Exactly 45 years ago tonight, the first Monday night game of the ABC “package” was played in which the Cleveland Browns defeated the New York Jets (31-21). Tonight the Jets are in the Monday night game visiting the Indianapolis Colts.
In that 1970 season the then Baltimore Colts won the first AFC/NFC Super Bowl. It was the Jets’ stunning victory vs the Colts in the third Super Bowl that eventually led to this monolith’s (the NFL) incredible power.
Last week the Jets opened their season with a win vs the Cleveland Browns. The original Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens. The Colts moved in the middle of the night from Baltimore to Indianapolis.
In that first Monday night game, players such as Gary Collins, Bill Nelsen, Homer Jones of the Browns and Joe Namath and Matt Snell of the Jets stood out.
The announcers were Keith Jackson, a year before Frank Gifford, deemed handsome, replaced him as play by play announcer, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith.
Tonight as the first Monday night season without Mr. Gifford on earth continues, we are “sent” somewhere below that, enduring mistake prone Mike Tirico, non stop talking Jon Gruden and yet another of the completely unnecessary sideline “reporters.”
Boy was Andy Rooney ever right, in my not so humble opinion, regarding his assertion we do not need sideline reporters. In case you are wondering that means any and the fact most are women, is not the reason I do not want those “reporters.”
Click below for an interview in which Andy Rooney gives some of his views.
Curmudgeon Andy Rooney on Female Sideline Reporters [Video]
Above is Keith Jackson the first ABC Package Monday Night Football Play by Play Announcer
The quoted title above is more or less, if not verbatim, what the actor Jerry Orbach’s character said at a key moment in the movie “Dirty Dancing.”
It applies to my woeful predictions, thus far in football 2015. Altogether I am (0-9-1) and am (0-7) in college football.
Unlike Mike Francesa, I admit when I am wrong.
Imagine, I predicted Alabama to win big vs Mississippi and “Ole Miss” pulled the outright upset. I predicted Syracuse to win big vs Central Michigan and the “Cuse” was fortunate to win in overtime.
Yes “when I am wrong and I admit it.” Also from “Dirty Dancing” “nobody puts “Baby” in the corner,” but at (0-9-1), no predictions today, as I will “stand in the corner.”
From Dirty Dancing
Click below to view Jerry Orbach singing.
Jerry Orbach – Try to Remember (1982)
I was most fortunate to attend last night’s terrific WNBA first round playoff game at Madison Square Garden, which resulted in a Washington Mystics (83-80) two overtime victory vs the home team, WNBA top seed, New York Liberty.
The crowd of just over ten thousand people supplied with their “Liberty torches” made the atmosphere in accordance with the Liberty team credo of “burn bright.”
On this night and in unfortunately for the Liberty, in game one of a best of three series, the Washington Mystics with an incredible and courageous effort, “burned a bit brighter.”
The game was great fun to watch, as is the league. Some individuals that deserve special notation are Mystics’ players, Ivory Latta, who hit a 3 point shot to tie the game with 27 seconds left in regulation and Emma Meesseman whose lay in shot, (Latta had a nice assist on the play), tied the compelling contest with less than two seconds to play in the first overtime period.
As has been the case all season, both Tina Charles and Epiphanny Prince were outstanding for the Liberty. It was fun to watch Liberty coach and WNBA coach of the year, Bill Laimbeer react to the game. I always liked Bill as a player and thought of his reactions as a good measurement of his intense desire to win.
Speaking of win , the Liberty must in a 1 pm start at washington tomorrow, or else their wonderful season will end. If they do win, a decisive third game would be played on Tuesday night September 22nd commencing at 7 pm at Madison Square Garden.
Last night was one of the best basketball games I ever attended. Kudos to both teams, the officials and the wonderful WNBA and New York Liberty presentation.
It was not only a slow start concerning the pro football predictions (0-2-1) but two weeks ago my predictions in college football were (0-3).
Tonight Florida State will survive at Boston College winning (37-31).
Tomorrow night Alabama will be very impressive in its win vs Mississippi. Let’s say (34-16).
Auburn will upset LSU at Baton Rouge, winning (36-34).
One more than the usual three, an improved Syracuse team to win decisively, say (30-13) vs Central Michigan.
The WNBA playoffs begin with two games tonight. In one game, the East two seed Chicago Sky with league MVP, Elena Delle Donne host the Indiana Fever. Next, the defending champion Phoenix Mercury host the Tulsa Shock.
Unless the Shock pull a big upset/minor “shock” and advance vs the Mercury, Saturday’s game two vs the Mercury in Tulsa, will be the Shock’s last game in Tulsa.
