Background: The NFL Network is a specialty network dedicated to football. It is owned and operated by the National Football League. It first went on the air in November 2003. It has been plagued by distribution problems since 2006, leaving football fans angry. Many cable companies, like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cablevision has the NFL Network on a premium sports tier, or refuse to carry the network at all. The NFL Network has repeatedly filed lawsuits so that the channel gets more viewers, but to no avail.
1st Logo (2003-2006)
Logo: A bunch of pieces and stars form the NFL Network logo, which looks like a stylized blue and red football with the "NFL" script and five blue stars above it.
FX: The pieces forming the logo.
Music/Sounds: A small fanfare which sounds like the 2003-2006 NFL Total Access theme song.
Availability: Uncommon, but pretty common in the channel's early days.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo (2003- )
Logo: On a background (which varies depending on what team's head coaches appear) that has something to do with the location or mascot of the team, a coach says "I'm (head coach name), and you're watching the NFL Network." Then, the NFL Network logo appears (again, different effects depending on which head coach is showing).
Variants: Oh boy, here they are:
New England Patriots: We see Bill Belichick saying "I'm Bill Belichick and you're watching the NFL Network.", then the Patriots logo, reveals the NFLN's logo while it's waving.
Buffalo Bills: We see Gregg Williams (2003-2004), Mike Mularkey (2004-2006), or Dick Jauron (2006- ) say the same thing, but with their head coaches name. Then a heard of blue bison charging at the screen (YIKES!), reveals the NFL network's logo.
New York Jets: We see Herman Edwards (2003-2006), or Eric Mangini (2006-Present), you know what they say, but after they say it, a couple silver Jets blow smoke, forming the NFL Network's logo.
Miami Dolphins: We see Dave Wanstedt (2003-2005), Nick Saban (2005-06), Cam Cameron (2006-08), or Tony Sparano (2008- ) saying the same thing, but then a dolphin jumps, forming the NFL Network Logo.
FX: The appearance of the NFL logo.
Music/Sounds: A drum theme.
Availability: Current.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo (2006-) Nicknames: "Football 24/7"
Logo: On a black background, we see a football player like Warren Sapp (now an analyst for the NFL Network). behind the player, a white aura-like air forms the NFL Network logo described above.
FX: The aura forming the logo.
Music/Sounds: A football player says "NFL Network, Football 24/7." Then a whoosh sound, and a crowd cheering.
Availability: Appears before the show comes back from commercial breaks.
Scare Factor: None, what did you expect, Warren Sapp jumping out of the TV and smacking you???
4th Logo (2008-)
Logo: We see the current NFL Network logo on a gray background.
FX: TBA
Music/Sounds: TBA
Availabilty: Brand new.
Scare Factor: None.
Before NFL games
(2006-Present)(2006-)
Logo:Logo: On a black background We see a close up of the current NFL logo, with the camera panning all over it, then it zooms back. At the same time, the NFL logo transforms into the NFL Network logo (the stylized red/blue football) with an aura like glow behind it. The aura disappears, and the logo darkens.
SFX: Everything,FX:theThe CGI NFL shield, the shield transforming to the NFL Network logo, the aura.
Music:Music: AExtendedextended version of the NFL theme.
Availability:Availabilty: Before live NFL games shown on NFL Network.