There are past title games/semi-finals rematches in 3 of the 4 Slots/Division Round games this week.
The first game at about 4:30 Eastern Time on Saturday matching the AFC “1” seed Tennessee Titans and “4” seed Cincinnati Bengals does not offer such. It is a redux of what was the last Bengals’ ‘offs win before last Saturday’s first game of the so called “Super Wild Card Weekend,” which turned into boring, not well played and I usually do not knock officiating as it is a thankless, albeit, well paying job–but poorly officiated games.
Then in the ’90 wild card round after the then Houston Oilers had won vs Pittsburgh in a last week of the “reg” Sunday night tilt, to gain ‘offs entry (maybe they were already in?) not only for them but also for the Bengals, Cincy ripped the Oilers in the earlier Sunday wild card round game.
The next and other 3 games have “semis” history, starting with a redux of the Packers ’97 title tilt win vs the S.F. 49ers. Subsequently, Terrell Davis and NOT John Elway, led Denver (Broncos) to their first Supe win in 5 tries. GB is menos 5 plus, Saturday night at home, likely with Joe Buck.
Next, earlier on Sunday, but still relatively late in the day (only I note this is just the fourth of 10 Rams’ Sunday slots tilts that started earlier than the other Sunday game. It is however, a 7th, 3 or later start among the 10. Only the easy Wash home win in ’83, the Willie Anderson game ending TD giving L.A. a win at the Giants in ’89 and the home Rams’ ease job vs Minne in the title winning ’99 season as the St. Louis Rams were truly early Sunday “Slots,” Rams’ games.
This one 20 years later and 3 years later matches the Rams, early 3 point underdogs after ripping Arizona (34-11) last night, vs Tom Brady.
This time Brady is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In ’79 the Rams won the NFC Title Tilt at Tampa Bay.
Finally, Sunday night with again, the efficient Jim Nantz, the K.C. Chiefs are a near 3 point “fave” vs the Bills.
The Chiefs won both the ’66 AFL (at War Memorial Stadium, where the baseball part of “The Natural” was filmed) and last year’s home AFC Title game, before losing the subsequent Supes.
The NFL “Slots”/Division round is almost set.
It begins around 4:30 Eastern Time in Tennessee, the home of the AFC “1” seed Titans, as they are 3 plus point(s) favorites vs the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincy broke an 8 game playoffs loss skein (-6) (26-19) (the total, spread and as it turned out, the game decided when the Bengals kept the Raiders from a TD score at the conclusion, of an otherwise boring (4 FG’s by each team–George Blanda or Horst Muhlmann anyone?) game. Their most recent ‘offs win before last Saturday, was vs the Titans nee Oilers, when they were the Oilers, that in the first year of 2 wild card games per conference (now they “whore” 3 each), in 1990.
The Titans are (0-2) in home slots games as the AFC “1” seed, both losses to the Baltimore Ravens. In 2000, the Ravens went on to win it all, while in ’08, after winning at “1” seed Tennessee in the same Slot 1 in which Cincy/Tenn will play on Saturday, the Steelers in route to their 6th and to this point, last Supe crown, won at home vs “Balti” in the AFC Title Game.
A redux of last year’s (also of the ’66 AFL Title Game with a bid to the first Supe on the line) AFC Title game has manifested in the Slot 4/late Sunday, Jim Nantz (he is better than the others and has been very good, certainly relative to the others, as of late, and admittedly, for the most part, throughout his career) Buffalo (Bills) at K.C. (Chiefs) “div” round game.
Each team’s quarterback, the Chiefs Patrick Mahomes and the Bills’ Josh Allen threw 5 TD passes in their team’s wild card round win.
The Bills, incredibly, scored touchdowns on their first 7 possessions, an unprecedented occurrence in NFL annals. In 2 straight wins vs the slipping Belichick coached Patriots, the Bills have won and not punted in the tilt.
Belichick’s New England is now (9-3) in Saturday night ‘offs tilts, (0-2) on the road (lost at Denver in the ’05 “div” round).
K.C. has opened just under a field goal “fave” vs Buffalo. The Chiefs were victorious in both the ’66 AFL Title Game and the AFC one last year, only to lose the subsequent Supe. Buffalo (0-4) in Supes, “div rounded” K.C. in ’91 and lost that year’s subsequent Supe to Washington.
