In this the upcoming 16th of 18 NFL “reg” weeks, teams (hopefully) will complete their 15th games, in this the first season, in which there are 17 games.
I will cite 4 semis rematches among games between this week’s opponents.
On Saturday night in Green Bay, on the same venerable Lambeau Field, so muddy nearly 56 years ago, when Paul Hornung, Bart Starr led the Pack to the first of what is still an unprecedented 3 straight NFL crowns, topping the Cleveland Browns (23-12) in Cleveland great, Jim Brown’s last game with the team, it is (11-3) and current NFC leader, Green Bay hosting (7-7) Cleveland in a redux of the aforementioned 1965 NFL title tilt. That, by the way, was the last pre Super Bowl season.
There are two rematches of not only past semis, but also of games played 2 weeks ago. In the far more important game, likely the AFC East title is on the line, as (9-5) New England (Patriots), which beat Buffalo (Bills), two weeks back and in an AFL unscheduled playoff/”semi” in 1963, is the home team vs the (8-6) Bills.
Two weeks ago, on a day “faves” rolled, almost certain NFC East winner, (10-4) Dallas (Cowboys) won at now (6-8) Washington (Football team, my first time putting that nickname in parentheses), covering as about 5 point favorites.
“Wash” won both title tilts, played 10 years apart in 1972 and 1982. The ’82 (strike) season tilt is the only one of the 102 Conference Title games NOT played on a Sunday. It was played on a Saturday with Pat “Super” Summerall doing television play by play.
In 3 straight “even year” seasons, the NFC title tilt matched teams playing each other this week. In both the 1974 and 1976 NFC title games, each played in Minnesota, the home team Vikings defeated the L.A. Rams to advance to their third and fourth Supes. As was the case in the first two, Minnesota never led and thus lost.
The Rams, back in L.A. are (10-4) while the Vikings enter the tilt with a (7-7) record.
Why blow a gasket?! The ineptitude goes on and on and is rewarded.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN.COM (By the way, though the Packers held off the Ravens (31-30) the all powerful monolith’s site stayed with Packers in control the whole time in its update of the tilt. Is not anybody there? How about just giving the details? No that is the antithesis of what this “Frankenstein” stands for. Its creed is to dress up vapid people to spout nonsense while an indifferent, pathetic public, one duped into no vaccines and worse, keeps tuning in!!) did it again.
He typed the following:
“The Cardinals’ downturn has also reopened the NFC West as at least an interesting possibility for the Rams. A win over the Seahawks would leave L.A. a game out with three left to play.”
Going into to tonight’s game at home vs Seattle (Seahawks) the Rams have a record of (9-4). The Cardinals of Arizona stand at (10-4).
I know at least for now or even if they do no matter what, Arizona has the tiebreaker advantage over the Rams. That means if the Rams win tonight, Arizona’s lead is a fraction of a game or to simplify a half game lead.
If the Rams win tonight and gain a game the rest of the way, they would win the division. Thus if the Rams win tonight, they would NOT be a game out as Seifert wrote, but a half game out.
I wonder what Seifert’s report card indicated. Yet he works while I …..
Again it is far from the end, but perhaps the karma of another Gisele, who as perhaps scripted by “some eternal plan” (cue “Fiddler On The Roof”) that decrees Andy B. walks this earth alone, rejected, somehow worked vs “Gisele Bundchen packing” Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, whose “sig” other, (Linda Holliday) rates high with me.
Mr. Brady’s defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers allowed 9 (there were that many squares/people in the “blended” Brady Bunch TV family) points to the New Orleans Saints, but scored NONE and lost a game that at least for now and somewhat likely period, hurts their seeding position in the NFC.
The (9-0) Bucs’ loss allowed evokes memories of the 1979 NFC title tilt, in which the L.A. Rams won (9-0) at Tampa Bay vs the Bucs. That day the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the then Houston Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans in Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game. Sunday past, the Steelers though with the ball but one third of the tilt, evoking memories of Mr. Belichick as Giants’ assistant coach, masterful job in doing so, vs the Bills, to key the win in the ’90 season Super Bowl, defeated the Titans. Who but me?!!
Regarding the “genius,” Mr. Belichick, who has slipped considerably (I know what a surprise the Pats have been but ….) since erring in saying the New York Giants were 1958 title game favorites vs the Baltimore Colts when not only were the Colts 3 plus point(s) favorites, there were at best, “spread” implications when the great John Unitas (referred to as “Yoonitas” that night on “What’s My Line?” by Bennett Cerf) first threw to Jim Mutscheller and then Alan Ameche scored to win the NFL’s first overtime tilt, in its greatest and most significant game. (On a personal note, I feel the glory of that game, the great players and coaches on both sides, but realize it led to the exponentially overblown entity, football/”pig” has become).
