Fifty–nine years is a long time to wait for revenge, but baseball fans in Philadelphia have had to wait that long for a chance to even the score with the New York Yankees.
They meet again in the Fall Classic starting Wednesday in New York.
The Phillies earned their nickname because of the youth of their squad. The average age of the Phillies was 26. They were the youngest team ever to win the National League pennant.
I don't know how the average age of this year's team compares to the 1950 team. But does it matter? The lesson of the Whiz Kids seems to be that age and experience are not bad things.
Not many of the Whiz Kids are still around, but I presume that the surviving members — pitchers Robin Roberts, Curt Simmons and Bob Miller, catcher Stan Lopata and outfielder Jackie Mayo — will be invited to at least one of the games in Philadelphia.
All are in their 80s, though, and health concerns may prevent some or all of them from being there.
But 59 years is a long time to wait for redemption — and those guys might not get another chance.
Only two games this week are divisional matchups. Divisional showdowns will become more commonplace the deeper we go into the schedule.
But this week, the emphasis is not on divisional races.
New England (4–2) vs Tampa Bay (0–6) in London — The Patriots are favored by 14½ points. I think they will win by more than that.
Green Bay(3–2) at Cleveland (1–5) — The Packers are favored by seven, but I think they should cruise to victory in this one.
San Francisco (3–2) at Houston (3–3) — Houston is favored by a field goal. I know Matt Schaub has been putting up some big numbers, but I think the 49ers will win the game.
Minnesota (6–0) at Pittsburgh (4–2) — This may be the game of the week. Weather should not be a factor. It will be cool in Pittsburgh today, but not cold and certainly not wet. But, after all those years in Green Bay, Brett Favre wouldn't be fazed by a chilly October afternoon in Pittsburgh, anyway. Joe Theismann thinks Favre, who is 6–0 for the first time in his career, will be 7–0, but I'm not convinced. Maybe I will be when the day is done, but right now I think Pittsburgh's defense is up to the challenge.
Indianapolis (5–0) at St. Louis (0–6) — If there is a sure thing this week, it has to be the Colts beating the Rams.
San Diego (2–3) at Kansas City (1–5) — The Chargers also appear to be sure to win today. I presume they would have been favored by more than 4½ points if they had beaten Denver last Monday night, but I think they will win by more than that.
Buffalo (2–4) at Carolina (2–3) — Carolina is favored by a single point. I honestly don't know which team to pick in this game, and, honestly, I'm not sure it matters who wins. I'll go with the home team.
New York Jets (3–3) at Oakland (2–4) — I know the Jets have been an up and down team, but I can't understand why they would be 6½–point underdogs to the Raiders. It probably has something to do with Oakland's upset victory over Philadelphia last week, but one game isn't persuasive for me. I think the Jets will win the game, mainly because the Raiders are generally so weak.
Atlanta (4–1) at Dallas (3–2) — The Cowboys are favored by four points. If I was making my picks against the spread, I'd say go with Atlanta. But, in reality, I think Dallas will prevail — barely.
Chicago (3–2) at Cincinnati (4–2) — This may be one of the more intriguing matches of the week. The Bengals, who are favored by 1½ points, are an enigma. After their opening day loss to Denver, the Bengals beat Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and their first five games were all decided by a touchdown or less. But then, Cincinnati lost to Houston by 11 points at home last week. Which Bengals team will show up today? I think it will be the one that reeled off four straight wins. Give me Cincinnati.
New Orleans (5–0) at Miami (2–3) — The way Drew Brees is playing, I find it hard to imagine Miami keeping up with the Saints for long. Give me New Orleans.
Arizona (3–2) at New York Giants (5–1) — The defending NFC champs continue to struggle. The Giants are favored by a touchdown. Once again, if my picks were being made against the spread, I would recommend taking the points. But I think the Giants will win. They're too good to lose two in a row — unless some key players get hurt. And, if Eli Manning gets knocked out of today's game, the Cardinals might win the game. But, right now, I expect the Giants to win — just not by seven points.
