2024 was the fourth year that both the Eagles and Dodgers (twice each as Brooklyn and Los Angeles), made the respective NFL and baseball final round entities.
It also was/is the first time both teams won the title.
Once before, (1947) both lost, the Eagles to the lone Cardinals’ (then in Chicago, since in St. Louis and now in Arizona) title and the Dodgers to the eleventh of the Yankees sports record 27 titles.
Twice in both ’49 and 2017, the Eagles won the crown while the Dodgers lost in their final round entity
.Both Charley Trippi, who lived to 101 plus years and is pictured above, and Elmer Angsman, recorded 2 long TD plays apiece as the Cardinals won (28-21) at their Chicago home vs the Eagles in the 1947 NFL title game.
Some decent quick food and first roll “with’s” are good 7-11’s. So too, the recent Eagles rout of the Chiefs, who do remember have 3 recent titles, yielding the city of Philadelphia its 18th major sports league title, 7 won by moved franchises and 11 by its current 4 teams.
The lost to history, girl with the curl/almost exponentially–Philadelphia Athletics (for example they won 3 straight American League Pennants and 2 World Series, (’29-’31), beating out the Yankees of Messers (ode to Frank, who was a fine broadcaster) Ruth and Gehrig, among other greats, but also having so many woeful Philadelphia seasons among their 53, won 5 titles while in Philadelphia, that total now matched by the NFL Eagles 94 years later.
Basketball’s Warriors, while in Philadelphia, copped 2 titles giving the “moved out of Philly” franchises seven.
Each of the other 3 (in addition to the Eagles, as cited with 5 titles), current Philly major league sports teams have 2 titles each, the Phillies winning it all in (’80 and 2008), the NBA 76ers doing so in ’67 and ’83 while the Flyers (2-5) with 5 straight losses won titles in their first 2 Cup Final “apps”/appearances (the Wendy/Randy/Diana/Ciao led “apps’/appetizers were among the great highlights of 2 really nice surprise parties, amidst last weekend’s snow and rain, the first a Deb organized “Sam Huff/Jim Marshall” b/day for “Dr. Ike,” and Sunday’s for 50 years de marriage for Gloria and Mel) in ’74 and ’75.
Bobby Shantz, pictured above from 1953, the year after he won 24 games and the A.L. MVP while pitching for the ’52 Philadelphia A’s, hopefully turns 100 years old this September 26th.
I interviewed the so personable, informative and truly excellent pitcher years back. Mr. Shantz exemplifies pure class.
Reflections On The 1965 NFL Western Conference Playoff Game With An Update
A week and change (Heraclitus called another definition of the word, change, as the only permanence, however, I perhaps hope Mahomes who has 3 of each (Supe crowns and children) is not neanderthal enough to force an additional child, while he and the Chiefs winning another crown is also something I can live “sans”, gets no change in those #’s), after Philly (Eagles) the only team to deny Vince Lombardi’s Packers in a playoff game, kept K.C. from tying the Pack as the only NFL team to win 3 straight crowns, clinching such in games, I put the G.B. feat (’65-’67) in some perspective.
The great coach Vince Lombardi won 5 titles with truly great Green Bay Packers’ teams.
Even the great teams usually need some good fortune to achieve lofty goals such as league titles.
Certainly Green Bay facing a Colts’ team forced to play running back Tom Matte at quarterback in the playoff game and in other stretch drive 1965 games, qualifies as one instance of good Pack fortune.
Additionally much controversy surrounds I believe the all important game tying field goal by Don Chandler.
More on that kick, subsequent changes and notes as Colts/Packers history is on its way in future posts.
In 2018, Alex Cora managed the Boston Red Sox to their ninth World Series win, that one 100 years after their fifth, which was followed by an 86 year title drought, the team losing in all 4 World Series appearances during that span, all in the maximum 7 games.
Cora in following 2015 title winning Kansas City Royals’ manager Ned Yost, is the sixth manager with four letters in his last name (surname), to win a World Series.
Altogether, 74 different managers have won the World Series, Yost and Cora are among the 52 different managers with one title to this point in time.
Each joined an interesting group of managers, the other four with 4 letters in their last name, to win a World Series.
First is one of the most famous, if not most famous baseball managers ever, namely the great Connie Mack.
