Today is the 55th anniversary of a massive electrical blackout in the northeastern part of this country.
65 years ago in 19″55,” the Dodgers titled as they did 55 years ago in “1965” and again in 2020, a year, in which the numbers formed that time span.
Yesterday, I cited three great games from exactly 50 years earlier, on November 8, 1970.
5 of the 6 teams involved in those games played yesterday and all had the same result, as exactly 50 years earlier. By the way, in the Saints,’ who also won exactly 50 years earlier, rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take the NFC South lead, (our first mention of pro “pig” this season) I hope NBC made mention of the Tom Dempsey field goal. You don’t think I watched, no less listened.
One of the “same result games,” was Dallas, (although the (2-7) Cowboys covered the spread for the first time) losing to undefeated Pittsburgh (Steelers) and sadly I saw Dallas coach, Mike McCarthy, whose cowardly, more so, stupid decision to “field goal” at the “Sea” goal line in the ’14 NFC title tilt, do similar yesterday.
Perhaps worse, Jim Nantz, whose hedge funds millions should evaporate for his insulting, talking down to us/U.S. “soft balled” of the Dallas defense playing well, instead of ripping McCarthy’s horrible decision.
Additionally, I wonder what Tony Romo said. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, but so often former quarterbacks, who would have fumed at far lesser coaching conservatism, “walk the party line” and opt for that type call.
We got rid of the worst in Donald Trump, but second and third, at least up there in horrible, yet given all, are Romo and S.A. Smith.
What does that say when the Brinks truck backed up for them, while teachers, nurses and other every day people (cue Sly Stone) struggle mightily?!!
Completing the facts, which contained severe venting, the Giants, Saints and Raiders repeated wins 50 years later, while again the Cowboys and Detroit Lions, who met in slot 2 of the div. round that year (1970), with the great announcer, Frank Glieber on it for CBS (even “Teflon man” and great football player, Frank Gifford was excellent providing limited analysis and adequate, when he later did play by play-including on the ’84 season Supe, the first “neutral” network telecast), were on the losing end.
“Every Day People” is performed above. Maybe in the real, (however, one perceives or achieves it) “ABOVE,” it is. Let’s hope.
Oh for 1970, when I so liked the far less exposed NFL.
Fifty years later and with the same calendar, let’s recall 3 kickers doing great things, exactly 50 years ago today on Sunday November 8, 1970.
First, in a New York Giants’ home win vs eventual, (first year of the) NFC champion, Dallas (Cowboys), Pete Gogolak delivered a key 54 yard field goal for the Giants.
Next, a man born with only a partial foot and arm, Tom Dempsey kicked an incredible, record breaking, game winning SIXTY THREE yard field goal, lifting New Orleans (Saints) (19-17) vs the eventual, first NFC wild card team, the Detroit Lions.
In a late game, (no over exposed Sunday night games, but rumor has it Cris Collinsworth, the world’s all-time blowhard, started his incessant talking then) (Also you think Collinsworth or Michaels, or any of them know NFL history. The answer is NO!), the great George Blanda came in as quarterback and led a rally to tie the Oakland Raiders’ tilt vs what were then “my” Cleveland Browns. (Now the Raiders are in Las Vegas and the new Browns are not the franchise of Otto Graham or Jim Brown–that franchise became the Baltimore Ravens).
Blanda’s heroics, in the midst of many that great season, were capped when he booted a 50 plus (I believe 54) yard field goal to sink the Browns.
Oakland made the AFC title tilt, losing to eventual champion Baltimore (Colts) (John Unitas to Ray Perkins, the latter so instrumental and often forgotten in the great rebuilding of the New York Giants, for a big touchdown) while “my” Browns like the Giants were eliminated from the ‘offs on the season’s last day.
Interestingly the Giants controlled their own destiny but Pat Studstill and the Rams ripped them that December 20th, spoiling Al B./”The Cheese Man’s 15th birthday. (He, however, has seen 4 Supe wins and has a closet full of Giants’ title stuff gear).
