Amidst the plethora of football posts here and the continual barrage of “Scully as God,” (It is not fair, who said life was fair?!!!–that I do not get a forum to talk about the great Sandy Koufax/Bob Hendley pitching duel of September 9, 1965, so perhaps, no likely I am bitter. Again Scully was great, but I do not feel anywhere near the greatest baseball broadcaster, certainly not in pure play by play, which is far important than the still important story telling, at which Scully excelled) some baseball and 2 innings from 2 different NLCS games with another great broadcaster (see I acknowledge Scully, Vin was great) Lindsey Nelson.
#2 of 1969 is at Atlanta on a late Sunday afternoon. Widowed a scant 19 months earlier, by another of this country’s senseless, violent, death causing, I believe quite possibly conspiratorial acts (talking civil rights was “allowed” but when Dr. King talked of poverty, the horrible inequity of wealth in this country that also affected and still does white (again I identify as human) people (I know, believe me!) as well as those with darker pigmentation plus his stance vs a tragic war—-who knows?!!), Mrs. Coretta Scott King threw out the ceremonial first pitch, exemplifying her “strength” in a different way, throwing it past Braves’ catcher, Bob Didier.
Tom Agee, so instrumental in that year’s so called miracle title, hitless in game 1, singled to right leading off the game. Ron Reed, the Braves’ starter, an 18 game winner in the “reg,” and a la Dave DeBusschere, who within the year would help the NBA New York Knicks to the first of their only two titles, and was on both such teams, played in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons, is wild, walking both Wayne Garrett and Cleon Jones, who hit .340 in the “reg,” (his counterpart on the Braves, Rico Carty hit .342 but did not qualify for batting title considerations).
Reed, (in the Knicks’ vein, Willis Reed was a star on those teams), however, fanned both Art Shamsky and Ken Boswell. On what I think stayed a bad hop base hit as ruled by co official scorers and legendary writers back when people really read newspapers, Jack Lang and Wayne Minshew, by Ed Kranepool, the Mets grabbed the “wood” (1-0).
The temperature was 73 degrees (the Mets next appeared in post-season play in the pure, great no wild card days in 1973, winning the NLCS but as an 82 win team, were denied by the second of three straight World Series winning, Oakland A’s teams) after an 86 (the next Mets post season “app” resulted in the second of their two titles in 1986) degree temperature was recorded for game 1, a high scoring Mets (9-5) win in which neither Tom Seaver or Phil Niekro, each a 20 plus game winner that season and eventual Hall of Fame pitcher/player, who sadly died in fateful calendar year 2020.
Agee, who had not homered since he hit one off the Cubs’ Bill Hands, another fine pitcher, one we lost in 2017, in a big game, that featured a black cat, Randy Hundley jumping up and down and Jerry Koosman’s clutch pitching, followed a Reed walk to Koosman, with a 2 run blow to left, yielding a (3-0) Mets’ lead.
Later in this week, preceding a prostituted 6, up from 4, wild card round NFL games, some of the great Lindsey from game 4 of the 1973 NLCS.
The next day in game 5, Lindsey’s call of the Mets’ pennant clinching play and subsequent fans celebration is classic. Not so, in my opinion, Mr. Scully’s (working on the network with Bob Gibson, another great pitcher, we lost in 2020), who I believe channeled the “hard-ass-ness” of buddy Ronald Reagan (introduced as Reegan, at least once by Ed Sullivan) when he had a derogatory term for the fans.
Now that stuff (running on the field) is probably better off “dinosaurish,” however, Scully, while not as “Tefloned” as Reagan or even Frank Gifford, never the less has quite a bit.
Sorry for the “bitter” but unlike Scully, who at 90 plus, looks back at an extraordinary career, I will only have regrets. It is not Scully that is the problem, but the slew of incompetents, most notably Michael Kay, who “Fordhams” an alliance with Scully, that literally gives me nightmares. See I “rob” Kay in play by play ability. I did not work hard enough. I did not try hard enough, but as a person, who lived/ate/slept and breathed sports, it is literal hell to realize the juxtaposition that has Kay flourishing while I only lament.
A good gauge (Lindsey used the word on one of the two broadcasts I heard, unable to sleep, earlier today) is a so called friend, who creams regarding my failure. A Yankees fan, he says to me “even you are a better broadcaster than Kay” making Kay pretty darn bad!
