Last season, 9 of 11 (oh those numbers!) favorites covered the spread in the NFL postseason, culminating in New England’s amazing comeback win and “cover” in the 51st and first overtime Super Bowl vs the Atlanta Falcons.
Yesterday both (already as many as last season) underdogs not only covered pretty big point spreads, but won outright, first the Tennessee Titans (the “comeback score”) and next, perhaps fittingly the Atlanta Falcons.
What can be said about the woeful playoffs record, especially at home of the Kansas City Chiefs and their coach Andy Reid, whose home ‘offs woes precede his tenure as K.C. coach.
Yesterday I mistakenly shut off the tilt, “vibed” the phone would call Tennessee first and they did. I should have known as the K.C. lead at the half, was the comeback score of (21-3).
Nobody but me, but alas too late, this is the 40th season of NFL wild card round play (1978-2017). On the first day in this round’s history, the winners were the Atlanta Falcons and the team that became the Tennessee Titans, the Houston Oilers.
Yesterday the two “barked” outright at minimum 10 to 1 odds.
Next Atlanta goes to Philadelphia, the team they beat in the first wild card game ever, 39 years and six days before yesterday’s win.
If the heavily favored Jacksonville Jaguars get the “faves” back on track, by at least winning, never mind covering, the Titans nee Oilers will sojourn to New England as they after their wild card game win at Miami in 1978.
Meanwhile if the Bills make the dogs three for three at what would have originally been around 50 to 1 odds, the Titans would go to Pittsburgh where their ancestral Oilers went for the ’78 title tilt after beating New England in the slots/division round. Pittsburgh ripped Houston en route to their third Supe crown in 5 seasons, winning (34-5).
The Titans nee Oilers gained revenge for two losses at the hands of the Chiefs nee Texans, including the 1962, 2 overtime, AFL Title tilt loss. (the program shown above.)
Yesterday, I cited the fact that tonight’s wild card clash between the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons, will be the first between the two franchises.
The cities have met in six previous entities, two each in the NHL, NBA and Major League Baseball.
Both NHL series were best of 3 preliminary round clashes, both baseball were best of 5 quarterfinals/division series and both NBA match ups were best of seven semi-final series.
Tonight is a best of one and one/I (maybe a few others) wonder if any other two cities have this history even a best of 1, best of 3, best of 5 and best of 7, covering the 4 major North American Sports leagues, no less in a truly symmetrical pattern.
L.A. favored by 6 points tonight, has won 5 of the 6 series.
The NHL L.A. Kings won 2 straight from the Atlanta Flames,( now in their 37th season as the Calgary Flames, parenthetically to say the least, a Georgia college team will attempt to win a title 37 years apart this Monday night, something only the Yankees have done in baseball (’41 and ’78), (’61 and ’98, two great Yankees’ teams, but please the ’98 team, no matter their record, were not nearly as good as the ’61 team) and ’62/’99), in ’76 and in 3 games in ’77 in NHL best of three preliminary series.
Getting an individual name in there; Butch Goring, who later played on the 4 straight New York Islanders’ Stanley Cup champions from (1980-1983), had three goals, one an empty net tally, in the decisive third game Kings/Flames in 1977.
The Atlanta Braves swept the Dodgers in 3 straight games in a 1996 “quarter”/division series. “L.A.” won three games to 1 in a 2013 “version.”
The L.A. Lakers won semis from the Atlanta Hawks, oddly as was the case with other Atlanta teams then in the Western Conference, in both ’69 and ’70, losing but one game in the two best of seven series, that in 1969.
So 3 sweeps, all by L.A. teams, one in each sport in which the cities have clashed and three series won by a team, with one loss.
Tonight one loss means ouster. None of the six L.A./Atlanta series winners “titled,” the Lakers twice and the Braves once losing in final rounds.
Both Kings’ prelim series wins vs the Atlanta Flames were followed by “quarters” losses to the Boston Bruins, while the Dodgers were felled by the St. Louis Cardinals, after their division series win, vs the Braves.
