What it Was, Was Football
Encyclopedia
"What it Was, Was Football" is a monologue
by comedian Andy Griffith
. It was recorded in Raleigh, NC for the Colonial
label in 1953. Soon, Colonial had sold nearly 50,000 copies of the record and then sold the masters to Capitol Records
. Capitol released the record in the same year, and soon had sold nearly 800,000 copies and was instrumental in launching Griffith's career in television
, stage
, and film
. The record is still one of the biggest selling comedy records of all time. On the original single, the monologue is credited to "Deacon Andy Griffith."
The monologue is a description of a college football
game, as seen by a naive country preacher who attends the game by accident and is entirely puzzled by it.
Griffith made an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show
in 1954, in large part due to the popularity of the record.
"What it Was, Was Football" was printed in Mad
magazine in 1958, with illustrations by artist George Woodbridge
. Most of the text of the recording is printed verbatim with faithful renderings of Griffith's accent as heard on the recording; however, Griffith's original climactic description of "the awfullest fight that I have ever seen...in my life!" is moved to an earlier position in the printed version. Also, while the original recording makes no direct reference to a specific university as a setting for the game witnessed, the illustrations in the Mad version refer to both the Ivy League
and University of Notre Dame
. Due to licensing issues, this adaptation had to be omitted from the Totally MAD CD-ROM collection of the magazine's run.
In 1987 Andy Griffith made an appearance on The Tonight Show
promoting his series, Matlock
. During the interview, guest host Bill Cosby
told Griffith that he had purchased Griffith's recording of What it Was, Was Football. Cosby then told Griffith that he had performed it at school and received an A for his grade much to Griffith's surprise and delight.
In 1997, the monologue was made into a short film, directed by Griffith.
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
by comedian Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
. It was recorded in Raleigh, NC for the Colonial
Colonial Records
Colonial Records was a record label located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The records were distributed by ABC-Paramount Records until 1959-1960 when it was distributed by London Records. The label was owned by Orville Campbell. Some of Colonial Records artist were Andy Griffith, Bill Craddock,...
label in 1953. Soon, Colonial had sold nearly 50,000 copies of the record and then sold the masters to Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. Capitol released the record in the same year, and soon had sold nearly 800,000 copies and was instrumental in launching Griffith's career in television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. The record is still one of the biggest selling comedy records of all time. On the original single, the monologue is credited to "Deacon Andy Griffith."
The monologue is a description of a college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game, as seen by a naive country preacher who attends the game by accident and is entirely puzzled by it.
Griffith made an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
in 1954, in large part due to the popularity of the record.
"What it Was, Was Football" was printed in Mad
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
magazine in 1958, with illustrations by artist George Woodbridge
George Woodbridge
George Woodbridge was an American illustrator known for his exhaustive research and historical accuracy. He is sometimes referred to as "America's Dean of Uniform Illustration" because of his expertise in drawing military uniforms....
. Most of the text of the recording is printed verbatim with faithful renderings of Griffith's accent as heard on the recording; however, Griffith's original climactic description of "the awfullest fight that I have ever seen...in my life!" is moved to an earlier position in the printed version. Also, while the original recording makes no direct reference to a specific university as a setting for the game witnessed, the illustrations in the Mad version refer to both the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
and University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. Due to licensing issues, this adaptation had to be omitted from the Totally MAD CD-ROM collection of the magazine's run.
In 1987 Andy Griffith made an appearance on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
promoting his series, Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
. During the interview, guest host Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
told Griffith that he had purchased Griffith's recording of What it Was, Was Football. Cosby then told Griffith that he had performed it at school and received an A for his grade much to Griffith's surprise and delight.
In 1997, the monologue was made into a short film, directed by Griffith.