Mr. Scully was nice to me when I called him at the hotel, circa 1972 but dismissive “try the minor leagues” when I asked him for career help.
A great memory is Vin Scully saying to me, “your guy is good enough for me” when I told him Sandy Koufax was/is my favorite pitcher and who was best?
Also while Sandy was the best and my favorite, Scully’s best call was the last out of Don Drysdale’s 5th straight shutout, which was aided by a non hit batsman call when “Big D” appeared to have lost the shutout, hitting Dick Dietz.
Vin’s emphatic call of “Parker’s “gottt it” will always resonate. I hope it was included among Scully’s best calls in a special hosted by “for a long time” Yankees fans Bob Costas and Tom Verducci.
‘In The Heat of the Night” is a great show and I will have more on its greatness in future posts.
Today a television oddity, as both MeTV and WGN America will air season 4’s first episode, each commencing at 11 A.M. Eastern Time.
Let me go watch.
No significant favorite (one could say the disappointing Miami Dolphins, who were bet from minus 2 to plus 3 plus) lost outright in a not so dramatic but mucho at stake, final week of the 2020 NFL regular season (somehow completed with no cancellations or what would have been worse, forfeits).
The manifestation for the AFC version of the prostituted 6 game wild card round next weekend are as follows, with some notes and comments.
On the exact 28 year anniversary of the Frank Reich led Bills amazing comeback win in a home wild card game, vs the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans), Reich’s Colts aided by the (13-3, 7 straight rout wins, certainly “covers,” after the B.S. Hail Mary by Arizona (they are out) beat them, Bills (56-26) rout of the (10-6) ‘Phins), now will sojourn to Buffalo in the first of the again, prostituted 6 wild card round games, which, among other negatives, in effect, especially this year with no or a limited number of fans at the games, makes having the 2 seed almost meaningless.
The franchise that lost the memorable game exactly 28 years earlier on another Sunday “Jan” 3rd, the Tennessee Titans “boinked good” and got the “4” seed, no covering the team from their former city, the Houston Texans, and “opened” a 3 plus underdog vs the (11-5) Ravens, the team Tennessee “slot 2’d” going to Baltimore when they were the AFC one seed last season.
Elsewhere, after the (11-5) Cleveland Browns (notes on that and others later in the week), bet to a 10 point favorite, held off the (12-4) Pittsburgh Steelers (24-22), to “qualify,” for the first time in 18 years, and its ‘offs game will be a rematch of the “reg” finale, this time with the Steelers hosting the tilt. In the aforementioned ’02 last Browns’ ‘offs tilt, also at “Pitts,” the Steelers had an amazing comeback win/no cover vs the Browns.
I will have an NFC update and other notes later in the week.
Yesterday, after hearing the expected death of the great running back and man, Floyd Little, at age 78, I realized I was paying tribute to Mr. Little, listening to the best, each like Floyd, Syracuse University years, (those precious commodities), apart.
The best radio football broadcaster ever, Marty Glickman was calling key runs by the best running back ever, Jim Brown and though Marty loved the team he worked for (the New York football Giants), he always appreciated greatness displayed by the opposition, particularly so, in the case of Jim Brown.
My mind is scary, memory as cited by Joseph Cotton’s “Leland” in the classic, “Citizen Kane,” a curse, but this one was great.
In defeat, Floyd Little of the Denver Broncos, for whom he played his entire career and stayed in the organization, one which once termed Floyd, “The Franchise,” broke off a long touchdown run.
I remembered listening in those pre home television, yet better NFL days, and Marty’s call and praise of Little, still resonates.
Memories of Floyd at Syracuse, surely with future Dolphins’ great and two time Supe winner, Larry Csonka abound.
Floyd carried on after and in the previous “#44” steps of Jim Brown and Ernie Davis at Syracuse and lived an exemplary life helping people.
I believe Chadwick Boseman, whom we lost so horribly early in what was a fateful (put politely) 2020, played Floyd in the movie “The Express,” about Ernie Davis, dead at the absurd age of 22 (I remember my parents and grandmother saying why medically, but I will never get it–either the reasons for such nor faith, though the latter clearly would help (a la chicken soup “it couldn’t hurt).
