News From faa cosets eee Bethlehem, PA 18015 wlvt.org For Immediate Release June 23, 2004 Contact: Hillary G. Kwiatek (610) 867-4677, ext. 253, E-mail hillaryk@wlvt.org, PBS 39 HITS THE GRIDIRON NEW DOCUMENTARY EXPLORES THE LEHIGH/LAFAYETTE LEGACY (Lehigh Valley) “It’s not just a game, it’s the game.” So states 76-year old Frank Downing, World War I-era Lafayette College quarterback. Downing speaks, of course, of the annual football match between Lehigh University and Lafayette College. On Sunday, September 12", all of eastern Pennsylvania will walk onto the field with Frank Downing and the hundreds of others who have been part of America’s most played college football rivalry as PBS 39 premieres its newest documentary ~ The Lehigh-Lafayette Legacy. The program will air at 7:00 PM. ‘The Lehigh-Lafayette Legacy debuts just in time for the kickoff of the college football season. Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas, best known as the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies and NFL films, narrates the program. Lafayette and Lehigh have been taking their rivalry onto the football every year, sometimes twice a year, since a crisp, cool October day in 1884. The Lehigh-Lafayette Legacy takes a nostalgia-filled look back at some of the most exciting and poignant moments of this rivalry, which will mark its 140" meeting this November. ‘Through the cooperation of Lehigh University and Lafayette College, PBS 39 gained access to a wealth of archival game film footage in the making of this new documentary. Game film dating back as far as 1947 is included in the program. Classic highlights include the famous fog game in 1955, the 100" game in 1964 and the last match-up playcd at Taylor Stadium in 1987. In addition, viewers will catch thrilling moments from more recent games, such as the spectacular overtime finish of 1995, and the Lafayette upset in 2002. And, PBS 39 was on hand to capture all of the color and excitement of last year’s 139" contest. ‘The Lehigh-Lafayette Legacy features fascinating and moving personal stories from the players, coaches and families who left their mark on this historic rivalry. For instance, Mike and Brian Gregorek, along with their understandably conflicted parents, faced a family dilemma when sibling rivalry transformed into sports rivalry during the 2000 Lafayette-Lehigh contest. Blood may be thicker than water, but all bets were off when these brothers met head-to-head on the football field. During World War If, while their teams still battled on the playing field, members of past Lehigh and Lafayette teams who met on the real battlefields of Europe and the Pacific put aside their old college rivalry and developed strong bonds. Some of the players from the Greatest Generation share their stories over the course of this one-hour documentary. ‘The Lehigh-Lafayette Legacy also looks at how the rivalry has changed the game of football itself. For example, in the early days of the sport, the game was played with little or no protective gear. It was a Lafayette player, George Barclay, who ushered in the era of injury- reducing safety equipment when he invented the football helmet in 1896. ‘The Lehigh-Lafayette Legacy is the newest installment in PBS 39°s Emmy-award winning Living History Series. It is the first sports-related documentary the station has undertaken, however, it will not be the last. PBS 39 is already planning another new program — Football Legends of Pennsylvania — that will look at the Commonwealth’s remarkable contributions to gridiron history. The station is also hard at work on a new documentary about our area’s ‘many amusement parks -- those that are still here and those that are gone, but not forgotten. Those interested in receiving a copy of the VHS or DVD of The Lehigh-Lafayette Legacy will be able to do so for a contribution of $75 to PBS 39. Pre-orders can be made by contacting PBS 39 at 610-984-8100 or going on-line to www.wlvtorg beginning in September. The videos will be delivered in mid-September. “The goal of our Living History Series to preserve and share the wealth of our community's history with the people of our region,” noted PBS 39 President and CEO Patricia Simon, “We are proud that these shows have met with critical praise and the strong support of our community.” “I's breathtaking to review the range of subject matter we have covered in our Living History Series,” remarked PBS 39 Vice President of Production Amy Burkett. “From Bethlchem Steel to Hess's from the Bach Choir to the Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry, all of these community icons have contributed to the vitality and quality of life in our region.” PBS 39/WLVT-TV is a community-owned public television station licensed to Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, PA, serving eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. ‘The station’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey by creating and disseminating multi-media content that educates, engages, and inspires. Channel 39 is owned and operated by the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. ~- WLVT —