Both Ashleigh Bardy and Rafael Nadal made history in winning Australian Open crowns.
First Bardy (I hit the small stuff, aforementioned Brady to retire, this originally 11 to win 49, but “mucho” hedging and about a 10 dollar profit on Nadal, but now bad intangibles on a bigger, still small Nadal French Open bet) became the first Australian woman to win a major title, “Down Under,” since Christine O’Neil (in attendance as was the great Rod Laver) did so in 1978.
Bardy won vs big underdog, Danielle Collins, who had an excellent tournament and reached her first major tournie final round.
Earlier this day in an unbelievable 5 set, 5 and one half hour match, Nadal passed Roger Federer and the non vaccinated/thus out of this one, in which he was close to an odds on “fave” (so foolish Mr. Djokovic, not to mention dangerous) great player, Novak Djokovic, by winning his 21st major tournie, at this moment the most won by any man.
He did so vs Danill Medvedev, who had eased in straight sets vs Djokovic, in the last major tournament, the 2021 U.S. Open.
Associated Press:
MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal got to 21 first, breaking the men’s record for Grand Slam singles titles and doing it the hard way by coming back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in an almost 5½-hour Australian Open final.
Rafael Nadal, for the time being has the most Men’s major tennis tournie titles.
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.
Tomorrow Kansas City Chiefs’ head coach, Andy Reid will coach his team in a 4th straight AFC Title game. The franchise first known as the Dallas Texans did not host either an AFL or AFC Title game in its first 58 seasons (1960-2017) before this run of 4 straight home semis/AFC Title tilts.
Reid also guided the Philadelphia Eagles to 4 straight semis/NFC Title game appearances after the team had made the conference title tilt, just once, that under Dick Vermeil in 1980, (They won that tilt vs Dallas, Wilbert Montgomery bursting for a long td run on the game’s third? play, certainly on the Eagles’ first possession, before losing to Tom Flores’ Raiders in the subsequent Supe), in the first 31 years (Montgomery’s #), of the AFC/NFC configuration (1970-2000). The last three Reid/Eagles title tilts were home games.
Thus far, Reid is (3-4) in title tilts (3-3) at home. His team won 1 Supe, and lost 2 (both to a Brady led team, the ’04 Patriots and 2020 Buccaneers).
Another Reed, the Knicks’ Willis was part of Knicks’ teams that made 6 straight NBA “semis,” 3 final rounds, winning 2 titles from (1969-1974). Reed did not play in the 1972 playoffs.
There has never been a post-season clash between major North American Sports league teams from Kansas City and Cincinnati. Tomorrow’s Chiefs/Bengals will be the first.
A link goes to basketball again. The Cincinnati Royals, originally in Rochester where they won the franchise’s lone crown 70 years ago (The NFC title game hosts, the L.A. Rams won their lone L.A. crown also 70 years ago in 1951) and now in Sacramento, moved to Kansas City/Omaha and became the K.C. Omaha Kings in 1972-1973.
Also K.C. as is the case with Cincinnati, has 2 major North American sports league teams, one each in baseball and football. The K.C. baseball team, the Royals won titles in “5” years, 30 years apart in 1985 and 2015. The Cincinnati Reds have won 5 crowns, 3 in “5” or “0” years, including titles 15 years apart in 1975 and 1990.
I doubt you will find this anywhere else. Additionally, it is likely not many would care regarding that or these notes. However, here they are.
Joe Buck is in his 20th season as the Fox Network lead football announcer (he also just completed his 26th in baseball, at least in football he works the whole season) while Jim Nantz is in his 18th in that capacity at CBS.
In what will be Nantz’s 18th AFC Title tilt, home team Kansas City (Chiefs) are a touchdown favorite in the earlier title game vs the Cincinnati Bengals. If, as most expect, (beware when that is the case!), K.C. prevails, it would give the home team an 8th straight earlier/Nantz title game victory, after New England won at (15-1) Pittsburgh,, as a slight fave, in Nantz’ first AFC title game in ’04.
