NFL Films: Jim McCusker: ‘1960 Philadelphia Eagle Champions’

Source:NFL Films– Tommy McDonald: WR for the 1960 NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles.

“On Feb. 3, 2008, the community showed highlights from the 1960 Philadelphia Eagles v. Green Bay Packers N.F.L. Championship game at Jim McCusker’s Pub. Here he comments on the Eagles win. Jim was the starting left tackle for the Eagles and earned a championship ring. Jim is a native/resident of Jamestown N.Y. Jim is a member of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.”

From NFL Films 

“The team that wins the Western Conference title will have to face the Philadelphia Eagles, and that will not be the easy assignment it may at first appear to be. While few winning teams in professional football have looked more inept than the Eagles when running the ball, few have been able to offset their weaknesses so well. The reasons are two: the Eagles have an impressive coterie of pass receivers and they have Norman Van Brocklin, one of the two or three best quarterbacks in all football.”

Source:Sports Illustrated– Philadelphia Eagles QB Norm Van Brocklin.

From Sports Illustrated

1960 was an interesting NFL season for several reasons. You had a different NFL champion for the first time since 1958, because the Philadelphia Eagles won the championship in 1960 dethroning the Baltimore Colts who won the championship in 58 and 59. The great Giants-Eagles rivalry went to a new level as Eagles LB Chuck Bednarik closed line which was legal back then, but he closed line New York Giants star RB/WR Frank Gifford. Knocked him out cold which cost Gifford an entire season. The Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis and I’m sure people in Chicago helped the Cardinals pack. Because they were an awful team and Chicago is Bears country anyway.

But perhaps the most interesting part of the 1960 NFL season were the Eagles. A blue-collar team with a great quarterback in Norm Van Brocklin and a great head coach in Buck Shaw. And the team they played in the NFL Championship the Green Bay Packers who hadn’t been an NFL contender since the early 1950s. And 1960 was Packers head coach Vince Lombardi’s first shot at the championship. And last playoff game he would ever lose. Interesting matchup because the Eagles were a pure passing team without much of a running game. And the Packers were a power running team that could also throw the ball when they needed to. But didn’t throw the ball very often.

The Eagles in 1960 were sort of like the Miami Dolphins of the mid and late 1980s. With a much better defense, but they moved the ball through the air primarily and would run when the defense was completely focused on taking away the pass. Similar to the New England Patriots of the last ten years or so. Where the Packers were a run, run, run team that would beat you up on the ground and up the middle. And could get to outside with their power sweep. And hit big passes in running situations and when you were expecting the run. Which made for a great championship matchup especially since both team were also good on defense.

You can also see this post on Blogger.

You can also see this post at FRS FreeState, on Blogger.

Read Full Post »

NCAA: CB 1985- National Championship- Villanova Wildcats vs Georgetown Hoyas: Full Game

Source:CBS Sports– Rolly Massimimo cutting down a string for the Wildcats.

“Watch this complete national championship game from 1985, when one of the original Cinderella stories, Villanova, marched its way to the championship game against heavy favorite Georgetown. Villanova pulled off the upset with a 66-64 victory in the first year of the 64-team NCAA tournament format.”

From March Madness 

“The ball was deep in the end-zone seats, punched there in desperation by a Georgetown player to stop the clock. Georgetown? Desperate? Yes. Then it was on the floor, scrambled for, and finally smothered—bam, splot—as if a runaway caboose had left the tracks somewhere in the Kentucky night and crashed through the walls of Rupp Arena. A train on a basketball court? Yes again. Because it was Dwayne (D-Train) McClain who fell on the ball as time ran out on Georgetown’s try for a second straight NCAA championship, and McClain who cradled it in his arms and refused to let go until he was absolutely positive his Villanova Wildcats’ 66-64 victory wasn’t a dream.

These were just the ultimate improbabilities in a fantasy of a basketball game Monday night that manifested all that is spectacular in sport, while at the same time recalling nothing more than the simple lyrics of the late Harry Chapin…

“Ed Pinckney Powers Villanova Past Georgetown April 8, 1985 X 31324 credit: Carl Skalak – assign”

Source:Sports Illustrated– Ed Pinckney and the Villanova Wildcats defeating the Hoyas in 1985.