Managing in an incredible 6 different decades for the then Philadelphia Athletics (it helps one’s longevity as manager when you at least partially own the team), Mr. Mack won 5 World Series. It should be noted that Mr. Mack’s last name was actually Mc Gillicuddy (think Lucy Ricardo).
The other three “four letter” W.S. winning managers were Eddie Dyer (St. Louis Cardinals 1946), Ralph Houk (New York Yankees 1961 and 1962) and Alvin Dark (Oakland A’s 1974).
While Connie Mack won no other World Series when he was not the manager,( he managed in all the possible World Series years of his career), Yost, Dyer, Houk, Dark, Yost and Cora all won World Series in other roles in other years in addition to their managerial title(s).
Cora, still in as Boston manager, won a title as a player there in 2007 and was a coach for the 2017 title winning Houston Astros, before guiding the 2018 Red Sox to their aforementioned ninth crown.
Now thirty years ago, Yost was a coach on the Atlanta Braves World Series winner, who were managed by Bobby Cox, the only manager with 3 letters or less, in his last name to win a World Series.
Eddie Dyer was a pitcher on the 1926 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, though he did not appear in the World Series.
Ralph Houk played and coached on New York Yankees World Series winners before guiding them to back to back titles in 1961 and 1962. He coached on the 1958 title team and had one at bat in winning World series for the Yankees in 1947 and 1952.
Alvin Dark was the only one in the group to have been a starting player on a World Series winner (shortstop on the 1954 New York Giants, in his life he caught a touchdown pass from Y.A. Tittle at LSU University and hit a home run off Sandy Koufax) before managing the Oakland A’s to a World Series victory twenty years later.
The legendary Connie Mack pictured above.
The Philadelphia Eagles win in the “Jack Ham #’d”/59th Supe marks just the fourth time in 46 possibilities (’79-2024, the first wild card round tilts were played in ’78) that the champion won it all after losing in the NFL wild card round in the previous season.
Philadelphia has been “involved” in 3 of the 4 situations, including this season’s as last season ended for the Eagles in a wild card round loss at Tampa Bay vs the Buccaneers, the conclusion to their “free fall” season for which they more than atoned in winning the franchise’s second Supe in 8 seasons and fifth NFL crown, one more than the team they defeated, the Chiefs as well as the Browns (according to NFL records), Rams (they gave Phil its toughest ‘offs test, nearly overcoming a late 13 point deficit, before falling by 6 points as barely “covering” underdogs) and the Lions, against whom Philly would have likely been slight road underdogs but Wash a franchise as with Dallas and San Francisco also has 5 NFL crowns, more than seemingly did “el” Eagles a good turn, ripping the NFC top seed Lions.
Another instance of a previous season’s wild card round losing team winning it all the next season also involved the Eagles and Buccaneers in the reverse way as in ’01 and in fact in ’00, the Eagles wild card rounded the Bucs, who bounced back to win it all in ’02, beating current Chiefs’ coach and both a 3 time Supe winning and Supe losing coach, Andy Reid and the Eagles in the “semi”/NFC title game at Philadelphia.
One more “involved” Philly as in ’06, the Eagles no covered the Giants in their wild card round game at Philly while the next year they won the title, clinching/claiming it in a Super Bowl win vs current Fox Sports lead analyst, Tom Brady (both he and Burkhardt kept telling us that the game’s result, a clear Philly rout was still in doubt–that rhymes and those 2 are no poets, instead shilling to keep viewers tuned) and the (18-0) New England Patriots.
The other team to get wild card round ousted the year before winning the crown were the 2010 Green Bay Packers who lost (51-45) at Arizona in a 2009 wild card round tilt before winning it all in 2010.
Why Jack Ham?
Many reasons: He was a great player, wore 59, the Eagles and Steelers once were merged as the Steagles but most of all because had the Chiefs, who have been excellent, won last Sunday, they not only would have matched the (’65-’67) Packers with 3 straight crowns but also the (’74-’79) Steelers with Ham (no cheese that I know about) with 4 titles in 6 seasons.
They did not get it nor did they deserve such status.
