SF/LA Playoffs History Notes

In today’s later Conference Title tilt/NFL “semi,” the L.A. Rams (0-2) in previous L.A. hosted such games, are 3 plus point(s) favorites vs the San Francisco 49ers, a team that has won 6 straight games vs them.

On January 9th, 3 weeks back, SF overcame a (17-0) deficit and a (24-17) one in the last minute plus to overtime the Rams and qualify for the ‘offs as the NFC “6” seed while dropping the Rams from a “2” to a “4” seed, something Joe Buck did not convey to the millions of people tuned to the broadcast.

Both the 49ers with road wins as respective 3 plus points and 6 point underdogs at Dallas (Cowboys) and top seed Green Bay (Packers) and the Rams (menos 4 vs Arizona (Cardinals) and plus 3 or so, in Mr. Brady’s last (told you so but only 7 at plus 175 as it really was not accessible) at Tampa Bay (Buccaneers) won 2 games and will meet today in Buck’s 20th title tilt, commencing about 6:30 Eastern Time following KC (-7 plus) vs Cincy, which starts about 3 Eastern Time.

The only previous NFL ‘offs clash between the teams was a semi and is one of only 2 times in say, as a stretch, 12 possibilities that the winner of a San Francisco/Los Angeles playoffs entity went on to win the league crown.

A great 1989 Niners’ team under George Seifert ripped both the Rams in a home title game/semi and the Denver Broncos in the subsequent Super Bowl.

However, I count, again with a bit of, but not much of a “stretch,” 10 times the winner of a San Francisco franchise vs L.A. franchise ‘offs entity failed to win it all.

In NBA annals, the Lakers took the Warriors in semis in both 1968 and 1973, in quarters (’69, ’77, ’87. ’91) and in the past season’s “BS” play in game. The Warriors swept L.A. in a best of 5 “quarter” in 1967.

Only the ’87 Lakers won it all, the Lakers lost in the final in ’68, ’69, ’73 and ’91 while the Warriors lost in the ’67 final. (Greats Bill Russell (2-0), Wilt Chamberlain (1-2) while both Rick Barry and Earvin “Magic” Johnson went (0-1) in those final round entities). The Lakers were semi’d out in ’77 and “round of 16’d” last season.

In baseball’s most recent completed season, the 105 wins L.A. Dodgers one runned the 106 wins Giants in the decisive 5th game of their bastardized/division series, only to lose to the 88 wins Atlanta Braves, who went on to title, in the NLCS/semis.

Those two teams/franchises also engaged in two all-time type, unscheduled best of 3 playoffs for the National League Pennant.

The first one was in 1951 when the Giants were New York and the Dodgers were Brooklyn. The next one was in 1962, each team in its current locale.

Both times the Giants, who had overcome overwhelming odds to force the ‘off, rallied in their last at bat to take the pennant, only to lose tos the vaunted Yankees in the subsequent World Series.

Thus 7 of 8 times basketball and 3 of 3 baseball but o for 1 football, the SF vs /LA franchise ‘offs entity winner, did NOT win it all.