KC (-13 plus’d) the Steelers (42-21) in two time Supe winner, Ben Roethlisberger’s last tilt. Buffalo ripped New England (47-17) as a 4 plus point “fave.” Cincy (-6) held off the Raiders, as stated above, (26-19).
In the NFC, where tonight it is the “4” seed L.A. Rams just under a 4 point favorite at home, where the 56th Supe will be played on February 13th, as they clash with Arizona.
Yesterday Mr. Brady (cited in yesterday’s post) and his one time backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, each QB’d in victories by the T.B. Buccaneers (-9 to -7 and (31-15) vs Philly’s Eagles) and S.F. 49ers (plus 3 to 3 plus, (23-17) vs Dallas, as the Cowboys lost on the exact 50th anniversary of their first Supe win on Sunday January 16, 1972. Alas, not as much as a slots/div round win for the Cowboys, since winning Supe #5 in ’95) respectively.
Thus S.F. sojourns to Green Bay for a Saturday night, freezing cold/”Joe “Bucky Boo” Buck tilt (think there is any consideration for the fans on the part of the NFL?!!–Think again!!) with “1” seed Green Bay, bidding for a third straight NFC Title Game appearance, opening as about a 5 plus point(s) favorite.
In the earlier, albeit 3 or so Eastern Time start, “Alfalfa” Michaels, in his very likely, if not certain, penultimate NBC tilt, will be in Tampa Bay, who would be say (-4) or so vs the Rams and a bit higher if Arizona (they should not be allowed to win on Martin Luther King Day or night–look it up, but alas look at no voting right’s Georgia’s incredible sports year, manifesting in second Braves and Bulldogs’ crowns) prevails tonight.
The 3 winning quarterbacks yesterday, Mr. Brady (28-8), so called “Jimmy G.” (3-0) and the oh so gifted, Patrick Mahomes (6-1) are a combined (37-9) in “within the conference” ‘offs games.
Brady is at 7 of 9/.778 win percentage “within,” and a certainly not shabby (7-3) .700 win percentage in Supes. Mahomes is (1-1) in Super Bowls, while Garoppolo lost vs Mahomes and Mr. Damien Williams’ great game, in his lone Super Bowl.
Damien Williams, pictured above, no longer with the Chiefs, (maybe it will be the Bills winning Sunday night), led the Chiefs in their Supe 54 win, some 50 years after their lone other such victory.
After an ease job, (up 31-0) (31-15) victory vs the Philadelphia Eagles, Tom Brady with his (5-0) in the ‘offs with T.B. record will be in his 14th home slots division game next week.
As I type this, opponent (either the Rams or Cards) and time have yet to be determined. However, since even the prostituted NFL would not “Monday night to Saturday,” the Rams (-4) vs Cardinals winner, said T.B. fourth home slots game will be Sunday, I say late (is it not very late as in night for a second straight season?!) on Fox.
Brady and his New England teams were (12-1) in home slots/division round games.
Tom Brady, pictured above is (5-0) in T.B. ‘offs games.
It is four days shy of 20 years and this is the 21st season inclusive, since the famed Saturday night, “snow/tuck rule/Adam Vinatieri greatness” slot 2, overtime victory by New England, QB’d by Tom Brady and coached, as they still are, by a “slipping” Bill Belichick, vs the Oakland Raiders.
Brady and Belichick were together for 6 Super Bowl victories, 9 “Supe” appearances and an incredible 9 straight seasons (’10-’18, need not put a “19” in front, as football ‘offs/the NFL or AFL was not around in 1918 or so) with at least the AFC “2” seed, which then, but no longer, yielded a home slots/division round tilt.
The Brady/Belichick Pats won 8 of those 9 home slots games, (they were/are (12-1) in home “div” games, the lone loss in a late Sunday slot 4 game to the New York Jets), going (9-0) in home Saturday night “div” games. Additionally they prevailed in a Saturday night home wild card round game vs Jacksonville (Jaguars) in ’05, before losing such a game vs Tennessee (Titans) in their last game together.
In ’05, they suffered their only other div round loss with Belichick/Brady, at Denver (Broncos) in ’05. They won their only other road “div” slots game at San Diego (Chargers) in ’06.
Add it up and the home team went (11-1) in Brady/Belichick home Saturday night games, New England winning 10. Tonight in likely blistery, bitter cold, the Bills, in one of three “semis” reduxes (Brady and Tampa Bay vs Philly is another), in the expanded/prostituted 6 game wild card round, are 4 plus point(s) favorites vs Belichick’s Pats (have you heard Brady is with Tampa Bay (Buccaneers), where he “titled” last season and is an NFC “2” seed, but without a bye–more on that next?!)
