A Guarantee From Joe Willie

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Greetings from The Booth!

Sometimes, it’s as simple as doing the eye test.

Last night, Randolph-Macon invaded the Wilkins Center as the number-one ranked NCAA D-3 men’s basketball team in the nation. You didn’t have to scratch your head and ask “why?” The Jackets quickly pulled away amidst a hailstorm of 3-pointers and the game was over almost as soon as it started. It didn’t help that the Shenandoah Hornets shot 25 percent in the first half, but it wouldn’t have mattered.

What I saw from RMC was a talented, disciplined, well-coached team. Every pass had a purpose, and the Jackets were loaded with dead-eye shooters.

While it’s not fun to be on the short end of a 102-51, I’ll bet most players want to test their skills against the very best. Number One is what you should aspire to be, and Macon provided the measuring stick last night. Sometimes it hurts , though, to get whacked with it.

Changing gears, I’m going to make you feel old. This Sunday is the playing of the 55th Super Bowl, the conclusion of a season like no other. Someone asked me this week what the first Super Bowl was that I remember. That answer is easy: It is Super Bowl III, featuring the upstart New York Jets from the AFL against the heavily-favored NFL Champion Baltimore Colts.

The Colts were a juggernaut and were heavily favored by somewhere in the 18-point range. The game is memorable for the bold “guarantee” made by Jets’ QB “Broadway Joe” Namath in the week leading up to the game. From a chaise lounge in Miami, donning shades and swim trunks, drink-in-hand, Joe Willie guaranteed a win against the mighty Colts, and then delivered with a 16-7 triumph.

But the game is burned into my memory, because Super Bowl 3 was a microcosm of what was going on in the country at the time. 1968 was one of the most divisive years in US history. The Vietnam War, Summer riots, and the assassinations of MLK and RFK threatened to tear the country apart. In addition, the lines were drawn demographically. A youthful, more liberal America was seen as a threat to an older, more conservative USA.

The Jets, with the long-haired Namath as it’s frontman, represented that new, vibrant America. The Colts, represented by the flat topped, high-topped Johnny Unitas, were the face of the “establishment.” And the game itself was seen not just as the AFL against the NFL, but as a matchup of young versus old, liberal versus conservative.

I’m sure that many households were like mine on that January day in 1969, as fathers and sons were glued to their Magnavox console TVs, the dads cheering for Earl Morall and Johnny U, and the sons rooting for Broadway Joe and the underdog Jets.

Super Bowl III was more than a football game, and it will always remain so for me.

Until the next visit from The Booth, enjoy the Big Game, and GO HORNETS!

RW

RIP Hammerin’ Hank

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Greettings from The Booth!

For those that don’t know, in addition to my football play-by-play duties at Shenandoah University, I also handle the public address for men and women’s basketball at SU. Someone asked me recently what it was like to do PA with no fans in attendance at the Wilkins Center. My answer was that I just do what I normally would do. The duties are scaled down a bit, for example, with no crowd, there are no announcements during time outs. I just do a quick intro, starting lineups, and announce who scored a basket or committed a foul. Mainly, I think this contributes to as much of a normal game atmosphere as possible, which helps the players.

I would also add that in an empty Wilkins Center, my voice sounds better for some reason. I guess it’s kind of like singing in the shower. We all sound like rock stars there, don’t we?

Changing gears, the sports world lost a true legend and gentleman recently with the passing of Hank Aaron, who I still consider to be baseball’s “Home Run King.” I remember vividly that weekend in April of 1974 when Hammerin’ Hank tied Babe Ruth’s career home run record with number 714 against the Reds on a Saturday, which meant a national broadcast on NBC that Monday night. I remember Dodgers pitcher Al Downing serving up number 715, and Braves reliever Tom House catching the ball in the Braves bullpen. I remember the fan that tried to run around the bases with Aaron, and a young Craig Sager trying to interview Hank as he rounded third base.

I also remember the death threats that started in late 1973 when Aaron was on the verge of breaking the record, and how he needed security to protect his family. As a somewhat innocent 14 year-old sports fan, I couldn’t wrap my head around that. The grace under pressure that Hank Aaron displayed throughout the home run chase under the threat of bodily harm is something we can’t even begin to imagine.

