SZ673

BY JIM DAWSON

NOVEMBER 20, 2017

SPIRIT IN THE SKY

At the end of the AFC championship game against the Oakland Raiders (the Snow Bowl game) 1/19/02, Jon Gruden, the Raiders coach, took a timeout attempting to freeze kicker Adam Vinatieri. Vinatieri had just kicked a tying 45-yard end over ender through the snow that just made it over the crossbar.

This time Vinatieri had a much closer kick of 23 yards. During the timeout, the Patriots PA system played Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky. I turned to Driller Killer and said: “There’s no way that Vinatieri misses this kick.” And so it was.

The Patriots and Raiders have had ‘a thing’ for some time. Patriots fans have always been rankled over the ‘roughing the passer’ penalty on ‘Sugar Bear’ Hamilton which allowed the Ken Stabler-led Raiders to get a 1^st and goal after the 4^th down penalty on ‘Sugar Bear’. That was the AFC Championship 12/18/76. It should’ve been the Patriots, not the Raiders, in that Super Bowl. ‘Sugar Bear’ was in mid-air when Stabler passed.

Most Patriots fans felt that the ‘Tuck Rule’ was payback for that poor penalty call. So when the Patriots play the Raiders, there is a little something extra going on. And so it was Sunday at 3:25 Central Time in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.

There were a reported 76,000 fans in Estadio Azteca. It was expected to be a competitive game. It was but not for long. The Patriots were up 14-0. Oakland was driving with 44 seconds left before half. When Derek Carr hit WR Seth Roberts, he had it at the NE 3, but twisted for more yardage. As he did so, LB Marquis Flowers punched the ball out of Roberts’ hands. Patrick Chung recovered the fumble. It was a huge play. I call it a BAP (Big Ass Play). Oakland might have been down 14-7 or 14-3 and still in the game.

Instead there was enough time (33 seconds) for Tom Brady and Bunch to move downfield and set up Stephen Gostkowski’s 62-yard field goal which was aided by the rarefied air. Down now 17-0 and the Patriots having the first 2^nd half possession, the Raiders were close to walking the plank. When Brandin Cooks hauled in a pass and went 64-yards for a TD that made it 24-0, the Raiders were effectively fish bait. 33-8.

EXTRA POINTS

Tom Brady was an amazing 30 of 37 with 3TD. Derek Carr was 28 of 49 but with drops.

Estadio Azteca is about 7200 feet above sea level. The Patriots practiced all week at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs which is about 6600 feet above sea level. Raiders coach Jack Del Rio had his team practice all week in Oakland which is slightly below sea level. From this observer’s viewpoint, it was not a good coaching decision. The Patriots ran a no huddle right from the start which helped to gas the Raiders.

The Patriots had trouble stopping Marshawn Lynch - 9 carries 61 yards in the 1^st half. Lynch only had 2 carries in the 2^nd half for 6 yards. The Raiders had to go to the pass.

Ted Karras did a fine job at center for the ailing David Andrews. It was said he had only played guard, but I’m sure Scarnecchia had Karras play C in pre-season. The big 2^nd half lead allowed Belichick to use Cam Fleming and Cole Coston (his debut) on the O– Line.

CBS analyst Tony Romo had many good insights. And Jim Lantz did better though he did call Burkhead ‘Buckhead’ at one point. A Burkhead fumble on the opening drive was recovered by TE Dwayne Allen who outmuscled 2 Raiders for the ball.

The PA system played La Bamba at one point. The Ritchie Valens version was my first 45 record. It means a dance. It’s from the Spanish verb bambolear (to shake, to stomp).

BRADY’S BRAIN

My lovely companion of 17+ years, Victoria, agrees with Gisele Bundchen that Tom Brady should retire because of the danger of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). Me being Victoria’s ‘spousal equivalent’ understands why Tom Brady doesn’t want to quit. Five Super Bowl Championships with a 6^th this year entirely possible.

So I would say this – Tom Brady should play this year and next and then hang up the cleats before he gets hurt with head shots (think Miami’s Suh and Alonso).

This week it was revealed that forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu published a scientific paper regarding a study done on living football players to test for CTE. Before, only a brain autopsy could show CTE. Omalu’s study used a PET scan and radioactive ‘tracer’ to find tau proteins in the brain which can signal CTE because the tau proteins make a distinctive pattern. Omalu did an autopsy on Fred McNeill which confirmed the CTE found in the test done when he was alive. Omalu predicts that a test will be available within 5 years. (Source – Nadia Kounang – CNN.com – 11/16/17)

5 Super Bowl Championships & his MVPs won’t matter much if Tom Brady can’t enjoy the rest of his life with wife Gisele and his children.

