Replaying Super Bowl III

Wow! How exciting to see a rematch of possibly the most significant game in the history of professional football. This Sunday January 24, 2010 the New York Jets again are underdogs to the highly regarded Colts, who, this time, are based in Indianapolis instead of Baltimore. Back in early January 1969, the brash young Jets from the upstart American Football League upset the heavily favoured Colts, who had run up a 13-1 regular season record and had thrashed the Cleveland Browns 34-0 in the National Football League final. Long haired Joe Namath beat crew cut veteran John Unitas. The upset brought credibility to the young AFL, formed in 1960, and currently celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. How appropriate that the two teams meet again during this anniversary year, for the right to represent the American Football Conference, the descendant of the old AFL, in the Super Bowl. Only this time, I have just got to cheer for the Colts, as I am a hopeless Peyton Manning fan.

Celebrating the AFL in the NFC

It is interesting that this coming weekend's National Football Conference Divisional Playoff games involve four teams that all have close connections to the formation of the American Football League (AFL), whose 50th anniversary is being celebrated this year. First, the Sunday match up between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings features the two expansion teams from 1960 and 1961, respectively, whose existence resulted directly from the creation of the AFL in 1959. The NFL had no plans to expand when Lamar Hunt originally asked for an NFL expansion franchise in 1958, but changed its mind when Hunt's brainchild, the AFL, got off the ground a year later.

The other game this weekend features the Arizona Cardinals against the New Orleans Saints, who also both figured in AFL history. Back in 1958-1959, when the NFL first told Lamar Hunt there would be no expansion, Hunt then met with the ownership of the Chicago Cardinals, who were threatening to leave Chicago where they were losing the battle of the Windy City to the crosstown Bears. The Cardinals owners told Hunt they were not interested in selling, and that he was one of several people who had expressed an interest in purchasing the Cardinals. After this, Hunt realized that if so many people were interested in owning a professional football team, why not start his own league? Hence, the creation of the AFL.

The Saints figured into the AFL equation a bit later in the 1960s. After the AFL became firmly established by the mid 1960s and a bidding war for both college and pro stars ensued with the NFL, the two leagues realized that they had to reach a peace or they would price each other out of existence. The AFL and NFL agreed on a merger, but to implement this they needed an exemption from Congress from the anti-trust legislation. The solution lay in obtaining the support of a Congressman from Louisiana who would make the exemption happen in return for an NFL franchise. Hence, the birth of the New Orleans Saints.

So, as we watch the Saints and Cardinals shoot it out on Saturday and the Cowboys and Vikings battle in the Metrodome, remember to celebrate the existence of the other conference, the AFC, who is tracing its lineage back 50 years to the formation of the AFL. Without the Cardinals, there probably wouldn't have been an AFL in 1960 and without the AFL there probably wouldn't have been the Cowboys in 1960 and the Vikings in 1961. And without the AFL, there probably wouldn't have been the New Orleans Saints in 1967. Conversely, without the Saints in 1967, there probably wouldn't have been a successful merger of the two leagues into the great NFL as we know it today.

My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars

you're always dancing down the street
with your suede blue eyes
and every new boy that you meet
he doesn't know the real surprise

(here she comes again)
when she's dancing 'neath the starry sky
oo, she'll make you flip
(here she comes again)
when she's dancing 'neath the starry sky
I kinda like the way she dips
well she's my best friend's girl
she's my best friend's girl-irl
but she used to be mine

you've got your nuclear boots
and your drip dry glove
oo when you bite your lip
it's some reaction to love, o-ove, o-ove
(here she comes again)
when she's dancing 'neath the starry sky
yeah, I think you'll flip
(here she comes again)
when she's dancing 'neath the starry sky
(here she comes again)
I kinda like the way, I like the way she dips
'cause she's my best friend's girl
well she's my best friend's girl-irl
and she used to be mine
she's so fine

you're always dancing down the street
with your suede blue eye-eyes
and every new boy that you meet
doesn't know the real surprise

(here she comes again)
when she's dancing 'neath the starry sky
(here she comes again)
oh, she'll make you flip
(here she comes again)
when she's dancing 'neath the starry sky
(here she comes again)
I kinda like the way, I like the way she dips
'cause she's my best friend's girl, uh
she's my best friend's girl-irl-u-irl
she used to be mine
she so, fine

(my best friend's girlfriend)
oh
(my best friend's girlfriend)
she used to be mine
(my best friend's girlfriend)
yeah yeah
(my best friend's girlfriend)
said she used to be mine
(my best friend's girlfriend)
oh, yeah yeah yeah
(my best friend's girlfriend)
she used to be mine
(my best friend's girlfriend)

A first time for everything

I nearly laughed when I saw "carrot juice" on the menu at the House of Kabobs, located on Edmonton Trail in Calgary. It sounds like something that The Simpsons would lampoon. However, when my new Iranian friend, Mehdi (spelling?) recommended it, I just had to try it. And not just the carrot juice, but the carrot juice float.