It also should be remembered that Hank Aaron was not a one-dimensional player. In addition to the homers, he was also a .305 lifetime hitter, and collected over 37-hundred hits. he fielded his position well, and struck out relatively few times. He was a complete baseball player, and a class act on and off the field.

I’m not a huge fan of asterisks in sports, but the home run record, now held by Barry Bonds, should have one. In the so-called “steroid era” of baseball, we all share some blame. Bulked-up players full of PEDs sent baseballs sailing out of MLB ballparks in record numbers. And we all turned a blind eye, because stadiums were filled and money was being made. After all, “chicks dig the long ball.”

755 is still the number, because Aaron played the game the right way. RIP, Hammerin’ Hank. You are still the Home Run King.

Until the next visit from The Booth…GO HORNETS!

RW

The Elements

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Greetings from The Booth!

Knock on wood, it looks like we’re finally going to play some basketball at Shenandoah University! Starting today, the Hornet men will play a limited Winter schedule and will open today against Mary Baldwin at The Wilkins Center. No fans will be permitted at Wilkins, but be sure to listen to the action on The River 95-3…and check out my Sports Dogs Podcast this week on this website as coach Adam Walsh previews the season.

(because of the unpredictability of COVID-19, the sports situation at SU remains fluid, so stay tuned, and we’ll keep you up to date)

Well, we’re down to the NFL’s “Final Four” as we approach Championship Weekend. The AFC title game will match the Buffalo Bills against the Kansas City Chiefs. As of early this week, KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes was still in concussion protocol, and may miss the game. That would certainly even the playing field, but don’t sell the Bills short. Buffalo is a very good football team. They belong in this contest.

The NFC game gives us a matchup of 2 of the NFL’s best QBs in Aaron Rodgers of the Packers and Tom Brady (the GOAT), who is trying to get another ring, this time with Tampa Bay. With Rodgers’ home base being Green Bay, and Brady having played all those years in New England, both are used to playing in harsh weather conditions. With a winter storm predicted for Green Bay this weekend, we could have one of those classic “snow games.”

Which brings me to this: former NFL great Kurt Warner said this week that he is in favor of having the playoffs played indoors in a domed venue. While this would make for pristine playing conditions, we would miss out on some great moments.

Growing up, I loved the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikes played in the old “Met” in Minneapolis, and it always seemed to be snowing there. Quarterback Joe Kapp was a favorite of mine, along with the “Purple People Eaters” defense, but what I remember most were the snow banks all around the field, and the flamethrowers which tried in vain to soften up the frozen tundra. The Vikings were hard to beat at home in December.

And without the elements, we would have missed out on the iconic “Ice Bowl” in 1967, as Bart Starr of the Packers scored on a quarterback sneak on the concrete-like surface of Lambeau to beat the Cowboys in the NFL Championship Game in 16-below temperatures.

I could go on-and-on with examples: the Fog Bowl, The Tuck-Rule Game, and the Freezer Bowl 1981 AFC Championship, played in 40-below wind chills in Cincinnati. Point is, football isn’t meant to be played in perfect conditions, and the backdrop of snow, sleet, and arctic wind chills is part of NFL lore.

Easy for me to say, when I’m under a comforter and glued to my 55-inch HD television…

Enjoy the games this weekend…and GO HORNETS!

RW

A Beginning

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Greetings from The Booth!

Well, almost.

It was “one and done” for The Washington Football Team on Super Wild Card Weekend, as the burgundy and gold lost to the ageless Tom Brady and the Bucs , as expected, 31-23. But the 7-9 WFT didn’t go down without a fight, and earned the respect of Tampa and a lot of the NFL who thought they didn’t earn a seat at the post-season table.

(At this point, I need to veer off-track with a few random thoughts. Why is the much-heralded Washington front four nicknamed “Maroon-4”? I get the reference to the musical group, but maroon isn’t one of the team colors. I’m reminded of former Redskins coach Jim Zorn, who in his opening press conference upon being hired, asked for “3 cheers for the old maroon and black.”