The somewhat cosmetic final score of (40-22), does not reflect the utter dominance of the Eagles (unfortunately for them and to a degree, me–the truly close Supe, 2 years earlier, went to K.C. (38-35) over the Chiefs, particularly that of the no blitzes/6 sacks, 3 caused turnovers, pressuring Phil. defense, vs Mahomes/Reid and their offense.
Toward that, I add Josh Sweat and Milton Williams to the already cited “ints” makers, Cooper DeJean, who TD’d his (38 yards) and Zach Baun whose diving such, at the K.C. 14, yielded a game MVP, Jalen Hurts 12 yard TD pass, to A.J. Brown and a (24-0) halftime Eagles lead, as standout members of that defense. It will resonate as one of the great defensive performances, having done so vs a great in Mahomes, of NFL annals.
Mr. Hurts had three really tough results in games for a title, before finally being the quarterback in a title winning tilt, 2 days ago.
In the ’17 college title game, Hurts was lifted and in overtime for Alabama, his replacement Tua Tagovailoa threw a title winning touchdown pass to current Eagles player, the superb receiver DeVonta Smith (he took in Mr. Hurts’ 46 yard TD pass making it (37-0) Eagles and were it not for the (I had shut it off) garBEIGE (I know the spelling), 4 yards longer such to Worthy, would have bonus betted me something, at least decent and maybe more. It also KO’d “under teasers,” including that of Owen and all that entails, (tails, I think “under” national anthem and Eli vs his brother kicking, “propped” wins) to win another Alabama crown, that by 3 points, vs Georgia, as cited, in overtime.
The year before, Hurts, then a true freshman, was denied a title when the now highly troubled (are not so many these days?!) Deshaun Watson outdueled Hurts, also great in that tilt, eventually hitting Hunter Renfrow (an illegal “pick play?”) to give Clemson its second title, 35 years after Danny Ford guided them to a first such in ’81.
Finally, Hurts, save for a fumble on which still Chiefs player, Nick Bolton rumbled 36 yards for a TD, played an excellent game, but as cited above, ’twas the Chiefs (38-35), 2 years back in that Supe.
Sunday past, Hurts while not as important or great as the Philly defensive effort under coordinator Vic Fangio, who “went in,” (0-8) vs K.C. , played very well, scoring the game’s first points, running for a game high 72 yards and throwing TD’s to the aforementioned (not law firm) but receivers “par excellence” Brown/Smith in the victory.
Jalen Hurts, pictured above.
The Philadelphia Eagles stymied Patrick Mahomes, sacking him 6 times and getting 2 interceptions that yielded 14 points, and ripped the Chiefs (a second time Mahomes and Company were routed in a Supe by great defensive play, as “T.B.” (Tampa Bay) with T.B. (Brady) as their Q.B. did so in ’20, but alas K.C. and Mahomes/Reid have 3 close Supe wins) to win their second Supe in 8 seasons and moved past the Chiefs and Lions, by winning their 5th NFL crown.
Philadelphia the city was (2-10) in final round entities after the Sixers won the ’83 NBA title.
Make that (3-10) now. Look back, I said the Chiefs would not match Lombardi’s Packers with a third straight title.
However, it is hollow and one can not be sure of anything, though most of my real sports convictions were right, but only if they did not really matter.
They do not in any case.
Cooper DeJean had an interception return TD while Zach Baun, evoking Maxie Baughan of the title winning ’60 Eagles, the only team to deny Lombardi in an ‘offs tilt, had a big “int” at the K.C. 13 that led to a Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown TD, helping Lombardi remain the only coach with 3 straight NFL crowns won in games. (The ’29-’31) Packers with the great Don Hutson as a player and Curly Lambeau as coach also won 3 straight NFL titles, however, before the first NFL title game was played in 1933
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Zach Baun, pictured above.
Philadelphia major sports league teams (the 4 current and the former ones, the Athletics and Warriors), have made 37 final round entities (in football 4 NFL “all the way” title games and now a 5th Supe), going (17-23) in previous such.
The glorious, great and largely forgotten (they also had far more bad years but they were truly the “little girl with the curl”) Philadelphia Athletics were (5-3) in World Series play, the current baseball team the Phillies are (2-6).
