Once, long ago, 61 years and 3 weeks (those #’s evoke Roger (Maris) and “The Babe” (Ruth) before yesterday, when both the Kansas City Chiefs nee Dallas Texans and the 2003 NFL expansion team, Houston Texans scored wild card round, home victories vs the Miami Dolphins and 1999 NFL expansion team, Cleveland Browns, the then Dallas Texans won the AFL crown, riding a Tom Brooker second overtime field goal, to a victory at Houston’s Jeppesen Stadium (for the record a high school venue) vs the Oilers, who had copped the first two AFL titles in 1960 and 1961.
The current Texans, now (5-2) in wild card round tilts, all, somewhat incredibly, but not all that much, if you think about it, in the earlier Saturday wild card round slot and more incredibly all at home defeated the Browns (45-14), dropping that franchise’s (the NFL allots them the old and once glorious Cleveland Browns’ records/statistics) road ‘offs record to (3-16), the reverse and negative of Ron Perranoski’s 1963 pitching mark, –even the great Otto Graham’s teams were only (1-2) in such, Jim Brown’s (0-3) (the current Browns proudly and prominently displayed Jim’s #32 and had a fine “reg,” but apparently sans “anything” commemorating Dr. Frank Ryan, were trounced in the ‘offs, evoking past “scoring 14 points in an ‘offs tilt,” in which they were routed.
Two of those Browns’ rout losses were even more “points decisive” than yesterday’s. The first was in Jim Brown’s first season (1957), at Detroit vs the Lions (59-14), the other 10 years later, at the famed Cotton Bowl in Dallas, a (52-14) trouncing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
In 10 AFL seasons the Chiefs, who eased (26-7) at frigid Arrowhead Stadium in K.C. , vs the Miami Dolphins yesterday, played all 7 of their ‘offs tilts, either on the road (5) or at neutral Super Bowl venues.
The Chiefs’ AFL title tilts: the aforementioned ’62 AFL title tilt at Houston, the ’66 with a berth in what became the first Supe on the line, AFL title clash at Buffalo, where the Chiefs would go if the double digit favorite Bills prevail in the moved to Monday’s 95th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s berth game vs the Pittsburgh Steelers, the ’69 last AFL game/title game at Oakland vs the Raiders.
That list of 7 includes 2 Supes, a loss vs Green Bay in ’66 and an historic win vs the Minnesota Vikings in 1969.
In ’69 the Chiefs defeated the defending champion New York Jets, who had pulled off an even greater and more historic Supe win and upset, the year before, in a “cross-over” division round game in the lone and last year the AFL had such or existed.
Finally in their lone “within the AFL” ‘offs setback, the Raiders routed the Chiefs in an unscheduled playoff for the AFL west crown in 1968.
The Chiefs, who now have played 14 straight home ‘offs tilts, (also 3 Supes–oddly in one their opponent Tampa Bay (Buccaneers) with Mr. Brady (Robert Reed got a “Mannix gig” after being Mr. Brady on “The Bunch”) played at home), were (1-7, (0-5) at home in slots/”div” round games before winning such games the last 5 seasons, all at home.
Miami (Dolphins), which last won the Supe 50 years ago with not so arguably a greater team albeit with 2 reg losses, than the undefeated title team of same calendar 1972 into 1973, has now lost 6 straight ‘offs games, not having won one since 2000.
They have lost 12 of their last 13 road playoff games, the lone win at Seattle (Seahawks), then in the AFC, in a wild card round game in 1999.
Patrick Mahomes, the brilliant Chiefs “Q.B.” pictured above, has played at home in all 12 of his post-season games (2 wild card round games, both wins, 5 slots/”div” round games, going (5-0) and 5 AFC title tilts/NFL “semis” with a (3-2) mark).
Certainly, there has been much news concerning Nick Saban (the big surprise), Bill Belichick (as expected and noting his nice jacket at the announcement–what you expected, a so called “hoodie?!”) and Pete Carroll (a mild surprise), moving on.
I type “moving on” as retirements often are “un’d.”
While Belichick did not retire, he is out as New England Patriots’ coach after 24 seasons (2000-2023), 6 that resulted in Supe wins and 9 that yielded Super Bowl/NFL Final appearances.
Carroll won a national title and shared another, also winning a Super Bowl and would have at least approached Belichick and Saban (by a slight margin over Belichick, I opine Saban as “the best for last”) were it not for two crucial play calls gone wrong, one in the exponentially less heralded and important run failure with over a TD lead in the 2005 national title tilt loss to Vince Young and Texas, and that one I need not detail, manifesting in a Mal Butler interception and a 4th crown, first in 10 years for Belichick and New England in the 2014 season Super Bowl/NFL Final.
