Mel Gray's Phantom Touchdown, 'Unbeatable Sooners' lose, and McNabb unaware of NFL Tie Rule - This DiSH for Nov. 16
This Day In Sports History is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In 1975, St. Louis Cardinal receiver Mel Gray scored the game tying touchdown against Washington ... or did he?
In 1957, the so-called unbeatable Oklahoma Sooners lost 7-0 to Notre Dame. Oklahoma's 47-game winning streak and 123 scoring streak are still collegiate records.
In 2023, Philadelphia released a player that hadn't played for them for 29 years.
In 2008, Donovan McNabb admitted he didn't know ties were a thing in the NFL after Philly tied the 1-8 Cincinnati Bengals 13-13.
In 1982, the longest strike in NFL history came to an end after the players revolted against their own leadership.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS BACKGROUND
Relive the greatest moments in sports every day of the year. From the triumphs to the tragedies, the first to do it to the last time it happened, the unbelievable to the strange, This Day in Sports History is a 365-day journey remembering those significant events that made a lasting impact.
Mentioned in this episode:
Hockey Hall of Fame True Stories 2
Are you a hockey fan? Then you’ll love Eric Zweig’s new book Hockey Hall of Fame True Stories 2. It’s a treasure trove of untold tales, bizarre incidents and captivating trivia that will leave even the most devoted puck head astounded. The intense rivalries, epic showdowns and historic clashes that shaped the NHL's early years, it’s all in there. Zweig uncovers the true stories that helped shape the sport, ensuring that you will never look at hockey the same way again. Check out Hockey Hall of Fame True Stories 2 on Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.
Stirling Soap ver. 2 - This DiSH - Steve White
This episode is brought to by Stirling Soap Company. Fellas, you’ve heard the phrase, ‘look good, feel good!’ But why not add ‘smell good’ to that too! That’s where Stirling Soap Company comes in. First, Stirling Soap is 100 percent natural and has a wide variety of bath soaps, shave soaps, beard balm, lotions, and cologne. Second, there’s a scent just for you. How about Burgundy? Yeah, it’s more than a color. The Stirling Soap folks blend natural essential oils with hints of mahogany, golden amber, and Sandalwood. Or how about D-503, an intensely masculine scent inspired by Legend by Mont Blanc. And third, you will feel good about the price. For just a little more than you’d pay at the grocery store, Stirling Soap will leave you feeling clean, refreshed and ready for whatever’s next. Give Stirling Soap a try today. Visit StirlingSoap.com. That’s S-T-I-R-L-I-N-G Soap dot com.
Transcript
It's this day in sports history and as I say a lot at the beginning of this podcast.
Steve White:I am a member of the Sports History Network and you can find more info and more podcasts@sportshistorynetwork.com but this podcast is also independently produced by me, Steve White, Thrive Suite, my one man production company is just an anagram of my name.
Steve White:I research, write, voice, produce and compose the music for each episode.
Steve White:There is no AI involved in that process.
Steve White:It's just so what do I have for you today?
Steve White: th and on this day in: Steve White:I get it.
Steve White:I'm a fan just like you are and I want every call to go my way.
Steve White:Video review is great if it's making sure the other team did not get some kind of an unfair advantage or something was missed, that one of 25 cameras covering the game did not.
Steve White:But there's also something nostalgic about the old days when it wasn't all about technology, when good old fashioned human error was involved and sure things were missed.
Steve White:But we wouldn't have the Immaculate Reception or the Holy Roller or a lot of plays I'm going to talk about in the next few days.
Steve White: that happened on this day in: Steve White:Louis Cardinal football team was playing the Washington Redskins.
Steve White:And yeah, if you're a Washington fan, you hate how this play turned out.
Steve White:The Cardinals were down 7, but they had the ball and they drove it into the red zone.
Steve White:It was fourth and goal at the seven with 25 seconds remaining.
Steve White:Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart dropped straight back and he targeted his favorite receiver, Mel Gray, with the football right at the goal line.
Steve White:Gray appeared to catch the ball, but then Redskin linebacker Pat Fischer stuck a right hand in and stripped the ball away as Gray fell to the turf.
Steve White:The ball popped free and landed on the ground.
Steve White:One official signaled touchdown.
Steve White:Another called it incomplete.
Steve White:Now there was a full moon in the St.
Steve White:Louis sky that night and there may have been a little voodoo in the air as well.
Steve White:All the officials huddled and discussed the play and of course without the benefit of video replay and after about 30 seconds the head referee signaled touchdown and after the Pat, the game was tied and headed to overtime.
Steve White:Watching the video, Gray did catch it, but he didn't control it.
Steve White:The ball came flying out and I have to believe that play would take about two seconds to overturn in today's NFL.
Steve White: field goal in overtime to win: Steve White: On this day in: Steve White: s version of The Sooners, the: Steve White: won their final nine games in: Steve White:Coming into this one with Notre dame, they were 18 point favorites after consecutive losses to Navy and Michigan State.
Steve White:The Irish were not exactly posing as a team ready to beat the Sooners, but there had been a little history.
Steve White:The last team to beat Oklahoma before they started their consecutive win streak had been Notre dame back in 53.
Steve White:Also before the Madden curse, there was the Sports Illustrated curse.
