This Sunday will mark the exact 51 year anniversary of the last Cleveland major sports league championship, which was won by the Cleveland Browns (27-0) vs the Baltimore Colts in the 1964 NFL title game, played on December 27th, 1964 at Municipal Stadium.
That day with over 80 thousand people in attendance, Browns’ quarterback (Dr.) Frank Ryan threw three touchdown passes to Gary Collins while the Browns’ “bend but don’t break” defense allowed no points, vs the great John Unitas and the Colts.
All time greats Jim Brown and Lou Groza, the latter with two field goals including a long one to open the scoring, made major contributions for the Browns.
This Sunday, the current incarnation of the Browns, an expansion team that began play in the NFL in 1999, will be in Kansas City playing the Chiefs.
While Cleveland is sans a sports crown since 1964 and has but 6 current major sports league titles (the Otto Graham led Browns, under coach and founder Paul Brown won NFL titles in 1950, 1954 and 1955 in addition to the Blanton Collier coached 1964 title, while the Indians’ only World Series wins were in 1920 and 1948), Kansas City won its third when the baseball Royals won their second this past season.
The Chiefs lone crown was in 1969, the year the Royals began play. They should at least make the playoffs this season.
The great coach Paul Brown, a same named deceased (no school principal would want “late” in front of their name) Yonkers school principal evokes similar great praise for his work, pictured above with the Cincinnati Bengals, was somehow not on ESPN’s list of the 20 greatest coaches in sports history. That is a disgrace!
So much of modern football innovation is owed to this man. Both Paul Browns cited here, the great coach and school principal helped future greats in their field.
Chuck Noll, a 4 time Super Bowl winner as a coach, June Drusin as an unforgettable school teacher are one example from each field.
“Boogie Stomp,” now playing through January 16th at the Elektra Theater (300 West 43rd Street) takes the audience on an incredible journey piecing together the history of boogie-woogie and in so doing ties it to the blues, rock and roll and other musical genres.
Both the esteemed Bob Baldori and younger phenom (Bob would be ok with that comparison) Arthur Migliazza, each a brilliant pianist, tell the story with dignity, humor, all the time bringing home the passion this great music evokes.
Evoking Chuck Barris and more to the point and I love Chuck Barris, Chuck Berry with whom he has played piano for thirty years, Baldori, with his piano play and a little schtick (he physically and in the schtick sense positively evokes Barris) tells us the story.
This is a tremendous performance, two greats telling us about a great musical genre’s history. The passion both Bob and Arthur have for this and the way they translate it into a great show is something to behold.
Both “boogie-woogie” and “Boogie Stomp” fit that description.
Click above for more information and to purchase tickets to this wonderful performance.
On opposite ends of the NBA rankings, the devastating, defending champion Golden State Warriors and “team horrible,” Philadelphia 76ers are the big stories thus far in the endless NBA regular season.
The Warriors, a surprise last year when they won their first NBA title in 40 seasons (the “Bellman” mentioned in the last post boldly predicted a long shot Warriors’ title that season after watching them play vs the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden–no betting involved and there is a beautiful purity to that story involving Rick Barry and the 1975 Warriors), were expected to be very good but their (27-1) record is beyond that.
Led by Steph Curry and under Luke Walton, Bill’s son, who is filling in for the injured Steve Kerr, Golden State has been devastating, winning their first 24 games (24 Rick’s number) before being stopped in Milwaukee by the Bucks.
History repeated as the Bucks stopped the Los Angeles Lakers’ record 33 game winning streak also in Milwaukee nearly 44 (Lakers’ great and current Warriors front office person, Jerry West’s number) years ago. Thus the Bucks’ franchise while ending the streak on January 9, 1972 in a nationally televised game on ABC, helped in a big way to preserve the record all these years later.
The less said about the once proud 76ers franchise, the better. They are off to a (1-30) start.
Steph Curry, pictured above is my choice as Athlete of the Year in 2015. He was the most important player in their title won in June and has led them to a great start in the current NBA season. Getting my award will “dwarf” those other honors Steph won such as MVP of the playoffs. (What do they write, LOL?!)
Some call him “Bellman,” others cite the “Ripley’s Believe or Not” aspect of his wonderful life (wife, children and grandchildren) which is three inheritances, one each for he and his spouse as only children and another to him from an uncle, sans children of his own.
The 1998 Yankees were devastating, winning 114 regular season games and eventually 125 to win the World Series. One night call him “The Bellman” (also known by the sobriquet “OTB man”), made a “spot bet” on the Montreal Expos” and he and the “North of the Border” team trailed (5-2) in the middle innings.
Montreal won the game which brings me to last week’s (14-0) Carolina Panthers’ win, but no cover vs the (6-8), but still in contention, albeit long shot contention, Hackensack Giants.
Carolina led (35-7) as 4 to 5 point favorites, well into the third quarter of play.
Carolina needed a last minute field goal to win the game (38-35).
The Bellman considered the Giants a great bet and cashed it.
Someone please find Mr. Ripley and tell him.
Work as a hotel bellman is very good. Having “inheritance” money and a “horseshoe” in the right spot as “The Bellman” has is even better. Alert the credit card company that uses that tag line.