Once Philadelphia had the Warriors before they moved to the West Coast really S.F./Oakland Bay Area, beginning with the 1962-1963 NBA season. That team won the first NBA crown in 1947 and another in 1956 while losing in such to the defunct Baltimore Bullets, coached by Buddy Jeannette in 1948.
Hockey’s Flyers won their first two Cup Final rounds, their last two wins, having lost in 5 straight final round appearances.
Football’s Eagles “go in” (4-4) in final round entities, (3-1) in all the way NFL title tilts (wins in their last 3 in ’48,’49 and ’60 after losing to the lone Cardinals’ franchise title team in ’47) but only (1-3) in Super Bowls, including a (38-35) really tough loss to today’s opponent, the current two time champion, Kansas City Chiefs.
Jimmy Dykes, pictured above, was a major contributor to the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics’ title team. He also was on the ’30 champions and the ’31 team “Pepper’d” by John “Pepper” Martin and the Cards in the ’31 W.S.
Philadelphia up (2-1) in the ’29 W.S. certainly appeared headed for (2-2), trailing the Cubs (8-0), before they scored 10 runs (B7) to win game 4 (10-8). Dykes had the big hit though the superb Baseball Reference credits such to Jimmy Foxx.
In 1929, Dykes had a career-high .327 batting average and was ninth in the American League in slugging, helping the Athletics win their first American League pennant in 15 years by 18 games over the New York Yankees of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.[1] He was one of six Athletics players to post batting averages above .310 during the 1929 season.[1] Dykes capped the season by hitting .421 in the World Series against the Chicago Cubs; in Game 4, he had two hits and three runs batted in in a 10-run seventh inning as Philadelphia overcame an 8–0 deficit, and went on to win the Series in five games.
Nowadays, this one a day before the 59th such, “ching-a ling” factors yields a more lasting memory of that tilt’s first touchdown scorer.
One such player, a truly legendary college receiver and fine one in “el” pros, Howard Twilley died yesterday at age 81, “el numero” he wore both with Tulsa University where he and quarterbacks Jerry Rhome and later Billy Anderson, performed “ahead of their time” pass play feats and the 2 time champion Miami Dolphins.
Though I think the ’73, one meaningful loss, Dolphins were even better than the undefeated ’72 team, the latter remains the only undefeated title winning team in the 92 year history of the N.FL. crowning champions in title games.
It was in the game for the championship, in that undefeated (17-0) ‘Phins ’72 season, that Howard Twilley made a great move on the fine then Wash defensive back, the diminutive, but so hard hitting and excellent, Pat Fischer, before Bob Griese hit him for the game’s opening score, as Miami doubled “Wash” (14-7) in that ’72 season Supe.
In college, teaming with Rhome and then Anderson in ’65 when he finished second to Mike Garrett of U.S.C. in Heisman Trophy balloting, Twilley set receiving records, his exploits echoing out to young fans such as me, in those better days of imagination and not every tilt shown, most needing pay.
Click above to view Howard Twilley taking in a Bob Griese touchdown pass to open the scoring in the Dolphins (14-7) win vs “Wash” that completed their (17-0) season with the NFL crown.
Three years earlier, the aforementioned Mike Garrett scored the first touchdown in the ’69 season Supe, doing so for the Chiefs in an eventual (23-7) victory.
Kansas City, which once, ever so briefly housed NHL and for a little longer an NBA team it shared with Omaha (Nebraska), has only 2 major sports league teams, the 2 time defending champion Chiefs, who seek an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl game win, now just 3 days hence (11 days of the hype “rear viewed”– cue Jimmy Stewart, and not to pitch steel belted radial tires) and the baseball Royals.
K.C. is one of the few cities (territories anybody?), to have all its major sports league teams having either above break even or break even records in their final round entities.
The Chiefs are (4-2) in previous “Supes” (3-1) under Reid and (5-2) in games for all the way crowns, having 2 “ot’d” the then Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) when as the Dallas Texans and in that name and city’s last tilt, they won (20-17) in the ’62 AFL title tilt, clinching– on Tommy Brooker’s game ending field goal.
Baseball’s Royals won World Series crowns 30 years apart in 1985 and 2015 while losing to the Giants in 2014 and to a Philadelphia team, the Phillies, who that year won their first crown in 77 possibilities (1903-1980, no World Series in 1904).
Andy B Sports 