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.
After 39 virtually meaningless bowl games, two as semi-finals, will be played on January 1, 2018.
In the opener con Chris Fowler, who will also “tv” his fourth straight title tilt on January 8th (the radio audience that night will hear Sean McDonough, a true talent, able to broadcast on the radio) it is The Rose Bowl, with Georgia a slight favorite, vs Oklahoma.
At night in The Sugar Bowl/”semi,” defending champion, Clemson is an underdog, this time, by a significantly lower margin, vs Alabama, for the third straight year, in this the fourth year of the four team college football ‘offs.
Alabama titled, no covering Clemson after the 2015 season.
Last season, Clemson won outright, to claim their first title since 1981 and second in school history.
Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints, pictured above.
The Saints figure, but it is far from certain, to claim the lone undecided division crown, this Sunday.
I will post regarding pro and more college football. Stay tuned.
The current film, “Darkest Hour” is truly fantastic and moving.
Gary Oldham gives a performance, that will minimum get him an Academy Award nomination as Winston Churchill, in his first days as Britain’s Prime Minister in 1940.
The makeup artist that transformed Mr. Oldham as Mr. Churchill, is Kyoshiro Tsuji. His work was brilliant.
This is an incredible film, chroncling a great leader, who certainly stood tall in the “darkest hour,” a feat and concept we can all aspire to do, if and when such circumstances manifest.
An early look at two of this Sunday’s meaningless NFL tilts follows with predictions.
Sam Rosen will be on the Wash vs New York Giants game, as the Fox announcer.
Rosen means the underdog, in this case the Giants, plus three.
Dallas will try harder than the NFC top seed Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas minus two and a fraction, wins (21-16).
Underdogs have been very good in Sam Rosen games this season. Whatever (W)works, was not that a movie?!
The New England Patriots are a little more than “in the hunt” (Mr. Brady, evoking another “Brady family,” cited many of his, with a caveat regarding those, perhaps not cited, on the field after the tilt.), Tracy Wolfson, for what almost certainly will be an incredible sixth AFC one seed, in eight seasons.
Already, this great team will be hosting a “slots/quarters”/divisional round game, for an even more remarkable 12th time in the 17 seasons, that constitute the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era (2001-2017).
N.E. which scored the game’s final 24 points, to rip (8-7) Buffalo (37-16), which hurt the latter team’s ‘offs hopes, has a magic number of one for the eighth AFC “1” seed in franchise history, all (’03, ’07, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’14, ’16 and almost certainly ’17) in the Belichick/Brady era.
Left to right, superb play by play man, Gil Santos and rare incisive analyst and great player, Gino Cappelletti are pictured above.
Oh do I wish they were still the Patriots’ broadcast team!
One day less than 46 years ago today, the Miami Dolphins won their first post-season game ever, scoring a two overtime victory, at Kansas City, vs the Chiefs.
Today, the teams clash in the same area/city, with K.C. bidding to clinch a second straight AFC West crown.
The teams met at Miami, in what I believe to have been an eventual meaningless tilt, exactly 28 years ago today on December 24, 1989. The Chiefs won that game (27-24).(As best I can ascertain, both the Chiefs and Dolphins were eliminated from ‘offs qualification on that regular season final day, when Pittsburgh won at Tampa Bay in a game, likely but not definitely played simultaneously to Chiefs/Dolphins).
I recall fondly that slot 2, Christmas Day game in 1971, the last time the NFL “insulted” us, with a Christmas Day ‘offs game.
The great broadcaster, Curt Gowdy talked often of Garo Yepremian’s game winning field goal, “with the moon hanging down over Municipal Stadium.”
Today at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Dolphins began their perfect 1972 season, with a win in the first regular season game ever played there, it is not much of a prediction to say the Chiefs, favored by 10 plus points, will win the game. Their “good luck” announcer, Kevin Harlan is working the tilt, on CBS.
Thus for some reason, K.C. to win and cover, (30-17).
There are three Super Bowl rematches, in this the penultimate week of the 2017 NFL regular season.
The Rams were favored by 7 and won the ’99 season Supe by 7, vs the Tennessee Titans. They are just under 7 point favorites in tomorrow’s tilt at Tennessee.
I believe Denver was a three plus point “fave” in the 1987 season Super Bowl, vs Washington. Washington exploded in the second quarter and ripped the Broncos.
Tomorrow, “Wash” is favored by that amount, in a meaningless game in the United States capital.
Both of those Supes, two of nine he has called, with a tenth and probably last, to come in 6 weeks and a day, were called by Al Michaels.