Steve White:The current edition of Sports Illustrated, available at newsstands all over the country, blared the headline why Oklahoma is Unbeatable on the COVID The game was scoreless deep into the fourth quarter, Notre Dame started a long methodical drive at their own 20.
Steve White:After a Bob Williams to Dick Royer completion for 10 yards and a Dick lynch eight yard run, the Irish faced a fourth and goal from the sooner three.
Steve White:Instead of opting for the field goal, Notre Dame went for it.
Steve White:The Sooners were expecting the fullback to get the call and so they stacked the line in anticipation.
Steve White:But the Irish ran option, they faked it to the fullback and Williams pitched it to lynch who found the end and scored the touchdown with 3 minutes 50 seconds to play.
Steve White:The Notre Dame defense, which only allowed 145 total yards that day, held up in the final minutes preserving the 7 nothing win with an interception at the goal line to snap Oklahoma's 47 game winning streak.
Steve White:Notre Dame also snapped the Sooners 123 game scoring streak and both of those are still the all time collegiate records.
Steve White:The loss cost Oklahoma the shot at their third straight national championship, ending the year ranked fourth in both polls.
Steve White:How about this weird story from last year when the Philadelphia Eagles released a player that had not played for them for 29 years?
Steve White: or the Philadelphia Eagles in: Steve White:He started all 16 games as an offensive tackle for Philly as a rookie and he was named to the all rookie team.
Steve White: In July of: Steve White:Williams was suspended six games after testing positive for marijuana.
Steve White:In October he tested positive again and he was suspended for the remainder of the year.
Steve White:He stayed on the suspended list, never applying for reinstatements to the league.
Steve White: ore retiring from the game in: Steve White:The 51 year old Williams was finally removed from that list on this date last year when league officials made a push to remove old players from several reserve lists.
Steve White: hings happening In Philly, in: Steve White:Now that's not that unusual, even if it was the first tie in the NFL in six years.
Steve White:Now what made this a bit out of the ordinary is that Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb did not know that ties were a thing in the NFL.
Steve White:By the end of regulation, the 18 Bengals and the 54 Eagles were tied at 13.
Steve White:While Cincinnati had no shot at the playoffs, the Eagles were still in the hunt for a wild card spot.
Steve White:The teams went back and forth in the overtime period, but neither team could find the end zone or even get close enough to kick a field goal.
Steve White:Cincy's Shane Graham missed a 47 yarder at the end of the OT that would have won it.
Steve White:McNabb was a little confused as the teams walked off the field and headed to the locker room.
Steve White: that had been in place since: Steve White:I never even knew it was in the rule book.
Steve White:I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game, but unfortunately with the rules we settled with a tie that did not quite sit well with Philly folks, both fans and media.
Steve White:He was asked about it over and over and did that mean that McNabb lacked a sense of urgency in the OT at the time, the tie looked bad, dropping the Eagles into last place in the NFC east, but in the end, the tie didn't hurt them.
Steve White:Philly won four of their last five games, including a blowout of Dallas in the final week to secure the wild card spot, and they went all the way to the NFC Championship Game before a loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Steve White: And on this day in: Steve White:The players decided to strike after the conclusion of Week 2 games.
Steve White:When Green Bay beat the New York Giants on Monday night football on September 20, the players decided to strike after the conclusion of Week 2 games.
Steve White:When Green Bay beat the New York Giants on Monday night football on September 20, the players were officially on strike.
Steve White:It lasted for 57 days, eight weeks without football on Sundays?
Steve White:Well, almost no football.
Steve White:The NFL Players association actually staged 2 AFC NFC All Star games during the strike.
Steve White:Those showcases were certainly not what fans wanted.
Steve White:The game in Washington only drew 8,700 fans and the west coast game in Los Angeles drew only 5,300.
Steve White:Washington running back John Riggins played in both of the exhibitions and he said, I guess I'll do just about anything for money.
Steve White:Without games to show on Sundays, CBS resorted to showing replays of the previous super bowl, and they even sent Pat Summerall and John Madden to cover a Division 3 rivalry game between Wittenberg and Baldwin Wallace.
Steve White:NBC paid for the rights to show Canadian Football League games.
Steve White:The cancellation of a total of 112 NFL games ended up costing the league $240 million.
Steve White:The strike ended when the players revolted against their own union leadership and came to terms on a new five year deal that, when it ended in 87, resulted in another strike.
Steve White:The 82 season was shortened to nine games and a 16 team playoff schedule and time now for Today's Nothing to Do With Sports.
Steve White:Did you know, and this is sort of a long one, so hang in there with me just a little bit longer.
Steve White:But did you know that that yellow or orange cheese that you purchase at the grocery store is artificially colored to be that way?
Steve White: his actually goes back to the: Steve White:The milk fat had most of the beta carotene that the cow or the goat or the sheep consumed when eating green grass, and that's why butter is yellow.
Steve White:The resulting cheese was white, but cheese buyers preferred the yellow or orange color, so dairies began artificially coloring cheese with saffron or marigold.
Steve White:That made cheese more expensive.
Steve White:When annatto was discovered in South America and began to be exported to Europe.
Steve White:That was then used to turn white cheese into its orange hue that we have today.
Steve White:Annatto is still used to color that block of cheddar and can also be found in other products like that's gonna do it for me today.
Steve White:Thanks for stopping by.
Steve White:Come on back tomorrow for another edition of this Day in Sports History.
Steve White:This has been an original Thrive Suite production.