MONDAY
Philadelphia (3–2) at Washington (2–4) — Considering the talent level of the Redskins' first six opponents, I figured they would be at least 4–2 as they prepare for what is clearly their most challenging period. After the game with the Eagles, the Redskins have the week off, then they must face Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and Philadelphia in November. And December looks to offer more of the same. I'll take Philly.
Last year, Barack Obama made history as the first black man elected president.
That certainly was something that many Americans never thought they would see in their lifetimes. But, although it was a groundbreaking accomplishment, it probably couldn't have happened if many other black Americans hadn't broken the color barrier in other areas over the years.
As is often the case, changes in sports foreshadowed social and political changes. Jack Johnson became the first black heavyweight champion and John Taylor became the first black to win a gold medal in the Olympics 100 years before Obama's victory.
And, in 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black to play major league baseball.
Shortly before the start of the 1947 season, the Dodgers called up Robinson, launching a 10–year major league career.
Robinson wasn't destined to be the career home run leader, but in the years since his breakthrough, two other black men have eclipsed Babe Ruth's career mark. He didn't leave the game as the career leader in hits or RBIs or batting average.
Robinson's legacy, aside from the courage and grace he showed in the face of verbal and physical abuse when he crossed the color line, is mostly images from his career. One of the most famous moments was captured in the film clip that is attached to this post.
In the 1955 World Series, Robinson stole home in the first game. It's unusual to see someone steal home, especially in the postseason, when the margin for error is so slim. But the 1955 World Series was unusual. It was the only world championship the Dodgers won in all the years they were in Brooklyn.
Anyway, Robinson retired a few years later. He was in his late 20s when he broke the color barrier, and he played 10 years in the major leagues before health problems began to catch up with him. He died of a heart attack on this day 37 years ago.
Ten years before he died, Robinson became the first black to be elected to baseball's Hall of Fame. As the one who broke the color barrier, I'm sure his name would be remembered even if the Hall of Fame hadn't formally inducted him.
But it was a reminder that he was about more than just being a racial pioneer.
Maybe it's because another legendary quarterback, Sammy Baugh, died last year, but I thought Y.A. Tittle also had passed away.
So it came as something of a surprise to me to learn that today is Tittle's 83rd birthday.
In his collegiate career at LSU, Tittle led the Tigers to a record of 23–11–3. I've heard it said his best college season was 1946, when only a loss to Georgia Tech and a 0–0 tie with Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl kept the Tigers from a perfect record.
Tittle was the first NFL quarterback to throw 30 or more touchdown passes in consecutive seasons. Only six other men have done that — and, unlike Tittle, all of them (Steve Bartkowski, Brett Favre, Dan Fouts, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning and Jeff Garcia) played since the NFL expanded its regular season to 16 games.
The most regular season games that were played during Tittle's career were 14.
He was named the most valuable player twice, and he was inducted into the NFL's Hall of Fame in 1971 (along with Jim Brown and Vince Lombardi).
The only accomplishment that eluded him, in a professional career that ran from 1948 to 1964, was an NFL championship.
Last week's top–ranked team, the Florida Gators, remained unbeaten, but they didn't play up to expectations and were replaced atop the Associated Press poll.
What's more, the officiating crew that handled last Saturday's Arkansas–Florida game has been suspended until Nov. 14. I believe that is a first for the SEC.
Neither Florida nor the team that displaced the Gators at the top of the poll, the Alabama Crimson Tide, should have a lot of trouble this weekend. Alabama probably has the tougher assignment, playing rival Tennessee. Florida faces Mississippi State. But neither opponent is likely to be a serious challenger.
Only two games match ranked teams this week. The TCU–BYU game has the most attractive rankings, but the Oklahoma–Kansas game may have more traditional appeal.
Fifteenth–ranked Virginia Tech is idle.
Tennessee at #1 Alabama, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS — Tennessee is no match for Alabama.
#2 Florida at Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN/ESPN2 — And Mississippi State is not capable of handling Florida, even though MSU has the advantage of playing at home.
