National Football League lore

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

National Football League lore is a collection of information that NFL fans retain and share.

Since the NFL was founded in 1920, it has grown from an informal network of teams based mostly in small towns and cities into the most popular and successful sports league in the United States. During the interval between its founding and the present, it has competed for attention with other sports and college football, fended off rival leagues, consolidated the marriage between sports and television, and established an extensive and colorful NFL lore. Largely through the efforts of NFL Films and many sportswriters, some events have become extremely famous, even mythical, in the history of the game.

Contents

[edit] Games and plays

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The following is a selected list of memorable plays and events that have stood the test of time and are considered common knowledge by NFL fans:

[edit] 1930s

[edit] 1940s

  • December 8, 1940, Chicago Bears vs. Washington Redskins, 1940 NFL Championship Game
    Sparked by a comment made by Redskins owner George Preston Marshall, who had said three weeks earlier that the Bears were crybabies and quitters when the going got tough, Chicago crushed Washington, 73-0. This game currently stands as the most onesided victory in NFL history.
  • December 16, 1945, Washington Redskins vs. Cleveland Rams, 1945 NFL Championship Game
    The Rams scored a safety when Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh, throwing the ball from his own end zone, hit the goal posts (which were on the goal line between 1933 and 1973). The two points was the margin of victory as the Rams won 15-14. After the game, the rules were changed so that when a forward pass thrown from one's own end zone hits the goal posts, it is instead ruled incomplete.

[edit] 1950s

[edit] 1960s

[edit] 1970s

  • The Immaculate Reception , or the Immaculate Deception for Raider fans (December 23, 1972, Oakland Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, AFC Divisional Playoff Game)
    With Pittsburgh trailing Oakland 7-6 and facing fourth-and-ten on their own 40-yard line with 22 seconds remaining in the game, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw the ball toward fullback Frenchy Fuqua. However, the ball bounced into the air as Fuqua collided with Raiders safety Jack Tatum. It was then caught by Steelers running back Franco Harris, who then ran the rest of the way downfield to score a touchdown that gave the Steelers a 12-7 lead with five seconds remaining in the game. The catch is considered questionable because it could not be determined by available camera angles whether the ball had been touched by Fuqua, Tatum, or both. The NFL rules at the time dictated that two offensive players could not touch a forward pass in succession, therefore if Fuqua did touch the ball before Harris, the play would have been ruled dead as an incomplete pass. Under current rules, the play would be deemed legal.
  • Miami's Perfect Season (1972)
    The Miami Dolphins became the first (and as of the 2008 Super Bowl, the only) NFL team to have a perfect season, capped by winning Super Bowl VII. It is a well-travelled urban legend that each year the surviving members of the team had made a ritual of getting together and drinking champagne when the last unbeaten team loses. In actuality, only a small group of ex-players - namely Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti and Dick Anderson, who all live in Coral Gables, Florida - gathered to uncork the champagne and have a celebratory drink.[4]
  • The Sea of Hands (December 21, 1974, Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders, AFC Divisional Playoff Game)
    With 24 seconds left in the game, The Raiders' Clarence Davis somehow caught the winning touchdown pass among "the sea of hands" of three Dolphins defenders. This game eliminated Miami from the playoffs after they had made it to the Super Bowl in each of the last 3 seasons.[5]
  • The Hail Mary (December 28, 1975, Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings, NFC Divisional Playoff Game)
    The term Hail Mary pass first came to national awareness with this game. With 24 seconds left in the game, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, nicknamed "Captain Comeback", threw a desperate 50-yard winning touchdown pass to "Mr. Clutch" Drew Pearson to defeat the Minnesota Vikings. Until this time, a last-second desperation pass had been called several names, most notably the Alley-Oop.
  • Ghost to the Post (December 24, 1977, Oakland Raiders vs. Baltimore Colts, AFC Divisional Playoff Game)
    Raiders tight end Dave Casper, nicknamed "The Ghost" by his teammates, caught a 42-yard reception (on a pass route headed towards the goal posts) to set up the Raiders' tying field goal near the end of regulation. Then Casper caught a 10-yard touchdown pass with 43 seconds into the second overtime period to win the game.
  • The Holy Roller, or the Immaculate Deception for Chargers fans (September 10, 1978, Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers)
    The Raiders were trailing the Chargers with 10 seconds remaining. Quarterback Ken Stabler fumbled the ball and running back Pete Banaszak swatted it into the end zone where tight end Dave Casper fell on it for a touchdown. After this play, it was made illegal to move the ball forward by deliberately swatting or kicking it after a fumble; and in the final two minutes of each half, plus on fourth down at any time in the game, a forward fumble recovered by any member of the offensive team other than the fumbler is spotted at the point of the fumble, not the point of the recovery.
  • The Miracle at the Meadowlands, or The Fumble for Giants fans (November 19, 1978, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants)
    Leading 17-12 with 31 seconds left in the game (and the Eagles having no timeouts left), Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik tried to hand off to running back Larry Csonka instead of simply kneeling with the ball to run out the clock. The exchange was fumbled and the Eagles' Herman Edwards picked up the loose ball and ran it in for the game-winning touchdown. The Eagles won 19-17 and the next day Giants' offensive coordinator Bob Gibson was fired, with head coach John McVay losing his job at the conclusion of the season.

