The Library of Congress has added NFL Films' 1967
production, They Call It Pro Football to its Nationals Film Registry.
Written and produced by Steve Sabol, They Call It Pro
Football was NFL Films' first feature. It was directed by John Hentz and narrated
by John Facenda. NFL Films is the league's in-house production company.
In its press release, the Library of Congress described the
1967 film: "They Call It Pro Football established a mold for
subsequent productions by NFL Films and has well earned its characterization as
the Citizen Kane of sports movies." NFL Films named its NFL.com blog after the movie
and has posted the final five minutes of the movie for viewing here.
Other notable admissions for 2012 are A League of Their
Own, The Matrix, Dirty Harry and A Christmas Story.
"These films are not selected as the 'best' American
films of all time, but rather as works of enduring importance to American
culture. They reflect who we are as a people and as a nation," said
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.