#3 Texas at Missouri, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC — I think Missouri should be able to score against Texas. The Tigers might even keep it close since they're playing at home. But Texas is on track to meet either Alabama or Florida for the national title in January.
Oregon State at #4 USC, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC — Oregon State has beaten USC two of the last three times the teams have met, but both those games were played at Oregon State. USC has won seven of the last 10 meetings, and I don't think the Trojans have lost at home to the Beavers since the Eisenhower presidency. Give me USC.
Louisville at #5 Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU — Since Louisville joined Conference USA in 1996, the Cardinals are 9–4 against Cincinnati. The history of the series has been even more unpleasant for Cincinnati than that. Louisville's last loss in Cincinnati came in 1997, and the Cardinals have exceeded 40 points against the Bearcats four times. But Cincinnati snapped a five–game losing streak to Louisville last season. Unbeaten Cincinnati has a Heisman–worthy quarterback who may or may not play. Will it matter against 2–4 Louisville? I don't think so.
#6 Boise State at Hawaii — I see no way that Hawaii, which has lost its quarterback for the season, can win this game.
#7 Iowa at Michigan State — This has been a pretty competitive series in recent years. The trend lately has been for the home team to win. In fact, the last time the home team lost this game was in 1995, when Iowa traveled to Michigan State and won, 21–7. Some folks are picking Michigan State to keep that home team streak going. But I'm not. The score may be close, but I'll take Iowa to win.
Clemson at #8 Miami (Fla.), 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — In the old days, teams played each of their conference rivals, but, in recent years when conferences have expanded to include a dozen members, conferences have broken into divisions and teams alternate which nondivisional foes they face. Such is the case with Clemson and Miami, both of whom belong to the Atlantic Coast Conference but play in different divisions. The teams haven't met since 2005, and they haven't faced each other in Miami since 2004, the year Miami joined the ACC. Clemson won the last time it played in Miami. I don't expect the Tigers to beat the Hurricanes today.
Auburn at #9 LSU, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN/ESPN2 — Twenty–one years ago, unranked LSU upset fourth–ranked Auburn in Baton Rouge. The game is remembered as "The Earthquake Game" because the noise from the home crowd was picked up by a seismograph at LSU's Geoscience Complex. The two teams meet in Tiger Stadium again today. This time, Auburn is unranked and LSU is in the Top 10. Auburn hasn't beaten LSU on the road since 1999. If either team scores 17 points today, that might be enough to win. Whatever the score is, though, I expect LSU to come out on top.
#10 TCU at #16 BYU, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on Versus — This will be the ninth time the two teams have met since 1987, and BYU has won five of them. But the last four have been played when both were members of the Mountain West Conference, and both teams have come away winners twice. The games at BYU have been entertaining — BYU won in 2007, 27–22, and TCU won in 2005, 51–50. I think TCU will win, but it might be another close one.
#11 Georgia Tech at Virginia — History doesn't seem to favor Georgia Tech in this game. Virginia is 7–3 against Tech since 1999, 13–7 against Tech since 1989. The Cavaliers lost their first three games, then they bounced back to win their last three games. But I expect that streak to end today. Tech should cruise to victory, which would be its first win at Virginia since 1990.
#12 Oregon at Washington, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — Oregon has won the last five against Washington, but the last time the Huskies won was when they hosted Oregon in 2003. And Oregon would be well advised to remember that Southern Cal's only setback (so far) came when the Trojans played in Seattle last month. I will take Oregon — narrowly.
#13 Penn State at Michigan, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — When Penn State beat Michigan last year, it was the first time the Nittany Lions had beaten the Wolverines since 1996. It might be close, but I'm going to pick Penn State to make it two in a row.
#14 Oklahoma State at Baylor, 11:30 a.m. (Central) on Versus — OSU usually wins this game. A couple of times, the Cowboys have scored 60 points or more. OSU is 5–1 in games in Waco. Plus, Oklahoma State is simply better than Baylor. I have to take the Cowboys.