[edit] 1980s

  • Red Right 88 (January 4, 1981, Oakland Raiders vs. Cleveland Browns, AFC Divisional Playoff Game)
    Trailing 14-12, the Browns choose to attempt an end zone pass play (Red Right 88) instead of trying for a game-winning field goal in the final minute, but the pass was intercepted by Raiders safety Mike Davis. With that interception, the Raiders held on to eventually advance to and win Super Bowl XV. The air temperature was 4 degrees Fahrenheit, but wind chill was -37 °F.
  • The Epic in Miami (January 2, 1982, San Diego Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins, AFC Divisional Playoff Game)
    The temperature was 85°F (29.4°C) at the Miami Orange Bowl, but it did not stop either team's offense. This game set playoff records for the most points scored in a playoff game (79), the most total yards by both teams (1,036), and most passing yards by both teams (809). By the end of the first quarter the Chargers stormed to a 24-0 lead, but the Dolphins cut their deficit to 24-17 by halftime and took a 38-31 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. Regulation ended with a 38-38 tie. In overtime, San Diego beat Miami, 41-38.
  • Freezer Bowl (January 10, 1982, San Diego Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals, AFC Championship Game)
    One week after their victory over the Dolphins in "The Epic in Miami" in Florida's scorching heat, the Chargers travelled to Cincinnati to face the Bengals in the coldest game in NFL history based on the wind chill. The air temperature was -9 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 °C), but wind chill was -59 °F (-51 °C). In an attempt to intimidate the Chargers, several Bengals players went without long sleeved uniforms. Cincinnati won the game 27-7 and advanced to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
  • The Catch (January 10, 1982, Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers, NFC Championship Game)[6]
    With 58 seconds left and the 49ers down by 6, Joe Montana threw a very high pass into the endzone. Dwight Clark leapt and completed a fingertip catch for a touchdown. The 49ers won 28-27 and went on to win Super Bowl XVI.
  • The Snow Plow Game (December 12, 1982, Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots)
    After a snowstorm held both teams scoreless, Patriots head coach Ron Meyer ordered the area where the ball was to be spotted for a field goal attempt cleared by a snow plow. Mark Henderson, a convict on work release, cleared the path for John Smith's attempt. It won the game for the Patriots, 3-0, and the practice of using snow plows during games was later banned.[7]
  • 70 Chip (January 30, 1983, Super Bowl XVII, Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins)
    Trailing 17-13 in the fourth quarter, the Redskins were facing 4th and 1 in Miami territory. Washington running back John Riggins was the obvious choice to drive through the line for a first down. The play "70 Chip" was called in by offensive coordinator Joe Bugel. The play was designed for The Hogs to clear what appeared to be a path straight through the defensive line, but had a wing back, Clint Didier run across the formation, fake and come back to the left side and block the strong safety, opening up a hole on the left for John Riggins to run through. Riggins was usually known for straight ahead, line busting runs, taking several opponents to bring him down, not necessarily a long distance runner. John ran through the last defender from Miami, Don McNeal, brushing him aside to run 43 yards for the touchdown and put the Redskins ahead 20 to 17. The run was immortalized by NFL Films showing John's strength and determination all the way to the end zone.
  • The Drive (January 11, 1987, Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns, AFC Championship Game)
    After a muffed kickoff return, and trailing 20-13, the Broncos were positioned at their own two-yard line with 5:32 remaining in the game. In 15 plays, Denver quarterback John Elway drove his team 98 yards for a touchdown to tie the game, which the Broncos won in overtime to advance to Super Bowl XXI.
  • The Fumble (January 17, 1988, Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos, AFC Championship Game)
    Trailing 38-31 with 1:12 remaining in the game, the Browns' Earnest Byner appeared to be on his way to score the game tying touchdown. But he fumbled the ball at the 3-yard line. The Broncos recovered the ball, gave the Browns an intentional safety, and went on to win 38-33, sending the Broncos to their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl XXII).
  • The Fog Bowl (December 31, 1988, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears, NFC Divisional Playoff Game)
    A heavy, dense fog rolled over the stadium (Soldier Field) during the second quarter, cutting visibility to about 15-20 yards for the rest of the game. The fog was so thick that TV and radio announcers had trouble seeing what was happening on the field. The Bears ended up winning 20-12.
  • The Instant Replay Game (November 5, 1989, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers)[8] [9]
    On the final play of the game, Green Bay quarterback Don "Magic" Majkowski rifled a desperation pass into the endzone which was caught by receiver Sterling Sharpe, a TD that with the extra point would give the Packers a 14-13 victory. A penalty flag was down, and it charged that Majkowski had thrown an illegal pass after he stepped over the line of scrimmage. After review, the play was ultimately ruled a touchdown for Green Bay. The Bears organization protested, and to this day, it is marked in their media guide as "The Instant Replay Game."
  • Bounty Bowl (November 23, 1989, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys)
    In the Cowboys' annual Thanksgiving game, the Eagles won 27-0, in the only Thanksgiving shutout Dallas has suffered to date. The game was ill-tempered, with several scuffles between opposing players, and Cowboys (and former Eagles) kicker Luis Zendejas was knocked out of the game with a concussion thanks to a hard hit during a kickoff. After the game, Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson accused Eagles coach Buddy Ryan of placing bounties on Zendejas and Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman.
  • Bounty Bowl II (December 10, 1989, Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles)
    The equally ill-tempered rematch, won 20-10 by the Eagles, was played in a Veterans Stadium that was not cleaned of snow that had fallen for several days in Philadelphia. The notoriously rowdy Eagles crowd, lubricated by considerable amounts of beer, threw snowballs, iceballs, batteries, and other objects at anyone in sight. One game official was knocked to the ground by a barrage of snowballs, Johnson had to be escorted from the field by Philadelphia police through a hail of debris, and CBS broadcasters Verne Lundquist and Terry Bradshaw had to dodge snowballs aimed at the broadcast booth. Even Eagles star Jerome Brown became a target when he stood on the players' bench pleading with fans to stop throwing debris on the field. Future Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell, an avowed Eagles fanatic, later admitted to having participated in the bedlam.