I predict the “home thing” continues, (the road team won both “reg” tilts) and Belichick, of course an all-time great, but of late, he has made some shaky decisions. Additionally, his not knowing the Colts, and NOT the Giants were ’58 Title Game favorites, drops him a notch or three.
All that yields Bills 26 Pats 14, reversing the result of the then Boston Patriots win at Buffalo in the 1963 AFL Eastern Division playoff.
Meanwhile, Mr. Brady, who keeps on winning, despite dealing with the beyond annoying Jim Gray and doing too much extra stuff, is either at least a 2 seed or a Supe champ(last year Brady and T.B. won it all as a “5” seed, winning a no cover, Saturday night wild card round game at “Wash”) for the 10th time in 12 seasons and for the 13th time in 17 ‘offs appearances.
If Brady and the Bucs prevail as 9 point faves vs the Eagles in the first of “one too many,” three Sunday tilts, he will play at home for the 14th time in 17 slots tilts (his teams are (14-2) (see the ’49-’64 New York Yankees, winning the weaker American League, but still what an accomplishment!–by the way on NPR, correspondent Cheryl Corley said “still” “exactly” as I typed such).
I am not sure Fox/the NFL will “allow” it, as wins by T.B. and Dallas sets up a ratings bonanza, Dallas at Tampa Bay, in one slots game, but I see a shocking win, say (23-20) by the Eagles (they handed Brady one of his 3 Supe losses).
I do praise Mr. Brady for calling for compassion concerning an obviously troubled/ill Antonio Brown. Certainly I realize the “toll” it has taken over these many years to go vs Brady.
The other semis/conference title tilt rematch this week matches the Cowboys at home (menos 3) vs the S.F. Niners. Three is operative as they met 3 straight seasons in the ‘offs twice (’70-’72) and twenty years later (’92-’94) and now are meeting for the first time, 19 years later and for a 7th time.
5 of the previous 6 playoffs meetings were in NFC Title Games, 4 of them Dallas victories. Dallas also won an incredible comeback victory in slot 2 at S.F. in ’72. Earlier that Saturday December 23rd, the Steelers won vs Oakland on the famed “Immaculate Reception” TD scored by Franco Harris (though he is now a bearded buffoon, he got far less credit than he should have as a great quarterback, thus I cite Terry Bradshaw as having scrambled, to keep the play alive and then throwing the famed, still controversial, historic pass). That also affected the point spread (some day I will recount Beano Cook’s story of the Raiders’ bettors, who did not hear the play as they were in a “Pitts” tunnel as it happened).
Well, the “burn” suffered by SF bettors later that day was maybe worse, as SF had led significantly for much of that tilt while Pitts had also led throughout until the Snake/Stabler circled left end and TD’d giving the Raiders a very late/last minute or so lead.
Finally, I add the Dallas/SF tilt will be followed by the “Alfalfa” Michaels/NBC KC (-13) vs Pittsburgh Steelers tilt. Twice the Steelers played on the same day before a Dallas/SF playoff game.
In aforementioned, Saturday div round games in ’72, the Steelers and Cowboys won. In ’94 in Sunday Conference Title Games, first the Chargers upset the Steelers as “another over rated bargain” (cue Pat Cooper) Bill Cowher lost at home and then SF (1-5) vs Dallas in ‘offs tilts going into to tomorrow’s game, won in route to the 5th and to this point, last Supe crown.
It is not easy to type with a bad wrist, however, on this day after the 53rd anniversary of the New York Jets Supe 3 win vs heavily favored Baltimore, (Colts), I “must” remember the great receiver Don Maynard, a vital member of that title team.
Mr. Maynard, dying the same week as Dwayne Hickman, who played alongside Bob Denver’s “Maynard G. Krebbs,” as title character, “Dobie Gillis,” was 86 years old.
Don Maynard, who took part in not so arguably the two most influential games in pro pig history, the aforementioned Supe 3 and also as a return man for the New York Giants, also vs the Colts, that the beyond seminal 1958 NFL title tilt, (23-17) overtime win for Baltimore, was a superb receiver and along with George Sauer and Pete Lammons, formed an excellent receiving corp, for the great Joe Namath. (Joe lately of constant Medicare Advantage type commercials).
Don was an original franchise member with the 1960 Titans.
