Super Bowl I: The merger of the two football leagues begat the AFL-NFL Championship Game, as yet unmonickered, in January 1967.  But who would televise it?  NBC, which had the AFL contract, or CBS, network of the older league?  Commissioner Pete Rozelle’s answer was Solomonic:  Both networks would present this particular squalling infant, and compete for the highest rating.  The New York Times ran lineups and matchups for the two networks as though they were playing the game, listing each announcer, director, and producer by height, weight, and school attended. 

The joint telecast caused a moment of panic for CBS’s Jack Whitaker:  “After an interminable halftime show, the second half was finally ready to begin and I was on the air.  Kansas City took the kickoff and we were underway.  But wait a minute!  Officials were running around and blowing whistles and waving their arms.  I had no idea what happened.  There was no penalty flag on the ground.  I was bewildered and scared to death.”  Analyst Frank Gifford was equally flustered, but the answer eventually came through: NBC had been in commercial when the kickoff took place, so it would have to be redone.  If ever there was any doubt who calls the shots in pro football, this put it to rest.