The subject, the great football player and later a concise, quality analyst, Paul Hornung, who died days back at age 84, and my tangential mind, are “off the charts,” in combination, with memories provided by “The Golden Boy,” #5, Paul Hornung.
Since Paul’s statistics, on some level, do not translate into an indicator of his all-time type greatness, I will start with “Stone” meeting Paul, at a racetrack in Florida.
As Paul walked in with the fine quarterback, Bill Kilmer, “Stone” said to Mr. Hornung, “excuse me for staring, but it is not every day I see someone who scored 176 points in a football season.
Hornung did just that in the 12 game, 1960 season and as a record, it stood until 2006, when LaDainian Tomlinson broke it.
In big games, Hornung was at his best, scoring a touchdown in the ’61 title tilt, setting up the lone Packers touchdown in ’62 and the one I remember most, going around left end, following his great offensive linemen, in this case, I believe Forrest Gregg and Jerry Kramer for a 13 yard score, that all but sealed (Vince Lombardi regarding “a seal, here and a seal there,” football jargon, but also the devout, happily married Lombardi to Paul, a definite single “player” of another variety. Coach warned of a 5 thousand dollar fine for breaking curfew and doubting any woman would be worth that loss. As a caveat, Lombardi added, if there is such, knock on my door, I will go with you”) the ’65 title game win vs “my” Cleveland Browns, in the great Jim Brown’s last NFL game. (He did play in the much more important than now, but still an anti-climax, Pro Bowl, after that.)
So many greats have died this year, 4 (the number of title teams Paul played on with the Green Bay Packers) from the legendary Packers of the 1960’s, who won 5 titles in 7 seasons and a still unmatched 3 consecutive titles won in title games. (A much earlier version of the Packers coached by “Curly” Lambeau as in Lambeau Field, won 3 straight from (1929-1931), but before the advent of title game(s) play.
The other three Packers’ greats we lost this fateful year, being “Willies” Wood and Davis, as well as Herb Adderley.
Lombardi had a friend named John F. Kennedy and the then President, excused Paul Hornung for “Reserve” duty to “start” in the 1961 NFL title game, an eventual (37-0) Pack win, vs an excellent New York Giants’ team.
Perhaps now, Mr. Kennedy and his famed touch football game team has a “ringer” in heavenly or some such play, in the great, funny, amazing Paul Hornung.
I, Andy B. (pictured on the right) was so happy to meet Paul Hornung, pictured above and on the left, at a college football event, I attended in the mid 1990’s.
Another truly great sports figure, Tommy Heinsohn died suddenly last week at the age of 86 (of the ’86 Celtics, but one title since, Lakers also with 17 but read on).
Heinsohn played 9 seasons, all with the (Boston) Celts and the team won 8 NBA titles.
He and Bill Russell were rookies on the first title team in 1957, the great winner Russell and Tommy a.k.a. “Tommy Gun” (he liked to shoot), putting Boston over the top.
In an incredible game 7 vs a very good St. Louis Hawks team led by Bob Pettit and coached by Alex Hanumm, it was Heinsohn who scored 37 points in the Celts overtime victory.
LeBron James, now with half the 8 titles Heinsohn has tied that still record number of points in a game 7 of the NBA final for a player on the winning team. The great Jerry West had 42 in defeat vs the Celtics in 1969.
I interviewed Mr. Heinsohn at a B’nai B’rith sports dinner in 1988 and he talked about an incredible play, in which, Hanumm, a player coach, threw the ball the length of the court and off the backboard, I believe setting up a shot to win the game.
It would be great to have video or audio of that and other classic games.
In one that does exist, with Bob Wolff, a man who put my “student call” of a Tom Veryzer started 6-3 play, of a game at Yankee Stadium in 1977, into the Smithsonian Institute, along with his great interviews, Heinsohn came up big, down the stretch, as the Celtics clinched the 1963 title at L.A. in game 6. He grabbed a huge offensive rebound and converted 2 free throws to put the Celts up 3, in a time when there was no 3 point shot. He added 2 more free throws, accounting for the last 4 Boston points in a (112-109) win.
