Nine of the “too many, however not as bad as baseball’s twelve–16 regs in pig, 162 in what is a so diminished baseball “reg,” fourteen 2022 season ‘offs qualifiers have won at least one Super Bowl.
The “given byes” “1” seeds, the Chiefs and Eagles have combined to win 3 (the Chiefs 50 years apart with Bucks announcing, Jack in ’69 and Joe “coming at us” in 2019 (that lucky phone # guy does not deserve his kinda nachas, sorry I surely do not shed such for he/him) while Philly titled in 2017.
That Eagles franchise has one 5/10 and 2 “same calendar” crowns, the former just cited in 2017 and the latter in 1949 and 1960.
Seattle (Seahawks) as a current 10 point(s) or so underdog visits the NFC “2” seed S.F. 49ers in a 2013 NFC Title game redux, at 4:30 or so Eastern Time, to start this the third season of 6 wild card round tilts, at least two, too many.
“Sea” won it all in 2013, ripping Denver and “no show” (as he too often was in big games, yet he is almost deified/his “aw shucks” manner hiding reality), Peyton Manning in the subsequent Supe after “semi-ing” S.F.
The Niners have 5 crowns and once were (5-0) in Supes. They have not titled since ’94, losing Supes to the Baltimore Ravens 10 years ago in 2012 and to K.C. (Chiefs) in 2019. Neither “Sea” nor “S.F.” has a 5/10, but the Niners won “same calendar” crowns in ’88 and ’94.
On Saturday night, the L.A. for so long the San Diego Chargers are about a field goal “choice” (I think I will pick the Chargers to win this “Alfalfa” Michaels first NBC game since the 2021 season Supe. In a memorable what still remains Michaels’ last NBC “reg” tilt a Raiders field goal knocked the Chargers from 2021 season playoffs qualification) at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That is the lone game of the six on the docket, in which neither team has a previous Supe win. The Chargers in an “Alfalfa” Michaels ABC Supe lost to the 49ers, in the lone Supe appearance for either team.
The next three tilts match teams with a combined 8 Supe wins vs three teams with none. Miami a huge 13 point “dog” has two crowns, none since 1973 while opponent Buffalo (Bills) are (0-4) in such games.
In what I believe is a “Bone for Buck,” it is the 3 point underdog and 4 time Supe winning New York Giants at (0-4) in Supes/never even leading in any, Minnesota Vikings in the coveted late Sunday afternoon slot.
That night the Baltimore Ravens are about a TD “dog” at the Cincinnati Bengals. The Ravens won in both their Supe appearances, the Bengals, by only a combined 12 points–5 in ’81 and 4 in ’88 vs S.F. and by 3 to the home team, Rams last season, lost in all three of their such appearances.
Then on Monday night Buck, now with Disney/ABC/ESPN (not even sure if this is on ABC, the Georgia rout of TCU which thankfully got richly deserved low ratings and in fact all 3 college ‘offs tilts, each semi an exciting game, were not on over the air ABC) get 5 time Supe winning Dallas (Cowboys) a 3 point fave at T.B./T.B. which won a 5/10 Supe 20 years ago in 2002 with Trent Dilfer at the home and another 2 years back with a man named Brady, first name not Mike or Robert Reed, but Tom. He is the referenced “T.B.” for Tampa Bay.
Dallas won not only a 5/10 but a “same calendar” title, 45 years ago in 1977. That year was the only possibility for such an occurrence this year. The previous 5/10 and same calendar relating to this one (2022) was in 1932, the years before the first NFL title game.
The Cowboys, who last won it all in ’95 (also the last season they won as much as a slots game, yet we must endure Tony Romo, who never won as much as a slots/division round game) had a 5/10 title, ripping Buffalo in the ’92 season Super Bowl.
Seven time (3 losses in that game, Joe Montana went (4-0), Bart Starr was (5-1) in games for “all the marbles”) Supe winner, Tom Brady, pictured above, will play in his 48th ‘offs game, Monday night.
The “3” seed Minnesota Vikings are 3 point favorites at home vs the “6” seed New York Giants, in what surprisingly is the coveted time slot, late Sunday game.
These teams are meeting in the ‘offs for the fourth time.
It will be the third time they clash in the wild card round. In a ’93 season “such” the Giants led by Rodney Hampton prevailed.
That was not the case as the Vikings pulled out a miracle win in a Saturday wild card round game in the ’97 season ‘offs.