The Browns like the Rams, won that last day, but were denied playoffs entry as the Bengals and 49ers also won to cop “div” titles.
Maybe I go too far in criticizing the (dis)likes of Collinsworth and others but remember they won, I lost. I loved it once and one reason was a call such as Don Criqui’s, see and hear the play below, on Tom Dempsey’s historic field goal.
I believe this fateful year of 2020’s events included the death of Tom Dempsey, #19, who died of complications from COVID19.
Joe “B”iden made it 7 straight times that a major party presidential nominee with a first or last name starting with “B,” won the presidency vs a candidate or in Trump’s case an incumbent, whose first or last name did not start with a “B.”
Trump is the tenth incumbent President to lose in a bid to be re elected. The last one before him was George H.W. “B”ush, who lost to his future friend “B”ill Clinton in a battle of “B’s.” Perhaps Bush’ put down of broccoli, created the karma needed to defeat him.
His son “G.W.,” and “B”arack Obama each won twice in “B” vs non “B” presidential elections while “GHW,” “B”ill Clinton and now Joe “B”iden won races vs non “B” opponents.
The last time a candidate with a “B” start to either his first or surname lost to a candidate without such, was in 1964, when “B”arry Goldwater “b”ombed (this country has a disgraceful history, regarding bombs and believe me while this Biden win is a step forward, it is within so many back) vs Lyndon Johnson–(middle names not included, Johnson’s war hawking not cited, but I just did!!)
Time to heal, time to be less cynical and critical, but also to acknowledge past micro and macro failures.
Toward that end, click below as Jim Getty narrates Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address. It can be done. It will not be easy, but it can be done.
By the way as great as the more famous Lincoln “Gettysburg Address” was, this one is more relevant, if not better.
Of course “they” shot and killed him 41 days later. There I go again, being negative, but given the gruesome, do you blame me?!!
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address – Lincoln Memorial (U.S
The late Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder claimed to have received between 16 and 20 to one odds on Harry Truman to win the 1948 presidential election vs Thomas E. Dewey. He surveyed the women in his family and found they did not like moustaches, (Dewey had one) and “tapped out”/won on “drop a nuclear bomb, Truman.
That is as far as I know, the biggest upset in a presidential election, occurring at a time the polls (I will not kick a man when he is down and type “Poles”–I will add CNN disgracefully had “Bidon” on the screen, for at least 5 minutes around 6:30 A.M. Eastern Time, think anyone might be tuning in after sleep. As bad as that was for CNN, John King was that good, analyzing and telling us/The U.S. and for that matter, the world, to be patient) were nowhere near as sophisticated as now.
Alas, Donald J. Trump “barked”–he always does that, but this use of the verb is as an underdog— at over 5 to 1 odds vs Hillary Clinton in 2016.
In one way, Joe Biden tops them all. The about to be President Elect, was 16 to 1, just to be nominated by the Democratic Party, just before what was to be a sure win in the South Carolina primary.
This time the “Dems” went “Tamany Hall,” (not in the counting, as that was fair), but in saying show us something, not much in South Carolina, and we will make you (Joe Biden, note the spelling CNN) our candidate.
To his credit, Biden said he would and did deliver, in those states, (Michigan, Wisconsin and likely Pennsylvania) Trump had somehow taken from Ms. Clinton. This was a great “ticket,” 25 to 1 at least, if one knew that “if South Carolina, would yield nominee Biden.”
I “took care” of this in tough financial times, losing money, but getting rid of sick evil, at least to a degree, and won next to nothing, on sure things such as the popular vote.
