This holiday/twelfth NFL weekend has 5 title tilt/”semis rematches, one of which, recounts 3 such, (another recalls 2), between the two teams involved, but with my “A”ndy asterisk with a redux of 2 Supes played by the same two teams, as well.
Both of those Super Bowls, (“7/11” evoking craps and “munchy needs”) resulted in upset wins, by the New York Giants vs the New England Patriots, the first in 2007 recalling the Giants’ first NFL Championship Game win 71 years earlier, as that one and the one vs N.E. spoiled undefeated seasons.
In ’34, the Giants defeated an unbeaten Chicago Bears team that had won vs the Giants in the first NFL Championship game, played a year earlier.
The teams come into tomorrow’s game, close to 180 degrees from good records, 3 plus point(s) “fave,” New England is (2-8), while the Giants, who helped their so loyal fan Alan Brown eventually divide his “survivor pool pot,” by beating now (4-8) Wash last week, are (3-8).
“N.E.” is still coached by Bill Belichick, certainly among the game’s greatest, but one who likely will not return as Pats coach next season.
Belichick has won 6 Supe crowns as a head coach and won two more as Giants’ defensive coordinator on their first two Supe winning squads. Thus he has been “involved” in all 4 Giants’ Super Bowl wins.
I urge Mr. Belichick to retire and not “longevity” it, trying to break Don Shula’s coaching wins mark. Finally, I add criticism, as he said the Giants and not the Colts, were the favorites in the now 65 years ago, famed 1958 NFL Title Game.
That “MADE” pro football, enabling the skilled Belichick and the not such, Rich Eisen, who neither knew nor corrected Belichick’s mistake uttered on something called NFL Network. (Shameful as no ’58 title tilt, no big time, overblown NFL).
Three title tilt/semis reduxes have been completed, all resulting in chalk/favorites, “KO’ing” underdog teaser bets (I predicted overs and all 4 have been, however, did, so foolishly, pick Det by 10 and in the lone “fave” loss–(they are also winning/covering in college through Friday), ’twas G.B. by 7 points.
Alas, getting it out and there are so many, but a special case is Greg Olsen, an outstanding, but never title winning player, who wondered why Detroit down (29-14) with under 7 minutes to play would go for it, in a 4th and 7 situation, at the Pack 12).
Dallas, which lost in both title tilts vs “Wash” (’72 also) in the lone non Sunday, (it was played on a Saturday) conference tilt among the (I will take a chance that despite the dangerous world and weather, both semis, as scheduled will be contested on Sunday January 28, 2024 and add those 2) 108 played in the AFC/NFC configuration) conference title tilt/semi in strike marred 1982, ripped Wash.
Elsewhere, while the (8-3) S.F. 49ers reversed their 2013 season/NFC title tilt loss, also at Seattle, by taking a 2 game lead over them, (8-3) Miami repeated the result that was a “mud game”/A.J. Duhe led ’82 season “semi/AFC Conference title game win vs the Jets. (Seattle is (6-5), the Jets are (4-8), in that ’82 strike marred season Supe, it was Wash (27-17) vs Miami “reversing” the Dolphins “perfect season” (14-7) win, ten years earlier.
Thrice in four seasons, (’86,’87 and ’89), the currently (5-5) Denver Broncos “semi’d”/”AFC Title Gamed” now (7-3) Cleveland (but the 1999 expansion version). They clash Sunday, as do the great AFL rival, Chiefs and (5-6) Raiders with the ’69 AFL Title game, the most “advanced” into the ‘offs clash.
K.C. (Chiefs) the current Supe champion and (7-3) won that game at Oakland, vs the Raiders, en route to a Supe win.
Denver lost in all 3 subsequent Supes, after “semi-ing” the Browns.
re·match
NOUN
- a second match or game between two teams or players.synonyms:contest · competition · game · tournament · tie · event · fixture · trial · test · test match · meet · bout · fight · duel · quarterfinal · semifinal · final · Cup Final · friendly · derby · playoff · replay · clash · split · tourney · cup tie · local derby · playdown
First off, a little “soap,” as it really almost never hurts.
Though Indians to me is not offensive, I strongly support “their” rights to a great degree.
Certainly, at least consider their plight, visa vi, those we celebrate this day.
