Turn Out the Lights, the Party’s Over – RIP Joseph Donald “Dandy Don” Meredith

Wit is the sudden marriage of ideas which before their union were not perceived to have any relation. – Mark Twain


Another NFL great has passed. Don Meredith was a former NFL All Pro quarterback and member of the famous Cowboy Ring of Honor that played in the Ice Bowl and helped create the culture of winning that still surrounds the Dallas Cowboys. Then, he did what I really remember him for. Being one of “the voices” of Monday Night Football.

Monday Night Football is now an American institution. It’s hard to imagine the NFL without it. However, that isn’t always the way it was. When the fledgling endeavor began, it was Dandy Don and Howard Cosell (imo) that really helped launch the brand and make it memorable. MNF has never since been able to achieve the level of entertainment and chemistry in the booth that they had then. Dandy Don remembered it was a game after all and the telecast should be entertaining. Boy, were they ever.

I recall a time when the camera crew caught a fan in the Astrodome “giving a single (middle) finger salute” while the Oilers were whipped by the Raiders. Dandy Don quickly quipped, “He thinks they’re number 1 in the nation”. I’ll never forget his comical renditions of the Willie Nelson song, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over” at the end of each Monday night game.

Dandy Don was a homegrown Texas product and no one could mistake him for anything else. He was down to Earth, sincere, witty, charming, and almost always funny. Watching MNF last night, I thought to myself, what a contrast Don and Howard were to today’s rather bland (except Gruden) bunch – they sure don’t make ‘em like they used to.

RIP - George Blanda

Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts. – Dan Gable


I only knew him as a Raider, but guts he had and plenty of ‘em. I was too young to watch his exploits with the Oilers or Bears. However, even as an old guy, Blanda was anything but bland. He was a player, a winner, an original AFL’er, a Raider, a Hall of Famer, and more. He had true grit and he wanted to win – which is a hell of a lot more than I can say about many players today.

I’ll never forget watching the Raiders on Monday night with my Grandfather in the early 70s. He reveled in the notion that a tough old guy like Blanda still had what it took to take the field with the pros. He would delight my brother and I with tales of the earlier days and how great Blanda was with the Oilers.

George Blanda was the epitome of the old guard pro football players I recall from my youth. Before there was body armor like players wear today or any serious thought was given to rules that protected quarterbacks, Blanda played quarterback for 26 years.

They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to.

Who Dat Talkin Bout Partying in New Orleans?

We Americans are a peculiar people. We are for the underdog, no matter how much of a dog he is. – Happy Chandler

Once again, I will be pulling for the underdog in the Super Bowl. The Saints have (IMO) paid their dues. That doesn’t entitle them to a win but it is enough to net my support for the game. Down here, we have called them the “Ain'ts” for a long time since they “ain’t” really ever gone very far in the NFL Playoffs and, the prevailing opinion was, they “ain’t” likely to next year either. However, the synergy between the coach, the quarterback, and the rest of the Saints has impressed me this season. They will have to play very well to best the Colts and Manning but it is possible. Believe me, Mardi Gras kicks off this weekend and anything is possible.
Go Saints!

The Avian Flu?

When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something. - Dick Butkus

What happened? All the Birds won on the road. Other than the Steelers, all the Division Champs lost at home! I am baffled by this? A team fights all season to a) make the Playoffs and b) have as many Playoff games at home as possible. It is called “home field advantage” for a reason – it is supposed to be an advantage for the team that is fortunate enough to achieve it. This is no small feat to pull off in the modern NFL. However, after doing just that and securing home field advantage throughout the Playoffs (Tennessee and New York this year, Dallas last year), they proceed to lose at home, in front of their perplexed fans, and be eliminated.

My favorite team has been all but dead since the 2002 season. Thus, I was pulling for Tennessee to go all the way. That didn’t happen. I do not want to see the Steelers win another one. I despise the Ravens. The Eagles have had and squandered plenty of opportunities before. Therefore, although I am not a fan, I am rooting for the Cardinals to win it all. I know. It sounds strange just thinking it. The Cardinals winning it all. Go figure.

The Apocalypse was (at least temporarily) Averted

Although it seemed the Fates had conspired against me by having the Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl in the same weekend, thereby ensuring no responsible behavior whatsoever would occur from Friday at 5pm to Sunday at 11pm, I somehow survived. Since I do not like the Giants or the Patriots, I was not really excited about the game, just the opportunity to cut loose and do some serious partying with friends. I did not want the Patriots to win since I still despise them for the “Tuck” and preventing the Raiders from reaching the Super Bowl during what would turn out to be Gruden’s last year. I also wanted them to lose because (in my eschatological opinion) it is a sure sign of the end times if any NFL team goes undefeated throughout the regular season and then also goes on to win the Super Bowl. In today’s NFL, the one where many of the rules have been tweaked to promote parity, no team should be able to accomplish that without cheating. Enter, the Patriots. I believe (but have no evidence) they probably cheated a lot more than we know about since they came so close. It would certainly help explain their dominance over the last few years and it would explain the “Tuck”.
Remember Occam’s Razor – the least complicated explanation is almost always the most accurate. Anyway, to do my part to prevent a Patriot victory, I placed a wager on the Patriots to win (even though I loathe them, I bet with my head not my heart). Yes, that is right. I gave them the kiss of death by wagering on them to win. I am lucky in many ways but betting on sports is not one of them - which is why I do not do it often. I truly thought they would probably win which is why I bet on them. However, once that bet was in, they had no chance. In fact, after watching the first quarter, I knew they would not cover even if they did win. So, with that out of the way, I tried to focus on poker.
Unfortunately, I lost at poker, too. Not a big loss, but a loss nonetheless. Since I tend to play quality starting hands and make pot-sized bets/raises, the pot is always big by the River. I was sucked out on in two massive pots - once a 2-outer and then later, a 3-outer hit on the river to ensure a negative day for me. Oh well. That’s poker.