A Very Long Football Game

    On Saturday December 25, 1971 The NFL opened its post season with two games scheduled to be played. The Miami Dolphins traveled to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game and the Dallas Cowboys traveled to Minnesota to take on the Vikings in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.
  In the game at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, the Cowboys took full advantage of Viking turnovers to remove them from their path to the SuperBowl and the league championship trophy. The Cowboys opponent in the SuperBowl had a much tougher time with the Chiefs requiring a record effort to advancing on.
   The Dolphins-Chiefs game was the last game to be played by the Chiefs at Municipal Stadium, before they opened Arrowhead Stadium the following summer. The two teams played quite evenly in the first 4 quarters. The Chiefs jumped off to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The Dolphins answered with a 10-0 quarter of their own in the second quarter of play. The teams went into the locker room with a 10-10 tie. The teams traded 7-7 quarters in the second half to send the game into a historical showdown in overtime. After the first 15 minutes of overtime, the teams remained tied. Both kickers had missed field goals during the period. At the 7:40 mark of the second overtime period Gero Yepremian of the Dolphins kicked a 37 yard field goal to end the game and the Chiefs season as well as their stay at Municipal Stadium. WOW!!
   Tomorrow we look at a Japanese baseball first.  

One Great Football Game

    On December 24, 1950 the Cleveland Browns met the Los Angeles Rams at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland in one of the greatest football games ever played. The Browns who had just finished its first season in the National Football League after spending their first four years in the All-American Football Conference, were lead by future Hall of Famer Otto Graham. The Rams who had just finished its fifth season in Los Angeles after being founded in Cleveland, were lead by Bob Waterfield who himself wasa future Hall of Famer.
   In the first quarter the Rams jumped off to a 14-0 lead before the Browns were able to score a touchdown of their own. In the second quarter the Browns lone score pulled them within one point of the Rams at the half. The Browns scored first in the third quarter to give them their first lead of the game before the Rams came storming back with two touchdowns to grab a 28-20 lead with but one quarter left to play. From here it was all Browns, a touchdown and a field goal sealed the game for the Browns.
  The two teams would met again for the championship the following year in Los Angeles. Tomorrow we look at another great football game. 

A Little Wild Hockey

    Today, we promised the hockey fans in the group a day. We travel back to December 23, 1967 when the Portland Buckaroos were quite unwelcoming to the San Diego Gulls, in taking a 13-1 win from the Gulls.
  From there we go to December 23, 1978 when the New York Islanders Bryan Trottier had 5 goals and 3 assists. Trottier had a hat trick and 6 points during the second period of the Islanders win over their crosstown rivals the Rangers.
  Exactly 7 years later in 1985 the Rangers observed the anniversary by taking it out on the Detroit red Wings taking a 10-2 victory their visitors.
  On December 23, 1990 the Buffalo Sabres thought they had issued a bad beating to the Quebec Nordiques when they beat their visitors by a 10-3 score. However, the Richmond Renegades of the East Coast Hockey League put their mark in the league recordbook with a 15-5 beating of the Erie Panthers.
    Finally, on December 23, 2000 at the Britt Brown Arena in Wichita, Kansas, the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League stormed on to a 12-0 win over the Border City Bandits. In Fayetteville, North Carolina at the Crown Coliseum the Memphis RiverKings made themselves at home with an 11-5 win over the Fayetteville Force.
   Tomorrow we will start a two look at two legendary football games. Meanwhile sports fans take a look at Jayson Starks column at ESPN.com. Stark takes his end of the year look at the strangest events in baseball during the 2010 season, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend my readers leave comments or write me at sabrkev@gmail.com.
  Have a great day sports fans, may all your teams win today!!   

Now That is Offensive Football

On December 22, 1963 The Houston Oilers with George Blanda as quarterback traveled to Frank Youell Field in Oakland, California to met the Oakland Raiders and their quarterback Tom Flores. If fans wanted to see a low scoring game they were in the wrong place. Things did not look dood for the home team when they failed to record a first down in the first quarter, they only bright spot in the quarter was a 68 yard punt return for a touchdown by Claude Gibson.
  The Raiders got things rolling much better in the second quarter, ending the half sharing a 35-35 tie with their visitors. Things calming down a bit in the third quarter with the Oilers scoring two of three toouchdowns to reclaim a 7 point lead with one quater left to play. Unfortunately for Blanda and his team nothing happened offensivly in the final quater as the raiders scored 10 unanswered points in the quarter to take a 52-49 win. Raider end Art Powell caught four touchdown passes and kicker Mike Mercer kicked a 39 yard field goal to win the game with 4:37 left to play. You certianly dont see to many games in outdoor football where a team scores 49 points and still loses.
   Tomorrow we are looking at another Hockey day. That will be followed by two days of great football games.    

Did the Game ever End?

    On December 21, 1981 The Cincinnati Beatcats basketball team traveled to Peoria, Illinois to play the Bradley Braves at the Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse. When regulation ended with the two teams tied at 61-61, the fans had no idea what a treat that they were in for. Each overtime period came and went without the contest being resolved. After six overtimes the game was tied at 73-73. An NCAA record seventh overtime period would determine this one. A single basket scored by the Bearcats Doug Schloemer with one second left clinched the game for the visitors and a 75-73 win.
   Tomorrow lets take a look at an American Football League game with lots of scoring. Have a great Tuesday everyone!! 

A Very Big Finish

    On December 20, 1967, the Seattle SuperSonics welcomed the Philadelphia '76ers to the Washington State Coliseum for only their 13th home game at WSC and their 35th franchise game ever. It would be the 5th time the two teams faced each other. On this particular day the SuperSonics were thinking four would have been enough.
  The two teams played evenly matched during the first half with the visitors heading into the locker room at the half with a 65-59 lead. The home  team never had a chance in the second half. The '76ers led by Wilt Chamberlain scored 42 points in the third quarter and a record 53 points in the fourth quarter./ Thats right 95 points in the second half!! The Philadelphia squad left with a 160-122 win.
   On December 20, 2005 the Pittsburgh Xplosion of the American Basketball Association did their impression of the '76ers on this date when the routed the Ohio Aviators by a score of 163-116.
  Tomorrow we will look at one incredible college basketball game. 

NHL roots

    In 1909 The National Hockey Association played its first games. The league served as the top Hockey League for the next eight seasons in Canada. As several problems plauged the league in its eight season, the club owners tried very hard to find solutions to these problems. One team had to withdraw when its team members were called to serve overseas in World War I. Another team owner was so hated by the other owners that they elected to withdraw from the league and not to invite the hated owner to join with them.
  The formed the National Hockey League. On December 19, 1917 the league played its first games. At the Montreal Arena the Montreal Wanderers defeated the Toronto Arenas by a score of 10-9. At The Arena in Ottawa, Ontario the Montreal Canadians beat the Senators by a score of 7-4. The leagues problems were not yet over as several weeks later the Montreal Arena burned down and the wanderers were forced out of the league being without a home arena. The Senators lasted until 1934 before they folded. The Arenas later changed their name to the Maple Leafs. So, at this early date the league and two of its greatest clubs were in place, just early enough to call the NHL the third oldest major sports league right ahead of the NFL.
  Tomorrow we will take a look at a big second half by the 76ers