A few weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the certainly historic Athletics’ baseball franchise, one whose highs and lows were epic, played their last game in a city (Oakland) for the third time.
The cities involved in previous last A’s/Athletics games, Philadelphia and Kansas City, will have representative teams meet, with the NFL crown on the line for a second time in 3 seasons/2 years on the calendar, and for a third time in a major North American sports league final round. (Philadelphia, which lost a highly competitive Supe 2 years ago with its Eagles, vs the current two time champion, incredible winners in close tilts, Chiefs, won the ’80 World Series 4 games to 2 with its Phillies, vs the K.C. Royals).
The Eagles taking advantage of 5 “Wash” turnovers” rode 3 rushing TD’s apiece from Saq Barkley and Ja Hurts to a (55-24) NFC title game victory.
They are now (4-0) in such games, when current Chiefs coach and 3 time Super Bowl winning coach Andy Reid was not their coach in said game. Phil was just (1-4) in such games under Reid.
A close Chiefs win vs the Bills in the ‘offs (3 of the 5, all in the last 4 seasons and in 2 straight seasons, K.C. is (5-2) vs Buff. in ‘offs tilts) yields some details here. In effect, while difficult, some “Hail to the Chiefs” is in order.
Of course Mahomes, he with 3 crowns (NFL variety), and not so appealingly, a la Curry, who has 4 crowns (titles, I do not know what is in his mouth), plays and more relevant, is shown “playing” with his mouth retainer, was brilliant, severely outplaying Allen, the latter below par for a third straight Bills ‘offs loss, after playing great, finding Gabriel Davis for an ‘offs record 4 TD’s (one to tie and three to give “Buff” the lead), in a heartbreaking “slots 4” loss at K.C. in ’21, running for 2 TD’s juxtaposed with Allen being stopped on myriad key plays.
Add in this “hail,” Butker, an all-time great “booter,” who no matter how hard I try to “jinx” him, does not miss and credit must be given him!!
I will add the obscure Samaje Perine, taking the “wrap up” Mahomes short pass as well as Kareem Hunt, no relation to Lamar and Clark, who “first td’d” for a second straight game.
That is the great hockey player, Dave Keon, a key member of 4 Toronto Maple Leafs’ title teams, for so long now the last 4, pictured above.
Sure it is a tangent, however, 50 years ago, (’72-’74) the Oakland Athletics won 3 straight World Series.
Go back 10 years from that and the Maple Leafs, who last even made the NHL final in ’67 when they did “6” then great Montreal (Canadiens), won NHL titles (’62-’64).
Will K.C. also make it three?!
Before we sing the well deserved praise for the great player, Patrick or Pat Mahomes, the three TD’s scored by both Saq Barkley (maybe he and Phil can overcome the non title Barkley association, maybe) and Ja Hurts matched the three scored by “Automatic” Otto Graham in the ’54 title game/NFL final.
Alas Otto scored 2 more the next year (’55) and the Browns, Otto’s team had 2 straight titles.
Yesterday was a “mere” semi and speaking of 55, doing it in a semi is not doing it in the final a la the ’89 Niners, who until yesterday were the 2 time Supe champion to have gone the furthest (farthest) in a bid for an unprecedented 3rd straight Supe win, who hit 55 in routing Denver, then (0-4) in Supes and now (3-5).
It is the Chiefs, in an unprecedented 5th Super Bowl in 6 seasons, who have a chance at winning an unprecedented third straight.
In the (32-29) K.C. win a 4th in 5 seasons, 3 straight years, KO of Buffalo, the one and only Mahomes ran for a TD and threw for 2.
Jerry Rice was on “just” 3 of the 5 Niners’ title teams (’81-’94).
The 59th Super Bowl will be a rematch of the teams in the 57th, again to be TV’d/piped by Fox, as after Philly (Eagles) ripped Wash (55-23), the Chiefs qualified for their third straight Supe, (they won the last 2), winning (32-29) vs the Bills.
K.C. which beat the Eagles by 3 in that ’22 season Super Bowl will be/is a slight, certainly less than the key #3, “fave” in the tilt, which has the ridiculous hype awaiting us in the upcoming 2 week wait period.