In what “Stone” calls the Jets’ most important victory, the (27-23) win vs an excellent AFL team, the Oakland Raiders, Maynard had to reach over “the wrong shoulder” to gather in Joe’s long pass that set up the final points, a 6 yard Namath to Maynard TD pass, in the Jets’ victory.
I was far from a Jets’ fan, but oh the memories and the talent. If I were betting then, I would have won big on the Jets, plus all those points, in the Supe vs “Balti.” They had such talent and Maynard in pure terms, probably was their most gifted/productive player.
New York teams were not only better then but each had a great broadcaster, certainly not the case now.
The Giants had Marty Glickman, the Jets had another great, Merle Harmon and his “Maynard to the right, Sauer to the left”–(maybe the other way around), evokes such fond memories, though again I was clearly not a Jets’ fan.
The great receiver, Don Maynard, pictured above.
The Georgia Bulldogs claimed their first college football crown since 1980, winning (33-18) vs top ranked, defending champion, Alabama, which was seeking a 7th title under its coach Nick Saban.
Instead, finally, Kirby Smart, the Georgia coach and former Saban assistant coach, won vs Saban and Alabama.
Georgia quarterback, Stetson Bennett threw touchdown passes to Adonai Mitchell (a 40 yard toss that put “GA” ahead to stay, (19-18) and a screen pass/10 yard score that yielded a (26-18) score with the subsequent kick extra point.
Alas that ought to have been the final with me having predicted (26-17) Georgia, however a man named Ringo “drummed” me out of not only a near “exact score pick” (no bet on that), but also took out the ‘Bama wease, the Georgia by (7-12) “range” at over 5 to 1 and the less than 10 point margin of victory by either team bets, all of which I had, mercifully “SMALL.”
Tonight in Indianapolis (oh did the NFL Indy Colts flop!) top ranked and defending champion, Alabama, is a near field goal underdog, vs fellow SEC’er, Georgia, in the national title tilt.
‘Bama is seeking a 7th title under its great coach (not necessarily college pig’s greatest, as Sean McDonough declared after a “mere” semi win, if they/he wins tonight, we can, as Joan Rivers might have said, “talk.”), Nick Saban.
Alas there were names such as Bud Wilkinson, Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and legendary Alabama coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant who won 5 (not 6 as you will hear and see tonight–his ‘Bama teams of ’66 and ’77 were rooked in the voting by Notre Dame. In ’73 Notre Dame “New Years Eved” them and that sad memory yields– the following equation: shaving cream and taunting equals NO PIE and while it is tough sans recording space, on we must go), thus no title but they count it.
In ’64, largely the opposite, as in Joe Namath’s last ‘Bama game, Texas won, but A.P. voting, which I count as sacrosanct, though the race for #1 was/is always a perversion of an already system, which rages out of control a “good” (try bad) 35 years after superb studio host, Jim Lampley made that statement, was conducted before the bowl games.
Thus ‘Bama has 12 crowns (4 with Barack “O””Bama” in as U.S. President and under Saban–did he, Mr. Obama ever arrive too soon, as we need he, a good, eloquent leader, though he does glorify such as ESPN, whose “given all” Fowler/Herbstreit, duo is “on” tonight’s tilt.
They won 2 more post Obama, the aforementioned 5 under Paul “Bear” Bryant and one under Gene Stallings in ’92 led by former North Rockland High School star, Derrick Owens Lassic.
Georgia, denied by Alabama in the classic ’17 season, overtime title tilt is seeking its second crown (the other in ’80) and as was the case with the Atlanta Braves, I think they will get their second title tonight.
Note to Jane Pauley-it was incorrect to say the ATLANTA Braves won their 4th World Series. It was the franchise’s 4th, however they won 1 each, when located in Boston (1914) and then Milwaukee (1957).
Prediction: Georgia 26 Alabama 17
So much accomplished; brilliantly acting, active in civil rights and in an exponentially complex and ongoing racial situation, able to beat the line, causing long lines, at least in the north to see his great work–Sidney Poitier, who died days back at age 94, is a transcendent figure.
I will start with “just” (some “just,” as he proved marvelous, early on in ( “No Way Out” “Blackboard Jungle” and in his Academy Award winning role in “Lillies of the Field”) and later in seminal roles in “The Defiant Ones,” “Raisin in the Sun,” “In The Heat of the Night,” and “Guess Who’s Coming Dinner”) his amazing performances.
