This Sunday marks the 56th anniversary of the 1958 NFL Championship game, the game that “made” pro football.
On an unusually warm winter day in New York, the Baltimore Colts led by quarterback John Unitas and receiver Raymond Berry defeated the New York Giants in the NFL’s first overtime game.
Alan “The Horse” Ameche scored a touchdown from one yard out to end the game. Baltimore won (23-17) and from that point forward professional football boomed.
This Sunday NBC, which telecast that 1958 game in the afternoon, has moved the Cincinnati Bengals game at Pittsburgh vs the Steelers, to the night.
Quite possibly it will be very cold in Pittsburgh, but pro football, too big and popular, does things with no regard for the fans.
My fondness for the many great players (Roosevelt Brown and Frank Gifford were among the New York Giants’ greats in that game) in that 1958 game and even the extraordinary game itself, is tempered by what football has become.
Click here for a video tribute
The New England Patriots are the AFC top seed for the sixth time in their history, all since 2003 and with greats Tom Brady as their quarterback and Bill Belichick as their head coach.
The combination of New England’s (17-16) win at the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals’ (37-28) Monday night win at home vs the Denver Broncos, clinched the top seed and home advantage in any AFC playoff game, for New England.
The “NFL gift package” also includes a wild card round bye and there will be one other recipient in the AFC, almost certainly to be the Broncos, who figure to be the “two seed.”
Denver will be a two touchdown favorite in its home game vs the Oakland Raiders in its bid to get their quarterback Peyton Manning a home divisional round game for the third time in his three seasons as Broncos’ “QB.” That home divisional round game and wild card round bye goes to the top two seeded teams.
The wild card round bye is “also available” (cue the New York City Transit Authority “voice” whose tone and delivery is great emphasizing “ALSO AVAILABLE,” pertaining to certain subway route options) to the Broncos if the Pittsburgh Steelers win at home vs the Cincinnati Bengals in the season’s final regular season. That game, with not all that much at stake since both the Bengals and Steelers have clinched playoff berths was moved to a night game by NBC Sports, one of 4 network “tails” that wags the NFL/dog.
The Dallas Cowboys annihilated the Indianapolis Colts yesterday to win their first divisional title since 2009.
They will almost certainly be the NFC “three seed” and host an NFC wild card round game–I will speculate that it will be on Fox Television on Sunday, January 4th.
It is possible, but unlikely, that the Colts and Cowboys will meet in the Super Bowl.
If so, the Colts, in my opinion, would have “bulletin board material” as Dallas backup quarterback Brandon Weeden hurled a long touchdown pass with 10 minutes to play with Dallas already ahead (35-0).
Give the Cowboys credit for their season. I recall so many prognosticators picking them last in the NFC East. Instead, they finished first.
After their (35-6) win at Arizona vs the Cardinals, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are overwhelming favorites to be the NFC one seed for a second straight season.
Seattle will be close to a two touchdown favorite at home vs the St. Louis Rams to win and claim the one seed. If they do win and get the one seed, it will be the third time in franchise history that Seattle claims its conference’s one seed.
In 26 years as an AFC team (1977-2002), the Seahawks were never the conference one seed. Now it is very likely to happen for a third time, all as an NFC team, in a 10 season span.
The two previous times that the Seahawks were the conference one seed, they made the Super Bowl.
In the 2005 season Super Bowl, they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last year, Seattle routed the Denver Broncos in that game for all the marbles.
Yesterday, two NFL games were played on a Saturday for the first time since 2005. (Saturdays were once a league staple from the time of the AFC/NFC format which commenced in the 1970 season).
Each was a thrilling game, decided by a three point margin.
In the NFL Network telecast opener, the touchdown plus underdog (4-11) Washington Redskins, all but ended the (9-6) Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff hopes, with a (27-24) victory.
Now the (10-4) Dallas Cowboys take the field at home today vs the (10-4) Indianapolis Colts with a magic number of one to clinch their first divisional title or playoff appearance since 2009.
In the night game yesterday, the (9-6) San Diego Chargers, who trailed by as much as three touchdowns twice, and by two touchdowns midway through the fourth quarter, rallied to beat the (7-8) San Francisco 49ers in overtime by a (38-35) score.
However, the Chargers will need help to qualify for the playoffs, even if they win their regular season finale in Kansas City next week.
Last week the accuracy of the Las Vegas oddsmakers was most evident as two of my predictions were in games that fell “right on the number.” Seattle Seahawks favored by 10 points, won by that many vs San Francisco 49ers, ditto the Indianapolis Colts favored by and victorious by seven vs the Houston Texans.
