The Cleveland Browns won the NFL title in their first year in the NFL, riding Lou Groza’s short but beyond clutch field goal to victory vs the Los Angeles Rams (imagine play will begin this NFL season with teams called the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns in place for the first time since 1991) in 1950.
They lost three straight NFL title games, something matched by later Browns’ teams in 1965, 1968 and 1969, from (1951-1953).
However, unlike the later Browns, they bounced back to win NFL crowns in Otto Graham’s last two seasons in 1954 and 1955.
For the record the Browns’ NFL title game losses in 1968 and 1969 were in games that proceeded the Super Bowl. That franchise left Cleveland after the 1995 season and has won 2 Super Bowls as the Baltimore Ravens.
Right now it is almost certain the Chicago Cubs will finish first in an entity for the sixth time since last winning the National League Pennant in 1945.
If the Cubs’ lead holds and with the margin at ten and a half games, it almost certainly will, this would be the fourth “one eighth” division title for the Cubs, one of which was under Dusty Baker, whose current managed team, the Washington Nationals, trail the Cubs by three and a half games in the race for the National League one seed.
The other two were in consecutive years in 2007 and 2008 under manager Lou Pimiella but both times the Cubs were swept out in the division series, in 2008 with the N.L. one seed.
“Chi” won legitimate “one fourth” division titles under Jim Frey in 1984 and Don Zimmer in 1989. Current manager Joe Maddon likely will be the fifth different manager to guide the Cubs to a first place finish, since Charlie Grimm managed the N.L. Pennant winning Cubs of 1945.
The other major sports league title won by a Kansas City team was by notched by the football Chiefs in the 1969 season.
It was the last AFL season the only AFL season with a wild card presence and K.C. “rode it” (is there still someone riding a horse at their home games?) all the way.
They finished second in the AFL West behind the Oakland Raiders but made the playoffs and defeated the defending champion New York Jets on Saturday December 20, 1969 a day before the regular NFL season ended.
Next they were victorious in Oakland vs the Raiders in the last AFL title tilt.
Kansas City with Len Dawson throwing a touchdown pass to the great receiver Otis Taylor and Jan Stenerud booting 3 field goals beat the 11 point favorite Minnesota Vikings to win it all in Supe 4.
The great receiver, Otis Taylor pictured above.
After watching Montgomery Clift’s great performance in the 1948 film, “The Search,” two movies with Clift and “river” in the title, “Red River” and “Wild River” are shown as TCM airs some of Clift’s films all day, this day.
However, it is on a lake, at least a studio, if not real version thereof, that Clift, as a social climber “George Eastman” in “A Day In The Sun,” cements his meteoric climb, when in love with Elizabeth Taylor’s “Angela Vickers,” he does away with Shelly Winters’ “Alice Tripp.”
In “The Search” Clift’s character is from Baltimore, Maryland, called by his character “the best and most clean city in America.”
Ten years later in 1958, led by John Unitas the Baltimore Colts NFL title gave that city a pride with victory, that still resonates in such Baltimore figures as author, Frank Deford today.
I am still reading and savoring Mr. Deford’s book “I’d Know That Voice Anywhere,” a truly fabulous collection of Mr. Deford’s commentaries on NPR (National Public Radio.)
Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr (pronounced car as in star) in a classic love scene, pictured above.
Click below to buy Frank Deford’s great book, “I’d Know That Voice Anywhere.”
I’d Know That Voice Anywhere. – amazon.com
What a difference in attitude toward a long, one sided game displayed by complaining John “Superstar” Sterling and Suzyn Waldman whose team was winning and that of Indians’ announcer Tom Hamilton, the team on the short end of the (13-7) score.
Sterling and Waldman were moaning the game would not end, citing the number of pitches thrown by Indians’ middle relief pitchers.
Sure there is an early game the next day/today, but it is 1 p.m. not 5 a.m. and as I drove home in traffic, I thought Sterling and especially Waldman, who really paid few “dues,” to get a job many can only dream about, should ponder those who have to dig ditches and such for a living.
Meanwhile Hamilton, again his team was losing and by the way whose lead is again down to two games in the A.L. Central, extolled the professionalism of home plate umpire Dale Scott, who let the game play out, not calling close pitches that were balls, strikes, to get everyone home earlier.
I believe pretty soon I will be “blowing taps” in regard to the 2016 Kansas City Royals.
However, before doing so, and maybe but it is doubtful, they will stay in contention, let’s recall they are current baseball champions, one of three titles won by Kansas City major sports league teams.
The Royals also won the World Series 30 years earlier than their 2015 such victory.
That team included George Brett, Frank White and Hal McRae, all of whom were with K.C. for at least a 10 year period from (1976-1985) that saw the Royals win 6 legitimate division titles, 2 pennants (going 2-4 in ALCS play, (1-3) vs the New York Yankees) and finally the World Series in 1985.
One accomplishment achieved by the “Chi” Cubs thus far this season, is a sweep of the regular season home games, vs teams linked in some way, to their brutal 2003 NLCS defeat at the hands of the Florida Marlins.
They just won all 3 vs the now Miami Marlins, but they are of course, the Florida Marlins franchise.
Earlier this season, the Cubs won all 4 regular season home games vs the Washington Nationals.
Why are the Nationals germain to this discussion of the 2003 NLCS, you ask?
They are managed by the 2003 Cubs manager, a great regular season manager, Dusty Baker.
In the 2003 NLCS, the then Florida Marlins staged a great comeback in the series down 3 games to 1, and specifically in game 6, down 3 runs in the eighth inning, and denied the Chicago Cubs their first National League pennant in 58 years.
Maybe this year, now 71 years later, the N.L. top ranked Chicago Cubs will win the pennant.
That will be determined in an essentially unfair baseball tournament, beginning around October and the only thing fairly certain is the “Emperor” Joe Buck will preside at the NLCS.
Not really caring about the Olympics and at least once loving baseball, and loving it far more with Bob Costas “presiding,” I ask can’t we send Buck to Rio for the Olympics and have Costas, perhaps at Wrigley Field, for the NLCS?!
In addition to it being a great photo of the gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor, there is a somewhat even very cryptic reason for its placement in this post. Tune or check in 2 days hence and I will reveal all, likely with some vitorol and surely regret.
For now, have fun with this mystery. Big clue? Ms. Taylor is presenting an Academy Award for best picture.
Yesterday the Cleveland Indians salvaged one game of their 4 game series at home vs the last place Minnesota Twins.
Meanwhile the Chicago White Sox won in Detroit ending the Tigers’ 8 game win skein.
Thus Cleveland goes into this weekend which finds the two A.L. Central teams facing the New York teams, who just split a 4 game home and home series, with a 3 game lead.
Cleveland visits the Yankees while the Mets, despite mediocre, at best, play just one game out of tournament qualification, visit Detroit.
Of course now that I am doing so far too early this 4th day of August, there will be twists in the opposite direction, but it is extremely likely the Dusty Baker managed Washington Nationals will bring at least a one eighth divisional crown to the nation’s capital this season.
Their current lead is 7 games over the Don “Seems to always find the losing dugout in the most important games,” Mattingly managed Miami Marlins and eight and a half over the New York Mets.
If Baker and the Nationals go on to finish first, I believe Baker would become the first manager to finish first, albeit one eighth not even one quarter titles, with four different teams/franchises.
Andy B Sports 