I Cited Chiefs/Wash ’83 Comparison

Last week, around this time I cited a comparison between the 2019 and 2020 K.C. Chiefs with the football team from Washington D.C. (1981-1983).

I imparted the following: 

Recall the (’81-’83) Washington football team. They won their last 3 under first year, and eventual 3 time Supe winning coach, Joe Gibbs in 1981. In the strike marred ’82 NFL season (Wash won two strike year NFL crowns and also 2 following baseball crowns won by the Minnesota Twins nee Washington Senators, first in strike marred ’87 and again in ’91), the team went (12-1) (4-0) in the ‘offs, winning it all.

They were superb in ’83, going (14-2) in the “reg” (K.C.’s record this season) and won 2 more in the ‘offs, thus going into the Supe vs the Raiders, that season the L.A. Raiders, having won 31 of its last 34 games.

I recall the Raiders so loose on the sideline as they were routing Sea Seahawks in the AFC title game, mocking the “Fun Bunch/Wash team.”

As 3 plus point underdogs, (same margin K.C. is favored by this time) the Raiders ripped “Wash” (38-9). Thus Wash was a “Lefty Grove/1931” (31-4) in its last 35 and as was the case with Grove’s 2 time champion Philly A’s in 1931, a final round non winner. Wash had one title in the (31-4) run.

K.C. enters the Supe having won an incredible 25 of its last 27 games, (25-1) in Mahomes games.

Now add, that the “Wash” record fell to (31-4), a great record, one Robert Moses “Lefty” Grove, the last pitcher, who probably was as great or better than Sandy Koufax, had in 1931–(31-4).

After two titles in a row, those great and largely forgotten, Philadelphia Athletics were denied a third straight by the John “Pepper” Martin led St. Louis Cardinals, who took the ’31 W.S. in 7 games.

That ’83 Wash team and this year’s Chiefs, each bidding for a second crown, were nowhere close in the final.

Both games/Supes were played in Tampa, Florida and in defeat both “Wash” and K.C. were held to 9 points. Oakland (38-9) and limited home team, Tampa Bay (31-9) as final scores.