Saturday’s second game, the second of four wild card round tilts, matches the Los Angeles Rams and defending NFC champion, Atlanta Falcons.
This will be the first postseason clash between the two franchises in this the “younger” (The Rams once had a tremendous player named Tank Younger) Falcons’ 51st season and 47th season in which an ‘offs tilt between the two teams was possible.
The Rams (4-5) in wild card round games lost their only previous home tilt in this round to the New York Giants, as part of the ’84 season. That game was the first of 8 ‘offs wins for the Giants under Bill Parcells, (three each in Super Bowl winning seasons in both ’86 and ’90 and a wild card round win in ’85).
Only the Rams have ever hosted a postseason game in as many as three locales/incarnations and tomorrow night they will host an ‘offs game in their second L.A. incarnation, in this their second season, playing there after their move back from St. Louis.
The Rams also played in and won the 1945 NFL Title as the Cleveland Rams, winning the crown, vs the great Sammy Baugh and Washington.
Their other locales/incarnations also produced one title, the one in Los Angeles won vs the great Otto Graham and Cleveland in L.A. in 1951 and as the St.Louis Rams vs the Tennessee Titans as part of the ’99 season, despite a stellar effort by Steve McNair, whose demise in a plane crash puts or should all of this in perspective.
St. Louis’ 1999 title was won at a neutral site in the league’s 34 Super Bowl “on the #,” with Al Michaels, tomorrow’s Rams/Falcons earliest round announcer on that year’s NFL final/Supe.
Tomorrow even more Rams/Falcons notes, with (cue Mildred Dunnock, who said similar in both the play and movie based on Arthur Miller’s iconic “Death Of A Salesman”) “ATTENTION paid” to the Falcons’ ‘offs history as well.
The other previous postseason game between the Oilers/Titans and Texans/Chiefs was played in 1993.
It was in slot 4, the late Sunday game in 1993 and as was the case in the other game between the two franchises, as cited yesterday, the Chiefs won the game, upsetting the Oilers.
Joe Montana, far better known and successful with the S.F. 49ers, was the K.C. quarterback while Buddy Ryan, better known in other cities, was the Houston coach.
There is definite postseason history involving the two franchises meeting in the wild card round opener this Saturday.
The game matches the Kansas City Chiefs, long ago the Dallas Texans, vs the Tennessee Titans nee Houston Oilers.
In their third and last season as the AFL Dallas Texans, (1962) the Chiefs rode Tommy Brooker’s field goal in the second overtime period, to a (20-17) victory at Houston, vs the Oilers.
Houston, which until this past baseball season’s stirring Astros’ crown, had only the two Houston Rockets’ titles in an existing major North American sports league, had won the first two AFL crowns with George Blanda, as their quarterback.
Tomorrow as our week of NFL notes continues, more on Texans/Chiefs vs Oilers/Titans, as well as more notes on Houston sports history.
It will be an all S.E.C. national title tilt, (I was wrong, Alabama’s greatness, especially on defense “allowed” it, after Georgia’s stirring 2 overtime win) with Alabama under Nick Saban, in a third straight title tilt, opening as a 4 plus point favorite vs Georgia, which is coached by former Alabama assistant coach, Kirby Smart.
In the first semi yesterday, The Rose Bowl, Sony Michel’s fourth touchdown of the game, a 13 yard scamper in the second overtime, lifted Georgia to a (54-48) win over (I’ll say!!) Oklahoma, to gain a berth in next Monday’s title tilt in Atlanta.
Meanwhile Alabama, a similar three or so point favorite, got a key interception and an eventual one yard touchdown reception from Da’Ron Payne in a (24-6) win, vs defending champion Clemson in the night Sugar Bowl/semi.
They did not meet in this year’s SEC Title game, but they will meet for the big prize, in the national title game in 6 days.
By the way, the reason they did not meet in that SEC Title game is that Auburn beat both teams and represented the SEC West in the game.
