Great Football Exactly 50 Years Ago Today

Oh for 1970, when I so liked the far less exposed NFL.

Fifty years later and with the same calendar, let’s recall 3 kickers doing great things, exactly 50 years ago today on Sunday November 8, 1970.

First, in a New York Giants’ home win vs eventual, (first year of the) NFC champion, Dallas (Cowboys), Pete Gogolak delivered a key 54 yard field goal for the Giants.

Next, a man born with only a partial foot and arm, Tom Dempsey kicked an incredible, record breaking, game winning SIXTY THREE yard field goal, lifting New Orleans (Saints) (19-17) vs the eventual, first NFC wild card team, the Detroit Lions.

In a late game, (no over exposed Sunday night games, but rumor has it Cris Collinsworth, the world’s all-time blowhard, started his incessant talking then) (Also you think Collinsworth or Michaels, or any of them know NFL history. The answer is NO!), the great George Blanda came in as quarterback and led a rally to tie the Oakland Raiders’ tilt vs what were then “my” Cleveland Browns. (Now the Raiders are in Las Vegas and the new Browns are not the franchise of Otto Graham or Jim Brown–that franchise became the Baltimore Ravens).

Blanda’s heroics, in the midst of many that great season, were capped when he booted a 50 plus (I believe 54) yard field goal to sink the Browns.

Oakland made the AFC title tilt, losing to eventual champion Baltimore (Colts) (John Unitas to Ray Perkins, the latter so instrumental and often forgotten in the great rebuilding of the New York Giants, for a big touchdown) while “my” Browns like the Giants were eliminated from the ‘offs on the season’s last day.

Interestingly the Giants controlled their own destiny but Pat Studstill and the Rams ripped them that December 20th, spoiling Al B./”The Cheese Man’s 15th birthday. (He, however, has seen 4 Supe wins and has a closet full of Giants’ title stuff gear).

The Browns like the Rams, won that last day, but were denied playoffs entry as the Bengals and 49ers also won to cop “div” titles.

Maybe I go too far in criticizing the (dis)likes of Collinsworth and others but remember they won, I lost. I loved it once and one reason was a call such as Don Criqui’s, see and hear the play below, on Tom Dempsey’s historic field goal.

I believe this fateful year of 2020’s events included the death of Tom Dempsey, #19, who died of complications from COVID19.