Dallas Cowboys Tom Landry & O.J. Simpson: Super Bowl TV Broadcast Partners?

Dallas Cowboys Tom Landry & O.J. Simpson: Super Bowl TV Broadcast Partners?

FRISCO - Times - and reputations - have changed.

The legend of the late, great Tom Landry is a pristine one. The Dallas Cowboys coaching icon will be forever recognized as a faith-based winner. ... almost a saint.

The legend of O.J. Simpson? Not so much ... allegedly the worst sort of sinner.

And yet, we're reminded now how the two Hall of Famers' paths crossed in a rather unusual and live-on-TV manner: They were both hired by ABC to help broadcast Super Bowl XIX, a 38-16 Niners win over the Dolphins on Jan. 20, 1985.

And there they all are, Simpson and another Cowboys guy, Don Meredith in front, with Frank Gifford, and in the back row, Joe Theismann, Tom Landry and Al Michaels, the man who is breathing new life into this odd tale thanks to his time-filling work broadcasting the "Black Friday'' Dolphins' blowout of the Jets, a game so boring that Michaels was moved to dredge up some weird old stories.

Al Michaels sneaks in an O.J. Simpson reference before the end of the broadcast. pic.twitter.com/rHUaJlEtOI

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 24, 2023

For no good reason, he mentioned how Arnold Schwarzenegger once entered the "Monday Night Football'' booth to declare that the Jets would be "terminated.'' (Michaels told the tale using an awful Schwarzenegger imitation.)

Also apropos of nothing, Al reminisced about working that Super Bowl with "Tom Landry and O.J. Simpson as my analysts.''

And as you can see above, it's true. There was Michaels, Gifford and Meredith - the usually "MNF'' trio. But as special sideline reporters and analysts, Landry and Simpson also came aboard.

Landry, now considered strictly stoic, was once viewed as being colorful enough to do live TV at the Super Bowl?

Simpson, now considered ... well, an ex-convict, to put it most politely, was once viewed as being safe enough to do live TV at the Super Bowl?

Yes, and yes. See? As Michaels and the Amazon Prime crew rolls into DFW for this week's Thursday night game featuring the Seahawks at the Cowboys ... Times - and reputations - have changed.