This is a rather special episode of “What’s My Line,” that aired on a cold Sunday night, January 17, 1965.
Two famed people, one mystery guest Ann Sothern, the other as part of the regular proceedings, “Minnesota Fats” (introduced with his real name Rudolf Wonderone), appeared in addition to the panel.
Arlene Francis about to open in a play, Dorothy Kilgallen heading to the inauguration of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, which was 3 days hence, were panelists.
Additionally, so were Bennett Cerf and Alan King.
John Charles Daly is the host and listen at the end as legendary announcer Johnny Olsen tells us to “buckle up,” a relatively new driving “suggestion.”
Enjoy!
Click below to view this great episode!
What’s My Line? – Minnesota Fats; Ann Sothern; Alan King [panel] (Jan 17, 1965)
Both road teams, the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots won overtime title games and will meet in the 53rd Super Bowl in Atlanta, two weeks hence.
The Rams, to be in their first Supe since they lost as big favorites to the Pats’ first title team in ’01, rallied from a (13-0) deficit and rode two incredibly clutch, long field goals by Greg Zuerlein, to a (26-23) win at New Orleans, vs the Saints.
In the later game, the incredibly great Tom Brady engineered a 75 yard, overtime, game winning touchdown drive, on which he hit three third down passes for first downs, that culminated in Rex Burkhead’s two yard, game winning touchdown play.
Burkhead also had a short touchdown run that put N.E. ahead (31-28), with 39 seconds to play.
It was just the 6th time in the 59 years of two title games, counting the AFL (’60-69), that both road teams won.
The Rams will be seeking their second L.A. title, the other in 1951. They also won titles as the Cleveland Rams in 1945 and as the St. Louis Rams in 1999.
The home team has won well over two thirds of the non neutral, Pro Football title games, be it NFL, AFL, NFC or AFC.
Altogether, going into today’s two tilts at New Orleans and then Kansas City, two franchises coached by Hank Stram, counting the (5-5) AFL record (’60-’69), the home team is (96-46), thus in NFL games is a tremendous (91-41), that is just under 69 percent victories, for the home team.
Home teams won over two thirds of the NFL title games, not played on a neutral field, going (25-11) from (1933-1969).
The 1936 game won by Green Bay, vs Washington, was played at the Polo Grounds in New York, considered a neutral field.
Of course the last 52 Pro Football titles, (48 NFL crowns) have been decided at the so called Super Bowl, neutral site.
In the ’80’s (’80-’89) the home team won 9 of the 10 NFC title tilts, including 8 straight (’80-’87). Seven of the nine home NFC title game winners in that span, went on to win the Super Bowl.
From (’70-’79), the ’70’s, home teams won 8 of the 10 AFC title tilts, including 5 straight (’75-’79). Six of the eight home AFC title game winners in that span (’70-’79), went on to win the NFL crown, in the Super Bowl.
Finally and through the esoteric maze, that brings us to the present. The home team which went (16-4) in ’80’s title tilts, is (12-4) from (2010-2017).
In AFC title game play, the home team has won 11 of the last 12 such games. However, that AFC home title game winner is just (3-4) starting in 2010 and (5-6) after those 11 wins in the subsequent, neutral site, Super Bowl.
The great Don Hutson, pictured above, gathered in an Arnie Herber touchdown pass for Green Bay in their neutral field win vs Washington in the 1936 NFL Championship Game.
Tomorrow two original A.F.L. franchises, the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs meet in K.C. in the AFC Championship Game.
As cited here last week, this will be the first time in the 59 year history of the Chiefs nee Dallas Texans, that they will host either an AFL or AFC title tilt.
The Patriots, in an incredible eighth straight AFC title tilt, have also hosted eight (going (7-1), losing only to the Baltimore Ravens in 2012, by the way the last time a home team lost either an AFC or NFC title game).
They have not fared nearly as well in road title tilts, going (3-3) with 3 straight losses.
N.E. did not host either an AFL or AFC title tilt until their 37th season in 1996.
Today another great episode of What’s My Line.
There are two mystery guests, Arnold Palmer and Dina Merrill.
The panel includes Bennett Cerf, Dorothy Kilgallen, Martin Gabel and Arlene Francis.
John Charles Daly, a great one, is the host.
What’s My Line? – Arnold Palmer; Dina Merrill; Martin Gabel [panel] (Aug 7, 1960)
A good, funny story opens the show shown above, evoking another pictured above.
Both home teams have won the conference championship games for the last five seasons (2013-2017).
That is easily the record high, as is the ten straight games won by the home teams in those games.
The Patriots will be playing in their 15th AFC Title game and 13th in the Belichick/Brady era.
They are (10-4) overall and (8-4) starting in ’01, with Brady and Belichick.