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 2000s


[edit] Rules named after players and coaches

Throughout the league's history, a number of rules have been enacted largely because of a single player's or coach's exploits on the field. The following is a partial list of such rule changes:

  • Bert Emanuel rule[10] -- the ball can touch the ground during a completed pass as long as the receiver maintains control of the ball. Enacted due to a play in the 1999 NFC championship game, where Emanuel, playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had a catch ruled incomplete since the ball touched the ground.
  • Bill Belichick rule[11] -- two defensive players, one primary and one backup, will have a radio device in their helmets allowing the head coach to communicate with them through the radio headset, identical to the radio device inside the helmet of the quarterback. This proposal was defeated in previous years, but was finally enacted in 2008 as a result of Spygate. This rule is the first, and thus far only rule named after a head coach.
  • Bronko Nagurski rule[12] -- forward passing made legal from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage. Enacted in 1933. Prior to this rule, a player had to be five yards behind the line of scrimmage to throw a forward pass.
  • Chad Johnson rule[citation needed] -- players may no longer use a prop or do any act while on the ground during a touchdown celebration. Enacted in 2006. (While Johnson was the foremost offender, the rule also might be considered the Joe Horn rule, after an infamous post-touchdown incident involving Horn and a cellular phone after he scored for the Saints against the New York Giants. [13]
  • Deion Sanders rule[14] -- Player salary rule which correlates a contract's signing bonus with its yearly salary. Enacted after Deion Sanders signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 1995 for a minimum salary and a $13 million signing bonus. (There is also a college football rule with this nickname.)
  • Emmitt Smith rule[12] -- A player cannot remove his helmet while on the field of play, except in the case of obvious medical difficulty. A violation is treated as unsportsmanlike conduct. Enacted in 1997.
  • Fran Tarkenton rule[12] -- a line judge was added as the sixth official to ensure that a back was indeed behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass. Enacted in 1965.
  • Greg Pruitt rule[15] -- tear-away jerseys are now illegal. Pruitt purposely wore flimsy jerseys that ripped apart in the hands of would-be tacklers. Such a jersey was most infamously seen in a game between the Rams and Oilers where Earl Campbell's jersey ripped apart after several missed tackles.
  • Ken Stabler rule[12] -- on fourth down at any time in the game, or any down in the final two minutes of play, if a player fumbles, only the fumbling player can recover and/or advance the ball. If that player's teammate recovers the ball, it is placed back at the spot of the fumble. A defensive player can recover and advance at any time of play. Enacted in 1979 in response to the 1978 "Holy Roller" play.
  • Lou Groza rule[12] -- no artificial medium to assist in the execution of a kick. Enacted in 1956.
  • Mel Blount rule[16] -- Officially known as illegal use of hands, defensive backs can only make contact with receivers within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Enacted in current form in 1978.
  • Mel Renfro rule[12] -- allows a second player on the offense to catch a tipped ball, without a defender subsequently touching it. Enacted in 1978.
  • Neil Smith rule[17][18] -- prevents a defensive lineman from flinching to induce a false start penalty on the offense. Enacted in 1998.
  • Phil Dawson rule[19] -- certain field goals can be reviewed by instant replay, including kicks that bounce off the uprights. Under the previous system, no field goals could be replayed. Enacted in 2008 as a result of an unusual field goal that was initially ruled "no good" but was reversed upon discussion.
