Expanded Wild Card Round Notes

The S.F. 49ers are now (13-5) in Saturday playoff tilts, this after KO’ing 7, but not 10 point Seattle (Seahawks) weases, in a (41-23) home win. They did so, despite trailing (17-16) at the half.

Two seed S.F.’s win comes 50 years plus (the slot 2/div round ’72 season game was played on December 23, 1972 just after the far more famous, incredible Steelers slot 1 win vs another “Bay Area” team, the Oakland Raiders and does not get enough publicity) after the franchise dissipated a big lead and lost (30-28) to Dallas (Cowboys) and Ron Sellers.

Speaking of dissipating big leads, in the unofficial, but pretty surely, 33rd consecutive year “Alfalfa” Michaels wild card (almost all on Saturdays, more than half Saturday nights) round tilt, though they trailed (27-0), home standing, 2 plus point(s) “dog,” Jacksonville, rallied to (31-30)– the “bad NFL history franchise,” Chargers now of L.A. (Michaels’ town), in what manifested as at least the third time “Alfalfa” “presided” over a Chargers season ending loss. (’94 season Supe and the Raiders field goal in the Sunday night NFL “reg” finale last season, )

Alas, though I slept/ missed all of both tilts yesterday, so be it, on this the 56 year anniversary of the NFL/AFL Championship Game played in L.A. with the Coliseum two thirds full, won by Lombardi’s Pack (35-10) vs Stram’s Chiefs.

The great Howard Cosell pictured above called Al Michaels “Alfalfa.”

I “battled” Mr. Cosell fairly well in a classic phone call in ’84, but had to take it, as he “dressed me down” regarding my caring so much that Clell “Butch” Wynegar had kept the Yankees’ 1985 season ‘offs hopes alive, the night before.

So much I could opine, but I just add with Mr. Michaels in studio that day, I guess I knew the Yankees were done. Check the history.