3, 5, 7, (three prime numbers, i.e. only divisible by one or itself) and 15, which is divisible by 3 and 5 and one more than two, multiplied by 7.
Why these numbers? They represent the total major North American sports league titles won by the four cities, which currently hold such “crowns.”
Those cities are Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Denver,/Colorado and Kansas City. Some of the history will follow in a number of posts.
Pittsburgh, the home of the current NHL champion Penguins, has 15 titles. Six have been won by the NFL Steelers, all since 1974.
This was after nary a playoff win from the first possible one in 1933, until Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception” gave them their first playoff win in 1972. The first Supe crown followed 2 years later.
The Steelers won the NFL title/Super Bowl four times in six seasons from (1974-1979), winning consecutive “Supes” in 1974 and 1975 and then 1978 and 1979.
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.
I noticed that this year’s NFL Hall of Fame game (Sunday night) matches the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts evoking great memories of the team’s battling for NFL Western Conference supremacy in the mid 1960’s, most notably in an actual playoff for that title in 1965.
Green Bay won that day (13-10) in just the second NFL and third NFL or AFL game to go into overtime.
More on that game in the days to follow but I recall missing the first half of the tilt, even on radio only to be informed upon arrival at our destination that the game was being broadcast on WNEW, the long time home of New York Giants broadcasts, of course done best with Marty Glickman.
The great Mel Torme is pictured in the WNEW promo picture above.
The Pack/Colts playoff was played in Green Bay the day after Christmas. Surely if WNEW was not broadcasting football, the classic “The Christmas Song” co written by Mr. Torme and Robert Welles would have played on its airwaves.
Click below to hear it now. Nat King Cole is singing, need I say more.
Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song – Lyrics Below
Once again the United States’ Men’s Olympic basketball team failed to cover the spread in its so called tune up game.
The actual lines/point spreads actually tell you all you need to know about this non competition.
Last night the U.S. team was favored by 48 plus points and won by 44 vs a team from Nigeria in a “game” played in Houston, Texas.
So far 4 games, of course 4 U.S. team “wins”, none covering the spread with 2 right near it, last night close, another not close.
Cover, no cover–in the vast reaches of space or even here in this above all, mercenary society, does it really matter? As many have asked, “what does it all mean?”
Tonight on Decades through the magic of reruns, we can watch Dick Cavett interview the great director, “The Master of Suspense,” Alfred Hitchcock.
Do not miss this insightful interview which is both funny and revealing.
It begins at 8 eastern time and can be seen again at 2 a.m.
I will have more comments regarding Mr. Cavett and “Hitch” tomorrow.
Another guest, in addition to the aforementioned Joan Rivers and Byron Allen on that April 3, 1980 show that aired 36 and a quarter years later last night, was Dick Van Patten.
Always kind and seemingly low key, Mr.Van Patten after marveling at Joan Rivers’ great appearance self deprecating humor, was so energetic, informative and vastly entertaining.
His son Vincent was in the quarterfinals of a reasonably big tennis event and sister Joyce was opening on Broadway all while Van Patten was taping the Tonight Show.
Mr. Van Patten recalled that many of his shows on Broadway were huge success stories, felt he had the record for appearing in the most shows, helped along by the fact he was a child actor and then cited the three shows he was in that closed after one day.
“Have I Got A Girl For You” was one but Mr. Carson and I agree it was the tragic circumstances and coincidence thereof that contributed mightily to the show’s one day only run on Broadway.
The scheduled opening according to Mr. Van Patten was November 22, 1963, of course the day President Kennedy was killed. Postponed two days the show did open (and close) on Sunday November 24th.
That day Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald and talk at the theater was “Ruby, Ruby” and Dick’s character’s name that he unsuccessfully lobbied to change was “Ruby.”
Last night on Antenna TV, another great episode of the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson aired.
A few weeks back in a show that aired in 1974, Carson and the great comedienne, Joan Rivers stated their great respect, if not love for each other.
