Entering Sunday’s 53rd Super Bowl, teams from the conference or league, whose network is exclusively telecasting the game in the United States, have a record of (23-17).
Sunday’s game is on CBS and will be the seventh Supe it telecasts with AFC affiliation. CBS telecast 12 exclusively, as the NFL and NFC network. (The NFL or NFC team was (7-5) in those games).
Altogether, the CBS conference or league affiliated teams have also won two thirds of such games, (5-1) as the AFC.
Current NFC network, Fox has telecast eight Supes, with the “other” conference (AFC) winning five times.
Meanwhile NBC, now a “neutral” network in these “matters” (as if this matters, but hey….) telecast 14 Super Bowls as either the AFL or AFC network. Its AFL or AFC teams won the first 7 such games, but only one of the next seven, to finish (8-6).
Eleven Super Bowls were on the “neutral” network (the first seven of those on ABC, the next four on NBC).
The first Supe was telecast by both CBS, the NFL network and NBC, the AFL carrier.
It was NBC’s Charlie Jones, who, before the first such game before it was known as The Super Bowl, famously stated the broadcasters would be relieved of the tension, after the “first verb.”
Elijah Pitts, pictured above, carrying the ball for the Green Bay Packers’ in their (35-10) win vs the Kansas City Chiefs, in the first of these games.
Before the 53rd Super Bowl to be played in Atlanta, Georgia, a city with but one major North American Professional sports league title, Boston has 38 titles, double that of opponent Los Angeles, which has 19.
The Boston Celtics have 17 NBA crowns, the Red Sox have won the baseball World Series 9 times, (the once Boston Braves titled once), while the Patriots hope to tie the NHL Bruins, with a 6th title this Sunday.
Los Angeles has 11 Lakers’ titles and 5 Dodgers’ World Series victories. The NHL Kings have 2 NHL titles and the Rams won L.A.’s first pro title in 1951.
One could add the L.A. area Angels 2002 World Series victory as well as the NHL Ducks’ 2007 NHL title even the L.A. Raiders’ ’83 Supe win, to make the total 22, or not count the Braves’ 1914 World Series victory, as they no longer are a Boston based franchise, having moved to Milwaukee and then Atlanta, winning one title in each city.
The New England Patriots have won in their last 5 meetings vs the Rams. That includes New England’s first Supe win, after the 2001 regular season.
The last Rams’ win vs N.E. was in that 2001 regular season.
A most memorable regular season game was the Patriots’ (30-28) victory at the Rams, then playing home games in Anaheim, on November 16, 1986.
I believe the Tony Eason to Irving Fryar “tipped/miracle/ last play, save the extra point, catch was roughly at the same part of Anaheim Stadium as Dave Henderson’s tremendously important, but far from decisive, 2 run home run for Boston (Red Sox) vs the L.A. area Angels, in game 5 of that season’s ALCS, just over one month earlier.
That same November 16, 1986 day, a New York Giants team, destined to win their last twelve games, certainly the last five with pretty much ease, en route to their first Super Bowl crown, “pulled a game out,” themselves, (22-20) at Minnesota, vs the Vikings.
Their assistant coach and of course long time Patriots’ head coach, Bill Belichick, walked off a Super Bowl field victorious that season and to this point, 6 more times, in his great coaching career.
One more Pats/Rams “reg” game note: In ’74, the Pats, an upstart team went to (3-0), beating the Rams in a New England home game.
The last touchdown of the game in that Rams loss, was the last touchdown of Lance Rentzel’s career, as he collected a pass from John Hadl.
Despite a (5-0) start, the Patriots failed to make the then 8 team/4 in each conference, playoff field. The Rams made the ‘offs for the second straight season, losing in the NFC Title Game at Minnesota.
L.A. (Rams) made the ‘offs 8 straight seasons from (’73-’80), advancing to one Super Bowl, in which they lost in a well played game to the great Pittsburgh Steelers. That was their last previous Supe appearance, as the Los Angeles Rams.
Click below to view the end of Pats/Rams on November 16, 1986. The classy Dick Enberg and the great one time Rams player, Merlin Olsen are the respective play by play and color announcers.
Irving Fryar Hail Mary catch, Patriots-Rams 1986
Today a vintage “What’s My Line” episode that featured two great mystery (type) guests and two other contestants.
Writer Jacqueline Suzanne, appeared and the panelists wore blindfolds. Ms. Suzanne was celebrating the one year anniversary of her topping the best seller list with her great “Valley of the Dolls.”
The incomparable Judy Garland was the mystery guest. Ms. Garland’s daughter, Liza Minelli’ wedding to Peter Allen, just two days before was referenced. Names were not mentioned, save it was Judy’s daughter.
Panelists on this great show were Arlene Francis, Sue Oakland, Tony Randall and Bennett Cerf.
Mr. Cerf and his wife had flown to Miami, Florida and back to New York City, having seen Frank Sinatra perform the night before.
John Charles Daly was the host.
Click below to view the show.