(13-4) records come up twice for home teams in these, beyond esoteric Nantz/Buck notes. First with home teams as (7-1) in earlier Nantz title games, add their (6-3) record in late ones and that yields (yield-Nantz-good record-chalk of home and hedge funds, but I fear regarding the far from sure market stuff, I have) a (13-4) mark for home teams in Nantz title games.
Home teams are (6-3) in previous later Buck title games, the 10th Sunday, a redux of the San Francisco “Niners” rout home win vs the Rams in the ’89 NFC title game, the only previous ‘offs clash between this week’s opponents. In fact there have been more (3) Supes among the AFC/NFC semi-finalists than the paltry one ‘offs clash of any kind between this week’s opponents. (S.F. won Supes vs Cincy, 40 years ago in ’81 and a “no cover” job in ’88 with 9 points the total margin of victory. K.C. took S.F. in a Supe played less than 2 years ago in ’19).
Thus in previous Nantz earlier/Buck later, title games, the home team is (13-4) going into that configuration this week. A (5-5),(.500) record by home teams in the 10 Buck earlier title games leaves the home teams with a (24-12)/two thirds wins/(.667 win percentage) in the 36 (19 Buck and 17 Nantz) title tilts with those two.
Sorry, but without demeaning them, most things in life are relative and I prefer and profess that previous conference title tilt lead announcers Ray Scott, Curt Gowdy, Pat “Super” Summerall even the at times sappy with Merlin Olsen, Dick Enberg outdistance Nantz and Buck in Secretariat/1973 Belmont Stakes fashion. (e.g. by a great, great margin!!)
Let’s face it Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Jim Kaat and many other undeserving, non real impact players are in the no longer, sacrosanct (even close) Baseball Hall of Fame while greats, Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Lefty O’Doul and Joe Jackson (maybe he needs shoes to get in) are not, however David Ortiz, is a rare, great choice.
Once, long ago at SUNY Albany, an Angel David Ortiz was a truly enlightening member of my dormitory suite. This Mr. David Ortiz had an all-time clutch hitting series in an all-time series, when his team, the Boston Red Sox, in route to breaking an 86 year title drought, overcame a (3-0) ALCS deficit vs the still vaunted, Joe Torre managed Yankees.
That is the only instance in either baseball or NBA annals, in which a team down (3-0) won said series. Torre’s Yankees had won 6 of the last 8 A.L. Pennants at that point. (That gave them 39 pennants and they have added but one in the 18 seasons since that one, an excruciating Red Sox defeat in ’03).
Now to Boston teams lover, a seemingly knowledgeable source for the history of Red Sox horrors before Ortiz and ’04 named Dan Shaughnessey.
How dare he call Ortiz undeserving of Hall status!! Do you Want those results taken back?!
Mr. Shaughnessy. You want the “reap,” but you want to deny the man most responsible for “reaping” it. Surely there is “Bible talk” for such actions/talk.
Ortiz had a word for you. I will not use it, however, will cite this, Mr. Shaughnessy, as an unappreciative act of a high degree!
The great clutch hitting David Ortiz, pictured above.
He was born 27 days after the penultimate of the four, 7 game World Series defeats suffered by the Red Sox on November 18, 1975.
Mr. Ortiz was from the Dominican Republic. Another great player, pitcher Juan Marichal, of course best remembered for a “Hall” career with the Giants (alas the ego driven writers kept Juan out for a long, far too long time) did pitch, however briefly for the Red Sox in 1974.
First of all, while the poor defense, yes great offense and exciting Chiefs (menos 2) (42-36) overtime win vs the hard luck franchise, Bills (horror loss in this, wild card game at Tennessee in ’99, the so called “Music City Miracle” and most of all the ’90 Supe vs the Giants. Alas they did not show up, even one time forgetting a helmet in Supe losses (’91-’93) but they qualify as hard luck) was a great game, “slow it down” regarding calling it the greatest game.