K.C. will be playing in just their second AFC Title tilt and first at home. They did however, play in two AFL Championship games with Supe bids on the line. They won both, (’66 and ’69) but lost in their lone AFC Title game (’93) to date.
New Orleans will be in their third NFC Title game having lost on the road in ’04 and won at home, en route to the title in ’09.
Meanwhile the Rams will be playing in their 10th NFC Championship Game. They are (3-6) in such tilts, (1-4) on the road. They are (0-3) when playing in the earlier title game, which Sunday’s game will be. (’74 and ’76 at Minnesota and ’85 at Chicago).
Today, a truly classic episode of the great television show, “What’s My Line,” that aired on September 14, 1958.
The mystery guest, Ed Sullivan made the audience howl with laughter, as he donned a mask.
Mr. Sullivan was a week away from beginning his eleventh season on television, with his “Toast of the Town” Show.
Panelists were Arlene Francis, John Payne, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf.
The host of What’s My Line was John Charles Daly.
Click below to view the show. Enjoy!
What’s My Line? – Ed Sullivan; John Payne [panel] (Sep 14, 1958)
Sadly, Mel Stottlemyre, who certainly has a place in baseball history, especially that of the New York Yankees, has passed away at the age of 77.
Mel helped the Yankees win the 1964 American League Pennant, their incredible 29th in 44 seasons, and last for 12 seasons, by going (9-3) as a mid- season call up from the minor league.
The great Bob Gibson, won vs Stottlemyre in game 7 of that season’s World Series.
Stottlemyre was a very good pitcher, winning 20 or more games on less than stellar Yankees’ teams three times. He also lost 20 games in 1966.
It was as a pitching coach for the Yankees and Mets that Stottlemyre enjoyed great team and individual success, as he was part of 5 of the 6 (4 with the Yankees) combined titles for the two teams, in the past forty seasons (’79-2018).
On a personal note, years pass, people are no longer 9 years old, however, I vividly recall a Yankees/Stottlmyre fan come literally dancing out of his house/apartment, to tell the rest of us, “Stott” had won his 20th game.
That was a fine Saturday in 1965 and Mel Stottlemyre was a fine man/pitcher/teacher/coach.
Mel Stottlemyre, pictured above.
Yesterday despite trailing (14-0) (it easily could have been more ), the NFC top seed, New Orleans Saints scored the game’s final 20 points and advanced to their second home title game, (in the other, they beat Minnesota en route to the ’09 crown), eliminating the defending champion, Philadelphia Eagles.
New Orleans will face the Los Angeles Rams, who made it 23 straight seasons (’96-2018), without as much as a division round victory for the Dallas Cowboys, defeating them (30-22).
The later title game also matches the top two conference seeds as New England, now (12-1) in home division round games, (they won easily vs the L.A. Chargers), in the Brady/Belichick incredible run, (the lone such loss to the New York Jets in 2010) will travel to Kansas City, to meet the AFC top seed, Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs will host an AFC or for that matter an AFL Title Game for the first time in their 59 year history, after their first ever home NFL division round victory yesterday.
Saying it will be the Chiefs first ever home title game in the 47 year history of Arrowhead Stadium,is understating the history involved in what was an easy Chiefs (31-13) victory vs the Indy Colts, a team that was (4-0) vs them in the NFL playoffs.
As either the Dallas Texans (1960-1962, with a title in ’62) or as the Chiefs from (1963-2017) the franchise never hosted such a game. They won the AFL “all the way” crown in 1962, winning at Houston (Oilers) on Tommy Brooker’s field goal in the second overtime. In both ’66 and ’69, they won ROAD AFL title games/semis, en route to a Supe win in ’69 and a loss in ’66.
The win yesterday vs the Colts was just their second in the AFC division round (2-7), the other at Houston (Oilers) in 1993 was followed by a loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC title tilt. Buffalo went on to lose a fourth Super Bowl in as many seasons and they still have that (0-4) record in Super Bowl play as do the Minnesota Vikings.
Kansas City’s lone Super Bowl triumph was a win vs the Vikings, in the fourth Supe, the first of the 4 Vikings’ Super Bowl losses.
The Chiefs will host the winner of today’s Chargers at Patriots game in the later title tilt a week from today/tonight.
CBS plans a day of the Supe interview, already recorded with Len Dawson, the quarterback on that Chiefs’ 1969 season title team. You do the “math.”
“Face it” as Mr. Dawson pictured above, getting the snap from center E.J. Holub, who also played on defense earlier in his career, did regarding the 10 other Chiefs’ players in their huddle, (he faced them as they lined up in two rows of five) the Chiefs and their playoffs failure ridden coach Andy Reid loom!
Would you believe I have not cited the team’s excellent young quarterback, Patrick Mahomes until now.
Andy B Sports 