Belichick, he of 8 titles, 6 as decision maker/head coach (surely you know Brady has 7, six with Belichick) FG’d down (17-0)/4th and 1 coaching Cleveland, at Pittsburgh in Slot 1/ 1994. Mysteriously, he did similar, early in an eventual Supe loss to the Eagles.
Saturday night past, Belichick his now (9-5) Pats team (the (8-6) Bills visit N.E. in a game that likely will decide the division winner on Sunday and it is as if the 70’s with out of it Jets and Giants tilts denying viewers in N.Y. such big games as Buff/N.E.) down 13, 4th and goal from the 7, with just under 9 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, (not saying they would have made it, likely they would not, but “you must try.” (Cue the Superman episode when “The Man of Steel” was split into 2 with less power.”
First of all, let me be clear, while Blast of Silence (directed by and starring Allen Baron, who as with “Doggy Doc,” was born in 1927 and is still alive) seen today on TCM is a very good film, it does not compare, nor do very many with either of the first two Godfather films.
However, a scene in “Blast of Silence” had more than one major similarity to the one in “2,” in which the young “Vito,”(Corleone) played by Robert De Niro, is in a stairway and climbs down from the roof of a New York City building.
Check out either film and write in with the similarities, remembering ‘Silence” was made 13 years before “The Godfather: Part 2.” “Blast of Silence” premiered in 1961.
On Wednesday night, September 26, 1973, Bill Robinson a fine player, later a part of two title teams, committed a three base error that opened the proverbial “floodgates” for a huge division contending Pittsburgh Pirates’ inning in route to a victory vs Robinson’s Philadelphia Phillies.
It occurs to me that Robinson’s error helped the Pirates and hurt the also contending and as it played out division and pennant winning, (82-79) New York Mets.
Six years later Robinson was a platoon player on the 1979 World Champion Pirates. Bill was on first when the great Willie Stargell cracked the biggest play of baseball 1979, 2 run home run in game 7.
Seven years after that, Bill was the first base coach for the 1986 baseball champion, New York Mets.
There is playoffs history involved, regarding 11 of the 14 inter-conference tilts this 15th week of NFL “pig.” (He was cited but should not have been as he was/is a sadistic “roto-rooter” glad at certain failures)– I will cite the 4 rematches from a Conference Championship game.
On Saturday night, the (7-6) Indianapolis Colts are close to 3 point favorites vs the (9-4) New England Patriots. “N.E.” is still coached by 6 time Supe winning coach, Bill Belichick( he also won 2 as a N.Y. Giants assistant coach, who contributed mightily), who was at the helm in ’03 when the Pats “title gamed” the Colts and in ’06 when the Colts won the two team’s AFC title game clash. Each time, and after the Pats’ 2004 “slots”/div round win vs the Colts, the winning team in a Pats/Colts ‘off went on to win it all.
There are also 2 previous title game battles between the (9-4) Tennessee Titans nee Houston Oilers and (6-6-1) Pittsburgh Steelers. They clash in Pittsburgh Sunday.
The Steelers, also in route to Supe crowns, won both, ripping the then Houston Oilers in rainy Pittsburgh in ’78 and getting a relatively close win, aided considerably by a highly questionable, no Oilers’ Mike Renfro TD (Mike’s dad, Ray was an integral part of Cleveland Browns’ title teams in the Otto Graham era) call in ’79.
In a later Sunday tilt, the (7-6) S.F. 49ers are big “faves” in a home tilt vs the (6-7) Atlanta Falcons. In 2011, the Niners overcame a (17-0) deficit and won at Atlanta in the NFC title game. SF was under current college semi-final participant, coach Jim Harbaugh and in the subsequent Supe lost to the Baltimore Ravens, who were and still are “under”/coached by John Harbaugh, Jim’s brother.
Weather was also a factor when the A.J. Duhe led Miami Dolphins won the strike season 1982 AFC title game clash (14-0) vs the New York Jets. They lost the subsequent Supe to Washington.
This week, “Mia” with its (6-7) record is a big “fave” vs the (3-10) Jets.
Only the Houston Texans/Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals/Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals/Detroit Lions games this week, among the 14 within conference tilts, have no ‘offs history between the teams.
I count 8 instances, 5 cited above regarding Pats/Colts and Steelers/Titans nee Oilers, in which the team that won an ‘offs game involving this week’s opponents went on to win it all.
The Giants in ’07, “div rounded/slotted” home team, Dallas and its never even won a “div” game, yet given all, Tony Romo in route to a third Super Bowl title.
In 1980, the Raiders won a road slots game at Cleveland in route to their second title. Mike Davis’ interception in the end zone was the big play. Approximately 8 years later, another Mike Davis walked with 2 outs none on, his team down a run B9 in game 1 of the ’88 World Series.
Next Kirk Gibson hit a 2 run home run lifted his L.A. Dodgers (5-4) over Oakland (A’s) in game 1, in route to a 5 game World Series victory.
