"How Dodgers Legendary Broadcaster Vin Scully’s majestic voice mesmerized NFL exec Jim Steeg and played a pivotal role in refining the fan experience at the Super Bowl"
Jim Steeg, the guy who single-handedly transformed the Super Bowl across 35 years, was all love for the late Vin Scully. Jim attended a Los Angeles Dodgers game, and while the MLB game was mid-inning, he visited the restroom. Jim was surprised when he overheard the voice of the late renowned sportscaster Vin Scully inside the lavatory.
Recalling his experience, Jim Steeg said:
"It’s funny because a lot of things come back to Dodger Stadium. I remember going to a Dodger game and I was in the restroom and I’m hearing Vin Scully’s voice in the restroom. And I’m going, `Wow, this is incredible. The Dodgers are so smart they put sound in all the restrooms.’"
Jim, who was impressed with the audio facility in the restroom, added:
“What better place for that? The worst thing you ever have is when you’ve got to go in and go to the bathroom, something happens and you don’t know what the hell’s going on. What a brilliant idea it was to put sound in there."
True story: NFL exec Jim Steeg got the idea of piping the Super Bowl broadcasts into the stadium restrooms after visiting Chavez Ravine. At first he thought the Dodgers were doing that a their games -- until he realized it was just everyone listening to Vin on transistor radios.
"True story: NFL exec Jim Steeg got the idea of piping the Super Bowl broadcasts into the stadium restrooms after visiting Chavez Ravine. At first he thought the Dodgers were doing that a their games -- until he realized it was just everyone listening to Vin on transistor radios." - @Sam Farmer
However, the NFL didn't currently have an audio facility. Therefore, Jim (who was in charge of the Special Events Department for the National Football League) decided to incorporate a similar audio facility.
Jim recalls:
"But they didn’t have sound. It was everybody carrying their little transistor radios. So my idea was, OK, let’s put sound in there.
The late, great sportscaster Vin Scully was instrumental in transforming the Super Bowl.
Impressed with Vin Scully's goosebumps inducing voice, Jim Steeg introduced audio broadcasts in restrooms in NFL
Jim Steeg made sure to transform his idea into reality. Steeg introduced new components to the Super Bowl, including Jumbotron video screens, audio TV broadcasts in the stadium, TV access at concession stands, and many other recognizable features.
Audio broadcasts in stadium tunnels, restrooms, and TV access at concession stands were implemented for the first time in the NFL at the Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins game on January 30, 1983.
Greatest Game: Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins — Jan. 30, 1983 bit.ly/1Rhk6PF http://t.co/pXLwHKHH0k
"Greatest Game: Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins — Jan. 30, 1983" - @WTOP Sports
Jim recalls:
"We put sound on the elevators, we put it in the concourses. We put monitors in the concession stands.”
The Redskins defeated the Dolphins 27-17 that day to claim their first Super Bowl victory.