SMU at #17 Houston, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS CS — SMU has only beaten Houston once since the Mustangs resumed football 20 years ago. I'm confident the Cougars will prevail again.
Minnesota at #18 Ohio State, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN/ESPN2 — Ohio State has beaten Minnesota six straight times. I think the Buckeyes can make it seven in a row.
Air Force at #19 Utah, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on Versus — Air Force won the last time this game was played in Utah, but the Utes usually beat Air Force at home. I'll take Utah.
South Florida at #20 Pittsburgh — Each team has three wins in the last six meetings. I'll take Pittsburgh, but it might not be easy.
Texas A&M at #21 Texas Tech — I'm convinced that Tech is good and A&M is not. I'll go with Tech.
Connecticut at #22 West Virginia, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPNU — West Virginia usually beats Connecticut pretty handily. Since 2004, West Virginia is 5–0 against UConn, winning by an average of 42.8 to 15.4. I'll go with West Virginia.
Vanderbilt at #23 South Carolina, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU — I can't see Vandy winning this game.
#25 Oklahoma at #24 Kansas, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — At 3–3, the Sooners could be in big trouble if they don–t win this game. Kansas hasn't beaten Oklahoma since 1997. I think it will still be that way when the day is done.
It was kind of a rough week for me last week. I got 11 out of 17, which isn't bad, but it isn't as good as it was last month. My big setback was picking Oklahoma over Texas. Close but no cigar. And Ohio State, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Kansas and Missouri let me down as well.
It was disappointing for me — as it was for other Arkansas alumni — to watch the Razorbacks lose to top–ranked Florida on Saturday, 23–20.
Especially because the officials made bad calls that gave the Gators new life — and, ultimately, enabled them to win the game.
Make no mistake about it. It wasn't Tim Tebow's heroics that won the game for the Gators.
Now, it's not my way to blame the officials when a game doesn't go my way, but I have to say that I felt the pass interference call in the fourth quarter that helped Florida get the touchdown that tied the game at 20–20 was ridiculous. And I have to agree that, as someone I have never met observed in a comment that was posted online, the refs at that game should have been wearing blue and orange instead of black and white.
So I have to agree with what John Taylor wrote for NBC Sports: "Look, it's all well and good that the SEC is willing to admit that their officials are not infallible. But, when are they going to, you know, prevent it from happening before it really costs someone a game?"
I hate to be the one who has to point it out to Mr. Taylor — although, at this point, I doubt that I am the first to bring this to his attention — but those calls on Saturday did cost Arkansas the game. A pretty big one, too. It doesn't get any bigger than a game against the top–ranked team in the country.
Well, anyway, the Gators got the win and they remained unbeaten, but the Razorbacks exacted a measure of revenge. The Associated Press pollsters were not impressed with Florida and permitted Alabama to leapfrog into the top spot in their weekly poll.
Of course, it's October. It will be about 2½ months before the national championship game will be played. And, in that time, Florida could return to the top spot and be positioned to win yet another national crown. But their failure to convincingly defeat Arkansas worked against them — and I believe the Razorbacks continued to grow and improve.
No matter what the scoreboard said, it was a win for the Razorbacks and a loss for the Gators. And I think most people who watched the game would agree.
The big game this week features the New York Giants against the New Orleans Saints.
It ought to be an entertaining game — two undefeated teams and New Orleans native Eli Manning making his first professional appearance in his hometown.
And, if my predictions hold up, the winner will be the only undefeated team that is playing today that will still be unbeaten when the final whistle blows.
St. Louis (0–5) at Jacksonville (2–3) — Even the Jags should be able to beat the Rams.
Carolina (1–3) at Tampa Bay (0–5) — The cellar dwellers of the NFC South meet in Tampa today. The Bucs have been more productive, but their defense has given up more points than the Panthers. I'm going to predict that Tampa Bay will be in the win column before the day is over.
New York Giants (5–0) at New Orleans (4–0) — The offensive stars get all the reviews. Am I crazy to think the defenses might be the standouts in this game today? Maybe. But I'lll pick New Orleans.