The great Perry Como sang the national anthem and though Mr. Helfer seemed to indicate we missed it, there was Mr. Como’s beautiful rendition.
In the “pre” interview, the great “baseballer,” Frankie “Oh them bases on balls” Frisch, interviews Vic Wertz, asking about his 4 hits in his Cleveland team’s #1 loss and presented him a Gillette razor (cue the Gillette theme!).
However, Vic, who already had such a razor, but was glad to get an extra, was not asked about Willie Mays’ great catch and throw, that along with Dusty Rhodes’ game ending 3RHR, led the Giants game 1 win, en route to a huge upset, 4 game sweep of the 111 wins Cleveland team.
Speaking of Willie throws, he made a great one as told by Cleveland broadcaster, Jimmy Dudley (he was recalled to me by several 1969 Mets, years later, if I had to guess J.C. Martin or maybe, more likely Wayne Garrett. Alas, maybe neither, but one of that famed team did recall Dudley), in the bottom of the first holding Al Rosen at third, even with 2 outs.
“Cleve” had tallied one run as Al Smith hit Johnny Antonelli’s first pitch of #2 for a home run.
Antonelli got out of the first, yielding just the one run. He got the win, (vs) Wynn, the latter a great pitcher, Early Wynn.
John Antonelli, pictured below also got the save in the Giants’ #4 World Series clinching game.
One solace that horrible day, now sixty years ago, was the fact there was a peaceful process of succession.
Thus I “cross the line” (would “Rather rather” Jack (who the bleep am I to call him Jack?!!) had lived, making his “last rites” induced “the President is dead,” invalid and maybe ruining his career??) and say J.F.K. killed those 60 years ago today, “told” me, he would have a long talk with his nephew Robert Jr.– warning him the shame he would emit, if his third party candidacy aids one who did not follow the Constitution/succession, pull a totally catastrophic “Grover Cleveland,” which at this moment in time is entirely possible!
Off the soapbox and love him or not, President Kennedy had talent, intelligence and possibility. All that wiped away by “they,” that day.
“Micro” recalls my beloved third grade teacher, June Drusin, who guided us through, what at 8 years old, was hard to understand, fathom and was and still is that which haunts.
Ode to June’s beloved husband Sherman, this a second “anniversary” with him gone.
Last seen, he showed me a book about President Kennedy he and June shared as they did well over 60 years (that #), of this precious thing called life.
That ended for one I loved that day and for so many others, however, some remain and no names, but, they are beloved.
Mr. Lear 100 plus and with the same name as my father, noted “gratitude” is so important.
On we go!!
Dan Rather, pictured below, while not in Mr. Cronkite’s “ballpark” as an anchor but a “2 TD/14 point(s) road favorite at Nora O’Donnell” and most, if not all since, (Peter Jennings was at least as good), proved to be an excellent reporter.
Tomorrow the Detroit Lions (8-2) (or better) for the first time since 1962, are about 8 point favorites vs the Green Bay Packers, in the traditional (at Detroit) holiday game.
G.B. a great team then, (10-0) going in, and eventual (14-1) NFL repeat champions, were the Lions opponent in a famed (26-14) Detroit win in that 1962 game.
Earlier this season (no exact score try for me) the Lions, so fortunate to “comeback” the Chicago Bears last week, scored a (26-14) night game win vs the Raiders, one of so many “unders,” in a truly unbelievable diversion from the mean, this season.
Tomorrow, in a rare prediction here, look for overs, (I know the over as with the favorite are “square” bets)–say a close to the spread around 50 total points tilt in Detroit.–O.K. Lions 30 Pack 20
Click below to read my October 22, 2016 post remembering Gail Cogdill who caught 2 touchdown passes from Milt Plum in that Lions’ 1962 holiday win vs a great, eventual repeat champion, Green Bay Pacers’ team.
Remembering Gail Cogdill and “Coin Football” on October 22, 2016
Surely enlarged but deserving, the great broadcaster, Van Patrick, for so long the Lions’ broadcaster and very likely at that ’62 game, is pictured below.
Let’s contrast the fall, surely not unexpected, of the hyped Sanders coached Colorado team, (Bad one perhaps, but the media continually “buffaloes” us/The U.S.) with the $$ making, (not for me) play of Texas, which titled, a first in 63 seasons, 62 of which were completed and also that of two similar franchises, the Minnesota Vikings and New York Rangers.