Oh well, maybe it is without the “too” in a Carol King hit song, but “they” killed Jack (who the bleep am I to call him Jack, well “Jack”, I am a suffering U.S. citizen, who BELIEVED and repeatedly had my heart broken for doing so) and Johnson, Carter, Clinton and even Barack Obama, whom I admire greatly, disappointed on some level. I need not repeat it regarding Republicans, Nixon (although his “history stock” is a really smart “buy” right now, think Albert Einstein: “most things in life are relative”), Ford, Reagan and a pair of Bushes, each as with “6-6-6” Reagan had major “thorns.”
All of the somewhat vitriolic above, is saying or opining (you know what they say about opinions) that while it is not TOO late, as the great Bill White often said, it is “Getting Late”
It all breaks my “Hart,” as Gary Hart, while no J.F.K. as “Abe Lincoln” and others told and consoled him in a classic Saturday Night skit, had a good and legitimate relationship/knowledge regarding Russia and was truly bright.
“Greek” was much better regarding politics than picking football or horse winners.
Before I get to some “light” notes, let’s show dignity and minimum, avoid any violence, which includes throwing eggs at anybody, while of course, maintaining our right to protest.
Hugh Beaumont, is of course, best known for playing WARD Cleaver, the father of Theodore “Beaver” and Wally Cleaver on “Leave It To Beaver.” Barbra Billingsley played his wife “June Cleaver.”
In the excellent, Val Lewton produced film, “The Seventh Victim,” Mr. Beaumont, whose death I recall hearing about on the day of the game in which the great Nate “Tiny” Archibald got hurt (#3 ’82 NBA semis), was Gregory WARD.
One of the films on what must have been a tribute to the great Lizabeth Scott on TCM last night, was “Too Late For Tears.”
In it, another to be television dad, arch conservative, (despite that, I still dig him and named, you can not make this stuff up, a LEFT handed stand, Electric Football player for him subliminally, Don DeFore was Don BLAKE.
Mr. DeFore’s “George Baxter,” on the television show, “Hazel” was married to “Dorothy,” played by Whitney BLAKE.
Whitney Blake, a prominent figure in television (creator and writer for the ahead of its time “One Day At A Time, among others), is/was/always will be the mother of Meredith Baxter. (until now did not realize Meredith as a “Baxter” and I guess, Mom Whitney as a “Baxter” in reel and real life)
The great singer/performer Whitney Houston was named after Whitney Blake, who is pictured above..
Think Paul Simon’s song, “Me and Julio,” Down by the Schoolyard.”
Now think he, the soon to be former president of the United States, as just another bully in the schoolyard.
If it goes his way, it counts, if not he gets a “do over.”
His comments in the wee hours Tuesday into Wednesday are reprehensible. Poll workers are hard working, honest people doing a really tough job in service to our society.
I was one and frankly stopped, as a protest to having this bully/sick, transactional, “3rd base to home” son of a bigot, who did not rent to minorities, as this country’s president.
I have to look in the mirror also and perhaps it is not my, nor is this the place, but before it is too late, we better start coming together.
Ridding ourselves of someone like him is a start.
However, there is a long way to go!!
After the 1976 Presidential election and World Series, the correlation cited in the next paragraph, had manifested in two thirds of the possibilities, (12 of 18, remember no World Series in 1904, thus 18 possible— (’08-’76).
Said correlation being if the National League team wins the World Series, the Democratic Party candidate wins the Presidency. (Note until now one needed to differentiate Democratic Party from Democracy as the Republican Party also adhered to democracy, though of course this country is a republic and NOT a democracy, certainly not a true one. That is a subject for another day.)
However, since that point in time, the correlation has just a (5-5) “record.”
Another correlation, this one with a great “record” but also in a slump that I fervently hope continues this year, is if the Lakers make the NBA final–the Republican candidate ascends to become U.S. President (of course two and if it happens this year, a third would have manifested, though losing the popular vote).
That record, not counting 1948, when the Lakers, then in Minneapolis were not in what became the NBA, is (14-3), with losses in two of the last 3 possibilities (’08 and ’16).
