July 30

In this edition of the Football History Headlines, we discuss a big Enshrinement Day for three Hall of Fame players, A Championship Arena, a Kodak Moment and many more HOF Legendary stories.

• July 30, 1928 - From his home in Rochster, NY; film and camera innovator of Kodak fame, George Eastman, first demonstrates his color motion pictures to a group that includes famous inventor Thomas Edison. The first color home movie night! Eastman and Edison both had major contributions that allow us to see color video, including football related items to this day.
• July 30, 1971 - The NFL Champion Baltimore Colts overcame the College team 24-17 in front of 52,289 of paid attendance at the Chicago College All-Star game at Chicago's Soldier Field. The MVP award, always given to the college player team, happened to be Richard Harris the defensive end from Grambling State.
• July 30, 1988 - Arena Bowl II is played at All State Arena in Rosemont, Illinois as the Detroit Drive outlasts the Chicago Bruisers 24-13. Steve Griffin is voted as the games MVP. The Arena Football League was founded in 1987 and operated as a league in one form or fashion until 2019, making it the thrid longest running North American football league of all time behind only the CFL & the NFL. The fast paced, pass happy style of play provided an avenue for fans to enjoy the game of football in doors out of the throws of winter weather. 
• July 30, 1977 - Three big stars of  mid century football were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Bart Starr, Frank Gifford & Gale Sayers were all deservedly represented with bronze busts placed in the Canton, Ohio's famous Gridiron museum of legends.

• July 30, 1903 - Sacramento, California - Vic Hanson was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973 as he excelled at End for Syracuse University per the NFF. He was such a good athlete that he not only played football, baseball and basketball for Syracuse but he was the captain of each team! In fact he is the only person to be in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame!
• July 30, 1924 - New York, New York - George Savitsky was a two way tackle from the University of Pennsylvania who was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in the class of 1991 by the National Football Foundation. George was unique too as he became a four-time All-America selection in 1945, the first  player to do so since 1901. Savitski played in the East-West Shrine Game as a freshman, sophomore and senior becoming the only player ever chosen for the game three times, and he was named to the all-time Shrine team. He later played in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. Many experts consider Mr. Savitsky to be one of the best tackles to play both sides of the ball in the history of college football.
• July 30, 1948 - Cleveland, Ohio - Jim Mandich was a tight end out of the University of Michigan that ended up being selected to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. According to the FootballFoundation.org, unanimous First Team All-America and team captain in 1969, Mandich was named the team's Most Valuable Player while leading the Wolverines to a Big Ten Conference Co-Championship and Rose Bowl appearance. A two-time First Team All-Conference pick, he twice led Michigan in receptions and yardage. After graduation Mandich ended up playing on Sunday's for the NFL's Miami Dolphins and later for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For more stats on football people born on July 30th check out Pro Football Reference.

See something that happened on this date that we missed? Please let us know via email at PigskinDispatch@gmail.com.

Here is a corresponding YouTube video to this Football Day July 30 article!

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by the John Joseph Pershing Collection circa July 30, 1928 and is titled " George Eastman (left) and Thomas Edison with motion picture camera at Eastman's house in Rochester, New York, where a demonstration of the new Kodacolor film was being held ."