for today's youth ... that college educated group who believe the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in Baja California, during the Vietnamese conflict. Take a hike Inside the NFL.

LESS EGO MORE FOOTBALL

[scanlonmarty · 3/10 · 30 October 2019]

I've been watching this show since Len Dawson and Nick Bonticanti hosted Inside The NFL. The 2019 cast is just OK. James Brown is a great host, but the show goes off the rails with Brandon Marshal's constant uniforminant rants. Brandon Marshall brings this show down, and actually has to look on his phone for stats during the show (horrible). Ray Lewis tries very hard. I appreciate that it looks like he prepares before the show. Phil Simms is very knowledgeable, but is too often cut off by Brandon Marshall. As my title to this review stated, Less Ego More Football. There must be a ton of qualified exfootball players that can articulate a weeks worth of football without making it about themselves.

Put this out to Pasture

[metalrox_2000 · 26 November 2005]

When the original team of Bornacotti and Dawson was ended, the show should of ended, or at least should have had a name change. The new format is rather dry, uninspired, and the show feels like it is slickly over produced. Nothing against Costas, Dan Marino,Cris Collinswoth, and Cris Carter, the show doesn't have that same feel it did during the 1980's and into the 90's. The beginning of the end was when the producers discontinued the segment "Where are they Now?" which highlighted the stars of the past, and honored the history of the game. One of the most chilling was one the featured former St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals Quarterback Niel Lomax, who only two years before was one of the best QBs in the NFL, but was now recovering from total hip replacement, and reflecting on a career that ended way too soon. The show reached a low point when it added the very unfunny Wanda Sykes (who's own Fox show was canceled after three weeks, but the originals were allowed to run), to be in some of the worst , and sadly forced comedy segments ever seen on cable TV. Being a fan of the original, I would have simply preferred if HBO had changed the name of the show, to maybe The NFL Report hosted by Bob Costas. I admittedly have not be able to watch an entire show in almost three years, because it simply just isn't worth it anymore. I get more highlights, better insight, and overall, a bit more fun watching Chris Berman's fastest 3 minutes on ESPN then I do watching the New Inside the NFL. pretty sad when someone can do in 3 minutes what you can't do in 60.

Edelman and Marshall ruin the discussion aspect.

[vitoscotti · 5/10 · 15 December 2022]

"Inside the NFL" was once a must see amazingly entertaining fun watch from beginning to end. Past panels featured a who's who of witty, articulate, knowledgeable ex players who were also very funny jabbing at each other displaying a genuine camaraderie. Ex panelists to mention a few like Chris Carter, Len Dawson, Dan Marino, Chris Collinsworth, Nick Buoniconti, Warren Sapp and many more all offered a fresh unique perspective that made the discussion part of the show unparalleled in sports media history. Current panelist Ray Lewis is somewhat interesting but his dubious off field past makes him a rough view. Also current panel choices of Brandon Marshall and Julian Edelman leave a viewer wondering why are these guys here? Edelman's inability to articulate thoughts and Marshalls non-stop forced lame humor are unbearable. Phil Simms is terrific. If there was only a way to delete Edelman and Marshall's thoughts and hear Simms and always steady James Brown? I'm sure many viewers like me are forced to fast-forward the discussions and skip to the highlights only. Which is the most sensible choice as opposed to hearing Edelman and Marshall floundering. I'd rate the discussion 0*, and the highlights 10*. So 5* total.

The most boring sports commentary out there.

[shelbyjb · 1/10 · 16 December 2018]

Boomer and Sims are ridiculous they need to go. They need to talk about teams other than there little favorites .they are flat boring to listen to.they dont bring anything exciting at all to the table.