NFL Countdown: 1951 season featured a historic first for fans across the USA

In the winter of 1951, American television viewers, from coast to coast, were able to watch an NFL Championship Game on their screens for the first time, thanks to the DuMont Network.

The DuMont Network had the distinction of being one of the original commercial television networks, alongside the likes of CBS and NBC. In September of that year, the West Coast was connected to the rest of the nation. This essentially created a nationwide television network with shared programming across the country for the very first time.

DuMont needed to make a splash. They were able to so when they recognized the ever-increasing popularity of football. They struck a deal with the NFL to broadcast the 1951 Championship Game. The network paid the league $75,000 to secure the exclusive rights.

Over the next four years, the DuMont Network signed agreements with individual franchises before going on to broadcast NFL games on Saturday nights and televising them on national prime-time TV.

The 1951 NFL Championship Game goes live across America

The Championship Game of 1951 would witness a rematch from the season prior as the Los Angeles Rams, once again, took on the Cleveland Browns. The Championship Game of 1950 ended in a 30-28 win for the Browns. The game took place at their home stadium in Cleveland. In 1951, the roles were reversed. The Rams would have home-field advantage. The game took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The legendary Harry Wismer was the play-by-play commentator for the broadcast. Wismer already had a distinguished career in the broadcast booth. He would later branch out into ownership and become an influential figure in the creation of the modern NFL.

An excellent college player in his own right, by 1940, he had landed his dream job as the voice of the Washington Redskins. His first game for the team was the 1940 NFL Championship Game. It was one that Wismer would not soon forget, for all the wrong reasons. The Chicago Bears famously annihilated the Washington Redskins 73-0, in the most one-sided games in NFL Championship history.

At one point, Wismer actually owned 25% of the Redskins before selling the team to George Preston Marshall. Wismer later went onto become one of the founders of the American Football League.

The Cleveland Browns brought an 11-1 record into the game, and the defending champions were heavy favorites against the Los Angeles Rams, who went 8-4 during the regular season.

The underdog Rams jumped out to a 7-0 lead, thanks to an early touchdown from full-back Dick Hoerner. Their lead had evaporated by half-time. This was thanks to a Dub Jones touchdown and a 52-yard field goal from iconic Browns kicker Lou Groza. It was the longest in Championship history.

The game would go back and forth. With time running out in the fourth quarter, the Browns leveled the score at 17-17 after a touchdown by Ken Carpenter. However, on the very next play, Norm Van Brocklin hooked up with Tom Fears for a 73-yard touchdown. The Rams held on to complete a surprise 24-17 victory.

For the DuMont Network, it was a signal of their intent in what would become an arms race in the new world of national network television. However, while broadcasters like NBC and CBS would go on to become world-renowned television superpowers, it was a different story for the DuMont Network.

By 1956, the company had gone broke and was out of business. They lost out to better established networks with greater financial backing. During their short time in existence, they managed to make their mark in the world of professional football. They provided a blueprint that would go on to form the foundation of the modern day NFL.