He looked so great, could go mellow and assertive, the latter in brilliant fashion via “They Call Me Mr. Tibbs” in “The Heat of the Night” and to his father played by Cy Fere in “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” “You think of yourself as a Black man, I think of myself as a MAN.
Additionally in 1967, (Clayton Davis of Variety, was/is it too much to get the historic year correct, not 1968 as you said on WCBS radio?!) Mr. Poitier starred in 3 big hits and became top box office in a still very backward racially (still is, but despite what I heard from racist old timers days back, in a local Burger King, there has been progress) time, Poitier starred in 3 highly successful films, the aforementioned “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “In The Heat of the Night,” as well as “To Sir With Love.”
As cited, the films were both commercially successful and of great quality.
Mr. Poitier was very active in the civil rights movement, once taking a call from the great activist/talent and Sidney’s friend, Harry Belafonte, and journeying into the dark, dangerous, southern night, to help register voters.
An NPR segment on “Weekend Saturday,” featuring critic Bob Mondello’s review of Mr. Poitier’s career is sensational and informative (a link) hopefully to be posted below.
I close with some personal notes. The first involves a family friend, Ira Michaels, a good man who died far too young in 1972, telling us how great and brave, battling serious illness, that would soon take his life, Spencer Tracy, was in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” climaxed by his extraordinary work as the movie ended. Poitier, more than holding his own with the great cast that also included Katherine Hepburn, was a major part of so much classic, that emerged from that Stanley Kramer film.
Finally at an Award Ceremony for Sidney Poitier that reviewed and of course, praised his great career, I met Sidney Poitier, shook his hand (see below) and told him without the “Sir” of my “Love” of his work and presence.
I did not dare sing it, but Lulu, who did so in “To Sir With Love,” did sing that song, on that memorable night. It was a fitting, moving moment honoring a man, who moved us forward so many times!
![Sidney Poitier Gala At The Film Society Of Lincoln Center 152[1]](https://andybsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/sidney-poitier-gala-at-the-film-society-of-lincoln-center-1521.jpg?resize=438%2C438)
Below click to hear Bob Mondello’s excellent look back at the career and accomplishments of Sidney Poitier.
Actor Sidney Poitier, who changed the face of Hollywood, dies at 94
The internet informed that the great director, Peter Bogdanovich died at age 82.
I start with an excellent lead paragraph from “The Hollywood Reporter” and will add a few comments of my own.
From the obituary written by Gregg Kilday and Duane Byrge:
“Peter Bogdanovich, the Oscar-nominated writer-director of The Last Picture Show whose career, which also included hits like What’s Up, Doc? and Paper Moon, put him on a path toward living up to the example of those like Orson Welles and John Ford he so lionized, has died. He was 82.”
Think of it, on a path toward Welles and Ford!!
I think Mr. Bogdanovich proceeded far down that path, toward those greats Ford and Welles, especially with “The Last Picture Show.”
Peter had similarities to Welles, who became a friend. “Nada” is “Kane,” Orson did that brilliant work at age 26. I think it was Billy Rose, who told him, “you will never top it.”
One could say that about Bogdanovich, but also about Babe Ruth (he never topped 60 home runs, but so what, he was the greatest player).
“Paper Moon,” especially, was another Bogdanovich masterpiece.
Regarding John Ford, who just kept going, it was once asked who are the three greatest U.S. movie directors? The answer John Ford, John Ford and John Ford.
Mr. Bogdanovich kept the legends and the beauty of old time classic Hollywood going.
Check out his podcast with another “keeper of the flame, ” Ben Mankiewicz.
Many of you will remember his role on the seminal television show, “The Sopranos.”
It was at a party for that show, that I sat at a table, joining Peter, who was sitting alone. He was classy, friendly, asked about me and marveled at the greatness and the unique quality of “The Sopranos.”
Somewhere in some parking garage, James Gandolfini is walking and Peter Bogdanovich is driving a bit too fast. Now they talk, there is no violence, no gangsters, maybe, hopefully, no greed.
What endures is the great work each did.
Today and for all time, about Peter. He was an historian, with a brilliant, creative mind who gave us so much. He suffered horrible loss, but endured.
Maybe, just maybe his Dorothy (Stratten) and he can go over the rainbow, after all.
The Hollywood Reporter obituary of the great, Peter Bogdanovich
www.hollywoodreporter.com › movies › movie-newsPeter Bogdanovich Dead: Last Picture Show, Paper Moon
Peter Bogdanovich, pictured above.
