Yes, during Hurricane Hugo. I was there.
Posted on 12/03/2017 2:13:48 PM PST by Ben Mugged
I remember when football was a man’s game. I mean a game played by real men not community organizers and feminists. Men who carried monikers like the mafia. Men who played with broken bones and strained muscles and played for the love of the game and of the violence of the game and didn’t really care if they got paid or not. Men like:
• Ed “too tall” Jones who once jumped up in the center of the uprights and blocked a field goal kick at the goal posts.
• Kenny “the snake” Stapler who had a great career as a quarterback and then became a record breaking kicker.
• Dick “night train” Lane who would have a cast placed on his arm before a game, not because his arm was broken but to use as a club.
• William "The Refrigerator” Perry who could play both offense and defense. On short yardage they would hand off to Perry and dare anyone on the defense to stop him.
• "Mean" Joe Greene who just didn’t give a damn what you thought. If you were a wuss you didn’t belong on the field.
• Jack "The Assassin" Tatum who would be sent in to get the opposition quarterback out of the game. And he often did.
• And half of the Raiders linemen had to be released on Sunday to play.
Ladies and gents, those were the glory days of football the likes we will never see again.
Ken Stabler never kicked the ball.
He did study the playbook by the light of the jukebox, drink like a fish on a mission, date Ms Alabama’s as fast as they crowned them, attempt coitus with every willing female within a 50 mile radius, lead the league in nail biting come from behind last minute wins and give John Madden ulcers.
George Blanda was the quarterback/linebacker who was the Raiders placekicker who doubled as their third string QB. He held the league record for points scored lifetime for quite a while with 2002 points scored as QB and kicker.
“Bobby Layne who could throw 5 TDs, with a splitting hangover.”
Fatso Donovan told the story about tackling Layne in the 3rd quarter and smelling booze on him. He asked Bobby if he had had a late night because he reeked of booze.
Bobby replied “Fatso, the way we’re playing I start drinking at halftime.”
Not really my point....
I cannot help but wonder if the problem, the very REAL problem, with concussions could be solved by banning the current helmets. If we reverted to the helmets from the early 1900s. players would be reluctant to sacrifice their own future for a ‘hit’!
Yep, I remember that story.
He might be thinking of George Blanda, who had a phenomenal run after turning 40.
Butkus, Nitschke, & Dobler era players would never put up with all the celebrating crap that is far too common after plays nowadays. Guaranteed the celebrant would end up with a broken bone or a gouged eye on the next play if real men played today.
Well Blanda and Stabler had one thing in common. Both were coached by Bear Bryant.
Don’t forget Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds who was so mad after a loss that he hacksawed a 1953 Chevy Bel Air in half.
Or Jack Youngblood, who played in Super Bowl 14 with a broken leg , and sacked Staubach with one in the NFC Championship that year.
Or Bob Waterfield, who was willing to burn a down just so he could purposefully let Colt Art Donovan run right at him so Waterfield had the opportunity to drill the football right into his face (no facemasks then).
With no radio headsets and coordinators for every combination of situations, the quarterbacks generally had to call their own plays and think on their feet.
Bronko Nagurski?
The very name inspires awe and terror, humility and respect.
All Honor, and due Homage, to Bronko Nagurski!!!
Now - on to Basketball and Hockey, LOL! Bite Me, NFL!"
I love it. You're so funny. Bite me, NFL!"
No NFL FOREVER!
-Roll Tide-
Fran Tarkenton had several teeth knocked out and did not even miss a play.
Bart Starr who was a Sunday School teacher, stood up to Vince Lombardi and told him that his attacks on him would hurt the team. If he wanted Starr to be the team leader he had to respect him.
Lombardi agreed and never did it again.
“Don’t you mean George Blanda instead of Ken Stabler?”
No, he clearly said “Kenny Stapler”.
Yes, during Hurricane Hugo. I was there.
Blanda, Stabler and Namath.
Bear sure coached some great players in his time.
In his book, Bryant said the best player he ever coached was John David Crow. He said that Namath was the best athlete.
Donovan was a real character.
Most of the players back then were “colorful characters”.
Gino Marchetti: “Fatso, what defense we playing?”
Donovan: “The same defense we been playing the last six years you stupid WOP!”
Don Shula was a pretty colorful player before HS became a respectable coach.
John David Crow.
That goes back a ways. I had to look him up to be sure, an A&M Aggie.
I always wondered what Namath could have done with healthy knees. He was pretty darn amazing even with gimpy knees.
His Broadway Joe personna was worth every penny he was paid.
You can’t buy the kind of advertising and it was at the perfect time for the AFL.
Wonder how many will get that reference....?
I was on the bridge of my ship, the USS Richmond K. Turner, CG-20, tied alongside pier November at Charleston Naval Base that night. We were broke down and unable to sortie after our yard period in Pascagoula.
If you think it rained where you were at, you shoulda been with us.
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