Exact Date Notes: History Repeats

A la the singer/storyteller in Bobby Vinton’s “Roses Are Red,” last week I “wrote into this post:

In one, the Raiders, then in Oakland and now in their first year as Las Vegas and in contention with a (6-5) mark, meet the (0-11) New York Jets. In ’70 both George Blanda and Daryle Lamonica threw touchdown passes to Warren Wells in a (14-13) Oakland victory.

I believe the winning score was in the waning seconds, with Wells catching the ball after a deflection. Mr. Blanda, whose game ending/game winning exploits that season were/are legendary, booted the decisive extra point.

Incredibly, on a ridiculous Jets’ coverage, Raiders’ Derek Carr to Henry Ruggs, waning seconds touchdown, it happened again, as the (7-5) Raiders stayed in the AFC ‘offs race, winning vs the (0-12) Jets.

In the other two exact 50 year anniversary tilts (Browns/Titans nee Oilers was a day later, 50 years earlier), the same franchise won, as the (9-3) Browns won at the (8-4) Titans nee Oilers and the (11-1) Chiefs, (16-0) victors vs Denver in ’70, won (22-16), as 13 plus point(s) “faves” last week.

There were 26 teams, thus 13 games each week in 1970 NFL. That was the first of what is now 51 years of the AFC/NFC configuration.

Ten of the thirteen teams that won on December 6, 1970 (again the Browns/Oilers was on Monday night. That week one non Sunday day game, last week there were four) won last week. Only Dallas, S.F. and Cincinnati did not. Only Cincy played on Sunday December 6th last week.

Among the 13 teams/franchises that lost in the referenced week in 1970, only four won last week, (Pats, Bills, Wash and New Orleans), with the Bills and “Wash” each doing so on Monday, not Sunday.

Jorge Santayana, you know what he said about history, if not as my mother often said “look it up,” is pictured above.