I was pleasantly surprised. The ice cream is flavoured with saffron and the beverage tastes wonderful. I was so glad that I listened to Mehdi's advice. I also told him that the first syllable of his name is now an official word in the English language, meaning "whatever" or "a form of indifference." So the next time Mehdi recommends a carrot juice float to you, don't say "meh."

The Kings

This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide (by David Diamond and Mister Zero)

Hey Judy, get Trudy
You said to call you up if I was feeling moody
Hey little Donna, still wanna
You said to ring you up if I was in Toronto
I have lots of friends that I can ding at any time
Can mobilize some laughs with just one call
Like a bunch of lunatics, we'll act till way past dawn
Sure we'll be rockin' till our strength is gone
Yeah, This Beat Goes On
Hey, ladies. Ooh, you crazies
Me and Zero request you in the Mercedes
And then we'll ride, so zoomy inside
The sky's the limit, this time I'm Switchin' to Glide

I don't give a hoot about what people have to say
I'm laughing as I'm analyzed
Lunatics Anonymous, that's where I belong
Sure, 'cause I am one, till my strength is gone
Yeah, This Beat Goes On
I have lots of friends that I can ding at any time
Can mobilize some laughs with just one call
Like a bunch of lunatics, we'll act till way past dawn
Sure, we'll be rockin' till our strength is gone
Yeah, This Beat Goes On, this beat goes on,
This beat goes on, this beat goes on,
This beat goes on, this beat goes on,
This beat goes on, this beat goes...

Nothing matters but the weekend
From a Tuesday point of view
Like a kettle in the kitchen
I feel the steam begin to brew
Switchin' to Glide, Switchin' to Glide
Switchin' to Glide, Switchin' to Glide
Energy can be directed
I'm turning it up, I'm turning it down
Even love can be affected
Harmony's the sweetest sound
Switching to Glide, Switchin' to Glide
Switchin' to Glide, Switchin' to Glide
Balancing in my head..inside of me...
taking the glide path instead.

Everybody gets the no-no
Hear it ringing in they ears
Lots of ways that you can go GO!
Look around NO disappears
Switchin' to Glide, Switchin' to Glide
Switchin' to Glide, Switchin' to Glide
Switchin' to Glide, Yeah
Switchin' to Glide, Yeah
Switchin' to Glide
Oh... ah, ah, ah... Oh... ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
I'm switchin' to glide

I finally found some way
out of this hole, you know
out of this hole!

Losing two legends

We lost two legendary football stars this week, Sammy Baugh from the NFL and Joe "King" Krol from the CFL. Both were stars of the game long before my time, but I can appreciate the impact that they had on football from the history that accompanies them. Both were multi talented players. Most players played multiple positions back in the 1940s, but not all players excelled at all the positions they played, as Baugh and Krol did.

Sammy Baugh (#33) was a natural passer, a first round draft choice from Texas who played on two NFL champion teams for the Washington Redskins. He was also a talented defensive back and an outstanding punter. One year he led the NFL in passing, interceptions by a defensive back and in punting. Only recently has his record career punting average been exceeded by Shane Lechler of the Oakland Raiders. Baugh still holds several NFL punting records after being out of the game for over fifty years.

King Krol (#73) won five Grey Cups for the Toronto Argonauts in their hey day in the late forties and early fifties. Like Baugh he starred on offence and defence and was a talented kicker. A running back, Krol was named to the top 50 CFL players of all time. He is also a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

These two men lived to advanced ages, but we still mourn their loss as they were legends who helped make the great game of football what it is today.

Say it S'Aint so, Deuce!

It won't be the same without Deuce McAllister running out of the backfield, or just appearing on the New Orleans Saints sideline for the next four games. Deuce has been suspended by the NFL for using a banned diuretic, which can be used as a masking agent for steroids. It all seems a bit harsh when he claims to have been using the diuretic for losing weight, and was not aware that the med included a banned substance. It also seems harsh when you compare this situation to that of Ricky Williams, whose suspension resulted from marijuana use. Oh, I hope Deuce doesn't retire in the meantime and I never get to see him play again. We want you back, big guy.