Floyd worked hard to become an athletic great, gave his word to Ernie to attend Syracuse and in honor of Floyd, I hail Syracuse for the good and great ones, Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, the real Jim Nance-(sorry but not the hedge fund-“do we have to show them” remarking, golf elitist phony who will call this year’s Supe and spells his name differently and did not attend Syracuse) and hard working, giving Jeff Lovins.
Go run Floyd as so many of us remember how great you did so, that and much more.
It will be top ranked, (11-0) Alabama, established as a 7 plus point(s) favorite, (less than originally perceived), vs third ranked, (7-0) Ohio State (guess # of games played did not matter, big mouth, but still con 2 titles Dabo Swinney) in the college football title game on January 11th in Miami, Florida.
After Alabama rode 4 Mac Jones touchdown passes, three to DeVonta Smith, who likely will win the “virtually presented” Heisman Trophy this week, with Mac second, in a “no cover”/predicted here (31-14) win vs Notre Dame, Josh Fields threw 6 touchdown passes and Trey Sermon, a game after his school record rushing yards performance vs Northwestern, (also a bowl game winner on 2021’s first day), in the Big Ten title tilt, ran for 193 yards and a score, as 7 plus point “dog,” Ohio State won (49-28) vs second rated Clemson.
It was the first time Ohio State, twice a later game semis loser to Clemson, including a heartbreaking one last year, won vs them in 5 games (all bowl games), including the famed 1978 season Gator Bowl, when Ohio State coach, Woody Hayes, always a “powder keg,” finally was deemed to have gone too far, when he punched Clemson nose guard, Charlie Bauman. (the Baumans were original neighbors of Marlo Thomas’ “Ann Marie” on “That Girl.” How’s that for a run on, tangential, ADD sentence?!).
In Bama’s win, Naj Harris had a spectacular hurdle play run that set up Jahleel Billingsley gathering in the other Jones touchdown pass, which made the score (14-0) Bama. Their coach, Nick Saban will be seeking his 6th title with Alabama in the title tilt.
Paul “Bear” Bryant, at the helm, when his Alabama team (35-6)’d Hayes’ Ohio State team in the ’77 season Sugar Bowl yet were vaulted, I will always say unjustly, by Notre Dame, which “claimed,” also has 5 Alabama titles.
Though Alabama again scored 35 points, Urban Meyer, on his way to a third title (he won 2 as Florida coach, Saban(o) (ode to Gross, but it is “Bell” who wins, if Saban loses) also won/shared the ’03 crown, with L.S.U.) coached Ohio State to an upset (42-35) win vs Alabama in the first later game, “semi” in 2014.
In the resounding win vs Clemson, whose Trev Lawrence likely played his last college tilt, Chris Olave and Jeremy Ruckert each gathered in 2 Fields touchdown passes.
Clemson’s Bauman has kept his silence since Woody Hayes .
Above some perspective in a nice piece by Aaron Brenner.
On a lighter, but literally “heavier” note, kudos to Danny Ford, the other coach to title with Clemson, (’81 season) (a truly good man, Jesse, was there at their title clinching Orange Bowl win vs Nebraska), for having a meatball sandwich at 2 A.M. or so, as per the article. These days, I would not dare.
In tomorrow’s college football semis, a pair of results that would match ’15 and ’17 champion, top ranked, undefeated Alabama and ’16 and ’18 champion, second ranked, once beaten (they were sans, very likely top NFL draft pick, Trevor Lawrence in the loss) Clemson is a two to one favorite to manifest. The teams are a combined 4 touchdown favorite.
Alabama, denied titles in close losses twice (’73 and ’74) and truly questionable polling twice (’66 and ’77) by Notre Dame, is a 20 point favorite vs them, in the semis opener tomorrow. The Tide (Alabama, “they call Alabama The Crimson Tide,” so beautifully part of Steely Dan’s “Deacon Blues”) ripped Notre Dame in the 2012 title tilt, two years before the first 4 team ‘offs began in 2014.
Meanwhile, Clemson with tremendous coach, but seemingly reactionary and definitely over zealous “my way or the highway” regarding religion, Dab Swinney at the controls, and the aforementioned Lawrence, are seven plus point(s) faves vs Ohio State.
