Today, a day before the Kansas City Chiefs nee Dallas Texans host the Tennessee Titans nee Houston Oilers, 57 plus years later, in another playoff game, I note the passing of and remember the 1962 game hero, Tommy Brooker.
Mr.Brooker, a member of Bear Bryant’s first title team with Alabama the year before, (1961), kicked the winning field goal early in the second overtime period, lifting the Dallas Texans (20-17) at Houston, vs the Oilers, the team that won the first two AFL crowns in 1960 and 1961.
That gave the Texans the 1962 AFL crown, in their last game before moving to Kansas City and becoming the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tommy Brooker died in 2019 and perhaps he will be cited during tomorrow’s telecast of the AFC title tilt between Tennessee and Kansas City. He certainly should be.
Click below for a nice tribute to Tommy from writer Ian McNair.
Tommy Brooker Was Good Player And Good Man
Please click above to see Tommy Brooker’s game and AFL Title winning field goal in the 1962 game.
There was no Super Bowl then and the Texans had an “all the way” AFL crown.
Tomorrow’s winner in the AFC Title Game between the same franchises that played in the 1962 game, will advance to the 54th Super Bowl to face the winner of tomorrow’s NFC Title game between visiting Green Bay (Packers) and the San Francisco 49ers.
The two teams, Kansas City (Chiefs) and San Francisco (49ers), that are favorites in this week’s title games, have gone 50 and 25 years respectively, without winning an NFL crown.
In the case of the Chiefs, they have not even been to a Super Bowl in 50 years. In their last Super Bowl appearance, “K.C.” won (23-7) vs the Vikings.
The 49ers lost in their last Super Bowl appearance, that to the Baltimore Ravens after the 2012 season. Before that game, “S.F.” was (5-0) in Super Bowls, last winning it in 1994, vs the San Diego Chargers.
Bobby Bell, pictured above, was an outstanding linebacker on the Chiefs’ 1969 title team.
I need not cite the quality of the 1948 film, “The Babe Ruth Story,” released just before Mr. Ruth’s death, as anything great because it was not.
However, Babe Ruth was a seminal sports figure and one who transcended sports.
Some notes on the film include the fact that Roy Del Ruth both directed and produced “The Babe Ruth Story.”
William Bendix, who played “The Babe,” was a New York Yankees’ batboy, at a time during the 1920’s. The immortal Yankees’ broadcaster, Mel Allen plays himself in the film.
Finally, Babe’s second wife Claire is played by another, Claire, the magnificent Claire Trevor. There is no mention of Mr. Ruth’s first wife, Helen.
William Bendix, pictured above as Babe Ruth in “The Babe Ruth Story.”
Today another fine episode of the television show, “What’s My Line?” this one from 1958, with actor Robert Wagner as the mystery guest. New York City’s mayor at the time was also named Robert Wagner.
The panelists are Dorothy Kilgallen, Gordon MacRae, Bennett Cerf and Arlene Francis.
John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
Enjoy this interesting episode of a tremendous television show.
LSU (Louisiana State University) and its superb college quarterback, Joe Burrow completed one of the great seasons in college football annals, copping the ’19 crown with a (42-25) title game/virtual home game win, vs defending champion, Clemson.
Burrow threw 5 touchdown passes and ran for another in the title tilt after accounting for 8 (7 on passes, evoking an LSU great Y.A. Tittle, who once did so as a professional with the New York Giants) in the “semis” rout of Oklahoma.
A pair of superb LSU receivers, Fred Belitnikoff Award winner, Ja’Marr Chase (221 yards receiving) and Thaddeus Moss each gathered in 2 Burrow touchdown passes.
I neither watched or listened to any of the game.
Joe Burrow, pictured above.
Tonight in New Orleans, a pair of (15-0) teams with superb starting quarterbacks, meet in the national title game.
LSU with Heisman Trophy winner, Joe Burrow at quarterback is a 5 point or so favorite vs defending champion Clemson, whose quarterback Trevor Lawrence, has to this point, never lost a college football game.
