The demolition process has begun on Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
There were so many great games and so much history there.
The NFL 49ers won 5 Super Bowls while playing there, the baseball Giants lost their only two World Series while playing there.
Before game 3 of the 1989 World Series in which the Oakland A’s swept the Giants in 4 straight games, an earthquake erupted just after 5 p.m. local time.
The great winds at Candlestick Park were legendary. Once in an All Star Game, a fine pitcher named Stu Miller was actually blown off the mound with insult added as a balk was called on Miller.
The games, so many great ones. I choose the most dramatic, one from football and one from baseball.
In the 1981 season NFC Championship game vs the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers drove for the winning touchdown late to win (28-27) thanks to Joe Montana’s touchdown pass to Dwight Clark.
The 1962 World Series between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants went to the decisive seventh game.
The Yankees led (1-0) in the bottom of the ninth inning but the Giants had the tying and World Series winning runs in scoring position.
Pitcher Ralph Terry, victimized two years earlier by Bill Mazeroski’s World Series winning home run, got the great Giants player Willie McCovey out on a hard hit line drive to second baseman Bobby Richardson to give the Yankees an incredible 20th world Series win in 40 seasons.
Demolition has begun on Candlestick Park
I saw the incredible movie, “The Only Real Game” for a second time last night at The Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York. The film and its director Mirra Bank deserve high praise.
Watching a second time, I noticed so many new things. Those include the incredible scenery in Manipur, which is a state in India. Ms. Bank highlights the beauty as the movie begins.
The natural beauty there belies the terrible trouble in the state. High unemployment, insurgents, who have abounded since Manipur became part of India in 1949, and HIV/Aids are three terrible problems.
Despite those problems, baseball is a game loved in Manipur since being introduced by United States’ servicemen during World War Two, and has helped and given hope.
So many heroes and brave individuals have emerged as depicted in the film.
Organizations such as Harlem RBI led by Rich Berlin and First Pitch have brought baseball equipment and coaching skills to Manipur.
The coaches brought to Manipur are Jeff Brueggemann and Dave Palese.
Muriel “Mike” Peters and Richard Brockman are two of the movie’s producers.
Paul Brill is the music director and was a panelist for questions and answers which followed the film presentation.
Special praise to Randye Ringler for all her efforts in promoting the film. Additionally she did a fantastic job as a panelist.
It was noted that WFAN baseball specialist Ed Randall was in the audience and Mr. Randall had high praise for the film and those involved.
I hope to see “The Only Real Game” a third time, it is that inspiring!
For more info on the film, click: “The Only Real Game”
Perhaps I needed a day or two to reflect on what was an incredible finish to the 49th Super Bowl, in particular the Seahawks’ decision to throw and not run Marshawn Lynch at the New England one yard line with the NFL title at stake in the last half minute of play.
Of course I seriously question coach Pete Carroll’s decision, feel it was a bad one, yes for not running Lynch but perhaps more so for trying a difficult “slant pass.”
Compounding the “mistake” (not many, if any would have criticized if it went for a touchdown–not that many would have if the pass was incomplete and not intercepted) was the formation used and that there was no “play action” before the play unfolded.
It is pretty obvious, not 100 percent “etched in stone brought down from Moses,” however, Seattle should have run Lynch and if he failed to get in, have two downs left albeit, with no timeouts.
So much happened in the game and as far as strategy, Seattle essentially wasted two timeouts on the last drive, certainly another factor in the game’s outcome.
However, in conclusion it was a bad decision by Carroll and the Seahawks.
They had a great two year run, three in fact as they lost a gut wrenching divisional round game at Atlanta (Falcons) two seasons ago. In that game, coincidentally, Lynch scored, in effect “too soon” and Atlanta won with a subsequent field goal.
In trying to assess Bill Belichick’s obvious bottom line greatness as a football coach, I also want to give the New England Patriots their proper high ranking among all-time football teams, and their (2001-2014 and likely at least a bit into the future) span, as one of the best in any North American major professional sports league.
Following this weekend’s Super Bowl XLIX, Bill Belichick’s 4 Super Bowl wins ties Chuck Noll, the late great Pittsburgh Steelers coach for that record.
The first three Super Bowl wins were by three points, two on game ending Adam Viniatieri field goals. This fourth triumph, achieved by a four point margin, truly is significant in Patriots’ emotions and achievement.
This year’s accomplishments for Belichick and the Pats:
They struggled in the divisional playoffs vs a Baltimore Ravens franchise that is (2-2) vs the Patriots in playoff games all since 2009. (The two Ravens wins were “far, far (cue Ronald Colman) “better”/easier than the two Pats wins, each a monumental struggle).
Next came the AFC Title game, where the Pats’ demolition of the Indianapolis Colts whose kicker is Viniatieri, was overshadowed by the pressure in the footballs.
Finally, an incredibly close Super Bowl win vs the defending champion Seahawks.
Mr. Belichick also has 2 Super Bowl wins as an assistant coach with the New York Giants, the 1990 season win clearly more to do with his defensive unit than any other aspect of the Giants’ play.
Once when Belichick was undefeated as much as (10-0) with the Pats in the playoffs, and (11-1) all-time, he was compared favorably to the immortal Vince Lombardi as the NFL’s greatest coach.
I opined no to that then, and most eventually changed to that thought as time moved inexorably forward.