Tomorrow night the top ranked New York Liberty host the Washington Mystics while the favorite to win it all, the Minnesota Lynx host the LA Sparks.
All “chalk” predictions are the Sky and Liberty in two straight games in the East while both the Lynx and Mercury will be extended to a third and decisive game before advancing.
If those 4 teams win, it sets up two compelling semi-final series. No matter what the results, at this time next week I will have WNBA semi-final series predictions.
Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky
I was stretching my thinking to come up with my feelings about the end of the Dallas Cowboys’ Sunday night home win vs the New York Giants. Then I saw this “take OFF” on it from the beautiful Paulina, a dancer at the wonderful Vivid Cabaret:
Paulina is a beautiful woman with perspective.
Recently I had a wonderful experience seeing a performance of the play “Stripped” at the Tank Theater (151 West 46th Street).
This powerful, moving, emotional and yes at times, humorous play about a relationship and relationships moved me greatly. Surely it moved others as the two actors Sara Fay George as “Emma” and Timothy Hopfner as “George” received a well deserved ovation.
Playwright Stephen Clark wrote “Stripped” in 2003 making it ahead of its time, even though the world and mores of relationships had changed. In fact, this remarkable writing is ahead of the curve and change, even in 2015.
The two actors are seen preparing for a magazine ad induced blind date which leads to revelation, introspection, and truly revealing “between the eyes” reality between the attractive duo.
The beautiful “result” resonates with anyone who successfully, unsuccessfully or somewhere in between tried to navigate the course not only in a romantic relationship, but did any real “digging” into true emotions.
Both Ms. George and Mr. Hopfner give heartfelt, brilliant performances and Mr. Clark’s writing is beyond and better than first rate. There is great direction by Monika Gossmann.
Three performances remain at The Tank Theater (151 West 46th Street in New York City). The first is Friday night September 18th at 7 pm, next on Saturday Sept. 19 also at 7, with the final performance on Sunday afternoon Sept. 20th at 3 pm.
Click the links below for reservations and more information.
RESERVATIONS: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2080821
www.thetanknyc.org http://teamonfireproductions.jimdo.com
Currently there is an all Texas baseball series, easily the biggest in the brief history of possible such events in the regular season, between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.
Texas in their 55th season, 44th since becoming the Texas Rangers after being the expansion Washington Senators, has moved within a half game of the Astros in the AL West.
Neither the Astros in their 54th season and third in the American League, nor Rangers have ever won a World Series, with two of the World Series appearances belonging to Texas.
Coincidentally the other team firmly in the qualification race, (in their case the only realistic possibility is for the bogus wild card), are the Minnesota Twins, the franchise that also was the Washington Senators, the original ones, which became the Twins upon moving to Minnesota for the 1961 season.
In the end, Novak Djokovic and Flavia Pennetta prevailed at the US Open Tennis Tournament. For Pennetta, it was her first major title while the incredible Djokovic won his tenth.
Perhaps the biggest baseball game of the weekend manifested in a Houston Astros’ comeback win at Los Angeles, vs the Angels yesterday. The “Stros” trailed (3-0) going to the top of the 9th but avoided a 3 game sweep with a 5 run rally to win and are one and a half games ahead of the Texas Rangers in the AL West.
Houston is also in a possible battle with Texas, the Angels and Minnesota Twins for a playoff berth.
As far as the monolith that is the NFL, two things resonate with me after the first week of play.
The lesser one is that my record is (0-5-1) on three predictions each in week one of both college and pro football.
More important, the failure in my predictions means/meant little if anything. I purposely stayed away from the television(s) and saw only Denver hold off Baltimore, five minutes watched, if that.
If I, who once watched every possible minute, can walk away so can you!
Flavia Pennetta Wins The US Open and Retires, Kudos on Both
Some say all Hannah Storm (nee Hannah Storen as in the daughter of once ABA commissioner Mike Storen, as Gatsby knew “connections”) can do is read from a teleprompter.
On Friday after Roberta Vinci upset Serena Williams, she failed in that and not knowing caused an egregious Storm error.
In citing other big sports upsets, Storm said the upset win by the United States hockey team in the Winter Olympics semi-finals vs the Soviet Union was in 1988.
Of course even most casual sports fans know the game cited was played in 1980.
Once Storm welcomed us back to the wrong arena in the 1993 NBA Finals and far worse clamored for her school (Notre Dame), which still plays on her then network (NBC) to be voted national champions after Florida State’s win vs Nebraska after the 1993 season.
Hannah Storm: Why her and others like her?!!