From Sports Illustrated

The one basketball game that John Thompson would probably like to have back. The Georgetown Hoyas wee poised to win back-to-back national championships in 1985 having what clearly looked like the best team in the tournament, with the best player in center Patrick Ewing. Who I at least believe without the leg injuries from the early and mid 1990s I think we’re talking about the best two-way center of his generation. Who was a dominant offensive and defensive force. With his great size, strength and athletic ability. Who accomplished so much in his career with bad knees and never being able to play with another great player. And in many seasons being the only All Star on his team with the New York Knicks.

I’m a Georgetown Hoyas fan even though I’m not as big of a fan as I was when I was growing up and watched a lot of both NBA and college basketball back then. And even though the Hoyas lost this game this season still brings up great memories for me. Because it was a time when the Big East Conference was not only relevant, but it ruled college basketball. It had the same importance as the SEC has for football today.

You win the Big East back in the 1980s, or at least do very well and you’re probably a national title contender. Very similar with the ACC of the 1990s and 2000s. The Big East had the Hoyas, but they also had the Villanova Wildcats, but the St. Johns Redman, Syracuse Orangeman and later the Connecticut Huskies and Providence Friars. All very good and top-level basketball programs.

The Big East Conference was like the SEC for college football, what the ACC is fo college basketball today, what the NFC East has traditionally been for the NFL. That one division or conference where if you do well there, you’re having a very good season. You’ve accomplished something very important, because it means you’ve beaten a lot of good teams.

It also means that everybody you play in that division or conference will be gunning for you to take you down. Especially if they’re not having a good season. It was a conference again similar to the NFC East where you don’t have a rival, but you have several arch-rivals and it’s just a matter of which of those arch-rivals hates you the most in a sports sense.

I’m not taking anything away from the Villanova Wildcats here. They played a great game and beat a great team that had two of the best players in college basketball in 1985 on them in Pat Ewing and David Wyngate. Who both went on to have good NBA careers. Patrick of course being one of the top 5-10 centers of all-time. And the Wildcats are not just still the lowest seed to win the national championship, but they also beat the best team in college basketball that year. And had they played each other for the championship ten times, the Wildcats might not have won another game.

But what I’m saying here is that the Big East was so great back then having three teams in the 85 Final Four alone, that you had to very good just to get where the Wildcats got that season. In position to win the national championship.

Read Full Post »

CBS Sports: NFL 1978- Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants: Miracle At The Meadowlands

Source:Sports Illustrated– perhaps the most memorable game in the great Eagles-Giants rivalry in the NFC East.

Source:The Daily Press

“Forty years ago this week, as the Giants tried to kill off a game against the division-rival Eagles in the waning moments, Joe Pisarcik flubbed a handoff to Larry Csonka, and Herman Edwards scooped the ball up for a stunning Philly win. It’s one of the most notorious bloopers in NFL history—and also one of its most transformative plays, changing the fates of both franchises for the better and ultimately turning the Giants into a Super Bowl powerhouse.”

From Sports Illustrated

“1978 NFL Philadelphia at NY Giants 11-19-1978”

Source:Virgil Moody– a look at the 1978 Philadelphia Eagles.

From Virgil Moody

“Check out where the Miracle at the Meadowlands lands on NFL Top 10 worst plays.”

Source:NFL Films– Eagles DB Herman Edwards running away with the Giants season

From NFL Films

“Miracle at the Meadowlands (New York Giants – Philadelphia Eagles 1978)”

Source:Amerikai Football– Eagles DB Herman Edwards, running in the fumble recovery for the Eagles winning TD.

From Amerikai Football

One of the interesting things about this game is that both the Eagles and Giants were still in the NFC Playoff race at this point. This was week 12 in the NF, but Giants only won one more game in 1978 finishing 6-10. The Eagles made the NFC Playoffs in 1978 for the first time since 1960, but they were a 9-7 wildcard team that won some games that they shouldn’t of, like this one being an obvious example of that. And perhaps lost some games they shouldn’t have. And without this victory, the Eagles miss the playoffs again in 1978.

The obvious facts here are the Giants shouldn’t have ran the ball at all. They already had a kneel down play with QB Joe Pisarcik falling down on the ball on first down and then for some reason they ran the ball for an eleven yard gain on second down. But Pisarcik falls down on the ball two more times and the ball game is over, because the Eagles didn’t have any timeouts left. This is a game that makes or breaks a team’s season, especially if they are a borderline playoff team or even a borderline winning team. Like the Eagles and Giants were in 1978.

Read Full Post »