The other Supe redux this week features Philadelphia hosting Oakland. Philly is favored by 9 this week at home and were three plus point “faves” in the 1980 season Super Bowl.
Oakland under Tom Flores eased (27-10).
That Super Bowl was the first of 8, called by Dick Enberg.
As a tribute to both Dick and Jackie, click below to hear and view Dick Enberg’s category feature regarding Jackie Robinson, on an episode of Sports Challenge, that aired in the spring of 1976.
The episode, with Enberg great as the host is most entertaining. The stirring praise and perspective regarding Jackie, begins about 15 minutes into the video.
The memories and moments flow in my brain, recalling a superb broadcaster, Dick Enberg, who died yesterday, at the ago of 82.
Driving home, I place on a compact disc of “moments past,” and on it from the great show Enberg hosted, “Sports Challenge,” was Dick reading, maybe writing, a tribute to Jackie Robinson.
If nothing else, I will transpose it, but hope to give you access to Mr. Enberg’s voice on that show.
He had an incredible career that included broadcasting UCLA basketball during their dynasty and actually gaining national exposure, that helped propel him, by calling one of but 2 losses in I believe 90 (or so) games in the 3 seasons that the team was led by Lew Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
That game was played on January 20, 1968 and in it, Enberg working with I believe, the great player, Bob Pettit, called Houston’s (71-69) victory in a virtual home game, before 50 thousand plus fans, at The Houston Astrodome.
Elvin Hayes led the way with 39 points and Enberg, who would go on to work so many big events nationally, showed his broadcasting “chops” that night and for nearly 50 subsequent years.
Dick Enberg, pictured above, I believe resembled and reminded me of the great Jack Lemmon.
It is high, but also well deserved praise for Mr. Enberg.
There are no more Thursday night NFL tilts this season and despite mounting evidence these games played 3 days after a previous one often result in more injuries to the players, will continue in 2018.
There is just one tilt, in the season’s penultimate week matching teams controlling their “destiny” for divisional titles, with (10-4) New Orleans hosting (9-5) Atlanta in a game, I lament will not be “beamed” into the New York market.
Elsewhere, in games matching contenders of any kind, none with both teams controlling their “div destiny,” AFC one seed leader (11-3) New England is “eleven” vs (8-6) wild card entrant, contender Buffalo (Bills), while the very likely NFC West winning, (10-4) L.A. Rams visit (8-6) Tennessee.
In a tilt between (8-6) wild card entrant hopefuls each needing help even if they win their remaining games to secure said ‘offs berth, Dallas is a 5 point favorite, at home, vs Seattle.
48 years have passed since “con” the Mike Santasieris, I saw the out of the ‘offs, New York Giants win (31-21) vs “my” playoff bound Cleveland Browns, in the 1969 season regular season finale at Yankee Stadium.
The great Leroy Kelly, pictured above, the crowd chided slightly with song lyrics “Leroy your mother is calling” (all good fun, no malice and great respect for Mr. Kelly was shown as had been the case from Giants’ fans toward other running greats on the Browns, Marion Motley, Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell.
Joe Morrison led the Giants win and while my father and son friends and most others were on the field toward the Giants, I wished Gary Collins, of my team, good luck in the next week’s ‘offs game at Dallas. The Browns won that game, before losing to Joe Kapp, Gene Washington and the Vikings the next week in the last NFL title game, not called The Super Bowl.
In the end, ’twas K.C. with Len Dawson, Otis “Big play” Taylor and a superb defense (23-7) vs Minne in the last of four AFL/NFL Super Bowls.
I have a “consecutive number of letters thing,” to report as I watched an episode of the superb, over 50 year old show, “Perry Mason” this morning.
First and foremost, the show holds up, though obviously most times with unrealistic courtroom confessions, and the acting led by the intense Raymond Burr as “Perry” is superb.
Anyway, names of the performer, his or her character’s name and number of letters in each.
Using a mix and match, perhaps getting ready for column A/column B, “Jewish Christmas” tradition in 5 days, I got number of letters separated by one for each of the four leading performers/characters.
(Raymond) Burr with 4 and either “Perry” or “Mason” with 5. The lovely (Barbara) Hale with 4 and Della (Street) with 5 as well.
Next 4, 5, 6, and seven for character Paul Drake (played by Hedda’s son) Hopper, William or William Hopper.
Finally, seven and eight letters for first names William (Talman) as Hamilton (Burger).
Mr. Talman’s warning/public service, anti-smoking spot regarding the dangers of smoking cigarettes, is one of the most dramatic and best, so sad, but, hopefully able to help others.
Click below to see Mr. Talman’s public service spot.
William Talman, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 