On Sunday October 15th, the current (6-4) Minnesota Vikings, who still are, despite their nice run incredibly “long” to title, won on the road, the first of 5 straight wins, three away from home.
Minnesota, the state to which the original Washington Senators moved and became the Twins, similar to the Texas Rangers before their 2023 glory and originally the second incarnation of the Washington Senators with even less success, as the two franchises in all 4 major sports that had gone the longest sans even one title.
The Vikings, who like the Texas Rangers nee Washington Senators (the second) played their first season in same calendar 1961, have completed 62 seasons with no titles.
By the way, another Minne/Washington “notes link” : as twice both the Twins and Washington D.C. football team “titled” in the same year/season, that being 1987 and 1991, in each case a strike marred football season.
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers triumph meant among many other things, none important, that the nickname Rangers had joined Giants and Cardinals as such with titles in 2 different major sports leagues. (Though I liked the AFL, I am not counting crowns won there, unless as was the case in its last two seasons, when respective AFL champions, the Jets (none since and what is this buying players, first the so annoying and once so good Rodgers and now rumors regarding Adams) and Chiefs won subsequent same season Supes. Thus no Oilers, despite the Houston Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans, with Titans being the original nickname of the now Jets, winning the first two AFL crowns in 1960 and perhaps related 1961. Ditto “Jets/Jets” despite a number of WHA crowns for the Winnipeg Jets and Bobby Hull, he being one of a few truly sports greats to die in 2023).
The NHL Rangers have won 4 Stanley Cup crowns, but only one in 81 completed seasons from (1941-2022) with no NHL season in 1995, the year after the Rangers ended a 54 year/53 seasons title drought.
In fairness to both the Vikings and Rangers, there were some really good stretches of play manifesting in 4 final round losses for each team with the Rangers far more competitive (see 1950 vs Detroit when the circus forced hockey to “neutral” Toronto) than the “Vikes,” who never led in any of their Supe/final round losses.
This season’s Rangers, at the moment among the “faves” to win the title (note how little the “reg” means, see last year’s Bruins and only this year’s Bruins, they do not learn, have a better “showing” than the Rangers thus far) have gone (10-1) starting with a Saturday night road win in Seattle, vs the third year Kraken on October 21st.
They have amassed 21 of a possible 22 points and are 6 wins and 1 overtime loss (why not ties?!!) on the road during that period.
The similar franchises, the two Rangers and Vikings are (20-0-1) in road tilts, Texas, the one who has titled, (11-0) since a loss on the “reg’s” final day (October 1st) at Seattle (Mariners) dropped them from a “2” seed to a “5.”
Without meaning too much, save betting, the Vikes are (3-0) and the Rangers 13 of 14 possible points or an aforementioned (6-0-1) on the road.
Viking’s great, Jim Marshall, pictured below turns 86 on Dcember 30th, a birthday he shares with sports greats, Sandy Koufax, “Tiger” Woods and LeBron James.
Unlike my feelings regarding the unbelievable, annoying status afforded Leb James and especially some “no talent,” named Smith, I have nada vs Deion Sanders.
He was a superb player as is of course James, (Smith, how did this happen?!!), among the best pass defenders and a major contributor on offense, especially in his days as a Dallas Cowboys player on a title team.
His Colorado, as a huge “dog” upset a TCU team, destined for a big fall off that started after they held off Michigan in last year’s semi.
The hype for that and just one more win as a “fave” yielded a 60 Minutes piece. (Shame on them!!).
They “lucked” out vs Colorado State and since the (3-0) start are (1-7) and at (4-7) can not be in a bowl game.
In the heading above Sanders/Col (Col for Colorado, and an ode to “Col” Rader) it reads or could Colonel Sanders.
Thus “Colonel Sanders” pictured below.
The current NHL, NBA and Major league baseball title holders are first time champions.
The Denver Nuggets in their 47th NBA season, Las Vegas Golden Knights in just their sixth season and Texas Rangers in their 62nd completed season all won their first crown.
The only other time this occurred was in 2019 when the St. Louis Blues, Toronto Raptors and Washington Nationals all won their first title.