One review and maybe more details will folla (ode to Robert Shaw, but the Bills who once had a Billy Shaw, have again failed, most notably doing so on huge 3rd and 4th down plays) is Philly’s Jalen Hurts scored thrice, Patrick Mahomes did so twice while Bills QB, Allen did not score, failed on 2’s and other 3rd and 4th downs.
The great Patrick Mahomes is pictured above.
Jannik Sinner won his second consecutive Australian Open Tennis title and third major tournament (3-0) in such), as he won the men’s part, in straight sets (all 3) vs Alexander Zverev, who still has never won a major tennis event.
Not so Madison (Maddy) Keys, who took her first such crown, first semi-ing Iga Swiatek in a big upset and then doing the same as not quite as big but still sizable “u/dog” vs two time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final round.
Sinner is clearly the men’s top ranked player, especially hard to beat on hard surfaces, those being such at both the Australian and United States Opens.
Jannik Sinner, pictured above.
Once again in Sunday’s conference title games, both the Philadelphia Eagles and their one time coach, now with 3 titles and as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach, Andy Reid, will be at home in such a game.
Reid’s Chiefs’ teams, somewhat incredibly, are not only in their 7th straight AFC title game but also their 6th at home, among those seven. They are (4-2) in the previous, followed by a fine (3-1) Super Bowl record.
The Eagles, who were (1-4) when coached by Reid in conference title games, (1-2) at home), will be in their eighth such game, all but the two under Reid, at Philly. They are (3-0) in non Reid home NFC title/NFL semis games.
Going back, the Eagles played in 4 semis or later/not neutral field games within 3 seasons, (’47-’49), winning three, doing so in two of the three road games.
Why not the great “Greyhound” Bob Dandridge, pictured above with the ball.
In the only previous “semi” or later contested between Washington and Philadelphia teams, Dandridge severely outplayed Erving in the Bullets’ 6 game series win, which was followed by a 7 game triumph vs the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) to notch their lone NBA crown.
I believe John Drew, a fine scorer, is guarding Bobby D (ode to a great broadcaster Mel Proctor) while the classy, superb player, Wes Unseld of the Bullets, is seen in the backround.
Sunday’s later/late start NFL semi-final/AFC Title game will be the 7th post-season clash between original AFL teams the Kansas City Chiefs, who “go in” as 2 time defending champions, (15-1) in meaningful 2024 tilts, (15-2) overall and started out as the Dallas Texans, winning a 1962 AFL crown “as” in their last pre K.C. year, and the Buffalo Bills who have only 2 “all the way” AFL crowns to show for their previous 64 seasons. (The original Houston Oilers now the Tennessee Titans and L.A. then long time San Diego and now L.A. again Chargers also have just “all the way” AFL crowns to show for what is 65 seasons).
Read it the Bills have a chance this season. They are slight 2 point(s) underdogs in the at K.C. “semi” but will have to overcome a “history” that in the previous 6 years the two teams clashed in the ‘offs, all since the start of Super Bowl or as in that event’s first year (’66) NFL/AFL Championship Game play, the/a winner of the “reg” clash between the Chiefs, who are (4-2) vs the Bills in the ‘offs with only last year’s road “slots”/”div” round win in a title season, lost in the ‘offs rematch 5 times.
Being precise, and explaining (the/a above), in 1966 the teams met twice in the regular season with each team winning a road tilt. The Chiefs, subsequently went to Buffalo and ripped the Bills in the first AFL title game with a later final/NFL/AFL Championship Game/Super Bowl bid at stake.
In the 5 subsequent but also previous years in which the two franchises met in the ‘offs, the regular season losing team won the playoffs game between the two, 4 times. (K.C. won in the reg at Buffalo and in the title tilt/”semi” at home in pandemic plagued 2020).
Thrice the Bills “reg’d” the Chiefs, doing so this year as well (maybe it is not so well, however Reid, I believe will “pay” for his take the safety in completely unnecessary fashion last week) before meeting them in the playoffs. On the two previous occasions, 2021 and last year, they lost the subsequent ‘offs game.
K.C. won regular season games vs the Bills in both ’91 and ’93 only to lose in the subsequent playoff(s) game.
Finally, in 5 of the 7 seasons in which a Chiefs/Bills playoffs game manifested the regular season game was played at Kansas City. In all 7 there was a “reg” clash, it being in Buffalo in 2020 and 2024.
