Sadly and far too soon, Chris Ford, a part of 3 Boston Celtics’ title teams (the three led by Mr. Bird, as a player in ’81 and as an assistant coach under K.C. Jones in ’84 and ’86) died days back at age 74.
I recall Ford as a member of 3 very good Villanova teams from ’70-’72, the middle year, Howard Porter/Hank Siemiontkowski led ’71 team, going to the final, before losing to John Wooden’s 5th of 7 straight U.C.L.A. title teams.
There you have it, a link between two great basketball teams, the Boston Celtics and U.C.L.A. Bruins, neither of whom mine, that dominated, one or the other, (4 times both–’64,’65,’68 and ’69) winning titles an incredible 23 times in the 20 seasons from (1957-1976). Only in 1958, in those 20 seasons did neither team win its entity’s crown,
Since that point, there have only been 5 crowns, (4 for the Celtics) for the two teams, with Ford as stated above, a part of three of them.
Speaking of “3,” Chris Ford made the first three point shot in NBA history. I think the “3” shot, has all but ruined basketball, but I certainly do not blame Chris Ford.
So many great Celtics gone in the last, at most, (ode to Johnny) 5 years: John Havlicek, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn to name five.
Ford helped me and the Celtics in ’81, not only coming back from a (3-1) series deficit, but also from significant deficits in #’s (5-7) vs a “really blew it”/ good Philadelphia 76ers team, in a “semi,” that was a virtual final.
The heavily favored Celtics took the Houston Rockets in 6 games in the final, clinching on a Thursday night on delayed tape (the last such final in NBA annals).
Only two of the 6 tilts in that series were CBS/”lived” and in the Saturday afternoon at Houston game 3, Ford led Boston to a (2-1) series lead, scoring 17 points in a low scoring victory.
Chris Ford, pictured above.
Honestly I “knew” The Pie’s TB/TB Supe future was going down, having written but not posted such, stating it would happen, if not in the “Joe Bucker” vs Dallas, then at “Tarnished (but not all that much) Tommy’s” boyhood, SF 49ers team.
I take a backseat to nobody in my praise of Tom Brady’s on field performance/record/legacy in his 23 season career which hopefully ended on a bad note, his T.B. Bucs losing (31-14) to dangerous Dallas (now plus 3 and a half in the second ever Dall/SF “slots” game, the other, a Slot 2 classic, in which Dallas staged an incredible comeback to win, a fact unfairly overshadowed by the hype given Pittsburgh’s such, earlier that December 23rd, 50 years ago).
Hey Tom, fellow “Bay Area Great,” another, as with Brady to be on any “short list” of all time sports greats, which better be headed by one George Herman “Babe” (ode to Hoffman’s in “Marathon Man and it is “safe” to call Babe the greatest–he “bleepin” pitched great and saved baseball!!), Ruth—Joe DiMaggio and his great New York Yankees’ teams went (37-14) in post-season games, all World Series/final round games.
Brady’s (35-13) mark in all post season games, (7-3) in final entities/Supes is a better win percentage. Consider that Tom and please retire.
Of course nobody but me realized that the key play 98 yard fumble recovery touchdown scored by Cincy’s Sam “H”ubbard evokes the fact a/THE NFL pioneer, George “H”alas did such in a “reg” game now nearly 98 years ago.
I repeat that fact, having cited it yesterday, in noting Jim Thorpe (see his 1912 Olympiad performance) is so often shamefully overlooked in the greatest sports figures discussion.
Thus, I do not think Mr. Thorpe would mind me pointing out it was his fumble that Mr. “Papa Bear” Halas returned those coincidental 98 yards for a score, (nearly) 98 years ago in 1925.
Click below to view Paul McCartney and Wings perform “Junior’s Farm.” The relevant line opens the song and is repeated say 3 plus minutes later.
The great Jim Thorpe, pictured as a member of the Canton Bulldogs, above.
The S.F. 49ers are now (13-5) in Saturday playoff tilts, this after KO’ing 7, but not 10 point Seattle (Seahawks) weases, in a (41-23) home win. They did so, despite trailing (17-16) at the half.
Two seed S.F.’s win comes 50 years plus (the slot 2/div round ’72 season game was played on December 23, 1972 just after the far more famous, incredible Steelers slot 1 win vs another “Bay Area” team, the Oakland Raiders and does not get enough publicity) after the franchise dissipated a big lead and lost (30-28) to Dallas (Cowboys) and Ron Sellers.
Speaking of dissipating big leads, in the unofficial, but pretty surely, 33rd consecutive year “Alfalfa” Michaels wild card (almost all on Saturdays, more than half Saturday nights) round tilt, though they trailed (27-0), home standing, 2 plus point(s) “dog,” Jacksonville, rallied to (31-30)– the “bad NFL history franchise,” Chargers now of L.A. (Michaels’ town), in what manifested as at least the third time “Alfalfa” “presided” over a Chargers season ending loss. (’94 season Supe and the Raiders field goal in the Sunday night NFL “reg” finale last season, )
Alas, though I slept/ missed all of both tilts yesterday, so be it, on this the 56 year anniversary of the NFL/AFL Championship Game played in L.A. with the Coliseum two thirds full, won by Lombardi’s Pack (35-10) vs Stram’s Chiefs.
The great Howard Cosell pictured above called Al Michaels “Alfalfa.”
I “battled” Mr. Cosell fairly well in a classic phone call in ’84, but had to take it, as he “dressed me down” regarding my caring so much that Clell “Butch” Wynegar had kept the Yankees’ 1985 season ‘offs hopes alive, the night before.
So much I could opine, but I just add with Mr. Michaels in studio that day, I guess I knew the Yankees were done. Check the history.
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.
Andy B Sports 