Last season Tampa Bay (Buccaneers) also won a road slots/div rd game vs this week’s opponent, the New Orleans Saints and went on to win it all, giving its “QB” Tom Brady a record 7th crown.
It was fun to watch a great episode of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (“Cop For A Day”) on MeTV last night.
Walter Matthau, in another “bad guy” role before his iconic career in largely comedic efforts, starred and was in a key scene with his real life wife Carol Grace.
The episode aired in 1961, two years after Walter and Carol wed. They stayed married for 41 years, until Mr. Matthau passed on in 2000.
Very simple! The Tennessee Titans have a (9-4) mark, the Indianapolis Colts’ record stand at (7-6) so the following can NOT be accurate.
On ESPN.com, Seifert wrote: “the Titans are essentially up three games with four remaining because of their head-to-head sweep” —
No! The fact is that if the Colts gain 3 games, they would have a better record than Tennessee and would win the division.
The correct way to inform regarding the Titans’ lead is to say it is 2 and a fraction or just say/write 2 and a half.
If the Colts gain 2 games in the final 4 weeks and finish with the same record as “Tenn,” then the Titans win the division, based on the (2-0) mark vs the Colts in their games vs each other.
In a rousing 4th Grey Cup overtime game, Zach Collaros’ 13 yard touchdown pass on second down (there are only 3 downs in the CFL) to Darvin Adams was THE play, not the highlight conducive clinching “int,” as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-2 plus) won (33-25) at Hamilton, Ontario vs the home team Tiger-Cats.
This evoked memories (I did not know it) of an overtime Grey Cup win by Winnipeg vs Hamilton 60 years ago in 1961.
Winnipeg won in the last Grey Cup game played back in pre (still looming, perhaps very much looming) Covid in 2019 and now the Blue Bombers “title” again.
My eyes need not close to picture, my friend Brad Weiner, among other things a truly advanced lover of music, who died days back, “still (and forever) loved” at age 64, in so many moments of life.
He was a progressive man of peace, who loved his family and as he battled the reality of not walking and other ills, displayed a bravery that will always stay with me and hopefully ignite the “go on and do, button.”
Referenced here on numerous occasions (a couple of links to such posts later) he evokes memories good and bad of 3 great right fielders. The happier ones involve Henry Aaron and Frank Robinson (links below), the sad one, being Brad’s fateful call to me, informing that Roberto Clemente had been killed, trying to help others.
Oh life, oh death, oh time and waste thereof. Almost all seek the real answer and maybe a clue was the $21.21 bill (21 was Roberto’s #) at Trader Joe’s, a scant 2 days after Brad passed on.
A bigger one, perhaps, in finally trying to transfer tapes, the very first words from a random one of hundreds of tapes, were uttered by Alan Weiner, Brad’s brother.
The words referenced an early indication/idea Alan made, that so impressed another dear friend, Michael Santasieri. So help me, the FIRST WORDS!!
Brad, as with most of us was not going to be the next Paul Warfield (we both loved Paul, but “my” Browns traded him to “Brad’s” Dolphins), however what a great target, I as touch quarterback threw to often, most notably for the winning score, vs an adversary so good, I cite it as just “vs ORRIS.” (Rich Orris was intense and quite a player).
That made victory so sweet and I nearly broke Brad’s glasses in celebration.
Brad/”B.D.” aka “Doc,” read voraciously, noted and noticed what few did, not always, in fact, rarely, “in lockstep” with the crowd.
Brad was a thinker and his own man, a major reason I admired him so.
In closing and I hope to be on point, speaking at a Memorial Service for him tomorrow, two more memories, I invoked last Sunday, Brad’s last full day here. I hope, though in a coma, that he heard me.
One was thinking he retrieved the so called “miracle ball,” an entity that survived looming drainage areas and roofs, the latter thanks to Brad journeying onto to one (I would not) to again save “the miracle ball.”
I asked if he could provide the miracle and stay here with Jeanne, Kerry, Rachel, Alan and others and spring from the coma, the way I believe it was the great Alan Arkin’s “bad guy,” did and so startled Brad and I, who had been goofing around, not paying enough attention to Audrey (Hepburn) in the film version of “Wait Until Dark.”
That was not to be, however he is a presence, always was and always will be.
Go “get ’em” Brad, put (that first I can recall, other than Wilt (Chamberlain) headband on, and hoist up a few from way out–as you are now both close in our hearts, but way out, in another “there.”
Click below as Brad is referenced in posts regarding Frank Robinson and Henry Aaron.
More, Regarding Frank Robinson: A Game Ending Home Run
- Oh (How I Admire) Henry! Remembering The Indomitable Henry Aaron on January 23, 2021—–Brad is cited in the 14th paragraph.
Brad Weiner, my friend, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 