Saban, an assistant to Belichick with the last original Browns’ ‘offs team, in what was their penultimate year in Cleveland in ’94, won 6 undisputed national crowns with Alabama and shared one as LSU coach with Carroll’s 2003 USC team.
He also had by far the best 2023 season, among the three.
In 2003, all three men won or shared crowns. Both Belichick and Carroll won titles in 2004, Carroll with U.S.C.
Only in Saban’s “share year” of 2003 did Belichick and Saban win titles in the same season.
Their other 11 combined crowns came in different seasons, amounting to that many, in 20 combined seasons from (2000-2020).
One thing for sure each coach, Carroll and the “titles record holding,” Saban and Belichick created history in their years on the job, which clearly, and I believe unfortunately, may not be completely in the “rear view.”
Two women I knew and liked/like, one deceased, claim they started the ripped jeans “thing” 50 years ago. I am not against it.
However, Mr. Saban’s perspective on what is the last decade or less trend toward ripped jeans is minimum, somewhat sensible and I think among other things, humorous.
The first of six NFL wild card round games matches the two most recent NFL additions, the Cleveland Browns (added in 1999) and the Houston Texans, whose first season was 20 years back, in 2003.
Only three ‘offs meetings between the then two most recent NFL additions, the Dallas Cowboys (1960) and the Minnesota Vikings (1961), had less years between the teams entering the league and meeting in the ‘offs, than the upcoming Browns/Texans clash.
In 1967 the league added its 16th team, the New Orleans Saints and went to four divisions (remember the “C’s”: Century, Capitol, Central and Coastal Divisions).
A year earlier, the Atlanta Falcons came aboard and by the time (1991 Saturday wild card round game won by the visiting Falcons) they met in the playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks then in the AFC and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFC, were the two most recent NFL additions.
Four years later in 1995, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers were added and incredibly, each made its conference’s title tilt/NFL semi the next season.
The fact those pair of teams were in separate conferences, meaning they could only have a playoffs clash in the Super Bowl/NFL final round, made/makes such an event less likely to happen, especially for expansion teams.
That second year rise by both the Jags (they just fired their coach Doug Pederson, who won it all with the Philadelphia Eagles in ’17 and have never made the Supe) and Panthers (they lost NFL final round tilts/Super Bowls in both ’03 and ’15 and just fired their coach Ron Rivera, the ’15 team coach) remains an astounding, unlikely feat.
So now 20 years later, the same conference Browns and Texans meet in the ‘offs.
The Cowboys and Vikings met thrice in the playoffs while being the league’s two newest teams, not counting the AFL expansion teams.(Those were the Miami Dolphins whose first season was 1966, with Joe Auer returning the opening kickoff for a ” ‘Phins TD, in their first ever tilt and Cincinnati Bengals, who played in the AFL’s last 2 seasons 1968 and 1969, each of which culminated in an AFL team pulling a huge upset win in the Super Bowl, perhaps justifying the 1966 NFL/AFL merger)
All three of those Cowboys/Vikings such tilts were won by the road team, Dallas winning slots/div round games at Minne in ’71 and ’75 while the Vikings won the ’73 NFC Title Game/NFL “semi” at Dallas.
Above, I cited Mr. Auer’s first Dolphins’ play kickoff return touchdown in 1966 now click below for two videos of John Gilliam, later a Vikings’ touchdown maker in the above cited 1973 NFC Title Game win at Dallas as he gathered in a Fran Tarkenton pass, scoring a touchdown via kick return on the New Orleans Saints’ first play, that on same calendar 1967/1968 2023/2024, on September 17, 1967.
Each video has the superb TV football broadcaster Don Criqui’s opening audio with one including the “hard to hear” culmination of Gilliam’s TD return.
The University of Michigan went (15-0) and won their first unanimous national crown since 1948 (they shared the title with Nebraska in 1997), defeating (14-1) Washington University (34-13) in last night’s title tilt.
Michigan, which really did not trail all year in any up for grabs tilt, save the late comeback win in the semis vs Alabama, never trailed in the title tilt, jumping (7-0) and (14-3) on a pair of 40 plus yard(s) touchdown runs by Donovan Edwards.
Blake Corum, who joined “Der” Henry of Alabama as the only players in college football annals with touchdown runs in all or even as many as 15 games in a season, added 2 in the 4th quarter when Michigan extended 7 and 14 point leads into the 21 point margin of victory.