Georgia avenged its defeat at Auburn’s hands while Alabama was picked as one of the four ‘offs teams.
Yesterday Central Florida, the lone unbeaten team (13-0) beat Auburn.
All this week, there will be some great NFL ‘offs notes, however, today a preview, tomorrow a review, of the two college football “semis,” being played today.
The four participants in the two tilts today (Georgia minus 2 and a fraction vs Oklahoma in The Rose Bowl/semi beginning at 5 P.M. Eastern Time and Alabama, a field goal “fave” vs Clemson in the “Sugar,” commencing at 8:30 Eastern Time) won at least one Associated Press and consensus “mythical” national titles within “Oklahoma title book ended” 6 year/7 season periods from (1975-1981) and (1979-1985).
Actually, “Bama,” which won 4 titles under current coach Nick Saban during the (Barack) (O)bama administration, also won the ’78 crown under Paul “Bear” Bryant, (USC won the UPI version), before repeating as champions, (the last of Bryant’s 5 A.P./consensus crowns) in ’79.
Georgia led by Herschel Walker took the title in ’80, followed by Clemson in 1981.
Oklahoma won A.P.–I guess consensus crowns (they were the best team in ’74, as they went unbeaten and untied–there were ties then in college pig, some notable, title affecting ones, in fact—-but on probation, they shared the crown with, as ‘Bama did in ’78, USC) in both ’74 and certainly ’75.
Thus in an eight season/seven year span from ’74-’81, the four teams in today’s semis, combined for six titles, two each (one by each team shared with USC/University Of Southern California, then coached by John McKay) by Oklahoma(’74 and ’75) and Alabama(’78 and ’79).
The eight season/seven year span from ’78-’85 (Oklahoma beat Penn State to claim the ’85 crown and in so doing handing the great college football expert, Beano Cook a season ending big financial loss but emotional win. That season, as Jim Lampley, has often noted, Beano cashed something approximating 10 straight “blue plate specials.”) yielded 5 crowns for today’s 4 “semis” participants, two by Alabama and one each for Georgia, Clemson and Oklahoma.
Perhaps the lead should have been ‘Bama, Georgia and Clemson combined for all four Associated Press/consensus titles from ’78-’81.
I have no “opinion” on either tilt today. However, should Georgia outscore Oklahoma in the “Rose”/first semi, I do not think “they” will allow an all SEC final a week hence, so if “GA” wins, try “Clem” plus three.
In fact, a “slight lean” to Georgia vs Clemson for all the marbles next Monday night. Again a more solid belief in “Clem,” if Georgia prevails.
Enjoy the tilts and be here tomorrow for a review/notes on them. Starting Wednesday, great notes on the NFL ‘offs, which begin next Saturday.
Clemson quarterback, Homer Jordan threw a touchdown pass to Perry Tuttle to all but clinch the ’81 season title for Clemson in a night time Orange Bowl vs Nebraska on January 1, 1982.
Then, I believe working for Sports Illustrated, a very good man who shares a first name with former New York Mets Orosco and Gonder, (Jesse) was in attendance.
It is so cold, not good, but perhaps appropriate in some way, on this the exact 50 year anniversary of the 1967 NFL Title game, better known as “The Ice Bowl.”
Temperatures throughout the tilt won by the Green Bay Packers (21-17), vs the Dallas Cowboys, were well into double digits below zero.
The great and largely underappreciated Packers’ quarterback, Bart Starr scored the game winning touchdown on a “win or lose,” one yard quarterback sneak, with 16 seconds remaining.
“G.B.” was out of timeouts and Starr told the legendary Packers’ coach, Vince Lombardi, that he had the “proper footing” to get the score, that would and did give the Packers, an unprecedented third straight NFL crown.
Rather than try a tying field goal, Mr. Lombardi approved the call, telling Starr, “run it and let’s get the he-l out of here.”
Sadly the CBS telecast of this unbelievable game has never been unearthed. Portions of the radio calls by the two great local announcers, Ted Moore of Green Bay and Bill Mercer, (now 91 years old), for Dallas do exist.