Cleveland (1–4) at Pittsburgh (3–2) — The Steelers are still in the AFC North race, but they're running neck and neck with Baltimore and they trail the unlikely Cincinnati Bengals. There once was a time when Browns–Steelers games were highly anticipated events, but, these days, I don't think the Browns have what it takes to make this game competitive. Steelers should pull away in the second half.
Detroit (1–4) at Green Bay (2–2) — Just what the doctor ordered for a Packer team whose last game was a disappointing loss to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay will win at home.
Baltimore (3–2) at Minnesota (5–0) — I'm sure this flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but I'm picking Baltimore to knock Minnesota from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Houston (2–3) at Cincinnati (4–1) — I remain unconvinced that Cincinnati is as good as its record suggests, but I don't feel Houston is capable of defeating the Bengals. Thus, I expect Cincy to be 5–1 when the day is done.
Kansas City (0–5) at Washington (2–3) — The Redskins haven't impressed me this season, but, after all, they're at home today and they're playing the pitiful Chiefs. I have to take Washington.
Arizona (2–2) at Seattle (2–3) — Well, I guess somebody has to win this game. I'll go with Seattle.
Philadelphia (3–1) at Oakland (1–4) — Philly is favored by two touchdowns and with good reason. I have to take the Eagles in this game.
Buffalo (1–4) at New York Jets (3–2) — Back at home now after losing on Monday night in Miami, I expect the Jets to handle the Bills.
Tennessee (0–5) at New England (3–2) — The Titans left Nashville, where it will be a cool but tolerable 57° with sunny skies and a light breeze today, to play New England in Foxboro, Mass., where it will be cold (around 45°), windy and rainy. Along with the facts that the Titans are winless and they're facing a pretty good Patriots team, I expect New England to prevail.
Chicago (3–1) at Atlanta (3–1) — The Falcons are favored by 3½ points, presumably because they are playing at home. Both teams appear to have emerging quarterbacks. I'll take the home team.
MONDAY
Denver (5–0) at San Diego (2–2) — I don't think the Broncos are as good as their record indicates. The oddsmakers apparently agree with me. They've made the Chargers four–point favorites. I'll take San Diego.
It was 20 years ago today that an earthquake struck during the pregame show for the third game of the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A's.
I remember it well. It was shortly after 7 p.m. in North Texas. I was in my apartment, about to eat my evening meal while watching the World Series. And then there was an interruption. Watch the attached clip. You'll see exactly what I saw.
It was hours — even days — before the scope of the tragedy was known. The earthquake struck on a Tuesday. I didn't manage to speak to a couple I knew who had moved out there the year before until that weekend. Fortunately, they were all right, and they told me quite a tale.
They were living in a house that had survived the legendary turn–of–the–century earthquake as well. My friend, Mike, was in the house when the earthquake struck. It shook the pictures on the wall and broke some glasses that were on the kitchen counter, but, otherwise, everything came through fine. Mike was a little shaken but unhurt.
Jane was the one who had the close call. Their house was in San Francisco, but Jane's job was across the bay in Oakland so she had to commute across the Bay Bridge twice a day.
It was a little past 5 in the afternoon local time when the earthquake happened. Under ordinary circumstances, Jane told me, she would have been in the middle of the bridge. But traffic was lighter than usual because a lot of people had gone to the game or to sports bars to watch it, and she had been off the bridge for about five minutes.
The Loma Prieta earthquake registered 6.9 on the Richter scale, killed 63 and left as many as 12,000 homeless.
The World Series resumed 10 days later, and Oakland went on to sweep it in four games.
I don't know if anyone in the media has given this week's slate of college football games a special nickname, but it seems to me that "Showdown Saturday" would be appropriate.
Of 17 games involving at least one Top 25 team, six are matchups between two ranked teams. Some are traditional battles, like the games between Oklahoma and Texas in Dallas and USC and Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., but some of the games feature relative newcomers to the rankings, like #22 South Carolina, which may have a somewhat short stay in the rankings after its trip to Alabama.