There had been 4 previous ‘offs tilts between the two original AFL teams, the K.C. Chiefs nee Dallas Texans and the Buffalo Bills and all were routs or at least virtual routs.
In the ’66 AFL Title Game, the Chiefs won (31-7) at venerable War Memorial Stadium and in ’20 won the AFC Title Game at home, in the closest of the four previous ‘offs games between the teams, a “never in doubt” (38-24), later game.
The Bills eased in the ’91 slot 3/earlier Sunday game (37-14) and (30-13) in an earlier AFC title tilt vs Joe Montana and K.C. in ’93. (Montana played in 7 Conference title games, 6 in the NFC, going (4-3), he was (4-0) in Supes, and his teams went (4-1) in later title games, as stated above in route to Supe crowns, but (0-2) in earlier ones (at “Wash” in ’83 and vs the Giants in ’90).
On all 4 occasions, the Chiefs/Bills playoffs game winner lost that year’s Super Bowl. Only in ’91, after a slots game between the two did the Buff/K.C. winner advance in its next game. K.C. is a touchdown fave to do so this week and only an approximate 7 to 5 underdog to win it all.
My coincidences certainly induced by having past media or simultaneous “media/books/writing here” continue and this was pretty big.
Two televisions, neither modern, one sans sound showing highlights involving Mr. Brady, the other a 1999 American Film Institute Top 50 performers, 25 of each gender, and simultaneously the great Spencer Tracy is shown.
The simultaneous “clip” is from “Inherit The Wind” and in a classic scene with the great Fredric March, Tracy really as Mr. Clarence Darrow but as “Henry Drummond,” says to March’s Matthew Brady (really William Jennings Bryan)– “BRADY/BRADY/BRADY.”
Prediction: Tommy will retire. Supposedly 6 to 1 for him to do so is “out there,” but where and how?
One more Brady thing, did “The Bunch’s, (alas Tommy married a BUNDCHEN) “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” stem from “Wind’s” “Brady/Brady/Brady?”
I seriously doubt it, but my mind goes to that type thing.
In what certainly could be and likely was the “Brady/Brady/Brady” scene, Spencer Tracy is standing, Mr. March is sitting and Harry Morgan (Henry Morgan was another very good “Morgan,” baseball-er Joe was a great one) is “Da Judge.”
After a bad wild card round, the NFL got 4 excellent games in the slots/division round.
On Saturday, as posted here, the “linked” Bengals and 49ers won games as road underdogs, doing so on last play field goals.
Sunday’s games were even better, though it was the Rams’ miscues and poor coaching by so called genius, McVay, whose first down and at times, second down running was awful strategy, that enabled Brady and T.B. to tie the tilt with 24 straight points.
Luckily for L.A. which opened a 3 plus point(s) favorite vs S.F. in next week’s home title tilt, Stafford found Cooper Kupp to set up the third last play, game winning field goal in as many slots tilts.
Next, in as wild an NFL ‘offs game as every played, there was a last play of “reg,” game tying field goal and that, plus a winning coin toss (opposite of the ’18 title tilt vs Brady, Rex Burkhead and New England) enabled a Mahomes to Kelce TD, lifting K.C. to a 4th straight title tilt, all at home, after having NEVER hosting one in their first 58 seasons, the first 10, being in the AFL.
It is the second time Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid has guided a team to 4 straight title games. He did so with the Eagles (’01-’04), losing the first three before winning in ’04, only to lose, but cover vs Brady in the subsequent Supe.
With the Chiefs, thus far his team lost to New England in aforementioned ’18 title game, ripped Tennessee, in route to a title in ’19 and took Buffalo, before losing to Brady and Tampa Bay, which had a home Supe last season.
7 of the 8 Reid title tilts were at his home field. Belichick made 8 straight title tilts, all with New England (’11-’18). Six of those were played at home. His teams went (5-3) and (3-2) in subsequent Supes.