The Michigan defense was superb, stifling “Wash” quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and allowed but 3 touchdowns in the two playoff victories that finally yielded an “all the way” crown for Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
I cite both Will Johnson and Mike Sainristil from that defense, each of whom had interceptions, the former on a great deflected catch on the second half’s first play which set up the second of James Turner’s field goals (ode to another title winning kicker, Jim Turner, who had 3 in the Jets’ long ago Supe win vs the Colts) and the latter racing 81 yards with an “int” that set up Corum’s second touchdown and the final margin.
A big play was a catch and run by Colston Loveland of 41 yards on the 71 yard TD drive that gave “Mich” a (27-13) lead with 7:09 left in the game.
Blake Corum #2 with the football, pictured above.
Last night the Houston Texans, a 2002 NFL expansion team, clinched their first playoffs appearance since 2019, winning (23-17) at Indianapolis, vs the Colts.
The game’s result manifests in the Colts being eliminated from ‘offs contention and now if homestanding Tennessee, a mid sized underdog, upsets Jacksonville, the Texans would win the AFC South, be the “4” seed and host “5” seed Cleveland (Browns) next week in a wild card round game.
The (23-17) score evokes memories of not so arguably the NFL’s most important game, its first overtime game, making then commissioner Bert Bell so happy, the 1958 Baltimore Colts’ Title game win at Yankee Stadium, vs the New York Giants.
Earlier in the day, the Pittsburgh Steelers 18 for 18 (with one crown) in attaining better than break even seasons under coach Mike Tomlin, kept their ‘offs hopes alive with a (17-10) win at Baltimore vs the Ravens, who clinched the AFC top seed for just the second time last week.
The Steelers now need either a Tennessee win vs “Jax” or a Dolphins win vs the Bills to qualify for the 2023 season “NFL Tournament”/Playoffs.
“Balti” quarterback, Lamar Jackson, who did not play vs the Steelers (why would he?), will almost certainly be the league MVP for the second time.
There will be big “pressure” on him and the team, when the Ravens host a division round/”quarterfinal” playoff game either Saturday January 20th or the next day, January 21st.
In ’19 with Jackson as their quarterback, the Tennessee Titans won a Saturday night/second slot “div” game at Baltimore, eliminating the Ravens.
The city of Baltimore has won 5 NFL titles, (only Green Bay, Chicago, New York and Boston, the latter all under Bill Belichick, who might be coaching in his last Pats game, a meaningless one vs the New York Jets today), three with the Colts who now are in Indianapolis and two with the Ravens (2000 and 2012).
Both Ravens’ crowns occurred with the team playing and winning 4 ‘offs games, as each time they needed to win home wild card games in addition to the requisite three, for example they or the NFC top seed S.F. 49ers must win this year to win it all.
It was the (Baltimore) Colts, in the first year (1970) of the AFC/NFC configuration, that played, I believe the lone Saturday regular season final week game, a home victory, vs the Jets, who had “Suped” them 2 years earlier, in a game that makes the discussion as to which was pro football’s most important.
A week later, the Colts played in the first of what will 2 plus weeks hence, be 216 “slots”/”div” round games in the AFC/NFC configuration, on a Saturday, (The 2006 title winning Indianapolis Colts’ Jeff SATURDAY, an offensive center, scored a touchdown on an endzone fumble “pick up,” in Indy’s stirring comeback win vs the Patriots, in the AFC Title Game. These are notes, I cite/”tangent” the fine center, Jeff Van Note) and won in route to the ’70 crown, vs the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was a day NFL Commissioner Bert Bell thought he would never see, now 65 years and a week plus ago, that an NFL game first went into overtime, that (23-17) score in a game that eliminated the Indianapolis Colts last night and was the final tally in the Baltimore Colts’ first title game win on December 28, 1958.
Relatively often on these posts, I have written about December 27, 1964, its meaning, all in the hope of that wonderful day when Dr. Frank Ryan, who died days back at age 87, threw three touchdown passes to Gary Collins, leading the original Cleveland Browns to their last NFL crown, those memories do not fade away.
Ryan was a tremendous example of physical and intellectual excellence, being a mathematics standout and title winning NFL quarterback.
He contributed mightily on the campuses of Yale, Rice and Case Western. I wish I had talked with him.
Tributes from elsewhere come in and I know enough to cite his fine play in non-title, but mostly playoffs seasons for “my” Browns, including a conference crown/title tilt loss at Green Bay, in the great Jim Brown’s last Browns’ game, after the 1965 season.
Most of all and by far most meaningful and cherished regarding Dr. Frank, is that title winning day, as cited before, me sitting in an upholstered chair, with my parents and grandmother present–(Dad a N.Y. Giants fan and oh that Browns/Giants rivalry!!)–watching Cleveland win (27-0) vs the great quarterback, John Unitas and the Baltimore Colts on December 27, 1964.