In all 5 seasons of an “at K.C.” regular season game between the two teams, that game’s winner lost in the subsequent playoff game.
For the record, the “Reid thing,” really did not affect me. Day FG’ing and more relevant not taking more time off the remaining such via clock, hurt much more. Day, first name Ryan and the Bills had a Tom Day on both AFL title teams, did not do anything wrong but a FG there was not entirely, maybe not in any way necessary.
Reid as stated clearly played G-d with millions maybe billions of dollars taking a truly unnecessary safety.
I really do not care who wins Sunday. Also repeating Mr. Reid is an excellent coach, partly because he leaves the excellent Chiefs’ defense in the hands of his superb defensive coordinator, Steve “The Blitz Man” Spagnuolo.
Ten years ago, Ohio State won the first 4 teams college football playoff, defeating Oregon in the title tilt. Last night, they won the first, in the far too many, 12 teams ‘such’ (-8 plus) (34-23) over Notre Dame.
In the tilt, I slept, awoke to (31-7) Ohio State and their backers and maybe even the Buckeyes (vs me), needed a 56 yards/3rd and 8 Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith (single coverage on him), completion to get them a Fielding “cover” field goal (Densick on VSiN, “crying” said “field goal” as).
Quinshon Judkins scored 3 TD’s, 2 rushing, 70 of his 100 yards coming just before his 1 yard TD run made it (28-7) Ohio State.
After Notre Dame, which did lose (-28) at home vs Northern Illinois, but covered 11 straight during a 13 game win skein, which put them in a second ‘offs final (their comeback, scoring 16 straight points to get within 8 and the spread at that point and essentially until Howard/Smith, was a far better showing than ‘Bama ripping them in the ’12 title tilt, the one contested the year Beano Cook died), scored on the game’s first possession.
Next Ohio State “TD’d” on 4 straight such, while Notre Dame went the dreaded 3 and out thrice.
Certainly Ohio State and yes Notre Dame deserve some nice credit, far more for the former whose (10-2) “reg” ended with a loss, as near 3 TD “faves,” vs arch rival, Michigan, last year’s title winner, before defeating 4, at least good teams, Tennessee at home where “Mich” prevailed vs el Buckeyes, top ranked Oregon, Texas and then Notre Dame. Clearly Ryan Day did more than save his job.
While Notre Dame coach, Freeman an ex Ohio State player and eventual convert to Catholisisim, (his absolute right to do so, but forcing players to attend the associated religious services goes vs what I stand for, with “forcing” being the operative and offensive, at least to me, relevant verb) did a nice job, perhaps had he the excellent “on the basics,” parochial education, Catholisism affords, he would have known better than to FG-attempt at the Ohio State 8, down 16 with say 9 minutes remaining.
Quinshon Judkins, pictured above.
Just so you know, no matter his politics, Mario Cuomo, who happened to die the day Ohio State “Semi’d” Alabama on their way to that 10 years ago crown, was a devout Catholic, which I respect greatly.
Even more so, I admire Mr. Cuomo always stressing the separation of religion and state (church/Synagogue/mosque/other and state, if you will).
The title tilts are set after the Eagles rode a playoff team record 206 yards rushing, which included 2 long TD’s to (-6 plus) the Rams (28-22) to now be (-5) vs upstart “Wash” next week while the Bills won just their second slots/”div” game since the four in a row before Supe losses (’90-’93), holding off the Ravens (27-25) as a slight 1 point underdog.
A Philly/Wash playoffs clash can not be later than a semi and Sunday’s earlier title will be just the second such, the other a “Wash” Bullets 6 games win vs the Sixers in ’78 before winning vs Gus Williams and Sea in the final round.
In ’90, the Wash team opened the first year of 2 wild card games per conference winning at Philadelphia.
Meanwhile a Supe berth will be on the line for a fourth time, in what will be the 6th K.C. Chiefs vs Bills ‘offs clash.
As stated before, the Chiefs denied Buffalo Supe entry with “semis” wins at Buffalo in ’66 and a home such in 2020. Buffalo prevailed in the ’93 AFC title game, before suffering a 4th Supe loss in as many seasons.
The Chiefs are also (2-1) vs the Bills in “div” games having won truly close games in 2021 and 2023 after losing one in ’91.
Things, especially field goal attempts, are still good for Chiefs’ kicker, Har Butker, pictured above.