The great and too often forgotten Paul Brown, (the Browns are named for him and he started the Bengals) made the NFL Title game in his first 6 NFL seasons and 7 of his first 8 (’50-’55) and ’57, after winning all 4 ALL AMERICAN Football Conference crowns (’46-49).
The NFL alternated what were “all the way” title games (Reid and Belichick were in title game/semis), with Brown’s Browns at home in ’50,’52 and ’54. They won the crown in ’50, 54 and ’55.
KC has opened a 7 point fave. Again LA is menos 3 plus. If the two home favorites prevail, a second straight Chiefs at a team hosting a Supe will manifest.
No team hosted in the first 54 years of Supe play.
In a pair of low scoring (only 5 touchdowns in the two tilts, only one each by the underdog/linked/visiting/lower seed vs the top seed, but winning teams, Bengals and 49ers) games won by relatively long, last play field goals, the “LINKED” Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers, won road games vs conference top seeds, Tennessee (Titans) and Green Bay (Packers) respectively, to advance to road title tilts, a week hence.
First, in Eagle’s third straight outright dog/second straight vs a top seed, slots tilt, Evan McPherson’s 4th field goal of the game, a 52 yard such, kicked as time expired, lifted Cincy to its first ever road ‘offs win, (19-16) (plus 4), handing Tennessee a third slots loss in as many such games, as the “1” seed.
At night, I went to sleep a bit disgusted that anti-vaccine, but one and now STILL ONLY ONE Supe appearance despite 6 home slots games, Aaron Rodgers led (7-0). However, similar to the stop of “Bellman” and Tennessee, (PAY) the phone “said” 6 point dog S.F. first (13-10). (Believe me I revel at the Lombardi/Bart Starr/Jim Taylor to name 3 greatness, however I did not like nor consider either Favre or Rodgers that great, a point backed up as each has just one Supe win. Additionally the (13-10) vs Green Bay, this in a “quarter” was some karma even vs the Lombardi legacy, as G.B.’s (13-10) overtime win in the 1965 Western Conference playoff game (that was 56 years ago in same calendar ’65 and the Pack have been ousted 85, 60, 55, and 25 years after titles and in a same calendar year as aforementioned ’65 and the lone Rodgers’ title season, that in 2010) was controversial, as Don Chandler’s all important tying field goal may well have not been good. Extensions to the goalposts were added after that season).
While Cincy led (6-0), were tied (6-6–Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel joining the “bonehead decision list,” going for 2, albeit from the 1 and a half yard line at (6-6), and led (16-6), thus never trailing, the Niners trailed (10-3) with less than 5 minutes to play.
The key play was a Niners’ blocked punt touchdown, however please note tied (10-10) in the waning minutes, Mr. Rodgers went 3 and out. That led to Robbie Gould, (all-time 20 of 20 on ‘offs field goal attempts), booting the game winner on the last play from 45 yards away.
As cited yesterday, but …– SF and Cincy have now gone a combined (9-1) (that was Coach Lombardi’s ‘offs record), playing on the same playoffs day.
After a combined same day ‘offs record of (5-2) after Green Bay’s greatest win, that in the ’67 NFL title game/”Ice Bowl,” the Packers and Titans nee Oilers (they were the Oilers for same day NFL/AFL title tilts from (’60-’62) and in ’67) have lost a combined 5 straight same day ‘offs games (the ’67 Oilers title game loss to Oakland (Raiders), title game losses in ’19 and now same day losses as the respective conference “1” seeds in 2021 season playoffs action).
In the Raiders’ rout of Houston (Oilers), in the ’67 AFL Title tilt, Dave Kocourek, who had a stellar AFL career, gathered in a fake field goal touchdown pass.
The first game of the “on paper,” scintillating slots round, after last week’s “not good,” matches the AFC “4” seed Cincinnati Bengals and the homestanding, AFC top seed, Tennessee Titans.
In the 4:30 or so, CBS with Eagle start, the 3 plus point(s) favorites, Titans hope to raise the home team’s record in slot 1 games to (43-9). The (42-9) “going in” record “reduces” to 14 of 17, an incredible win percentage of .823.