Clemson hopes to win a third crown in four seasons and is in the title game for the fourth time in 5 seasons. They were underdogs to Alabama and their coach Nick Saban all 3 times, winning twice and at least covering the spread all 3 times.
LSU won the title in ’03 under Nick Saban and also claimed it in ’07, coached by Les Miles, despite having two losses.
I recall Perry Tuttle and Clemson claiming the ’81 crown. Did not San Diego lead Miami (24-0) in the next day’s divisional playoff game?
Fifty years ago yesterday, on January 11, 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs pulled the second straight big upset for the old AFL, when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings, in the last AFL vs NFL Super Bowl. (The first, by the way was 51 years ago today, when the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts).
Yesterday, the NFC top seed, S.F. 49ers ended the Vikings’ 59th season (Lonnie Warwick anyone?), winning easily at home. Minnesota has played more NFL seasons, sans an “all the way” title than any other team. They were credited with the last NFL Title, that in 1969, but they lost the subsequent Super Bowl.
On paper, where we know games are NOT played, it appears the Chiefs again had a big January 11th, as now they can advance to their first Super Bowl since that January 11th day 50 years back, with two home wins, one today vs the Houston Texans and another next week vs the Tennessee Titans nee Houston Oilers.
For a second straight Saturday night, ex Patriots’ Supe winner, Mike Vrabel’s Titans pulled a big upset, this roughly double the size of last week’s wild card round win at New England, going into (14-2) Baltimore (Ravens) and winning (28-12).
Today, in later starting division round games, the Chiefs face the Texans, the winner to host the Titans, at roughly the same time next week in the AFC Title Game.
Meanwhile in “night at Green Bay action,” the Packers host the Seattle Seahawks. The Niners, losers in their last two such games, host the GB/Sea winner, in the later title game start next week.
Gifford Nielsen, pictured above, was the Houston Oilers quarterback when they upset the heavily favored San Diego Chargers in the later, Saturday division round game forty years ago.
I thoroughly enjoyed Lawrence Tierney and the entire cast of “Born To Kill,” as I watched the 1947 film last night on “Movies”.
It was a highly entertaining film, even enjoyable with commercials.
Claire Trevor was in the cast, giving a marvelous performance.
Tierney a quintessential movie tough guy, was in many great films of that genre.
Additionally, Lawrence Tierney was an outstanding track and field competitor at Brooklyn’s Boy’s High School. Another New York athlete/guy, who did well.
Left to right, Mr. Tierney and Anne Jeffries, pictured in Tierney’s debut big role, as John Dillinger.
The 50th NFL division round/”slots” weekend commences with top seeds, San Francisco (49ers) and Baltimore (Ravens) hosting the two Saturday games.
This will be the 20th consecutive division round with a Saturday night game, this one matching the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.
Sunday, for the first scheduled time and second time (concerns regarding inclement weather, caused a night start for Pittsburgh’s win at Kansas City in 2016), there will be a division round Sunday night game.
It is the NFL celebrating 100 seasons, fifty with the current NFC/AFC configuration. In 1970, Baltimore en route to an NFL title, but as the Colts, hosted the first division round game.
After this weekend 200 will have been played, number 198 at Baltimore Saturday night, with Ian Eagle, less than a year old when the Colts won (17-0) vs the Cincinnati Bengals in that first such game, the lead CBS television announcer.
In that first AFC/NFC configuration, division round game, the great John Unitas threw 2 touchdown passes, one to Roy Jefferson, another to Eddie Hinton.
Click above for a fine feature regarding Mr. Unitas, with the great reporter/journalist, Heywood Hale Broun.
Richard Long was a fine actor, best known for television work on such shows as “The Big Valley” and “Nanny and the Professor.”
A good link is that Mr. Long has an important scene in the 1946 film, “The Stranger” with acting great, Edward G. Robinson.
On “The Big Valley,” he had many scenes with the legendary Barbara Stanwyck, who played his mother on the show.
In the classic film, “Double Indemnity” Mr. Robinson and Ms. Stanwyck are two of the top three billed cast (Fred MacMurray is the other), however they have only one scene together, that with others including MacMurray involved.
Fond memories abound, thinking about these four actors.
Richard Long, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 