There have been 75 possibilities and two occurrences (1947-2023) as there was not a completed baseball season in 1994 and one in the NHL in 1995.
A couple of notes, (ditties but no music), about two of the minimum 5 or 6 greatest baseball players ever (cue John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane”), Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb.
The 1936 World Series, the first of four consecutive Yankees’ titles, ended when Lou Gehrig “took it to the bag” to wrap a (13-5) game 6 win, vs the New York Giants, and a 6 game W.S. triumph.
In 1937 the 5 game Yankees’ triumph again vs the Giants, ended when Gehrig flipped the ball to Vernon “Lefty” Gomez, the latter a true $$ pitcher, who stepped on first.
I believe that was the peak or at least, last year in which the great Gehrig mightily contributed, as tragedy in the form of a fateful disease, that now bears his name, would soon materialize.
Ty and the tie “captions/captures” what the not so mean, Mr. Cobb called his greatest baseball moment.
Ty (Ty Tyson was a famed Tigers’ broadcaster) and his Tigers were battling the Philadelphia A’s for the 1907 American League Pennant, when in what Cobb called the key game, he hit a game tying T9, 2RHR vs the great and “mucho out there,” pitcher Rube Waddel of the A’s.
Each team scored in the 11th and on they played through 17 innings, when darkness forced the game to end a tie.
The A’s used 4 pitchers, the Tigers just one, “Wild” Bill Donovan, and in the subsequent remaining games, the Tigers held their slim lead and won the first of their 3 straight pennants, all of which were followed by World Series losses.
“Wild” Bill Donovan hurled all 17 innings in that tie game played on September 30, 1907.
He yielded 9 runs, 21 hits, fanned 11 and only walked 3 (certainly not wild in that game and such is probably not the cause of the nickname.)
“Tens” are operative in this review type/notes on the NFL.
Ten of the 14 tilts were “good, two way, Ten point teasers” in week 10.
I sort of like and respect those on the Gill Alexander hosted “Megapod.” I listened as the Broncos/Bills had already started.
Two of the four “experts,” one being Alexander, lost their teaser selections (6 point variety) when (6-3) Cleveland (Browns), the #32 for the great Jim Brown, finally and prominently displayed on their uniforms, upset the “real” Browns franchise, the one displaced from Cleveland, despite a history that yielded 4 crowns in both the NFL and AAFC (All American Football Conference) and 5 losses in games for the NFL title, the Baltimore Ravens.
Cleveland did so, to trail the (7-3) Ravens by you can do “el” math, despite a 2 touchdown deficit in the tilt.
The other two touted Buffalo (Pk). I knew Denver, (TV Tiriiiico has Minne at Denver, each won and were aggregate 10 point ‘u/dogs), but already (3-0) Denver, I suffer the “slings and arrows” of a non bet winner.
I do this small and face withdrawal. (Rhyme).
Despite lines and a seeming need to do/eat/live and still breathe this, which has caused such misery, I will not bet lines to “cross the line” and risk financial ruin.
However, having started, I face withdrawal and non bet pain. Not fun.
If you do not bet, do not start!! Ignore those ads which are far worse, and make those “whoring” doing them, far worse than that wizard, behind the curtain.
As advised in “Oz” Ignore IT!!
So help me, the “Oz/ignore ” came to me as a reaction to the detestable (I prefer deplorable and truly fear those, as it easily could happen. I will go as high as 400, no higher, to stop it), ads promoting gambling especially those with celebrities (Kevin Hart, who I doubt could make me laugh) and big deal back up Ryan Fitzpatrick, to name two).
Now, I realize the Wizard of Odds play on words, and far more coincidental/”a sign” is this warning/reminder of what can happen in games/gambling as it involved, in an unbelievable gambling even game loss, a team called the Wizards.
Incredibly, the Wizards had a team total of 109 and a fraction in last night’s tilt vs Toronto (Raptors). They had 106 points in this the high scoring NBA, with over 7 minutes to play.
The “over guy” (or gal, just as it is annoying to see the plethora of untalented, useless (the men doing it are equally useless) female sideline “reporters,” women, in increasing #’s bet on this “drek.”) needed just 4 points, got 1 and lost!!!
That is why they call it gambling. I was not remotely involved, but it is a lesson.
If you do not gamble, do not start!!!
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