NFL Update And Bills’ ‘offs Tilts Have Been Earlier Notes, Guaranteed Not Found Elsewhere

Yesterday, a three of three underdogs cover and two clear overs day (in doing Bills’ research, I read about the fine player, Tom Day, who died a day after his 65th birthday, after a life that included helping NFL players who “fell” and  transcending racial barriers), the Tom Brady (his teams are now (31-11) in ‘offs games, (9-1)when played on Saturday night–all but last night’s with New England, including the first Saturday night ‘offs game, in which Brady and Company both “tuck-ruled” and “Viniatieri’d” the Raiders en route to the first of 6 crowns, some 25 years after the Raiders, en route to the first of what was to be 3 titles in 8 seasons and none since,j “roughed the passer’d and Stabler’d them) led, 5 seed, visiting Bucs and field goal/dog, outright winning, Rams joined the Bills as game winners. Neither the Bills vs the Colts or the Bucs vs the “Wash” football team, covered the respective touchdown and “more than td,” point spreads.

Thus, if the 10 point fave Saints (the bettors are cashing those big fave teasers, one wonders for how long, although if “dumping the “whole game” occurs at all, surely it is less frequent in the ‘offs) prevail today vs the Bears (who but me, would cite they are playing around 4 P.M. Eastern Time on a Sunday, in the first year of an expanded (I call it prostituted, get me yet–I know this, lived it, but no longer love it, in fact, on some level, especially that involving the announcers, the concussions, the replays, the lack of proper ball location by defensive backs and plethora of military is good propoganda, despise it, wild card round, after doing so 30 years ago) then in next week’s slots/division round, Brady and the Bucs would visit New Orleans while the Rams would go to Green Bay. (If it manifests, even if it does not, my opinion on Brady’s intangibles and recall of the ’67 Western Conference ‘off, will be cited in the upcoming pre slots week).

How’s this one?!! In 28 possibilities, the Buffalo Bills have played the earlier and in yesterday’s, again in my opinion, prostituted case, earliest, of the weekend’s playoff tilts, an incredible 26 times. Some details follow.

Three such instances were the day before and involved 2 games, while the other 25 were same day comparisons of starting times, again all but yesterday’s, also involving 2 games.

In ’63, the Pats made the AFL Title tilt, winning the Eastern Conference, unscheduled ‘off, as the two teams finished tied in the “reg” standings, on Saturday December 28, 1963. It was the next day, in the other football tilt that weekend, that the Chicago Bears (14-10)’d the New York Giants, to win the NFL crown.

1964’s final weekend included the Bills winning at home vs the defending champion Chargers (then and for most of their largely futile seasons they were the San Diego Chargers, and they had whomped the Pats in the ’63 AFL title tilt, led by Keith Lincoln. In the ’64 game, football is violent, but even pacifist, perhaps coward, but not because I would not have gone to fight in a war, me decries some of the new rules which penalize even “breathing” on the opposing quarterback–Mike Stratton delivered a blow that knocked Mr. Lincoln out of the game. A few years later Lincoln was dealt to Buffalo for the aforementioned Tom Day. I noted some of Mr. Day’s off field contributions and “tangential/run on sentence” me, feels I would be remiss not reminding and never forgetting another Lincoln and in that case TRAGIC VIOLENCE are associated) the day before the Browns won their last crown, (27-0) vs the then Baltimore Colts, the franchise Buffalo “no covered”and “all teased” ( that includes the total that “fell” 51, with 50 and a fraction and 52 out there, but of course not me, NEVER me) yesterday.

One of the two times that the Bills played the later of the two ‘offs tilts on the same day, was their Billy Joe (not quite Billy Joel) led victory on another December 26th, that one in 1965.

Earlier that day, the Green Bay Packers (in a rare foray into the present, I think the upcoming Supe will match Green Bay and Buffalo and thought so for 5 dollars at 45 to 1, the fact it is so little and though this clearly could have been more without crossing a danger line and of course would have yielded “hedge” possibilities, it is more important to “control” regarding this now totally out there, no longer “sub” but culture (this is U.S. culture and we have the nerve to knock France, other than if they are rude or hateful) won (13-10) vs the Baltimore Colts, again the franchise now in Indianapolis, the Bills (27-24’d) yesterday as touchdown “faves,” en route to the first of what still is an unprecedented 3 straight NFL crowns gained with title game victories.

The last pre AFC/NFC configuration occurrence was in the first “merger season” of 1966. Then before Green Bay (34-27’d) Dallas in the so under rated ’66 NFL title tilt, this because the ’67 version is legendary (of course that fact did not preclude Joe Buck from saying the ’67 version was played in 1969. Exacerbating that ignominious for a sportscaster–face it the top assignment one- was it happened at a dinner honoring one of that ’67 game announcers, his father Jack. Maybe he was confused by the fact his namesake, a “Midnight Cowboy” character walked, as lyrics sung by Harry Neilson (“Everybody’s talking at me”) and that superb film, not the ’67 NFL title tilt, aka “The Ice Bowl” was in 1969), K.C. (Chiefs), the current NFL champions and the only team that would be favored vs either the Packers or Bills in a “within the conference” tilt in the upcoming week(s), gained entry to the first Supe, beating the Bills.

So pre AFC/NFC configuration, 3 of 4 Bills’ ‘offs tilts were earlier. After eventual Supe champion, Pittsburgh (Steelers), 6 or so point faves today vs Cleveland in a bid to visit Buffalo in next week’s “slots,” won at home vs Hertz “pitchman” Orenthal Simpson and the Bills in the earlier Sunday “div” game in ’74, the next Bills’ ‘offs tilt “produced” the second and only other “later day” start.

In it, Dan Fouts, “went to” Ron Smith, Fouts he of the beard and no Supe “apps,” though I do like him and surely he was among the great passers, if not quarterbacks–the likely to retire and religious zealot, ex Charger player, Phillip Rivers, the Colts QB yesterday, is good, but nowhere near in that great category, and S.D. took out the Bills.

Since then and to wrap up this “run on/run on and worse,” the Bills have played in the earlier or earliest tilt of the day, (often weekend), 22 straight times.

Adding and almost done, in ’81, Buffalo won a Saturday wild card game at the Jets’ then Shea Stadium home, the day before Rob Carpenter led a Giants’ victory at Philly (imagine their 2 tilts next season, trust me by then other will headline and not the QB substitution perpetrated by the Eagles, though surely it will be publicized. Hopefully the teams will and it is not a stretch to say, will be part of a (much) better NFC East), in that weekend’s other wild card game.

As a vindictive father of a vanquished plagiaristic sportswriter,  (yet the latter lives in luxury, while said father’s actions contributed mightily to my plight, not vow, of “below the line” living), said– “if only I had put the effort into “other,” what I put into this c–p.

Therein lies a, if not the rub, as what was stated by Shakespeare to another Cassius (I love and admire Muhammad Ali and that, not Cassius is his name. Lighter note: Cassius Clay is also a pretty cool, surely alliterative name) is largely applicable, regarding me–something about fault, stars and ourselves.

Maybe I can implement the use of footnotes.