The Clemson/Ohio State clash is their second straight “later semi” clash and third in five seasons. Clemson prevailed easily in the ’16 semi and won a close game vs Ohio St. last season. Clemson has made the college football ‘offs the last 6 seasons, thus has only missed them once.
Alabama also is in the ‘offs for a 6th time in 7 possibilities, Ohio State is in their fourth while Notre Dame is in its second.
Friday January 1, 2021, the day/date of the two semis tilts, marks the exact 50 year anniversary of another Notre Dame first then Ohio State bowl game (these semis are also bowls, the first the Rose Bowl, but to be in Texas and the second the Sugar in its traditional home, New Orleans) with decided, albeit far more mythical, national title consequences.
Then in the Cotton Bowl, “spoiler,” Notre Dame upset top ranked Texas, spoiling Texas’ chances to repeat as national champions (R.M. Nixon, the former Vice President and then President of the United States having declared Texas the ’69 champions, much to the consternation of one Joe Paterno, whose Penn State team went undefeated, untied (there were ties then), for a second straight season and frankly were barely considered for national title honors. I feel Nixon, surely I am no fan of he, was right regarding Texas and while Paterno has fallen exponentially in history’s eyes, Mr. Nixon proving once again that most things in life are relative, has gained).
That result gave Ohio State, the ’68 champions, who were denied by 17 point underdog, Michigan (yes there was a time Michigan beat Ohio State or tied them, costing them mythical national titles/chances), enabling Texas to win the ’69 crown if they “Cotton Bowl’d” Notre Dame, which they did, highlighted by Cotton Speyrer’s all-time clutch catch (do you think Chris Fowler, who shamelessly talked of Notre Dame being close in previous big games under its good but you know he is a harda–, coach Brian Kelly, when evidence entirely refutes it, knows this?!), if it beat Stanford.
However, Jim Plunkett and Stanford said no, beating Ohio State (27-17). That gave Nebraska a chance to “vault” 2 places to mythical #1, which they did, with quarterback Jerry Tagge also “vaulting” (literally, not figuratively) in for a big, if not, decisive touchdown.
If Notre Dame shocks almost everyone and “outrights” Alabama (despite their poor performances in these type games and actually because of them, I think Notre Dame will at least cover, probably be competitive and maybe even pull a shocking upset), theoretically, that would help an Ohio State team playing immediately after.
If Ohio State upsets Clemson and faces Alabama, the Tide would be at least 10, likely more, point(s) favorites.
85 years ago, another “Bill” Shakespeare made history, when in a famed regular season game, he led Notre Dame to victory vs Ohio State, passing to Wayne Millner for the last minute winning touchdown. If the two meet again (no Bard/Shakespeare words comes to mind, the “fault lies with me,” knowing this sports c–p, and not Shakespeare) for the 2020 title, each having pulled an upset (Notre Dame’s if it happens, three times bigger), I believe Ohio State would be established as roughly a 6 to 7 point favorite.
If as expected, it is Alabama vs Clemson for a 5th time in 6 seasons and in a 4th title tilt, the highest of those numbers, SIX, would be the spread, with Alabama, as the favorite.
Why not?!, as I have such fond memories of the first AFC/NFC configuration season (1970), one of now, 13 with the current calendar. (calendar and 13 evoke Friday the 13th, this rough year, 2020 had two such) and a game for the NFL crown. (Title games in 1936, ’42, ’53, ’59 and ’64), Super Bowls in ’70, ’81, ’87, ’92,’98, 2009, 2015 and the upcoming one to climax the 2020 season).
In the 12 previous NFL seasons with this calendar and a game for its title (The first NFL Title game was in 1933), one of the game’s participants city name or nickname “b”egan with a “B.”
The list follows:
1936 Green Bay Packers defeated the “B’oston “Inappropriate nicknames”
1942 (Now) Washington and with the great Sammy “Baugh” at the helm, the above referenced franchise “b”eat the Chicago “B”ears, the latter “b”idding(this is not eating potato chips, I can and will stop the quotes around the B’s unless said B’s are in the name) to cap an undefeated season with a third straight crown. To this day, only the 1972 Miami Dolphins went undefeated and won a game for the NFL crown while the (1965-1967) Green Bay Packers are the only team to cop 3 straight NFL titles. In a well remembered relatively recent tilt, the New York Giants, who denied another Chicago Bears team an undefeated season and title in 1934, repeated the feat, denying the undefeated New England Patriots in a game for the 2007 NFL crown.
