Tomorrow if heavy favorite Seattle (Seahawks) wins vs Arizona (Cardinals) or if the Chicago Bears top the Minnesota Vikings, then in the 4 seed vs 5 seed, wild card round tilt, Seattle will visit Dallas.
I guess Seattle will win, which if that happens and favorite Minnesota tops the Bears will manifest in Bears/Vikings in 2 straight weeks.
Prediction: Seattle 24 Arizona 17 keeping the Sam Rosen announced underdog streak going, in a game started by Arizona quarterback, Josh Rosen.
The Cowboys will host either Seattle or Minnesota. The Eagles need to win at Wash and get help from the Bears (i.e. beating the Vikings), to get in the ‘offs.
If that is coupled with a win by the heavily favored Rams vs S.F. (49ers) then 30 years later and a playoffs round earlier, there would be a redux of a division round, Bears win vs the Eagles, a game played in heavy Chicago fog.
In that somewhat unlikely event, the game would again be in Chicago.
I saw many games played by Dale Murphy.
He was a key member of some good Atlanta Braves’ teams, one a division winner in 1982 under manager Joe Torre, the first foray into post-season play for either excellent player.
While Torre, who was a superb hitter (.363 in 1971) made many more post-season appearances as a manager, primarily with the Yankees, winning 4 titles and 6 pennants, to lead to his Hall of Fame entry, Mr. Murphy never again made it to post-season play.
That is one reason that I opine Murphy to be a really good player but not one to be in the Baseball “Hall.”
Dale Murphy, pictured above.
There is more “treasure” from that game on September 26, 1962 between the Milwaukee Braves and New York Mets.
Sadly, cigarettes are not healthy, something too many people realized too late.
Thus with the asterisk of what would become I cite if nothing else the professionalism of Lindsey Nelson in an ad for “Kool” cigarettes.
One who stayed good, his literal and figurative home runs staying fair both within poles and with no additions, is Henry Aaron.
On that rainy night in Milwaukee, he hit his 45th home run of the season, a monstrous three run clout.
Henry Aaron with his wife Billye
The New England Patriots are nearly two touchdown favorites vs the New York Jets, in a bid to clinch a home division round game for an incredible ninth straight season.
I liken this era of Pats football (2001-2018) to that of the San Francisco 49ers, twenty years earlier, (1981-1998).
To this point, each team won 5 NFL/Super Bowl crowns, in each case, the first ever titles for the franchise.
In future posts, I will cite the Pats/49ers incredibly similar 18 year periods of essentially sustained great performance.
The Dodgers won the World Series in just their second season in Los Angeles in 1959.
They defeated the Milwaukee Braves in 2 straight games, the second a classic, unheralded game, to win an unscheduled playoff for the National League Pennant.
Next after dropping game 1 to Early Wynn, Ted Kluszewski and the White Sox in Chicago, L.A. won 4 of the next 5 games and the crown led by the brilliant pitching of Larry Sherry.
Somehow I remember the one and only Frank Sinatra paying tribute to Sherry’s pitching prowess in that 1959 World Series. Somewhere, perhaps there is footage of him doing so.
Brooklyn stars Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Carl Furillo were starting players on the team while another, Pee Wee Reese was still part of the team as the third base coach.
The (13-2) New Orleans Saints are the NFC top seed, clinching the status with a (31-28) win over the (8-6-1) Pittsburgh Steelers, yesterday in New Orleans.
New Orleans was the NFC top seed just one other time and that season, (2009), they won the Super Bowl.
Now the Steelers, who were truly hurt by pass interference calls on three Saints’ touchdown drives, need help to make the NFL playoffs, something they were heavily favored to do when the season started.
No worry needed for the Steelers’ glory nor the Rooney family that owns them.
Pittsburgh won their first Super Bowl crown in New Orleans vs the Vikings, who still have not won one. The Steelers have won six, more than any other team.
Meanwhile the Rooneys will soon sell Yonkers Raceway and all that entails and yields.
Staying “above the belt,” the Rooneys association there began with the Steelers’ first playoff season in 1972. It has been quite a run of success, no matter the ’18 season result.
Today in our “Players to Remember” file, I recall fondly and with great admiration the play of Ed Mathews, a Hall of Famer, who hit over 500 home runs.
I believe he was as good as if not better than any third baseman, who ever played the game.
He had a great World Series and made the unassisted play on which the 1957 World Series ended in favor of Mathews’ Milwaukee Braves.
The next season Mathews and the Braves were not as fortunate losing the last three games and the title to the vaunted New York Yankees, the team they defeated in the 1957 Fall Classic.
Ten years later, Ed Mathews was part of a Detroit Tigers team that did what the ’58 Yankees did to Ed’s Braves, namely win the last three World Series games, the last two on the road.
The great player, Eddie Mathews, pictured above.
After today’s two NFL games, (8-6) Tennessee (Titans) (nee Houston Oilers), hosting (7-7) “Wash” and the (11-3) Chargers also at home, vs the (8-6) Baltimore Ravens, only Sunday games remain on the NFL regular season schedule.
The host franchises today met in, with each hosting one, the first two AFL Championship Games in 1960 and 1961.
Houston (Oilers) led by George Blanda won both tilts, the first in Houston vs the L.A. Chargers in ’60 and at San Diego, the Chargers’ home from (’61- 2016), the following season.
The Chargers played in 5 of the 6 “all the way” AFL Title games, while Houston was in the first three pre Super Bowl year such tilts, meaning the two franchises combined to play in all six.
They combined for 3 AFL crowns, all of them “all the way”/pre Super Bowl games, however, the franchises have each lost, in their lone Super Bowl appearance.
The legendary George Blanda, pictured above, in a Houston Oilers’ uniform.
This one is so delightful, I need not embellish it at all.
Ms. Taylor is both beautiful and charming.
Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis and Fred Allen are the panelists.
John Daly is the host.
Enjoy, enjoy!
Click below to view Elizabeth Taylor on “What’s My Line from Sunday night November 14, 1954.
What’s My Line? – Elizabeth Taylor (Nov 14, 1954)
Rick’s Cabaret New York, the famous upscale gentlemen’s club located at 50 West 33rd Street, just one block from Madison Square Garden, is a great place to celebrate the Holidays.
Over 100 Entertainers are performing in holiday-themed outfits, and the three-story club is festively decorated, with a lit Christmas tree on display. Rick’s Cabaret is a favorite with many pro athletes and celebrities.
Rick’s Cabaret NYC, opens daily at 12 noon, and serves their highly rated three-course Businessmen’s Lunch Special until 3 pm. Dinner is served at the Rick’s Steakhouse on the second floor until 4 a.m.
Andy B Sports 