Every game involving a Top 25 team is being televised somewhere. Consequently, some of the teams that are being televised have seldom been televised — like UCF and San Diego State.
Tenth–ranked LSU and #16 Oregon are idle.
Arkansas at #1 Florida, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS — As an Arkansas graduate, I would love to see the Razorbacks win this game. The Hogs are coming off a 21–point win over Auburn, but I don't think they're quite at this level yet. On the other hand, if Tim Tebow gets knocked out of the game, who knows?
#2 Texas vs. #18 Oklahoma, 11 a.m. (Central) on ABC — Yes, OU has lost a couple of games, and its Heisman Trophy–winning quarterback has been struggling with injury. But this is a rivalry, and team records really are irrelevant. I'm going to pick Oklahoma.
#22 South Carolina at #3 Alabama, 6:45 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — I think Alabama will handle the surprising Gamecocks — even though rival Tennessee is next on the schedule.
#4 Virginia Tech at #20 Georgia Tech, 5 p.m. (Central) on ESPN2 — Virginia Tech has won its last two games against Georgia Tech. I'll take the Hokies, but I think it could be a close one.
#5 USC at #25 Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on NBC — When both of the teams in a tradition–rich rivalry like this one are in the Top 25, it adds a lot to the game's aura, but I am not sure it makes it any more intense for the participants. USC has won seven straight over Notre Dame, which I am sure is a source of motivation but I don't think it will produce a different result. I'll take USC.
#6 Boise State at Tulsa, tonight at 7 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — I think Boise State is too much for Tulsa.
#7 Ohio State at Purdue, 11 a.m. (Central) on Big Ten — The Buckeyes usually win against Purdue. They've won eight of the last 10. Sometimes Ohio State has won by wide margins. Sometimes OSU's defense has held Purdue to a single score. And sometimes it's been unexpectedly difficult for the Buckeyes. But I think they will win again, and this one is likely to be by a comfortable margin. That is the way Ohio State's games seem to be going this year.
Colorado State at #8 TCU, 3 p.m. (Central) on Versus — I think TCU has too much for Colorado State.
#9 Cincinnati at #21 South Florida, Thursday at 6:45 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — Of all the Top 25 showdowns I could have imagined before the season began, this one was way down the list. I'll take Cincinnati on the basis of what I've heard about its quarterback.
#11 Miami (Florida) at UCF, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS CS — I don't see any way that this game can be competitive. I'll take Miami.
#12 Iowa at Wisconsin, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN — This is a tough one. The teams have split their last 10 games, but Wisconsin has lost two of its last three at home to Iowa. I'll give the edge to Iowa.
Minnesota at #13 Penn State, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — Minnesota last beat Penn State in 2004. But that game was at home. Minnesota's last win at Penn State was the year before that, but the Nittany Lions struggled in 2003. They're a different team now. And I'll pick Penn State to win.
#24 Missouri at #14 Oklahoma State, 8:15 p.m. (Central) on ESPN2 — Missouri hasn't lost at Oklahoma State since 1992. The two teams don't play every year, but, when they do, it's usually entertaining. I'll pick Missouri.
#15 Kansas at Colorado, 6 p.m. (Central) on FSN — USA Today says Colorado's Folsom Field is one of the 10 great places to watch a college football game. It didn't help Colorado against Texas last week. Will it help against Kansas? I'm going to say no. Give me Kansas.
Texas Tech at #17 Nebraska, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — Tech isn't the team it was last year, and neither is Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are on their way up, and they're playing at home. I'll take Nebraska.
#19 BYU at San Diego State, 5 p.m. (Central) on MTN — BYU should have no trouble.
#23 Houston at Tulane, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS — I pick Houston to prevail.
Part of the college experience for most people is Saturday afternoon football games.
This Saturday will be the anniversary of one of the most memorable games of my college days — and I hope it turns out to be every bit as memorable for those who are students now on the campus of my alma mater.