What’s My Line? – Jacqueline Susann; Judy Garland; PANEL: Tony Randall, Sue Oakland (Mar 5, 1967)
In a post before the 2018 World Series, won by a Boston team (the Red Sox) vs an L.A. team (the Dodgers), I cited the history of Boston/Los Angeles final series or games, as I included three such clashes, when three current L.A. franchises (the Rams, Dodgers and Lakers) were located elsewhere.
That included the 2001 season Patriots Super Bowl/final game victory over the heavily favored, then St. Louis Rams.
The post from October 2018 can be seen below. The Red Sox W.S. victory raised the Boston record to (9-3) in final round entities vs Los Angeles teams.
Boston’s relatively easy 5 game World Series triumph, also raised the Boston record to (12-3) vs current L.A. franchises in final round competition.
Click below to view the post.
Novak Djokovic won his third straight major tennis tournament and fifteenth of his incredible career, completely outplaying another great, Rafael Nadal to win the final match held earlier today in Australia, in straight (the minimum three) sets.
This is Djokovic’s 7th Australian Open crown, breaking a record he shared with Roy Emerson and Roger Federer. He moved by Pete Sampras into third place in major tournament wins, trailing only Federer (20) and Nadal with 17.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka won her second straight woman’s major crown, defeating Petra Kvitova, in a very tough maximum (3) set match.
Perhaps Ms. Osaka is on her way to greatness, while Mr. Djokovic already there moved closer to a special pantheon of that all too often used term (greatness), easing by Nadal, who had not lost even a set, before Djokovic eased (6-3, 6-2 and 6-3).
Click below to view my post after Djokovic and Osaka each won at the U.S. Open last September.
- Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka Win U.S. Open Tennis Crowns on September 10, 2018
An all time great tennis player, Novak Djokovic, pictured above.
Today some notes following what were two remarkable title tilts last Sunday.
In 1975,the Rams were denied a first Super Bowl appearance when Preston Pearson of the Dallas Cowboys, gathered in 3 touchdown passes from Roger Staubach, as Dallas routed the favored Rams, in L.A.
Dallas also defeated the Rams on the road in 1978. Both times the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cowboys, in the subsequent Super Bowl.
Last week, the Chiefs were denied a Super Bowl appearance for the 49th time in as many NFC/AFC configuration seasons, despite a three touchdowns scored game, by their running back, Damien Williams.
Preston Pearson, pictured above, carrying the ball for the Dallas Cowboys. I believe that to be the great defensive player, L.C. Greenwood of the Pittsburgh Steelers in pursuit.
Today, another nostalgia post featuring an episode of the great television show, “What’s My Line.”
This one aired on March 8, 1959 and Fred MacMurray is the mystery guest.
The panelists are Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis and Jack Lemmon.
Soon after this show, Lemmon and MacMurray along with Shirley MacLaine starred in the great Billy Wilder directed film, “The Apartment.”
Click below to view the episode. Enjoy!
What’s My Line? – Fred MacMurray; Jack Lemmon [panel] (Mar 8 .
Pictured clockwise are Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, Dorothy Kilgallen, and host John Charles Daly.
Last July, I called/posted for Edgar Martinez to make the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Now he has done so. He was a tremendous hitter, delivering many clutch hits, most notably a 2 run double that transformed a 1 run Seattle deficit into a division series victory, in the decisive 5th game vs the Yankees in 1995.
After that heartbreaking loss, the Yankees switched to Joe Torre as their manager and won 4 World Series in the next 5 seasons, a truly remarkable feat.
Then they added Mike Mussina and in the 8 years he hurled for them (’01-’08), the Yankees failed to win the World Series. The first year after he left, they won another crown. “Dragnet” just the facts!
Click below for my post from July 2018 regarding Edgar Martinez
- Edgar Martinez Deserves “Hall” Status on July 24, 2018
This year two tremendous designated hitters, Harold Baines and Edgar Martinez were afforded Hall of Fame status.
In our post 1968 “Strat O Matic Baseball” season, we were ahead of our time using a designated hitter.
One day I will tell you the story of my Dad, being called on to determine where Gates Brown, who had a tremendous “card,” would bat in his team’s batting order. Memories!
The last L.A. Rams NFL title (they won one as the St. Louis Rams in ’99 to go along with the one they gained in their last year in Cleveland –1945) and first New England Patriots’ such title, occurred 50 years apart, the Rams winning theirs in 1951 and the Pats’ first, taking place in 2001.
Both of those title teams got big post-season contributions from two quarterbacks. Three of the four quarterbacks involved are Hall of Fame or sure to be, players.
In the Rams ’51 title game win vs the defending champion, Cleveland Browns, both Rams’ future “Fame QB’s,” Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin contributed, as they had all season.
Fifty years later, Pats quarterback Drew Bledsoe was famously injured and replaced by a man named Brady, Tom Brady.
Brady led the Patriots to the AFC Title Game at Pittsburgh vs the Steelers. He was injured in the game and replaced by Bledsoe.
Drew was the winning quarterback that day, among other things contributing a touchdown pass to David Patten.
Troy Brown, pictured above, had a punt return touchdown in the N.E. ’01 Title Game win at Pittsburgh.
Andy B Sports 