For the record, the exceptions are 1956 (The Lakers were not in the NBA final but Republican, Dwight D. Eisenhower was re elected), 2008 (the Lakers were in the final but Democrat, Barack Obama was elected) and 2016 (the Lakers were not in the final, but Republican candidate, Donald J. Trump became president, despite losing the popular vote.
Of course George W. Bush “did same” in 2000, a year in which that “upheld” the correlation.
I thought Jimmy Stewart for a much needed “What’s My Line,” and found one appropriate for many similar to me.
The episode aired on my birthday in 1963 and in a scant, less than 2 weeks time later, the world cracked, when “they”/L.H. Oswald/combination thereof? (we will almost certainly never know for sure) senselessly killed a President, John F. Kennedy, who gave us hope. Now look!!
Any”who,” Jimmy Stewart was the mystery guest and the distinguished, great Joseph Mankiewicz joined usual panelists, Dorothy Kilgallen (overtones with she, regarding President Kennedy’s death), Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf.
John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
Enjoy and hope.
Numbers, death (Kathy and I sang a Spinners’ hit walking down the street), numbers “up,” as now 3 greats from the Packers’ defensive unit, all of whom played on all 5 title teams under Vince Lombardi, have died in 2020.
The most recent is the great cornerback, Herb Adderley and only he, Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston, Forrest Gregg and Tom Brady have played on as many as 6 NFL title teams.
Adderley played on the first of 5 Dallas Cowboys’ title teams in 1971 and the aforementioned 5 with the Green Bay Packers, under Vince Lombardi.
Mr. Lombardi praised Herb, as his best athlete. Similar to Willie Wood’s interception and return to the Chiefs’ 5, from where Elijah Pitts scored, to essentially break open Supe 1, Adderley’s interception touchdown return was a big play, in another Green Bay rout, this one, (33-14) vs the then Oakland Raiders, in the second NFL/AFL championship game/2nd Super Bowl.
Earlier this year, which has yielded far worse than “the willies,” we lost greats Willie Davis and Willie Wood.
That unfortunate turn leaves only the two men involved in the ’66 NFL Title game clinching play, vs Dallas, as 2 of the 11 still alive from the consensus starting defensive unit of the glory days Packers. (9 of 11, those numbers,— hopefully unlike in ’16, the poll numbers are right and we rid ourselves–there I wrote it— are dead).
Dave Robinson, who made the play, draping himself around Dallas quarterback, Don Meredith and Tom Brown, who had an interception on the play are still alive.
Somewhere Dick Schaap, who wrote about them and Ray Scott/Ted Moore, each of whom broadcast them, await Ray’s “familiar names most of them.”
That defensive unit, an immortal one, except as a good president whom “they” killed said–“we are all mortal.” Indeed we are, some of us great, Herb Adderley, one of that standing.
The Dodgers have now won in one third (7) of their 21 World Series. If they had lost, a less valued and used fraction “2/7” would have manifested. (And) You thought you were finished with fractions. I am for now and paraphrasing “as Bullwinkle or Rocky said to the other, now time for something really esoteric,” regarding Dodgers’ last games of World Series.
In their first 8, all but the last of those 8, a World Series loss, a home run did not account for the first run(s) in such a game (again the last game of a Dodgers World Series).
Since that time a home run has opened the scoring in now 10 of 13. Seven times (Yogi Berra and the Yankees in ’56, Duke Snider, Frank Howard and Lou Johnson all for the L.A. Dodgers in ’59,’63 and ’65 respectively, Frank Robinson for the Orioles in ’66, Mickey Hatcher “for” and Steve Pearce (Red Sox) against, 30 years apart in ’88 and 2018) the home run was hit by the winning team/World Series winning team.
Thrice, including 3 days ago it occurred in a loss. Randy Arozarena joined second basemen Davey Lopes (Dodgers) and Willie Randolph (Yankees) as having done so.
In six of their 7 World Series wins, a home run opened the scoring in the Dodgers’ final World Series game.
Andy B Sports 