1953 Detroit Lions defeated Cleveland “B”rowns
1959 “B”altimore Colts defeated New York Giants
1964 Cleveland “B”rowns defeated “B”altimore Colts
1970 “B”altimore Colts defeated Dallas Cowboys
1981 San Francisco 49ers defeated Cincinnati “B”engals
1987 Washington “You know what’s” defeated Denver “B”roncos
1992 Dallas Cowboys defeated “B”uffalo “B”ills
1998 Denver “B’roncos defeated Atlanta Falcons
The lone exception follows:
2009 New Orleans Saints defeated Indianapolis Colts A “McCovey,” (alas Willie was known as “Stretch”), the Saints quarterback then and in fact now, was/is Drew “B”rees and the Colts’ more famous and title filled, the latter (3-1) in less seasons, home WAS “B”altimore.
2015 Denver “B”roncos defeated Carolina Panthers
This is a manifestation of many things, not the least of which being a heterosexual man sans a woman, with whom to “build.”
Three quarters of the 16 final regular season week NFL games have meaning with half of the 14 playoff spots and the lone NFC first/wild card round bye to be determined.
Last week, the defending champion K.C. Chiefs again won but did not cover (0-6-1) vs the spread in 7 straight victories) edging Atlanta, to clinch the AFC one seed and the aforementioned first round bye.
Elsewhere in the AFC, (12-3) Buffalo, after its rout Monday night win vs (6-9) New England, needs either a win vs “win and they are in the ‘offs,” (10-5) Miami or a (12-3) Pittsburgh loss vs “win and they are in, also (10-5) Cleveland, to gain the once important, perhaps still, “2” seed.
In addition to Miami and Cleveland, three other AFC teams are (10-5) and one of the 5 (10-5) teams will not make the ‘offs, perhaps with an (11-5) record, (in that case it would be the Colts, who dissipated a (24-7) second half lead at Pittsburgh last week), while in the NFC, the NFC East winner will qualify and host a few if any fans first round tilt, with at best a (7-9) record and maybe even (Giants fans hope so or do they as they could get the third draft pick in one scenario, certainly involving a loss vs Dallas) a (6-10) mark.
Both Baltimore and Tennessee, last year’s slot 2 opponents are in with a win, while the Colts need to win and for one of the other current (10-5) teams to lose, otherwise be out of the ‘offs.
Later this week, more on the ‘offs possibilities with notes you will, very likely, only find/read here.
The guy’s name is on his sloppy work so I will not say it here.
After their loss to S.F. Arizona stood/stands at (8-7) while the Bears entered today’s tilt, which they won at (7-7).
Thus ‘Zona did not need 2 Bears’ losses but one, if they won their finale vs the Rams.
Also if the Rams lost, which they did, Arizona could/would get in with a win vs the Rams, I do believe.
The obvious was/is Arizona with a win needed one, not 2 Bears’ losses, as Arizona would be (9-7) and the Bears would be (8-8).
The erroneous below:
The Cardinals’ playoffs hopes are beginning to slip away after Saturday’s loss to the 49ers. All Arizona needed to do was win and the Cardinals would’ve stayed in control of their playoff destiny. Instead, they lost, and now have to rely on the Chicago Bears to lose their last two games for Arizona to make the postseason for the first time since 2015. — Josh Weinfuss
On this day and date 56 years ago, the Cleveland Browns won their last NFL title and the great Jim Brown’s only title, when they defeated the Baltimore Colts and their beyond superb quarterback, John Unitas, by a (27-0) score, at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.
Browns quarterback, Frank Ryan hurled 3 touchdown passes to Gary Collins, while the Bernie Parrish and Jim Kanicki led defense, shutout the Colts. Lou “The Toe” Groza added 2 field goals, the first set up by Brown’s run after a swing pass.
The game was scoreless at the half. It is still a great memory for me, the brown upholstered chair, my father, mother and grandmother watching with me and “my” team won.
A vintage photo of Gary Collins, above. He belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Andy B Sports 