'The Greatest Game Ever Played,' 50 years later on ESPN, with color enhancements

Upgraded and colorized in a way that enhances the experience rather than detracts, the new ESPN documentary called "The Greatest Game Ever Played" that rewinds to the 1958 NFL championship game between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts at Yankee Stadium airs at 6 p.m. Saturday immediately after the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Executive producer John Dahl said he was careful not to bring "an artificial look to it" while keeping everything as authentic as possible. San Diego-based Legend Films, which helped CBS colorize the 1960 Masters for a special last year done by Jim Nantz's production company, also did these special effects.

Since TV coverage of the game is gone, only a disarray of film clips remains. Dahl said he found some never-seen footage that had been stored in the basement of former Colts coach Weeb Ewbank.

The twist to this documentary presentation is that ESPN matched up 11 from that 1958 game with players on the current Colts and Giants roster to discuss the game's impact today.

Two former legendary broadcasters -- Pat Summerall and Frank Gifford, the Giants' kicker and running back in that game, respectively - are included, as is new Fox studio analyst (and former Giant) Michael Strahan.

Game play-by-play comes from two radio broadcasts: Joe Boland, who did it for NBC, and Bob Wolff, who did it on a syndicated network call.