Sally Field working with Robert Osborne on TCM’s The Essentials said it very well in hoping that actor Jack Nicholson appreciates the greatness and opportunity that manifested regarding he and his extraordinary performance in “one Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” now over 40 years ago.
In watching the movie last night on TCM, I agree and always thought that way about the fact “Cuckoo’s Nest” was a great ensemble performance and that Louise Fletcher, as was the case with “Jack,” (as I say regarding President Kennedy, who the bleep am I to call him Jack?!!), an Academy Award winner for the film, was spectacular.
Yet I also agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Field and Mr. Osborne that not only did his performance in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” vault Nicholson to the “moon,” but that it was a transcendent effort.
It really is difficult to express how great the film, directed by Milos Forman was and the incredible emotions that it elicits.
So the easy part for me and some baseball that was referenced in the film.
Jack’s “R.P. Mc Murphy wants to watch the first two games of the 1963 World Series and the great announcer Ernie Harwell’s voice is heard in an authentic tape of his preview of game 2.
The L.A. Dodgers defeated the Yankees in 4 straight games in that World Series.
Yet 4 Yankees, Al Downing, (by Harwell as the Yankees’ game two starting pitcher), the “great Mickey Mantle” and he was, Tom Tresh and Bobby Richardson are cited to just one Dodgers player, pitcher Sandy Koufax, whose curve ball could break “expletive deletive” well as cited by Mc Murphy which sure was the “emmas” (an Italian word ha ha) regarding Koufax, a Jewish pitcher.
Jack Nicholson left and Will Sampson as “The Chief” in the great film, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
The Denver Broncos were the losing team in some of the most one sided games among the 49 previous Super Bowls.
Their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1989 Super Bowl was the record margin, 45 points.
Other Broncos’ defeats were by 35 points to the Seattle Seahawks two years ago, by 32 points to the Washington Redskins in the 1987 season Supe as well as 19 and 17 point defeats at the hands of the 1986 New York Giants and 1977 Dallas Cowboys respectively.
Their victories were by 15 points vs the Atlanta Falcons after the 1998 season and a close 7 point win vs the Green Bay Packers after the 1997 season.
Thus their 5 Supe losses all were by greater margins than either of the their two Super Bowl wins.
While, as cited here the other day, only four of the 32 NFL franchises (one eighth-there are those fractions again), have never appeared in a Super Bowl, nine additional teams have failed to win a Super Bowl.
Thus 13 of the 32 teams, roughly 41 percent of the NFL teams, including the (0-1) in Supes, current entrant and 6 point favorite, Carolina Panthers have never won one.
The Detroit Lions (4), Philadelphia Eagles (3) and Arizona Cardinals (1 as the Chicago Cardinals) are the only franchises to have won an “all the way” NFL title(s) and not won a Super Bowl.
The Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans (2 as the Houston Oilers with George Blanda as their quarterback) and San Diego Chargers did win AFL titles, before Super Bowl play.
Franchises sans both Super Bowl and “all the way” (cue Eric Carmen and The Raspberries) title wins are the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, the Supe 50 favorite Carolina Panthers, and Cincinnati Bengals.
As cited the other day, in addition to the Lions, three other teams, all expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars, new Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans have failed to make a Super Bowl appearance.
The reason for the “all the way” reference is that the 1969 Vikings did win an NFL title game, but failed to go “all the way” as they were beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs in the subsequent Super Bowl.
Click above to view Eric and the Raspberries’ great hit “Go All the Way.”
Two weeks ago I cited the fact that when Arizona (Cardinals) ousted the Green Bay Packers, it assured the fact that the NFC starting quarterback would be one, barring injury, with six letters in his last name. The possible “qb’s” were Cam Newton, Carson Palmer and Russell Wilson.
When the Carolina Panthers took out the Seattle Seahawks, it assured the NFC team would have both its starting quarterback and head coach with six letters in his last name. The possible coaches were Ron Rivera and Bruce Arians.
Now with Carolina, coached by Ron Rivera, facing the Denver Broncos, coached by Gary Kubiak, in the 50th Super Bowl, it marks the first time both Super Bowl head coaches will be ones with six letters in their last name.
Angelique Kerber won her first Grand Slam tennis title dispatching the incredibly poor choice as Sports Illustrated’s top athlete of 2015, Serena Williams, in straight sets to win the women’s title at the Australian Open.
