Today, a truly classic episode of the great television show, “What’s My Line,” that aired on September 14, 1958.
The mystery guest, Ed Sullivan made the audience howl with laughter, as he donned a mask.
Mr. Sullivan was a week away from beginning his eleventh season on television, with his “Toast of the Town” Show.
Panelists were Arlene Francis, John Payne, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf.
The host of What’s My Line was John Charles Daly.
Click below to view the show. Enjoy!
What’s My Line? – Ed Sullivan; John Payne [panel] (Sep 14, 1958)
Sadly, Mel Stottlemyre, who certainly has a place in baseball history, especially that of the New York Yankees, has passed away at the age of 77.
Mel helped the Yankees win the 1964 American League Pennant, their incredible 29th in 44 seasons, and last for 12 seasons, by going (9-3) as a mid- season call up from the minor league.
The great Bob Gibson, won vs Stottlemyre in game 7 of that season’s World Series.
Stottlemyre was a very good pitcher, winning 20 or more games on less than stellar Yankees’ teams three times. He also lost 20 games in 1966.
It was as a pitching coach for the Yankees and Mets that Stottlemyre enjoyed great team and individual success, as he was part of 5 of the 6 (4 with the Yankees) combined titles for the two teams, in the past forty seasons (’79-2018).
On a personal note, years pass, people are no longer 9 years old, however, I vividly recall a Yankees/Stottlmyre fan come literally dancing out of his house/apartment, to tell the rest of us, “Stott” had won his 20th game.
That was a fine Saturday in 1965 and Mel Stottlemyre was a fine man/pitcher/teacher/coach.
Mel Stottlemyre, pictured above.
Yesterday despite trailing (14-0) (it easily could have been more ), the NFC top seed, New Orleans Saints scored the game’s final 20 points and advanced to their second home title game, (in the other, they beat Minnesota en route to the ’09 crown), eliminating the defending champion, Philadelphia Eagles.
New Orleans will face the Los Angeles Rams, who made it 23 straight seasons (’96-2018), without as much as a division round victory for the Dallas Cowboys, defeating them (30-22).
The later title game also matches the top two conference seeds as New England, now (12-1) in home division round games, (they won easily vs the L.A. Chargers), in the Brady/Belichick incredible run, (the lone such loss to the New York Jets in 2010) will travel to Kansas City, to meet the AFC top seed, Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs will host an AFC or for that matter an AFL Title Game for the first time in their 59 year history, after their first ever home NFL division round victory yesterday.
Saying it will be the Chiefs first ever home title game in the 47 year history of Arrowhead Stadium,is understating the history involved in what was an easy Chiefs (31-13) victory vs the Indy Colts, a team that was (4-0) vs them in the NFL playoffs.
As either the Dallas Texans (1960-1962, with a title in ’62) or as the Chiefs from (1963-2017) the franchise never hosted such a game. They won the AFL “all the way” crown in 1962, winning at Houston (Oilers) on Tommy Brooker’s field goal in the second overtime. In both ’66 and ’69, they won ROAD AFL title games/semis, en route to a Supe win in ’69 and a loss in ’66.
The win yesterday vs the Colts was just their second in the AFC division round (2-7), the other at Houston (Oilers) in 1993 was followed by a loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC title tilt. Buffalo went on to lose a fourth Super Bowl in as many seasons and they still have that (0-4) record in Super Bowl play as do the Minnesota Vikings.
Kansas City’s lone Super Bowl triumph was a win vs the Vikings, in the fourth Supe, the first of the 4 Vikings’ Super Bowl losses.
The Chiefs will host the winner of today’s Chargers at Patriots game in the later title tilt a week from today/tonight.
CBS plans a day of the Supe interview, already recorded with Len Dawson, the quarterback on that Chiefs’ 1969 season title team. You do the “math.”
“Face it” as Mr. Dawson pictured above, getting the snap from center E.J. Holub, who also played on defense earlier in his career, did regarding the 10 other Chiefs’ players in their huddle, (he faced them as they lined up in two rows of five) the Chiefs and their playoffs failure ridden coach Andy Reid loom!
Would you believe I have not cited the team’s excellent young quarterback, Patrick Mahomes until now.
Today is the 50th anniversary of the New York Jets’ big upset win vs the then Baltimore Colts, in the third of four AFL vs NFL Championship games/Super Bowls.
Among the Jets’ stars in that long remembered game is quarterback Joe Namath, who a year earlier threw for over 4 thousand yards in AFL regular season play, the first quarterback in any league to do so.
Matt Snell of the Jets scored their lone touchdown also rushing for 121 yards, while Jim Turner scored their other 10 points, including 3 made field goals.
The Jets defense was superb and a bit lucky (tipped interceptions and the Colts being unable to spot a wide open Jimmy Orr as the halftime show to be, marched along the Orange Bowl back line of the end zone) holding the (15-1) Colts, who had to win 2 NFL ‘offs games to gain Super Bowl entry juxtaposed with the Jets needing one AFL such win to do the same, without a score until well into the final quarter.
Winston Hill, (the next year another offensive lineman named Hill, that one Dave Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs, would play great as the AFL evened the Supe score, to forever be AFL and NFL 2 wins each), led the Jets offensive line that day.
The one and only Joe Namath, pictured above.
It was with great admiration and “if only it could be us,” feelings, that we joked Joe saying “honey, I told you not to call me at the game,” as a “caption” when we saw him on the phone during a game.
One of my favorite players was the versatile and talented Caesar Tovar.
Mr. Tovar is one of a handful of players to play all 9 positions in the field in a game.
He helped the Minnesota Twins win legitimate “one fourth” divisional titles under managers Billy Martin in 1969 and Cal Ermer in 1970.
I know I had the above baseball card.
Tovar was the second player to play all 9 fielding positions in a major league game. There are now 5.
The first player to do so was Bert Campaneris in 1965. When Tovar did it three years after Campaneris, his first position was pitcher.
Campaneris was the first batter he faced.
On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys will meet in the NFL playoffs for the ninth time, but first time since 1985.
The teams met in the ‘offs six times in eight seasons from (1973-1980, not meeting in ’74 and ’77) and again in 1983 and 1985.
This will be just the second Saturday playoffs clash between the teams, however, a second straight. They have met six times on a Sunday and once on a Monday (that essentially no longer possible, the Monday meeting in the ’83 wild card round game).
Dallas and L.A. (the teams did not meet in the ‘offs during the 21 years (’95-2015), the Rams were based in St. Louis and Dallas was 15 years from entering the NFL when the Cleveland Rams won the 1945 crown, in their last game representing what was/is called “The Forest City.”
Previous division round games between the two teams have produced great memories and great efforts by such as Drew Pearson, Merlin Olsen and Eric Dickerson.
Another was a Vince Ferragamo to Billy Waddy touchdown pass that gave L.A. the lead to stay, late in the ’79 game. The Rams have won (the last) 3 of the previous 4 division round games.
Click below to view Ferragamo to Waddy in that ’79 tilt, with Vin Scully and George Allen on the CBS telecast.
Ferragamo to Waddy (Rams vs Cowboys 1979 NFC Divisional Playoff Game)