In his ninth season, Sparty’s head man has the program positioned to win its first title since 1966.
It is as if Muhammad Ali or darn near close joined a league of club fighters (in other words true greatness joining what is pretty good and growing–in this case we all will grow together) as the distinguished, sports and consumer savvy J.R. Hellman has joined the ranks of us bloggers.
Mr. Hellman is a brilliant well spoken man with vast sports and management experience. He thinks way ahead of “out of the box” and surely has his finger on the pulse of today’s sports issues.
Please stay here with me, but do yourself a favor and read Mr. Hellman’s posts.
This first one below is both brilliant and scary. Heed his advice and no matter which team you root for, know and feel what is happening concerning other teams could happen with your team.
As noted in Mr. Hellman’s post, he was a dear friend and protege of Marty Glickman. Great praise indeed!
How humbled I feel today! I set about trying to change things and make a positive difference but surely I must give it more effort. Stay tuned!
Thus the immediacy but now more effort and issues being addressed is one goal.
While I stand by my opinions, albeit harsh ones about the many broadcasters I have criticized here, my efforts do speak the truth as I see it. Facts follow.
WFAN’s Mike Francesa went (3-0) on his NFL predictions yesterday.
Last week I knew was the week to “buck” him but instead I chose this week.
Throughout the years it is so hard to time “such things.” Many have always been in the parlance “a day late and sometimes many dollars short.” Please all beware!
2. Arizona Cardinals (11-2): The Cardinals claimed the NFC West title with Sunday night’s rout of Philadelphia and can lock up a first-round bye with a win next week at home against Green Bay. Arizona has now won eight in a row and looks like one of the most complete teams in the NFL, especially with rookieDavid Johnson more than ably stepping in for the injured Chris Johnson.
To add insult to injury, not only did an ESPN report on the NFL playoff possibilities give no real information (ie what constitutes the playoff tiebreakers) but the above mistake in the Arozona Cardinals’ record through 14 games. The correct record is (12-2). Shown above.
My Penance: Here’s to Mike Francesa (3-0) yesterday, (27-17) for the season.
Despite the hype which will be led by “The Emperor,” Joe Buck (he “pie pies” while the country is in an “orange burn”) today’s tilt between the (13-0) Carolina Panthers and the (6-7) “Hackensack/East Rutherford/ Jersey,” all right, New York Giants is not that important a game.
This is in sharp contrast with the New York Giants Yankee Stadium battle with the Los Angeles Rams (perhaps the St. Louis Rams are moving, Howard Cosell and Monday Night Football began in 1970 and while there is much to criticize regarding Cosell–he was on target with so much of his criticism including carpetbagger owners moving franchises and so much else.) exactly 45 years ago today.
The Giants had to win that game in the 14th and final game/week of the regular season. The Rams led by Pat Studstill among others, won the game denying the Giants playoff access but failing to qualify themselves, when later that day the San Francisco 49ers won their first NFL entity ever in a game vs the playoff bound Oakland Raiders.
The great Ray Scott (did he have a father in the business?!!) broadcast that SF/Oak tilt and it is this tilting at the “windmills” that Buck, the NFL and yes Donald Trump represent that I must modify, while still expressing opinions and facts as I am fortunate to have this forum to do so.
Of course Mr. Buck, Mr.Trump and others are all entitled to their opinions, alas so am I.
“pat” and “still” each with “stand” in front of it, “stud” and then a word “scramble” produces “tilt” all interesting, concepts from Pat Studstill’s name.
WFAN Radio Mike Francesa went (0-3) with his three chalk/favorites predictions last week. His record is (24-17).
Three more “chalk” picks from him this week.
He picks the Minnesota Vikings minus five and a half points vs the Chicago Bears.
He picks the New England Patriots minus 14 points vs the Tennessee Titans.
The third pick is the Cincinnati Bengals minus 5 points at San Francisco, vs the 49ers.
Recalling the fact that the 49ers beat the Bengals and then fine receiver Cris Collinsworth in both Super Bowl meetings. The Niners did not cover the second on the NBC network that Collinsworth now works on.
Wait it is well past 1 a.m. and maybe Collinsworth has finally stopped talking
.
SF 49ers great, Joe Montana in action vs the Cincinnati Bengals in the 16th Super Bowl in January 1982
Tonight in a semi-final playoff game of sorts, Richmond University is the choice.
They will battle North Dakota State in a close game.
North Dakota State 29 Richmond 23.
Tomorrow in their backyard, New Mexico University is the choice.
8 point favorite Arizona will be fortunate to win.
Arizona 34 New Mexico 31.
Too close to call regarding the two touchdown spread as I predict the favored New England Patriots will win by between 10 and at most 17 points vs the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Will call it New England 30 Tennessee 17 for the record.
Once these franchises with the Titans, once the Houston Oilers, were division round playoff opponents in games at New England in 1978 and 2003. Additionally each is an original AFL franchise.
The Houston Oilers with George Blanda as their quarterback won the first two AFL crowns in 1960 and 1961. They have managed just one AFC crown since that in 1999 which preceded a tough loss to the St. Louis Rams. A bid for a third straight AFL crown was denied by the Dallas Texans in a 6 quarter AFL title tilt in 1962. The Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs.
Andy B Sports 