In by far their most important clash, the Giants took the NFC title tilt at home vs the Vikings on Sunday January 14, 2001 to becme 2000 season NFC champions. The Ravens, a touchdown underdog at Cincinnati vs the Bengals in the AFC “3” vs “6” wild card round tilt that will follow Giants at Minne, defeated the Giants in the subsequent 2000 season Supe to win that year’s NFL crown.
This will be the first time that the Vikings will be the home team in an ‘offs clash vs the Giants.
Rodney Hampton, who played for Georgia and hail their repeat title once again, led the Giants wild card round win vs Minne in ’93, that somehow yielded Giants and under when it required, I believe the Vikings being held scoreless in the second half.
The all time, “value” team Giants from ’64 even to the present day, (not before when they were (3-11) playing for the crown, are (4-1) in Super Bowl competition.
Hampton was in (not INN, I apologize for that one) the winning ’90 season Supe win, the one of 4 Supe losses, in which the current “2” AFC seed, Bills were competitive.
The Georgia Bulldogs are very impressive repeat college football champions after Stetson Bennett, my player of the year, threw 4 touchdown passes and ran for two more in a devastating (be careful what you wish for and not checking “tease stuff”) rout of T.C.U.
Stetson Bennett, again my choice for college player of the year and now in a select group of college quarterbacks who played on back to back title teams, threw 4 touchdown passes and ran for two more scores as 13 point favorite Georgia ripped T.C.U. (65-7).
Ladd (ode to Ernie) McConkey (for “Cheese Man” and “The Roy” ode to Phil) gathered in 2 TD tosses while Brock Bowers (he had a big TD catch in last year’s exponentially more contested title tilt Georgia win vs Alabama)had 7 catches, one for a score with Adonai Mitchell (he had an even more important TD catch than Bowers’ such last season, namely the tying/essentially go ahead to stay score in the thrilling Georgia “semi” win vs Ohio State) getting one on his lone catch of the tilt.
Branson Robinson ran for two scores while Javon Bullard had two interceptions for Georgia.
If one were to cite details, those ought to come from the “semi” in effect title clinching, exciting (42-41) Georgia win vs Ohio State.
Kirby Smart now has two head coaching title to go along with I believe, 3 he had as an assistant coach under Nick Saban.
So many ways to go with this/things LIss (that is Stetson Bennett and significant other Cameron LIss pictured above).
Suffice it with a Sean Liss punted for the ’99 Florida State title team and in a “semis” post TCU-er, Sammy Baugh and his greatness was cited.
Also cited was Baugh and his Washington team being routed (73-0), the biggest rout in NFL title tilt annals. Now T.C.U. suffers, I believe the biggest rout loss in any game, official or mythical for the college football crown.
Tomorrow, I will get the score of tonight’s college football title tilt, in which defending champion and top ranked (14-0) Georgia is a near two touchdown favorite vs (13-1) T.C.U.
If indeed it is a classic, the line says no, but we have seen so many classics in this situation, so be it.
I missed the not over the air “semis” and as my father might have said, will live with the consequences if Fowler and Herbstreit, already with so much, get a classic.
No prediction, would rather it be T.C.U. but hope for a rout and it is more likely Georgia would rout than be routed.
Final thought: Georgia 23 T.C.U. 13 and me asleep before 10.
Downtown Boulder, Colorado pictured above.
It is there not because De Sanders is, no thoughts of Boulder, Little Rock (a recent Will Shorts puzzle answer) and big games even essentially title tilts involving the Buffs and Razorbacks, say in ’69,’89 and ’90) are the reason.
Shorts Puzzle ? (answer already given, George Thomas again got it!) Name a state capital and a city with over 100,000 in population, whose names are in effect, antonyms.
Little Rock “appeared” today as a U.S. state capital, with Boulder its city/antonym.
The beautiful Rick’s Cabaret Girls invite all NFL fans to watch the football playoff games with them at the world famous Rick’s Cabaret New York. Known for its warm hospitality and unmatched VIP treatment, the three-story gentlemen’s club is a great place to see all the games.
“Watch all the playoff games surrounded by lots and lots of hot babes,” purred Rick’s girl Katina. “Come flex, make it rain, and party and play with us.”
“It’s playoff time, and the girls and I will celebrate with you when your team wins, and make you forget if your team doesn’t,” promised Rick’s girl Fiona.
Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan (50 West 33 Street), Rick’s Cabaret has won a number of awards and is popular with sports fans, celebrities, and couples. It’s top-rated Rick’s Steakhouse, helmed by acclaimed chef Jayson Margulies offers lunch, dinner and late-night dining.
Rick’s Cabaret New York RICK: NASDAQ Listed
In my last post the great Stan Musial was cited and now sadly, Nate Colbert the only player other than “The Man” to hit as many as 5 home runs in a doubleheader and a friendly one of my favorite players, has died at age 76.
It seems Nate and his father attended the games on Sunday May 2, 1954 in which “The Man” hit those 5 homers though not one report indicated they probably were by decree of laws set aside by another, unlike Stan Musial, who was a wonderful, “The Man”/man, “The Man” forced to sit apart from people whose skin color was not black, I believe in the distant bleacher’s of the so inappropriately (worse than the corporate names) named Sportsman Park in St. Louis, the arched/better than Mississippi, but border town with its prejudices.
On a lighter, brighter note I called Nate on Saturday May 6, 1972 (Willie Mays now 91, turned 41 that day, 8 days away from a first game with the Mets Mother’s Day home run) and we talked, each of us happy that Jim McMillian’s overtime hoops had led the (69-13, winners of a still record 33 straight games) ’71-’72 Lakers to a (3-1) final round lead the night before. (They finally had an L.A. based title after Wilt led a (114-100) win on Sunday night May 7th–where the bleep are the last say 7 minutes of that game?!!)
Nate and I had such a nice talk, I gifted? (this a good memory but remember Joseph Cotten’s character in “Kane” on the memory subject) with the memory, recall being near my desk and bedroom window.
I cited how well Nate was doing, his big 5 HR’s day, 86 such away on August 1st, a Tuesday.
Perhaps, even probably, unlike with Dusty Baker the current title winning manager who I also first spoke with in 1972-now over 50 years in the “rear view,” I do not think, that Nate/Andy B. conversation manifested again. (Not quite sure, but if so, it is regretful as Nate was so cool).
He was a fine player and rather than cite stats, it is, yes, the fact he is a function of my youth, but also that it was a better more accessible time between player and fan, making it so that the beauty from Nate Colbert the player and friendly telephone conversationalist that happy May day, something that still resonates.
Head up there, I think Ernie (Banks) has arranged to “play 2,” and maybe Nate and Stan “The Man” will hit a few out of the heavenly park.
Nate Colbert, pictured above.
Names and associations “float” via my brain, as objects in a sea of thoughts.
In my limited recap of the non “over the aired”/watched by me, college semis I cited T.C.U. great Davey O’Brien.
Another great from T.C.U, one who also achieved such in the professional game (alas no opinions), is Sammy Baugh.
Baugh went on to play quarterback on two NFL title Washington D.C. football teams and played in 4 such games, winning as a rookie in 1937 (vs the Bears) and again in 1942 vs an undefeated Chicago Bears team.
His team lost title tilts to the Bears in 1940 and 1943, the former by a (73-0) score. Early in that tilt, a “Wash” player dropped a “sure” T.D. pass from Baugh. Asked after the game about the difference that play made and what the score would have been had the “would be” (ode to Marty Glickman) “Wash” player gathered in that pass for a score, Baugh remarked (73-7).
So TCU the school of “Baugh” handed Michigan and its coach, Jim Har”Baugh” a second straight semis defeat, this as a touchdown plus favorite. Harbaugh still sans a title as a player or coach lost a “semi” for the fourth time and after his lone “semi” win Harbaugh’s 49ers were denied in the 2012 season NFL final/Super Bowl by a Baltimore Ravens team coached by his brother, John Harbaugh.
The great Sid Luckman, pictured above shared a November21st birthday with another sports great, Stan Musial.
From (1940-1946) the two combined to play on 7 title teams, (Sid with the Bears in (’40, ’41 ’43 and’46) Stan with the St. Louis Cardinals (’42, ’44 and ’46), with one or the other winning in 6 of the 7 years (’40-’46, with each man and his team taking their sport’s 1946 “big prize.”
The defending college football champion and top ranked Georgia Bulldogs are roughly 13 point favorites vs T.C.U. (Texas Christian University) in the 2022 season title game to be played on Monday night January 9th. (Will ABC “over the air” it, they did not regarding the “semis” and I did not watch and slept as the clock literally and figuratively struck midnight for Ohio State in the later semis tilt).
While each Big Ten losing team in the “semis,” actually showed something in defeat, a long history of being denied in title bids affects, even disproportionately.