The nine road team slot 1 game winners went on to 3 Supe wins (’71 Cowboys and the former and current Baltimore teams, ’06 Colts and ’12 Ravens) 2 Supe losses, which means they won the subsequent conference title game (’92 Bills and ’03 Panthers) and 4 lost the next game/conference title tilt (’77 Raiders, ’83 Seahawks, ’01 Eagles, and ’08 Ravens). By the way, 2 of the road slot 1 winners, the ’71 Cowboys (it was not based on record) and the ’06 Colts (the top seeds Chargers and Ravens lost, giving the Colts a home tilt/semi) played their subsequent title games at home.
Linking the Packers of Green Bay, a team with a first round bye and a home slots tilt for the 8th time starting in ’96 (the only time they won the Supe with that advantage) and Tennessee, I go back to the NFL/AFL days of (1960-1962) and 1967.
In those first 3 cited seasons (’60-’62), both teams, the Packers and the Houston Oilers played for the “all the way” (cue Eric Carmen and The Raspberries) league titles with no Super Bowl following it. In ’67, a berth in the second Supe awaited the league title game winner.
Once in ’60 the Oilers won and the Packers lost, once in ’61, both teams won and in both ’62 and ’67, the Packers won and the Oilers lost in the title games, with ’67 being in effect, a “semi.”
There has been one instance of both the Packers and the Titans as the Tennessee based team, each playing a conference title tilt on the same day/year, that a scant 2 years ago, when both Kansas City in route to its second Supe win and SF, the Packers opponent in slot 2 tonight, in route to its second straight Supe loss after wins in their first 5 such games, handed the Titans and Packers respectively, “semis.” defeats.
Getting to a Cincy/S.F. link, the teams played for Super Bowl berths on the same day/year in both ’81 and ’88, with both teams winning, before SF prevailed in both subsequent Supes, “covering” the first, but not the second.
I will add regarding SF/Cincy that in the ’81 slots but not the ’88 such, the teams played on the same Sunday, each winning.
In the only other same day SF/Cincy playoffs, the Niners wild card round win at Green Bay followed the 5th of 7 straight (hey I cite my coincidences, thus as I typed “straight,” on NPR, Scott Simon interviewing writer, Edmund White said there are also mentions of “STRAIGHT sex” in the 80 plus year old writer’s latest book) Cincy wild card round losses, a streak that ended with their “(-6) by 7” win, vs the Raiders in the first of last week’s 6 wild card round games.
Enjoy the slots! I will try to do the same.
If the two AFC division round favorites, albeit small such, win this round, a redux of the famed 1962 overtime AFL title game, will manifest, with the same home and road locales.
In 1962, with Curt Gowdy, Paul Christman and Jack Buck as the equivalent of a sideline reporter, the Dallas Texans, now the Kansas City Chiefs, won (20-17) at Houston vs the Oilers, who are now the Tennessee Titans.
Tommy Brooker’s field goal in the second overtime was decisive, the Texans winning despite a famed “we will kick to the clock” gaffe, by the excellent Chiefs’ player, Abner Haynes.
The Titans nee Oilers were (2-2) in AFL title tilts, (1-1) at home and the road. In AFC title games/semi-finals, the franchise is (1-3), all in road games.
Thus, if Tennessee prevails as 3 plus point(s) favorites, vs the Cincinnati Bengals (they are (2-4) in this round, winning the subsequent title tilt after each such win, only to lose the subsequent Supe each time to the 49ers. The Niners are Saturday’s other underdog, getting 6 or so points at night in blustery Green Bay), the franchise will host its first AFC title tilt/NFL “semi,” since the aforementioned, so memorable 1962 AFL Title Game.
Additionally, if the AFC “2” seed Chiefs prevail, (right now menos 2) as well, it does yield a redux of the ’62 game, with again, the Titans nee Oilers franchise at home and the Chiefs nee Texans as the visiting team.
Andy B Sports 