I will “seek (it is hard to) and find” another Frank, the fine broadcaster, Messer’s broadcast calls, as Dr. Frank threw those 3 TD’s to Gary Collins, that wonderful day.
Perhaps faded with time, (think, I guess Mr. Tracy’s speech regarding passion/love in “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,”) but not to be forgotten or measured less.
The NFL, for better or worse was built on the greats that played then, before and after.
That memory for me and others when their team won, requires a “higher calculation” that DR. Frank Ryan might, as he did the memory, produce.
Go easy Frank and I know Jim (Brown) loved catching your passes so that might now resume. Please be careful playing chess with him as I doubt his passion to win has faded. I hope this in any case.
Frank Ryan, pictured above, likely after the Browns’ ’64 Title Game win.
“Exact” 56 Year “Anniversary” Of The Browns’ Last Title on December 27, 2020
Above, a previous post about the ’64 Title Game, which includes Frank Ryan’s passes, Frank Messer’s call on the first highlight a Jim Brown run and a still needed opinion, that Gary Collins belongs in The Pro Football Hall of Fame.
NEW YORK— January 13, 14, and 15 is ‘Wild Card Weekend’ at Rick’s Cabaret New York, the world famous adult club known for its beautiful dancers, top-rated Rick’s Steakhouse, and the best in VIP treatment.
“Wow! There are games on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday,” said Rick’s girl Sonia. “Come watch the games while surrounded by the sexy Rick’s girls. And stay for the After Parties. It’s going to be awesome.”
The three-story club will be showing all of the football games and there are so many hot babes who will keep you entertained regardless of how your team is doing. Beautiful girls, great food, and football–it’s a sure bet!
“The champagne is always flowing and there are sexy girls everywhere you look at Rick’s,” gushed Rick’s girl Naomi. “We all love football, so come flex, and make it rain on all the hotties!”
Rick’s Cabaret New York is located in midtown Manhattan (50 West 33 Street) and has won many awards for its first-rate entertainment and warm hospitality. The Rick’s Steakhouse serves daily lunch specials, dinner, and the city’s best late-night menu. Highly recommended.
RICK: NASDAQ Listed
Beautiful Dancers
VIP Suites, Deluxe Sky Boxes
Rick’s Steakhouse, Open Late
One Block From Madison Square Garden
Perhaps I was waiting for the great musical theme of the iconic Smothers Brothers Show as my tribute to the great Tom Smothers, who died last week at age 86, was delayed until now.
Together with his slightly younger brother, Dick who was so gracious to me when I interviewed him at a charity tennis event roughly thirty years ago, Tom/Dick(not Harry),The Smothers Brothers were both humorous and poignant, not an easily attainable feat.
Theirs was an incredible show and Tom Smothers in the more comedic role teamed with “straight man” Dick to produce incredible comedy.
Without sticking out too far, the Smothers Brothers stance against what proved not only a ridiculous but ultimately disintegrating “policing action ” was one I need to hear and am so grateful to Tom and Dick, at a personal cost, for having done so.
Go easy Tom and so many of us “Moms” like you, relativity while almost always present, does not matter here. So many LOVED you both!!
Tom on the left, Dick to the right and eventually in the video above, the great talk show host, Jack Paar in the middle.
The 1/1/2024/2023 season last “4 in the college football ‘offs,” produced two scintillating semi-final games, manifesting in Michigan and Washington holding respective 7 and 6 point(s) leads, yielding a Wolverines vs Huskies title game a week hence.
After Michigan, which trailed (7-0), led (13-7) and eventually trailed (20-13) with about 4 minutes remaining, prevailed (27-20) in overtime vs Alabama, with Blake Corum’s 17 yard TD scamper decisive, Michael Penix Jr. threw for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns in Washington’s (37-31) win vs Texas.
Washington never trailed, having a 7 point lead thrice only to be tied before leading (28-21), (31-21), (34-21), (34-28), (37-28) and (37-31) with 45 seconds left and then needed to stop Texas, which had 4 “shots” from the “Wash” 12 or 13.
The two teams met in and split 4 Rose Bowls (Wash winning after the ’77 and ’91 seasons, Michigan winning after the ’80 and ’92 seasons).
Speaking of “split,” the last title for each team was a split one.
Washington’s lone post wire service crown was a shared one with Miami in ’91, as stated “claimed” after a Rose Bowl win vs Michigan.
Michigan won the ’97 season Rose Bowl vs Washington State and shared its first crown, shared or otherwise since 1948, with Miami Florida.
Andy B Sports 