Less than a year after the show that glamorized organized crime ended its run on HBO, one of television’s longest-running sports series will soon be sleeping with the fishes.

After 31 years, the final episode of Inside the NFL will debut on Wednesday night.

“Inside the NFL has been a hallmark program for three decades on HBO,” HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg said in a statement.  “It has been a terrific franchise . . . but the television landscape has changed quite a bit over the last 30 years and we have to recognize the realities of the business.  I’m not sure we had more than one competitor when the show launched.”

Actually, there was no true competitor in 1977.  In those days, halftime of Monday Night Football was the only place to get highlights for any game other than the one involving the team covered by the local television stations. 

Now, highlights are everywhere, and analysis is available from just about any two-bit Internet hack.

NFL Director of Corporate Communications Dan Masonson says that the weekly highlight show will move to another network, but no further information was provided.

The move results in one less television gig for Bob Costas, Dan Marino, Cris Collinsworth, and Peter King.  Cris Carter also appeared on the show.

UPDATE:  Courtesy of SportsByBrooks comes a reminder of a certain “Emmitt moment” that then-rookie Dan Marino experienced in 2000.