It isn't the kind of thing that can be duplicated for succeeding generations. But my college experience would have been completely different without it.
I graduated from the University of Arkansas. And it was on October 17 in 1981 that the Razorbacks defeated their arch rivals, the Texas Longhorns, who were ranked #1 in the nation, by the lopsided score of 42–11. I went to many Razorback games when I was in college, and I don't think I ever heard the home fans cheer as loudly as they did on that day.
Maybe that's because the whole thing was such an astonishingly unexpected event.
Arkansas wasn't ranked. Two weeks earlier, the Razorbacks lost to perennial Southwest Conference doormat TCU for the first time in my lifetime. To lifelong Razorback fans, it was embarrassing. Things are different now, but back then, it was a disgrace for a team that was usually a contender for the conference title, as Arkansas was, to lose to a team in the lower tier of the SWC. And TCU definitely occupied the lower tier.
The Hogs bounced back with a 26–14 victory over Texas Tech the next week, but the unbeaten — and seemingly unbeatable — Texas Longhorns were next on the schedule.
I was living off campus in those days, and the girl who was going to the game with me was living in one of the dorms. I remember calling her and telling her that I didn't think I would go to the game that day. Like most Arkansas fans, I thought the Hogs were going to lose to the powerful Longhorns.
But she told me to come on over to the dorm and we would see how we felt when the 2:30 kickoff drew near. So I agreed to come over, although I still didn't think I would go to the game. But we talked about it and, in the end, we decided to go.
If it turned into a blowout, we agreed, we would leave. Her dorm, after all, wasn't too far from the stadium. And I admit that I was far from certain that we would stay past halftime. It turned out our seats were just across the aisle from where the huge University of Texas marching band was seated. I made a mental resolution: If the score was as out of hand as I expected and I wasn't deaf from hearing repeated playings of "The Eyes of Texas" in the first half, I should leave and count my blessings.
Well, we didn't leave the stadium at halftime. The score was out of hand, but not in Texas' favor. The Razorbacks had taken a commanding lead, and the fans were raucous. The band had been mostly quiet in the first half, and my hearing was still intact.
So we stayed. And I am glad we did. It was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything.
I found the attached clip of game highlights, and it brought back some memories of that afternoon. It's interesting, though, that whoever compiled that YouTube clip chose Michael Jackson's "Beat It" as the background music. Fact is, that song wasn't recorded until the following year so, even though it may be an energetic theme, it really isn't an appropriate one. The jubilant Razorback fans in Fayetteville that day couldn't possibly have listened to it at their victory parties that night since it didn't exist yet.
Perhaps a better tune would have been Christopher Cross' "Arthur's Theme," which was the top–selling song on Billboard's charts at the time. It might be a more subdued melody, but it is more representative of what people were listening to.
A few memories stand out from that day:
Through most of the time I was growing up, Southwest Conference schools ran the ball. Throwing the ball was something you did if you were way behind. And some coaches apparently had too much pride to throw the ball even if they were far behind. Frank Broyles, for example, was coach of the Razorbacks until I was in high school, and I have few memories of the Razorbacks throwing the ball — even when they trailed by huge margins.
I vividly recall listening to radio coverage of Arkansas' season opener when Lou Holtz took over for Broyles. On the first offensive play, Holtz called a deep pass. The sharp intake of breath from the capacity crowd was clearly audible.
On that afternoon in 1981, Holtz was able to run a more conservative offense, but, because of the score, Texas was forced to abandon its running game, eventually setting a school record for pass attempts in a game. Many of those passes were incomplete, which stopped the clock and prolonged the game.
It was starting to get dark by the time the game ended. Visibility was restricted for everyone, including the TV audience. In those days, Razorback Stadium had lights that were adequate only for practice sessions, not for illuminating a field for TV cameras.
Here in the 21st century, it may be hard to imagine a stadium that isn't equipped with lights that make it possible to play there at night. But they were still around in 1981, and Razorback Stadium was one of them.