It is remembering and in doing so, regarding the superb player, Gus Williams from nearby Mount Vernon, New York, who died days back, too young at 71—it is a Sunday afternoon game 3 (last pre Larry and Earvin “Magic” and one without either for 11 years hence, NBA final and Gus and the Seattle SuperSonics and Washington Bullets are tied (1-1),– I sense a “Sea” runaway and on my play by play, forever to be I write these 45 years later, in front of a television– not there, “Monami Gus” fires from 17, me as almost always on the play—goood!!
Seattle, now the Oklahoma Thunder eased in that #3, struggled but won an 11:30 Eastern time, but at least live #4 (even Earvin “Magic’s” in ’80 and Larry’s a year later were telecast on delayed tape) and on June 1st, avenged the previous season’s 7 game final round loss to the Washington Bullets, now the Wizards.
Rather than pontificate regarding the typical foolishness that changes a team nickname while guns proliferate with powers behind such thinking, I recall Gus Williams as “The Wizard.”
Those Sea/Wash ’78 and ’79 final rounds with such players as Gus (Monami Gus was a thoroughbred horse), Dennis Johnson, Bob Dandridge and Elvin Hayes were fine, not the eventual Larry/Earvin and others, that really helped the NBA, but entertaining, albeit sans good TV ratings and deemed (-), as that is how it gets “wagged.”
Gus held out for the entire ’80-’81 season and he and his female companion walked by me, as I was sitting at the then 7 Stars Diner, one fairly late night during that time.
I think we said hello. I know I can still see him walking by. A metaphor, if ever —
Regrets include not seeing him as the great high school player, on one of many great Mount Vernon basketball teams, that he was.
What teams, his Mount Vernon and Sonics! His brother Ray also gone too soon. Another David was with him at the end.
While “Horse” is still in a Montana barn, this confluence of events day go find D.J. (the great Denis Johnson) as G-d, far too early has reunited another great backcourt duo.
Gus Williams, pictured above is considered great. His achievements would have been considered even greater, save the fact his rookie season/defending champion Golden State Warriors lost a 1976/’ #7/semis “dark match” (a pro wrestling term for an entity we did not see on that “box”) to Phoenix.
With Gus and a developing Phil Smith, Rick Barry and Jamaal Wilkes’ Warriors were even better than the title winning team of ’75, however failed to “title.”
Oh could Gus play!!
Yesterday, (integrity so far away, Reid took a safety, if you took 9 plus you believe in ….) after K.C. up to a 9 plus points “fave,” won (23-14) (more on what Reid did, for now I only ask why with no why not) vs Houston, advancing to a 7th straight NFL “semi,” and credit him Reid’s 12th such — (5-6) in previous–10 point underdog, “Wash” knocked out NFC top seed, “Det” and their so annoying coach, Campbell, winning (45-31) at night.
The Lions and Saturdays do not mix, at least not in the ‘offs as they are (0-10) in such, perhaps bad karma caused by the actions of one for whom their field is named.
“Wash” will travel to today’s L.A. Rams at Philly Eagles winner, (today’s game likely to be played in snow), evoking memories of the Eagles first of four title clinching wins, (7-0) vs the then champion (their only) and Chicago located, Cardinals in 1948.
K.C. will face today’s later game/Baltimore at Buffalo winning team.
The Chiefs are (4-2) in the six previous “semis”/AFC title tilts under Reid, who was just (1-4) in such games with the Eagles.
Twice the Chiefs denied the Bills, who are (0-4) in such games when they did gain Supe entry (all (’90-’93), doing so before the first in ’66 and again in 2020. Each of those was followed by a Chiefs’ loss (they are (4-2) in such games) in the Super Bowl, still the NFL/AFL Championship Game, certainly in ’66 and I believe for a # of years beyond.
Last season K.C. won at Baltimore (the Ravens are (2-0) in Supes, winning 12 years apart in 2000 and 2012, this is 2024 and wait until you see my “years” notes regarding Washington, however, as seemingly always, a day late and many dollars short) denying the Ravens Super Bowl entry.
Ray Lewis, pictured above, led the great “Balti” defense, the key to Supe crowns in 2000 and 2012. Another 12 years later crown this year, a long way to go, with needed road wins at Buffalo and K.C. just to gain Supe entry.
Andy B Sports 