It All Changed, 50 Years Ago, When Jan Stenerud Missed

This week on Fox, (late afternoon Sunday) with “The Emperor,” Joe Buck (Jack Buck was on the NFC Network, then CBS telecast of the Chiefs’ first Supe win while “El Emperor” was on the NFC network, Fox telecast of the second such, 50 years later. Jack Buck was long associated with the Dallas Cowboys), it is (7-2) Dallas (Cowboys) at (6-4) Kansas City (Chiefs).

Fifty years ago, the NFC had the audacity to schedule 2 ‘offs games on Christmas Day (that and playing two days after the assassination of J.F.K. –day/J.F.K. it rhymes, but is there good or fair reason why the NFL flourishes despite those two among so many, horrible, offensive decisions?!!) the Cowboys, still looking for their first crown, having suffered heartbreaking ‘offs defeats thrice (twice vs Green Bay and once vs the Colts and a great broadcaster, Ted Moore “voiced” for both of those teams in those seasons), had secured a home title tilt, having won at Minnesota in the early Saturday, again it was Christmas Day, slot 1/div round game.

When the great kicker, Jan Stenerud was set to attempt a relatively short range field goal that, if good (ode to announcer broadcasting great, Lindsey Nelson) would have yielded a K.C. win and I believe a home title tilt (certainly with the next day’s “Balti” win at Cleveland, it would have manifested), it was certainly very possible, a Cowboys/Chiefs Supe would manifest.

However, Stenerud missed, the great Larry Csonka (on his 25th birthday, I just looked it up and I recall “Csonk” riding around Pace U. Pleasantville in a Rolls Royce? years later as a faded Giants’ player) made a big run setting up another superb kicker, Garo Yepremian, who nailed a second overtime field goal, that ended the Chiefs’ season and essentially their “team of the 70’s” false, as in most cases, HYPE.