Sadly, Charlie Sanders, the great tight end for the Detroit Lions, died this week at age 68. I have many nice memories of watching him play.
The Lions made the playoffs as the first NFC wild card team in 1970, thanks in large part to Sander’s excellence.
Sanders had great games all year, two on national television.
On the Lions’ traditional Thanksgiving home game, that year vs the high powered Oakland Raiders, Sanders made two Touchdown receptions.
Later that season on a Monday night game–the first season of that TV series–at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum vs the L.A. Rams, Sanders also played great. The Lions’ won that night and it helped them make the playoffs and also was a crucial loss for the Rams who would subsequently fail to make the playoffs.
The Lions would eventually lose the first NFC Divisional round game by the odd score of (5-0) to the Dallas Cowboys. But they wouldn’t have gotten there if not for the great play of Charlie Sanders.
Last night, both the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals won home games in their last at bat. This evokes memories of one of the more famous home last at bat victories in baseball annals.
It was the decisive 5th game of the 1976 ALCS when Chris Chambliss of the Yankees led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a home run that gave the Yankees a (7-6) victory vs the Royals, to win their 30th American League Pennant and first in 12 years.
On this traditional day to look at who leads the races, once 1 of 2 pennant races, and now 1 of 8 mini division races, both the Yankees and Royals are in first place in their entities. Maybe their once great rivalry will be rekindled with a post season clash.
Click here to see the Chambliss home run
Celebrating 1976 ALCS Game Five Victory: Yogi Berra, George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin
A few days back, the great actress Olivia de Havilland turned 99 years old.
She is a true treasure and it is great she is still with us. Another treasure, Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne, speaks with her each week. The conversations are private.
Ms. de Havilland sparkled in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” and was mesmerizing in “The Snakepit,” a movie about mental illness and treatment thereof, which was ahead of its time.
There were so many other roles but it is as “Melanie” in the classic 1939 film “Gone With The Wind,” that we remember Ms. de Havilland best.
Of the four most important characters, Scarlett, Rhett (just noticed the “ett” in each), Ashley and Melanie–I believe only “Melanie” dies in the film.
In real, not “reel” life, the other actors in those roles Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Leslie Howard have all been dead at least 44 years. Ms de Havilland’s sister, the also superb actress, Joan Fontaine, died two years ago.
Of course Olivia de Havilland will endure in celluloid, but it is also nice to know she is still here. Happy birthday, hopefully, a day or two toward number 100 next year.
as Melanie in “Gone With the Wind”
Nobody knows whether the Houston Astros will hang on and win the A.L. West, an occurrence considered about 25 to 1 odds NOT to happen when the 2015 baseball season commenced.
The Astros, who just swept the A.L. Central leading Kansas City Royals, have reached the halfway point in their 162 game schedule with a (47-34) record.
That record puts Houston 5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and 6 games ahead of the Texas Rangers.
Last night’s rerun of “Seinfeld,” which probably should be “David” as in comic genius Larry David, was from 1995. The “George” character works for the New York Yankees and in the episode he meets with members of the Houston Astros front office to discuss inter-league play. At that time the Astros were in the National League and it would have been possible when inter-league play began in 1997. Today, of course, the Astros are an American League team.
The Astros’ play thus far this season is surprising, although if you recall, I said they would be improved and almost picked them to win the A.L. West.
It is onto the finals of the Women’s Soccer Wold Cup for the United States team after a (2-0) victory vs Germany in the semi-finals.
Teams from England and Japan meet today in the other semi-final game to determine the United States team’s opponent in the final game.
The event is being held in Montreal, Canada.
I predict the team from England will upset the team from Japan in today’s match.
Do you think many if any of today’s comedians, male or female, could be as funny or fast, no less as witty, as the great comedian Jack Carter, who passed away at age 93.
To answer the above question they could not do it, without the blue material.
Nothing inherently wrong with blue material, but the greats like Carter, could be funny without it. Today few, if any even try.
Whether on “The Match Game,” or What’s My Line,” (first as a mystery guest and then as a panelist) or on so many comedy roasts, Jack Carter with his rapid fire delivery and great wit always entertained.