I don't think I have ever been to a game that had as many shifts in the weather conditions. If you watch the clips, you'll see that, at some points, the field was bathed in sunlight. At other times, when clouds — and even some rain — went through, it got a little dark.
There were even times when the area was under a tornado watch.
It was never announced over the P.A. system, and the fans who didn't have radios with them didn't know that at the time. But the ones with radios weren't exactly making their way to the exits.
This was Razorback football. The opponent was the hated Texas Longhorns, who were the top–ranked team in the nation that day. TV cameras were broadcasting the game to the outside world.
And the Hogs were winning.
For Razorback fans, no better conditions could be imagined for one's last moments. I can only assume that those who did know we were under a tornado watch decided it was worth the risk.
When I was growing up, Texas was the source of a lot of frustration for Razorback fans. Nearly every year, the Longhorns beat the Razorbacks, often decisively — and that win over Arkansas usually gave Texas the conference title.
In the years leading up to that memorable afternoon in 1981, Texas had run off a streak of seven straight wins over Arkansas. The Razorbacks ended that skid with a three–point win over Texas in Little Rock two years earlier, but then they seemed to resume their old ways when the series returned to Austin in 1980, giving Texas eight wins over Arkansas in the 10 years prior to that memorable afternoon in Razorback Stadium.
So, on that afternoon, Arkansas fans were ready to celebrate. They tried to tear down one of the goal posts, but they couldn't quite manage it. The goal post apparently was made of metal, and the fans only managed to distort it into a bizarre dangling wishbone shape that I could see for several days as I walked past the dorms that stood at the top of the hill looking down on the stadium.
This Saturday, there will be a few clear differences between the game Arkansas will play against #1 Florida and the game the Razorbacks played against Texas in 1981.
For one, the Florida game is a road game for Arkansas. The Texas game was played at home.
For another, the top ranking in the nation hasn't been the revolving door in 2009 that it was in 1981. By mid–October of that year, Texas was the fourth team to be ranked #1. Unless I have missed something, the Gators have been ranked #1 all along.
Yet another difference is that, while Arkansas lost to a lightly regarded foe two weeks before the Razorbacks played Texas in 1981, Arkansas' two losses this year have been against teams that were ranked — Georgia and Alabama.
One more noteworthy difference: In 1981 — and this could be the most important factor for Razorback fans — Texas brought a healthy squad to Fayetteville. The Gators are led by a quarterback who has won a Heisman Trophy and two national titles in his collegiate career — but he suffered a concussion against Kentucky weekend before last and played in spite of it against LSU this past weekend.
That flew in the face of what modern authorities on sports injuries tend to recommend for concussion victims. They usually recommend that football players who have had concussions sit out the next game.
Will that affect Tim Tebow's performance against the Razorbacks? That remains to be seen. Arkansas' defense hasn't been particularly impressive this season, but I don't think it has been panned as much as it was after the TCU loss in 1981.
And, if Arkansas' explosive offense isn't held in check by Florida's defense, that may put more pressure on Florida to be productive.
Florida certainly has shown that its offense can put points on the board. And, if Tebow is 100%, beating Florida may prove to be too great a challenge for the Razorbacks.
But a lifetime of watching the Razorbacks has taught me never to count them out — even if the foe is the top–ranked team in the nation.
Common sense says Florida probably will win. But I'll be watching, anyway.
A "tomato can" is a fighter who is believed to be past his prime and an "easy" or "guaranteed" win for an up-and-coming fighter who wants to pad his record.
Sometimes, though, the "tomato can" doesn't cooperate. For example, in 1990, undefeated heavyweight champion Mike Tyson lost the title to a 42-to-1 underdog named Buster Douglas.
Another heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, almost lost his title to lightly regarded Chuck Wepner in 1975. Wepner nearly went the distance against Ali and inspired the original "Rocky" movie.
I got my bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas, and I got my master's degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. Most of my adult life has been dedicated to writing and editing in one form or another. Most recently I have taught writing (news and developmental) as an adjunct journalism professor at Richland College, where I advise the student newspaper staff. Go, Thunderducks!