So often football as all the major sports/businesses disappoint me greatly, often having me ask how and why I got so “involved.”
One reason, part of THE reason, are games such as “The Ice Bowl,” a game between Green Bay whose subsequent Supe win vs Oakland gave them membership in the “rare air” of as many as 5 “all the way” (the win vs Dallas gave them the unprecedented 3 straight NFL titles, a feat still never duplicated. The frankly anti climactic Supe win was needed for the “all the way” crown. For example, both Baltimore in 1968 and Minnesota in 1969 won NFL crowns, but Supe losses to the Jets and Kansas City, two teams that have not even qualified for the Super Bowl since, denied them “all the way” crowns and certainly marred their seasons) titles in 7 seasons.
The Dallas story adds to the game’s greatness, as for the second straight season, they suffered a bitter title game defeat, at the hands of the Packers.
They would fail to win it all for three more consecutive playoff qualifying seasons from (’68-70), losing the ’70 season Supe, to Baltimore, in a game in which Jim O’Brien’s last play field goal broke a (13-13) tie.
Baltimore’s radio announcer was the great Ted Moore.
Finally, after the 1971 season, Dallas finally won it all ending years of frustration on Sunday January 16th, 1972, beating Miami (24-3). (Another team that endured exponential frustration in seeking its first title, the Los Angeles Lakers also finally ended it, “titling” on a Sunday 16 weeks later.)
Bill Mercer’s excellent call of Duane Thomas’ touchdown, that put Dallas comfortably ahead, resonates, as he delineated the short yardage on the brief excursion by Duane, into the end zone.
Oh the memories, Moore, Mercer, Starr, Bob Lilly of Dallas, Lombardi and Dallas coach Tom Landry. That is why I got involved, for “better or worse,” as did so many, a “marriage”–television/football, taking our time, aisles already walked DOWN.
The great Bill Mercer pictured above.
Let’s go sweet, not bitter, “sweet 16,” if you will. The temperature was 16 degrees below zero, not sweet but a sixteen. Starr’s decisive touchdown play commenced with 16 seconds remaining.
Both the Cowboys and Lakers’ titles in 1972 have 16’s if you will.
Dallas won on the 16th of January a Sunday in Supe 6. Sixteen Sundays later, the Lakers won it all, on May 7, 1972.
Click below for a fine feature about Bill Mercer.
Bill Mercer: Sportscaster, Teacher, Father
No matter the order, which likely will be New England as the AFC one seed and Pittsburgh as the two seed (Pittsburgh is resting some key players, the line has dropped from 13 plus to 6, with the Steelers still the faves, vs the (0-15) Browns, a team they beat in the season opener and really burn covered, in a similar tilt, in last season’s finale), the teams will be hosting slots/division round games in the same season, for the fifth time.
The previous four times, were all in seasons in which either the Patriots or Steelers made the Super Bowl, winning it on three of those occasions.
In both 1978 and 2010, the Steelers won their slots game at home, while New England lost. Both years Pittsburgh made the Supe, winning it in ’78, losing in 2010.
Meanwhile with both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, who of course are still with New England, in both 2001 and 2004, the teams won their home slots/division round games and met in the AFC title game in Pittsburgh.
New England won both of those games, en route to their first and third Super Bowl wins. In the first of those games, veteran Drew Bledsoe relieved Tom Brady as N.E. quarterback, helping New England advance.
In all four previous years in which both Pitts and NE were the “slots hosts” (sounds like a casino thing), the AFC Title game was played in Pittsburgh.
I watched a show in the category of lost television on Decades upon waking up early this morning.
The show was “Gang Busters” which aired in 1952.
One episode detailed the story of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.
The narrator and sheriff involved in the case was played by one of my favorites, Jim Davis.
Mr. Davis is best known for a role he gained over a quarter century later, that of J.R.’s father Jock on the great show, Dallas.
Andy B Sports 