For the first time, ESPN decided to broadcast a high school football game featuring an all-deaf team.

California School for the Deaf-Fremont, who was matched up against Woodland Christian in California, opened ESPN’s historic coverage with a silent, all-sign language national anthem performance. The cheerleaders were the ones leading the charge. It’s just something you have to watch, and there’s a good chance the room might be pretty misty when the performance is over.

So darn powerful. This performance was just one way ESPN planned to make this broadcast unique.

“Our mission is simply to pay attention and capture how this team plays the game,” said John Vassallo, ESPN senior coordinating producer. “We want to take the viewer into the classroom, the meeting rooms, locker room and on campus to experience what the student-athletes experience at their school.”

This matchup will incorporate several unique production elements into the telecast, including a Silent Drive, where one or two drives will be aired in complete silence; announcement of starting lineups (which will be signed); in-game interviews with the mothers of several CSD players; and coverage of the national anthem, which will be signed by the CSD cheerleaders.

Photos and videos from a watch party at Gallaudet University, where several CSD graduates now attend, will also be shared during the game. Gallaudet, which is located in Washington, D.C., is a private university for deaf students.

The idea for this broadcast was inspired by an E:60 on the deaf school last year called “Silent Night Lights.”

Prior to the game, ESPN executives had said they wanted to raise the standard for the broadcast with this game. The national anthem seems to show they’re on the right track.

[ESPN]

About Ryan Williamson

Ryan is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri and has recently returned to his Minnesota roots. He previously has worked for the Columbia Missourian, KFAN radio in Minneapolis and BringMeTheNews.com. Feel free to email me at rwilliamson29 AT Gmail dot com.