However, despite the fact Ohio State’s many 1 win from the title losses when I rooted so hard for them (’69-’75, they did “title” in ’68, winning the Rose Bowl vs U.S.C. despite a brilliant 80 yard touchdown run by one Orenthal James Simpson), still haunts and that Michigan has only the ’97 season share (Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost, out as their coach these 25 years later, led on the field and in a campaign there for a share and got it!) to “show” since winning “it” in ’48 (also the last year the Cleveland baseball team, known as the Indians until 2022, won the World Series), perspective ought to be gained and is progressing.
For the record T.C.U. built a “comeback score” (21-3) lead and never were caught in a (51-45) win (well) over Michigan. At night, Georgia down 2 touchdowns at least twice got a Stetson Bennett (A “Stead,” namely, Steadman Shealy QB’d Alabama to a repeat title, legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant’s 5th and last in ’79, however unlike Bennett, who led the first of what is now a probable 2 straight titles, but that is why they play the games, did not QB the ’78/first of two straight titles team) to Adonai Mitchell touchdown to tie, an extra point and a subsequent 50 yard field goal miss by Ohio State, to (42-41) Ohio State and move into their second straight title game and third in six seasons, having split in the other two such games.
In same calendar 1938, Davey O’Brien, pictured above led T.C.U. to their lone national crown.
He capped a Heisman Trophy winning season with I believe, a touchdown pass and 4 kicking points in the January 2, 1939 bowl (Sugar) win vs Carnegie Tech.
Today’s virtual full NFL “card” (on Thursday past, in a likely virtually meaningless game, Dallas won at Tennessee while tomorrow night, in a game certainly with seedings meaning and maybe mucho more, (12-3) Buffalo (Bills) visits (11-4) Cincinnati (Bengals)– of 14 games is the fourth such occurrence on New Year’s Day in NFL annals. (’05 final week while ’11, ’16 and now the ’22 “reg” play penultimate week tilts.)
There have been 12 previous “same calendar” NFL seasons with a championship game, be it an NFL Title Game (’38, ’49,’55,’60,and ’66 which was also the season (The Supe, then the NFL/AFL Championship Game was played on January 15, 1967, 2 weeks after Green Bay survived at Dallas in the 1966 season NFL Title/Pro Football “semis” game) or a Super Bowl (’77,’83,’88,’94,’05,’11 and ’16).
Either all twelve or 11 of the champions in those seasons (I know the NFL gave the records of the great, old Cleveland Browns, who sadly did move and become the Baltimore Ravens, to the “still never having achieved”/1999 season expansion, Cleveland Browns, however I at least note the ’55 title winning Browns are the direct “ancestors” of the Ravens) are still alive or have already qualified for the 14 team NFL “tournament,” which will commence in less than two weeks.
The “same calendar” title winners were the Giants (’38 and 2011), Eagles (’49 and ’60) and 49ers (’88 and ’94) twice each, with the Packers (’66), Cowboys (’77), Raiders(’83) Steelers (’05) and Patriots (’16) having “same calendar titled” once and are still in contention, albeit in some cases as monumental long shots, in 2022-2023. (By the way, Happy New Year).
Referenced above, I note the same calendar 1955 NFL champion Cleveland Browns, who were led by Otto Graham’s brilliant play in that game and so many others, with that ’55 title tilt being Otto’s last, became the already in the 2022 season ‘offs-Baltimore Ravens.
The great Jerry Rice, pictured above, was a tremendous contributor to Niners’ title winning teams in both “same calendar” 1988 and 1994.
Barbara Walters, one of many largely positive “pioneers,” who happened to be women and did so much on the small screen, died yesterday at age 93.
Lou’s daughter did so much, be it anchoring the news not so successfully, but scoring big with much sought interviews and her created show with Bill Geddie, called “The View.”
Still running, it capped Ms. Walters extraordinary television doings.
Ms. Walters did her homework or at least her researchers did as I recall best, the back round information before the at times, annoying questions to her interview subjects.
The great, creative successful Roone Arledge moved Barbara to those type shows and she delivered for the network.
I met her once and she made me feel good with nice conversation.
Maybe her dad Lou Walters has another club up there and if so, Barbara will enjoy hanging out there as in similar on earth. Maybe Gilda Radner will entertain and Joseph Kennedy Sr. will “supply.”
Andy B. and Barbara Walters pictured above.
Andy B Sports 