Kerber, over a 7 to 1 “man to man-or woman to woman” (Cara Miller on Innovation Hub said woman as I wrote it.) underdog winning means there will be no “calendar Grand Slam” title for Williams.
There will be less hype surrounding her which is better for all concerned, perhaps most important, to Ms. Williams.
Given the title winning year and subsequent great start that Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors led, I still find it an inexcusable “joke” that the once fine “Sports Illustrated,” named Williams its “Sportsman/woman/person” of 2015.
The eventual 1977 NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers did not have the home advantage in both the semi-finals nor finals.
They were a truly great team, even better the year after, but injuries especially to their great center, Bill Walton cost them a chance to repeat as NBA champions.
Some memories of that championship season follow.
In 1977, Portland went (10-0) at home in the playoffs.
Herman Gilliam was a big factor in their win at L.A. vs the Jerry West coached Lakers in game 2 of their semi-final series.
Recently fired as Brooklyn Nets coach, a fine player, Lionel Hollins can take solace in his big game vs the Chicago Bulls, in the decisive game of the 1977 preliminary series vs the Chicago Bulls.
Maurice Lucas, pictured above, was a truly great player on those Portland teams.
The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots (then known as the Boston Patriots), met in the first AFL game ever played back in 1960.
The teams have clashed five times in the NFL playoffs, (they never met in the AFL playoffs), with Denver holding a (4-1) edge.
All five games have been won by the home team which is also the case in playoff tilts involving the great quarterbacks, Tom Brady of New England and Peyton Manning currently with the Broncos, but also in three playoff games vs Brady and New England, as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Two of the 5 home team wins in the Denver/New England playoff annals were games in which Manning and Denver prevailed vs Brady and New England.
With Brady as quarterback New England won a home divisional round game vs Denver and its quarterback, Tim Tebow in 2012.
Denver with Jake Plummer as its “Q.B.” ended a run of 10 consecutive New England playoff wins (before that loss Brady was (10-0) in the playoffs, as a starting “Q.B.” having been relieved in one of those wins, the 2001 AFC title tilt, by Drew Bledsoe) in a 2005 divisional round game.
That game marked the end of New England invincibility.
Denver also won a divisional round game vs New England in 1986, a game remembered by bettors for the fact a late safety, scored by Denver, covered the point spread.
Jake Plummer, pictured above was the Denver Broncos quarterback in the 2005 divisional round game in which the Broncos handed Tom Brady his first post-season defeat.
In reviewing the New England Patriots’ season, the failure to gain the AFC top seed is what stands out as despite another excellent season, the Pats were stopped short of their ultimate goal (win the Super Bowl), for the 10th time in 11 seasons.
Of course the team had won three Super Bowl titles in four seasons before the current 11 year period.
Losing road games at the New York Jets, a game in which a depleted “N.E.” team battled and a loss at Miami, as huge favorites, in the season’s finale cost New England the top seed.
They made little effort as a depleted team in Miami and eventually had to play in Denver, where the team suffered a third playoffs game defeat, in the aforementioned 11 year period.
I really enjoyed watching the 1967 film, “The Comedians” which starred Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor with a cast that included film greats past and future. Of course it was on the fabulous TCM (Turner Classic Movies), sans commercials.
Sir Alec Guinness and Lillian Gish to name two, who had already accomplished so much.
James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson and Georg Sanford Brown as three, who would have great futures.
Mr. Jones and Ms. Tyson recently worked together these 49 or so years later, on Broadway, in “The Gin Game.”
Jones character in “The Comedians” is named Magiot, spelled differently, but pronounced the same as a character (Maggio) portrayed by Frank Sinatra in his Academy Award winning role, in “From Here To Eternity.”
Only four of the NFL’s 32 teams have failed to make a Super Bowl appearance.
The Detroit Lions, who last played for the NFL title in 1957 (they won routing the original Cleveland Browns and rookie Jim Brown) are the only non expansion team in that group.
Three expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans and expansion/new Cleveland Browns round out the group.
Two other teams, the third and fourth Super Bowl winners, the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs respectively have failed to make a Super Bowl appearance since the AFC/NFC configuration began with the 1970 season.
Tobin Rote pictured above and the father of one time New York area T.V. sports reporter Rock Rote, was the quarterback on the last Detroit Lions’ title team in 1957.
Andy B Sports 