It was Bob Cousy’s last game and he threw the ball straight up in the air as the game ended.
Up there, Tommy, who also guided the Celtics to titles number 12 and 13 as coach in 1974 and 1976 and was still a very biased Johnny Most type Celts broadcaster, be careful with the angels/referees, as instead of issuing technical fouls, they might take your cigarettes.
The great Bill Russell on the left with Tommy Heinsohn.
One day, I hope it will not be necessary, to say he or she is black, white, green (think Celtics) or of a certain faith, however, the Celtics with a great team of both black and white players, with a coach (Red Auerbach) of the Jewish faith, back in “lesser when,” IS WORTH NOTING.
Even before a certain someone used something called “tweets,” to express his anger/ego/ evil coated views, I did not like the idea of “tweets,” certainly not the plethora thereof.
However, the brief heartfelt one below from Bill Russell about Tom Heinsohn, is worth putting out there.
Even though he helped Ian Eagle, which certainly is a double slap in the face to me (see Eagle is not my “cup of tea” and he really did not help me), Marty Glickman was a great broadcaster and more important, a great, principled man.
Maybe I would not have measured up to his standards, but certainly Eagle and others far worse (Michael Kay, who did not recognize Marty’s voice when it played through a box at ABC in the mid 1980’s, and those even worse than him, for example) do not.
This little, maybe big bit of vitriol (also “Bill Klem” it, as sour grapes, adding as my mother often said “Kay tried” as did Eagle and the others, while clearly I did not try, nor want it enough), as this Sunday, marks the 50th anniversary of the Giants great comeback win vs no, not the Eagles, but the Washington football team.
Editor Doug Ingber, frequent pool winner or co winner (last week with a (9-4) mark, what kind of pool is that?!) “Ethan Stone” and I hope to have a “conference call” this Sunday, regarding our memories of that game.
We did so when I hosted a “Tribute To Marty Glickman Show” (edited beautifully by Mr. Ingber) upon the occasion of Marty’s last broadcast in December of 1992. Mr. Glickman called in, having truly enjoyed the show.
On that Sunday November 15th, 1970, Ingber was with his father, having travelled to Connecticut, thus circumventing the blackout and could see what turned into a fabulous tilt, with such great players as Fran Tarkenton, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor and Ron Johnson participating.
“Stone” was at the game, hearing about the tragic plane crash that took the lives of the Marshall football team the night before, on the way to Yankee Stadium, with his father.
They bought two New York Times, not only to read, but for a cushion “against” the hard seats.
I believe I was the most fortunate of all, as I was home and got to listen to Marty Glickman. My dad was out, probably listening and it was he, who introduced me to Marty’s greatness, listening in the car, on so many Sunday afternoons.
On the occasion of the immortal Jackie Robinson’s 50th anniversary season of his 1947 debut, which of course was long overdue, to integrate baseball and I always cite Larry Doby, who later that year, became the first Black player in the American League—-I drove Marty to a symposium, regarding that event at Long Island University.
As he got in my car, I told Mr. Glickman that I was not that good with directions. My father often cited the fact I did not pay enough attention, as I always put the radio on first, as to hear Marty’s broadcasts. He laughed.
Hopefully, I can post more on the anniversary this Sunday, but speaking of driving, Marty Glickman, in the heat of the battle, as the Giants climbed closer in an eventual (35-33) win, suggested that those listening but also driving, pull over to the side of the road.
Marty told me, then Yankees executive/president? Mike Burke did just that. What a memory, what a game, what a broadcaster!!!
Today, a truly classic episode of “What’s My Line?” that first aired in August, 1953.
A superb announcer, I wish I knew who, cites Stopette a great product from cosmetic chemist, Jules Montenier and company, as the show’s sponsor and then introduces the first panelist, Dorothy Kilgallen, who is seated.
Deborah Kerr (as in STAR) a true great is the mystery guest.
The other panelists all seated and introduced right to left are Steve Allen, who has a new television show, Arlene Francis, about to open in a play in Westport, Connecticut and Bennett Cerf.
John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
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!!
Andy B Sports 