ONE BULLET

• Ryan Hannable (WEEI.com – 11/19) had Jonathan Kraft saying that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones basically told Robert Kraft to ‘take your medicine and win some football games’ after Tom Brady was suspended for ‘Deflategate’. Take your medicine, Jerry.

EMAIL

You made the trivia easy this week. Has to be Thurston Howell III also known as Jim Backus.

Jim Dwyer

Jim, good guess, but not correct. A quick look does not show that Backus was ever a DJ though he did have his own radio show at one point. Also he was from the Cleveland area and was not in Detroit's Lone Ranger series. Kasem did the voice of Waldo on Mr. Magoo while Backus did Mr. Magoo. But I like the guess. - Z

Hey Jim,
My answer to this week’s quiz is Casey Kasem. Series recorded in Detroit. The announcer, Brace Beemer, was a neighbor in the old neighborhood.
Bruce Irwin                                                                                                                           You are right, Bruce. That Detroit connection helped.  -   Z

Answer to quiz: Casey Kasem.

Dennis Doyon

Dennis, you are correct - it's Casey Kasem. - Z

Hi Jim

Thanks for the mention of my radio background. I did indeed host a jazz radio show - five mornings a week - at the illustrious VOUS (Voice Of United States - 50 watts!) at the U.S. Naval Station in Argentia, Newfoundland. It was my first duty station out of boot camp, and the DJ gig saved me from lesser duties for well over a year. By the time I left Argentia, I had made petty officer 3rd class, and THEN I was sent to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, with "Operation Deepfreeze". I think the quiz answer is Casey Kasem. BTW, the Lone Ranger, as well as Sgt. Preston of The Yukon, and the Green Hornet were created by a gent named Fran Striker, a native of Buffalo, New York, and an alum of U.B. (Ed.: University of Buffalo)

Buffalo Steve

Steve, thanks for the clarification re the jazz radio show. You are right about Casey Kasem being the answer to the music trivia. And thanks for the info about the old radio shows and the Buffalonian responsible for them. I remember Sgt. Preston of the Yukon on the radio (then later on TV) . The sponsor was Quaker Puff Wheat and Quaker Puff Rice cereal. - Z

Sportzine is available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz

THE HOT CLUB

The Hot Club as the Hotel California – you can check out, but you can never leave:

The Wise Man and Bags have thankfully returned, and there have been sightings of the Warden, who is now retired. And I was thrilled last Wednesday with the return of Alexander the Grate. Thought I even heard Contraire’s voice the other night, but thankfully not for long.

The usual cast of characters were talking about roundabouts (in Ireland) and rotaries in the US. I for one have not fared well with them. Fleet Feet Pete then described dealing with them this way: “Hamster wheel of death.”

The latest round of draft craft beers for the drawing for a Hot Club gift card: American Funk by Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. of New York City. An American IPA, ABV of 7.5. Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale (Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co). The English ale has an ABV of 8.19 and Valor Ale (14^th Star Brewing Co. in Vermont) with an ABV of 5.4. Last week the HC had a Foolproof Forecast Chapter 3 which I liked. It was a salted caramel with an ABV of 5.2. Foolproof is one of 5 craft breweries in Pawtucket alone. There are 14 in the state (and counting) as craft beer brewers make small inroads against the giants like Anheuser-Busch In Bev and Molson/Coors.

LAST ISSUE’S QUIZ ANSWER

Last issue I asked: This entertainer started his career in radio, acting in Detroit’s Lone Ranger. From there he branched into TV and did the voices of cartoon characters in series such as Mister Magoo and Batman and Robin. He became a DJ and got his own syndicated show on radio. What’s his name?

A few knew: the Wiz (in person), Bruce Irwin, Dennis Doyon and Buffalo Steve knew that it was Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) who soared to success with his radio show American Top 40 which he did from 1970 until his retirement in 2009. Kasem has a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and won Billboard’s first Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s in the National Broadcasters and the Radio Halls of Fame (Source – Don Root’s 1970’s Rock ‘N’ Roll knowledge cards and Wikipedia).

THIS ISSUE’S QUIZ

This guitarist moved to San Francisco as a teenager and co-founded a band that Bill Graham discovered. The band not only had the #1 album of 1970 but won a Grammy in 1999. Name of the guitarist and his band?