He did so with class. Where has that type gone?!
Click here for a vintage Jack Carter stand-up routine
Even though I still think their intangibles for this season are bad and I can not get over their sacrifice bunt decision in game seven of last year’s World Series, it is time to recognize the Kansas City Royals and their excellence.
They are (44-28), (only the St. Louis Cards have a better record) and clearly they have SHOWN (a Missouri “show me state” reference) as in sparkled, that they are a good team.
They swept this past weekend in Oakland vs the seemingly never to be A’s, and have a five and a half game lead in the A.L. Central.
However, “good luck,” getting as far as they did last year when they led the World Series two games to one and had a (4-1), 3rd inning lead, in game four.
The decision to bunt down a run and on a (2-0) pitch in Madison Bumgarner’s first relief inning, whether made by manager Ned Yost or the player, Alcides Escobar, was one of the worst in baseball history.
I said, or rather, screamed, watching that fateful, cowardly, passive decision which cemented the fact that the “S.F.” Giants and not the “K.C.” Royals would win the 2014 World Series.
Here are some predictions and comments on upcoming sports events.
Wimbledon tennis begins tomorrow and I predict neither big favorite, Novak Djokovic on the men’s side nor Serena Williams among the women, will win the title.
If neither wins the title, that would be a pretty big upset.
I should have said this before the Masters but I did feel it. Now with only two golf major tournaments left, it is not much of a pick to say Rory McIlroy will not win a major tournament this year.
As for Jordan Spieth who has been great, he will not win one either. Maybe the end of success has come for Tiger Woods, but no golfer will be anywhere near as successful for a long time.
However, I never felt Woods was that close to being the greatest golfer ever, as for example, the “built up” Phil Mickelson, was probably his toughest competition.
There were much tougher foes for the great golfer, Jack Nicklaus, whose record for major tournament wins seems safe for now.
Also his status as the best golfer, always safe in my more perspective based view, is “safe” even among the instant gratification types that permeate the sports media.
Jack Nicklaus,
In similar fashion the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics dominated the American League for three year periods at one point in time.
The Orioles won American League pennants from (1969-1971) but won just one of the three World Series they played in during that time.
The Athletics won the A.L. title three straight seasons from (1988-1990). They also won but one of the three World Series in which they were involved.
Both the Orioles and A’s were remarkable in the three ALCS they won to reach the World Series. The (1969-1971) O’s swept all three which were best of five, hence going (9-0) in ALCS play.
The (1988-1990) A’s lost but one game in winning three best of seven ALCS, going (12-1).
The final Orioles ALCS sweep in 1971 was vs the Oakland A’s of another time, a team just developing into greatness.
That greatness manifested as the A’s of (1972-1974) won not just three straight pennants, but three straight World Series titles, something no non New York Yankees team accomplished before or since.
Charlie Finley and the A’s three World Championships–1972, 1973 and 1974
If you have read some of my previous posts, you know I am not a big fan of Fox Sports’ lead announcer Joe Buck.
At the very least, I can easily say his incredible luck to have broadcast and continue to broadcast events like the World Series and Super Bowl is way out of proportion with his talent.
Surely his luck was and is enhanced by virtue of Joe being the son of the late Jack Buck, an esteemed, highly over rated announcer, who still was far better than most announcers today.
Jack was at his best with a rooting interest and thus his St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball broadcasts were his best work.
Admittedly, in the 1985 and 1987 seasons, a pair in which “St. Loo” would make but lose the World Series, I would leave my apartment and go in my car, to tune in KMOX radio from St. Louis.
I looked forward to Jack’s “that’s a winner” call after a Cards victory.
Some really liked Jack Buck and former coach Hank Stram on CBS Radio, as an alternative to Monday Night football on television.
Jack Buck was working for ABC television as an extra reporter when Stram’s Dallas Texans won the 1962 AFL title game in 6 quarters, vs the Houston Oilers.
In conclusion Jack Buck had his good moments and his bad.
The Bucks