  • Ricky (Williams) rule[20] -- rule declared that hair could not be used to block part of the uniform from a tackler and, therefore, an opposing player could be tackled by his hair (aka "The Ricky Rule" due to Williams' long dread-locks). Enacted in 2003.
  • Terrell Owens rule [23] -- no "foreign objects" on a player's uniform (enacted in response to the 2002 "Sharpie incident"), though existing rules already forbade this.
  • Tom Dempsey rule[24][25] -- any shoe that is worn by a player with an artificial limb on his kicking leg must have a kicking surface that conforms to that of a normal kicking shoe.
  • Tony Romo rule[26] -- teams will now be given 45 minutes - 25 extra minutes than in years past - to prepare the balls for the game; and 12 sequentially numbered "K" balls will be used in the game, monitored by an official, instead of the ball boys. Enacted in 2007.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b General History - Chronology (1869 to 1939). NFL. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
  2. ^ Jim Marshall's Wrong Way Run Recreated. Twin Cities, Minnesota (2007-06-10). Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
  3. ^ Super Bowl Recaps- Super Bowl III. Retrieved on 2006-10-05.
  4. ^ Snopes entry on the '72 Miami team's champagne tradition. Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
  5. ^ Raiders Drown Dolphins 28-26 in ‘Sea of Hands’. Retrieved on 2006-10-05.
  6. ^ Lowitt, Bruce (1999-11-19). 'The Catch' lands a spot in NFL lore. St. Petersburg Times Online. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
  7. ^ http://www.nfl.com/history/date/1207-1213
  8. ^ Old School Packers. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.
  9. ^ Roy Taylor. 1989 Chicago Bears. BearsHistory.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.
  10. ^ Buccaneers.com - The Answer Man, Series 3, Vol. 7 (2006-01-16). Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  11. ^ Hair length proposal delayed until May; defensive helmet radios approved. ESPN (2008-04-01). Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Rules of the Name, or How The Emmitt Rule Became the Emmitt Rule. Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  13. ^ NFL News - Joe Horn Makes A Cell Phone Call
  14. ^ Pasquarelli, Len (2001-07-20). CBA inertia? It's a first-rounder's main problem. ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  15. ^ Raider Rules. raidershistory.net (2007-02-21). Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
  16. ^ DeFazio, Tony (2007-01-27). Up Close with Mel Blount. Pittsburgh Sports Report. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
  17. ^ Goldberg, Dave (1998-03-26). Upon further review, replay is dead --again. SouthCoastToday.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
  18. ^ Freeman, Mike (1998-03-29). PRO FOOTBALL: NOTEBOOK; Now They All Want To Be in Cleveland. NYTimes.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
  19. ^ Owners table re-seeding playoffs proposal; pass other rules. ESPN.com (2008-04-01). Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  20. ^ Wickersham, Seth (2008-03-27). Hair today, gone tomorrow?. ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  21. ^ Gosselin, Rick (2005-05-26). 'Roy Williams Rule' passed by NFL owners. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  22. ^ Chargers LB supports the "Merriman Rule". Denver Post (2007-02-07). Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
  23. ^ GTAForums trivia questions post by "King Kapone" (2006-02-06). Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
  24. ^ "Rules of the Name, or How the Emmitt Rule Became the Emmitt Rule,". Professional Football Researchers Association
  25. ^ Official NFL Rulebook 2006. See Rule 5, Section 3, Article 3 Paragraph (g)
  26. ^ Few Surprises Come Out Of NFL Owners' Meetings. DallasCowboys.com (2007-03-28). Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
  27. ^ NFL.com - Laying down the Law in New England. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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