In the other game I predicted, my pick the Dallas Cowboys, a field goal underdog, won at Philadelphia vs the Eagles and now control their destiny in a bid for their first divisional title or playoff berth since 2009.
This week I am predicting Dallas, a three and one half point favorite to win at home vs the Indianapolis Colts, a team that clinched its AFC South crown last week and almost certainly will be no higher than the three seed in the AFC.
The game means much more to Dallas and with their recent history of being denied playoff berths with late season losses, should be the Cowboy’s defining game of this season.
I do not like to “give points,” especially as a prediction to the public, something told to me by the late, great, football guru Beano Cook. Yet against my usual “principles,” Dallas by 7 points. I can just hear Beano yelling at me, up there.
Last night I was most fortunate to have seen “Beware of Young Girls: Kate Dimbleby Sings The Dory Previn Story,” which is a marvelous show about the life of the late Dory Previn. Ms. Previn is considered the queen of 1970s confessional songwriters.
For the show’s talented star, Kate Dimbleby, Ms. Previn was quite an influence on her life and it manifests in feeling the two, Ms. Dimbleby and Ms. Previn, are one.
Kate is joined onstage by her musical director Naadia Sheriff whose versatility is evident as she plays the piano, sings, and speaks as different people throughout Dory Previn’s life.
The story is fascinating as Ms. Dimbleby’s opening assertion as to why more people are not aware of the greatness of Dory Previn resonates throughout the show.
She was indeed married to the immensely talented Andre Previn and their work together is treasured. Some Hollywood history, extra marital affairs, breakups and human nature are all part of the storytelling truth.
I thought of the intertwining nature of life, less than six degrees of separation, and history repeating itself, as actress Mia Farrow is surely a part of the Previn story.
However, far more important and relevant, is the indomitable spirit of Ms. Previn told and sung so beautifully by Kate Dimbleby accompanied by Naadia Sheriff.
This fantastic show is playing at 59 E 59 Theaters through January 4th.
Kate Dimbleby
At this point, I probably need not react all that adversely to statements and opinions heard on the air. One might want to let it go, lest one burst a blood vessel.
Yet these two should be pointed out. A “Professor Leakey of the future,” might use them as evidence of the continual “on air” decline.
Last week CBS/NFL Network analyst Phil Simms said he “was looking forward” to tonight’s game between a pair of (2-11) teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
Everybody wants to watch two woefully bad teams–don’t they? Also, Simms game commentary is of the “goody goody” type–he rarely offers any criticism.
Up the dial on PBS, commentator Tavis Smiley interviewied Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, and stated 1993 as the year of Bill Clinton’s Presidential campaign/election, which of course is incorrect. The year was 1992.
Presidential elections occur every FOUR years.
Tavis Smiley
In watching some of game one of the 1973 World Series on “You Tube,” I took interest in the post game interview which included Oakland A’s manager, Dick Williams and the volatile, I feel progressive, A’s owner Charles Finley.
NBC’s Tony Kubek conducted the interview after the A’s held on for a (2-1) win vs the New York Mets, in a World Series the A’s would eventually win in seven games.
Williams proved prescient in saying the World Series would likely go seven games. Mr. Finley dropped by briefly. Some time later, manager Williams and owner Finley would be at odds with each other. That was not evident during the interview.
It was nice during football season to think about past baseball, especially a great team like the Oakland A’s.
Their manager Dick Williams, a baseball Hall of Famer, was a great one. The team’s owner, Charles Finley, a man ahead of his time, should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Williams won two World Series and managed four pennant winners. Finley’s A’s won three straight World Series (1972-1974) and many of his ideas thought too radical are in place today.
Dick WIlliams
The current leader in the race for the NFC one seed, the (11-3) Arizona Cardinals, are not expected to achieve that status.
The defending champion and (10-4) Seattle Seahawks go into Arizona this Sunday night and are over one touchdown favorites in the game. At least there is mercy for the fans there in warm weather Arizona, but that will not be the case the following week when the Detroit Lions play the Packers in Green Bay, Wisconsin in a game which was moved to nighttime upon NBC’s whim.
That contest almost certainly will decide the NFC West title and likely the NFC top seed as well.
The NFC North crown almost certainly will be decided in the game between a pair of (10-4) teams, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions at night on December 28th.
The (10-4) Dallas Cowboys have a fraction of a game lead in the NFC East. The Cowboys led (21-0), trailed (24-21), but won (38-27) at Philadelphia vs the (9-5) Eagles.
In the woeful NFC South, a (6-8) record has the New Orleans Saints in control of their own destiny to win the crown.
Andy B Sports 