Rivers, who acknowledged Carson’s contribution to her career despite the fact they stopped talking to each other, credited John for her start and Mr. Carson, in turn praised her work, “knowing she would be a star.”
The show that aired last night, from April 3, 1980 (I knew it was a Thursday before Carson cited that fact in a typical, “some jokes worked, others did not,” monologue) also included John reminiscing about Joan’s first appearance, even as Real People’s Byron Allen, surely one who did not reach Joan’s stratosphere, made his first Tonight Show appearance.
Coincidentally and perhaps eerily in a discussion of Joan’s fur, the words fox and Edgar, Joan’s husband were mentioned together.
Alas the dispute between the great talents, John and Joan concerned the Fox Network and perhaps now all three, John, Joan and Joan’s husband Edgar Rosenberg are communicating the sadness inherent in stopped friendships/associations caused by bitter anger and stubborn behavior.
While Mr. Allen did not come close to Ms. Rivers success as a performer (few have) he is enormously wealthy as a producer. I will trade bank accounts and kudos to you, another Allen, who made it in “show biz.”
It was/is 57 years apart that teams losing the baseball and NBA Finals the year before came back to title the next season.
Then it was the glory team, New York Yankees and Boston Celtics, now it is the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Cavaliers.
57 years from 1958 to 2015, as cited in part 1, the greatness of Bob Pettit beat the Celtics while pitcher Lou Burdette hurled shutouts in the 5th and 7th games of the 1957 World Series and won 3 W.S. games to beat the Yankees in 1957.
Only Sandy Koufax and Burdette ever hurled shutouts in games 5 and the decisive 7th of a World Series, the Milwaukee Braves winning it all behind Burdette in 1957.
Again an emphatic statement by an ESPN commentator and once again, at least short term it was beyond wrong.
It almost does not matter which comment other than it was extreme, and there is never accountability.
For the record 3 days ago in their seemingly always extreme “what we learned,” so and so stated the Houston Astros would overtake the Texas Rangers and win the A.L. West.
As an opinion this was fine, but the tone of it read and often always reads, as though it came down from Mt. Sinai.
Of course the Rangers, 2 and a half games ahead when the “ESPN tablets” appeared are now 5 games ahead. That is 5 for 5 against the extreme prediction with, (even up (7-0) I call a very likely (nada is definite) Tigers’ win vs the Astros today (Texas hosts the Royals starting in minutes).
The headline, author/commentator’s name and the date July 28, 2016 have been copied below.
Five things we learned Wednesday: The Astros will catch the Rangers
That sign sure is not pointing toward Bristol, Connecticut the home of almost never accountable, noise/heat/bluster and rarely if ever, light ESPN.
“Measuring” the major league baseball and NBA seasons as the year of baseball (example for now 2015) and the NBA as (example for now 2015-2016), this is just the second time in 68 possibilities (the NBA just completed its 70th season, meaning 69 times a team lost the previous year’s NBA final and the next season was completed while baseball had no World Series in 1994) that the previous year’s finals loser reigns as champion, in both baseball and the NBA.
In 2014 and 2014-2015 respectively, both current champions baseball’s Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Cavaliers lost in its league’s final series.
The only other time this occurred was 1958 and 1958-1959, when two great “dynasty ” franchises, the New York Yankees and Boston Celtics won crowns, after losing in the finals in the previous season.
The great player, Bob Pettit is pictured above. I usually do not cite records to build a “case” but so few people recognize or even know that Pettit’s 50 points in the game 6 1958 NBA finals clincher for the St. Louis Hawks vs the great Boston Celtics, are the most ever scored in an NBA title clinching game.
Relevant to this post with part 2 “arriving” later today, and further illustrating Pettit’s great game and overall playing greatness, is the fact the Celtics, after losing in the NBA finals in 1958, won the next 8 NBA crowns (1958-1959)-(1965-1966).
Andy B Sports 