Bill Belichick is one of the best NFL coaches ever, but not the greatest. This Patriots era is one of the best ever, not the greatest.
“You know what they say about opinions, they are like posteriors– everyone has one,” is one of the best maxims ever. Alas, even that is an opinion.
In an exciting 49th Super Bowl, the New England Patriots rode four Tom Brady touchdown passes and one of the all time clutch plays, in this case an interception by Malcolm Butler in the closing seconds, to win their fourth crown (28-24) vs the defending champion Seattle Seahawks.
By winning his third Super Bowl MVP award, Brady tied Joe Montana in that category and his four Super Bowl wins ties him with Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the most in the QB category.
The Patriots 4 titles have all occurred in a 13 year, 14 season span (2001-2014). An interesting note about the city of Boston: in that time frame all four Boston area major sports league teams have won at least one championship.
The Red Sox sans a title for 86 years, have three titles in this span while the Celtics and Bruins have one each, giving Boston 9 in this 13 year/14 Patriots seasons span.
For all-time 13 season spans: the Boston Celtics, whose legendary broadcaster was Johnny Most, won 11 NBA crowns in 13 seasons, during 1957-1970. Add the Boston Bruins hockey title in 1970 and Boston had 12 championships in 14 seasons with at least two different sports involved.
I lived it, I ate it, I breathed and was at times all consumed by it, but today I have already turned down a Super Bowl gathering and plan to not watch closely, and even miss parts of the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
This achievement, if I am able to perform it, would mean something to me, a small ripple of protest vs the monolith NFL and NBC.
In showing how misguided and deep my passion for the Super Bowl once was, I give you these arcane facts as an example of the intensity: this is the 5th “Supe” between teams with 8 letters in its nickname. The Dolphins (Miami) and Redskins (Washington D.C.) split in games 10 years apart, Miami winning in 1972 and Washington in 1982.
Other previous Super Bowl contests between 8 letter teams were a Patriots win vs the also 8 letter (Carolina) Panthers and a Seahawks loss to the also 8 letter (Pittsburgh) Steelers.
Still addicted to data that no one else writes about, consider this regarding Boston/Seattle sports history: The NBA Boston Celtics made that league’s playoffs 37 of 39 years from (1955-1993).
Only in 1978 and 1979 did the Boston team fail to qualify. In each of those years, the Seattle NBA team at the time, the SuperSonics went to the NBA finals, losing in 1978 and winning in 1979 vs the Washington Bullets.
Now the Seattle franchise is in Oklahoma City (nickname, Thunder) and the Bullets were renamed the Wizards in an inane, misguided attempt to curtail violence (how about not selling guns?)
Withdrawal, discipline and taking a stand all are tough tasks. An honest account of my day and perspective on the game here tomorrow.
The inane hype involving this Super Bowl, which has gained a lot of “steam” or dare I say “weight,’ not from the high football quality of each team, but for other reasons, has considerably waned my interest. Yet there is no denying these are two high quality football teams that will play for the title tomorrow.
Super Bowl XLIX will result in some interesting history, whether the defending champion Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots win tomorrow’s contest.
If the Seahawks win, they will be the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the Patriots did so ten years ago.
A New England victory would mean a fourth title for its coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady and would come ten years after their last one.
Better late than never, I am reading “A Day in the Bleachers,” by Arnold Hano. It recounts in extraordinary detail Mr. Hano’s day sitting in the bleachers at the Polo Grounds, a quaint old ballpark that no longer exists–I believe Mr. Sinatra’s “There Used to Be a Ballpark” was about it.
The book is written about the game Hano attended on September 29, 1954 which happened to be game one of the World Series. Nowadays the World Series starts late in October and likely will end in November next season.
The game in 1954 is best remembered for New York Giants Willie Mays’ extraordinary catch in the 8th inning and was won by the Giants on pinch hitter Dusty Rhodes’ home run.
The San Francisco Giants celebrated this year’s World Series victory, their third in five seasons, by bringing the championship trophy to New York last week, honoring the team’s roots. Willie Mays was there and it was a positive, contemporary event.
Back to the book: its details, which includes Bob Feller of the opposing Cleveland Indians warming up at an advanced pitching age, and the interaction of the fans, not all of whom were rooting for the hometown Giants, makes incredible reading.
I am looking forward to finishing this great work rather soon. It will be my weekend highlight, the Super Bowl notwithstanding.
Where to watch the game? Hardcore fans may stay home glued to the TV. But following the game, an annual tradition for guys is the decidedly unofficial after-party at Rick’s Cabaret New York, the upscale gentlemen’s club known for its beautiful entertainers, luxurious setting, and warm hospitality.
Rick’s Cabaret NYC Girl Bella explained, “Sunday night is gonna be so awesome! I don’t care what team you like. Win or lose, Rick’s Cabaret is the place to be! If your team wins, we do the sexiest victory dances you’ve ever seen. If they lose, we’ll make you forget all about the game. Haha!”
“Nobody throws a party like Rick’s Cabaret,” purred Rick’s Cabaret NYC Girl Alison.
Named “The #1 Strip Club in New York” by Playboy, Rick’s Cabaret is the club of choice for an upscale clientele including Wall Street bankers and brokers, numerous celebrities, and pro athletes from all the major sports. It features a gourmet steakhouse and balcony seating on its second floor, deluxe Sky Boxes on its third floor, and a Roof Top Cigar Lounge and Garden.
Andy B Sports 