And, did you see the comparison-photos of 43 year-old Brady and 43 year-old George Blanda from back in the day? Blanda looked 70, while Brady looked 25. I’m pretty sure the reason is that in the late 60s, Blanda had no access to dieticians, massage therapists, and yoga pants. But the difference was striking.)

Anyway, on Saturday night, the WFT acquitted itself nicely, thanks to the efforts of instant folk hero Taylor Heinicke, who in his first start as Washington QB, almost single handedly willed his team to victory. The former ODU signal caller even came back out of the locker room late in the game after a shoulder injury, and in a “Willis Reed” moment, got the WFT within a TD at 28-23.

As disappointing as the loss was, it felt like more of a beginning than an end. In the last 20-plus years of the Dan Snyder regime, the playoff appearances have been few and far between, the post-season wins even more rare. And the playoff exits always felt like the end, rather than something to build on the following year. Even “Joe Gibbs 2.0″seemed like like a magic act performed with smoke and mirrors.

Saturday night’s loss felt different. Much has been written about the exciting young defensive line, led by rookie captain Chase Young. But there are some exciting young stars on the offensive side of the ball, and while this year might be the final chapter of the feel-good story of Alex Smith, and the end of Ryan Kerrigan’s time in DC, there is a lot to be hopeful about in 2021.

In a tumultuous year for the organization on many fronts, head coach Ron Rivera navigated his team through the rough waters of 2020 to a division title and playoff appearance, despite his own personal challenges. For that, he should at least be considered for Coach Of The Year honors.

We all know too well that ownership could mess things up without even trying, but Saturday night felt like the start of something big.

Until the next visit, so long from The Booth. GO WFT, GO HORNETS!

RW

Hail To The WFT!

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Greetings from The Booth!

Welcome to 2021, hopefully a year that brings an end to the pandemic, and a return to all things “normal,” like concerts, fairs, movies, and fans at sporting events. Before we move on to this week’s topic, many thanks to all of you who told us how much you enjoyed our “This Week In Shenandoah University Football” segments over the past several months. It was great to re-live some great memories from the last 20 years in “The Booth.”

For the first time since 2015, the Washington Football Team is headed to the NFL playoffs following Sunday’s 20-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. At 7-9, the WFT is only the third team with a losing record to make the postseason in a non-strike year. After a 2-7 start, Washington finished 5-2 to get into the playoffs as the NFC East champions. Much has been written about the feel-good stories of both Coach Ron Rivera, who battled cancer during the season, and QB Alex Smith, who should easily win the NFL Comeback Player Of The Year award.

Those two things, combined with the name change of the team, the negative publicity surrounding Dan Snyder and the culture within the organization, and the continuing drama of Dwayne Haskins, made for a season that was “so 2020,” as the saying now goes. It was only fitting that the WFT won the division almost by default.

Which brings me to this past Sunday night. In a game that the Eagles basically handed to Washington, the burgundy-and-gold on several occasions tried to give it back, before finally securing the victory. Philly coach Doug Pederson made several questionable decisions, including giving up what would have been a tying chip-shot field goal late in the game, instead going for the TD on fourth-and-goal (which failed). The most questionable move (just ask Giants fans) was replacing future franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts with backup Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter, which also backfired.

Many have accused Pederson of “tanking” the game to improve the team’s position in the draft, and one could make that case based on “the eye test.” This was not a good look for the NFL, which flexed the game to prime time, only to see two teams playing hot potato. Surely there will be more discussion about the “integrity of the game” in the weeks to come.

To the Giants (and their livid fan base), who needed an Eagles win to secure the division title, you should have taken care of business with a few more wins during the season. When you rely on help from other teams in a playoff scenario, you seldom get it. Washington fans have been there. If a 7-9 record isn’t playoff worthy to some, 6-10 shouldn’t even get a sniff of the postseason.

Someone had to win the “NFC Least,” and this year it’s the Washington Football Team, who now have to prepare for the GOAT Tom Brady, and the Bucs. The WFT is going to be looked down upon, much like the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks who somehow crashes the country club soiree. In the words of Judge Smails, played by the great Ted Knight in the movie Caddyshack, “some people just do not belong.”

But don’t forget, this is the 2020 season, and Washington is playing with house money.

Until next time from The Booth, HTTWFT! and GO HORNETS!

RW