Dick Ebersol has resigned from NBC Sports after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract, the network has confirmed. Ebersol is among the most important folks in sports and his impact on the NFL is a rather large one, especially since re-entering the NFL market in 2006.
In 1998, NBC lost their NFL rights to CBS and went eight years without the NFL before returning in 2006 with Sunday Night Football. However, it wasn't just Sunday Night Football that Eberson and Co. acquired. They also had a unique approach with the NFL's flex scheduling.
In the final half of the season, certain games can be flexed to Sunday night in a marquee time slot. The NFL schedule comes out in April so sometimes a game that looks attractive then ends up being a dud and the flex scheduling with NBC allows the network to flex a better game into that Sunday night time slot.
As a football fan who always wants to see the best games, it was a brilliant (if under utilized) plan.
Eberson also acquired the 2009 Super Bowl which was among the most watched Super Bowls of all time. NBC will also air the Super Bowl in 2012.