Flashback: A typical football Sunday from the early 1980's

Being a Cowboys/NFL fan for the last 35 years I tend to always think back to the early 1980s and how everything was different back then. Sometimes I find it amazing about how much I remember from back then. Maybe it's because football was so new and exciting and it was really the only thing that mattered to me outside of going to school and being around my friends. I was 13 years old when I really started getting into watching football. Sundays couldn't come fast enough for me. Looking back at all the things that were different on Sunday's makes me wish I could go back in time. Maybe I remember those times so well because as a kid there was no stress and no real responsibility. The main focus was always the games back then instead of things like the mortgage payment, car payments or trying to raise my own kids.

A typical football Sunday as we know it today consists of so many different options for fans. The pregame show on NFLN starts as early as 8am. There is also pregame on ESPN, which all leads up to the games at 1pm. There is the NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV where fans can watch any game they want. Want to watch the Lions at the Bears, no problem. Or go ahead and watch the Dolphins at the Bills just because there is a raging snowstorm happening. There is also the NFL Redzone that  bounces around to all the games during the day, while also giving fans a front row seat as teams move inside the 20 yard line looking to score. Redzone also gives you countless highlights from every game in case something is missed as you are watching something live. Let's not forgot about the pregame shows on CBS and FOX. Then when all the Sunday afternoon games are finished fans can turn their attention to the post game highlights on the NFLN and ESPN. Even with everything I've mentioned your football Sunday still isn't over yet as fans get ready for NBC Sunday Night Football, as well as their own pregame show.

What this all really means is that Sunday's are football heavy for die hard football fans. Some may even says its football overload. Not me of course, but there are some that say that. Everything that I have mentioned makes Sunday's seem like football heaven. Of course it wasn't always like that on Sundays. And that leads me to my journey back in time to what Sunday's were like for this Cowboys fan that grew up in New York in the early 1980's.

I normally woke up early on Sunday mornings during football season. Seeing that it was sometimes 8am when I woke up and knowing the games did not start until 1pm that was a lot of hours to wait. You have to remember that back then we didn't have the Internet to turn too. I had no idea what a web site was or even a .com. So I would spend some time reading the Sunday paper. Ok, stop laughing. I'm sure I'm getting some odd looks from some people about what I just wrote. Sunday paper, what the heck is that? For those who don't know and I'm sure there are a few of you, just think the Internet, but you have to actually turn these pages made out of paper with your hands. The more you read and the more you turned the pages the more your fingers would get black ink on them. Ok, enough about that...moving on!!

After reading the newspaper about the Sunday match-ups and the injury reports there wasn't much else to do. I would also look in this small magazine looking thing called a TV Guide to see what games were on television. I would normally have to suffer through the Giants and Jets, but on rare occasions there would be a third game on to watch. I just hoped that the third game was the Cowboys game. You see back in the early 1980s pregame didn't start until 12:30pm. Yes, that is correct. Pregame was only 30 minutes long leading up the games. Being a Cowboys fan I'm also naturally an NFC guy as well, so CBS was usually my choice. Back then it was CBS who televised the NFC games and NBC who televised the AFC games. My favorite pregame show was the The NFL Today hosted by Brent Musburger. Joining Musburger was Irv Cross, Phyllis George and Jimmy "The Greek". These were the people I grew up with. As far as I was concerned they were the go to people for all the information I needed before the games, during and after. My Sundays always started with The NFL Today intro.

The NFL Today would always start off with camera shots from all the big games getting ready to kickoff at 1pm. And it would always be Brent Musburger saying...You are looking live at Texas Stadium or Lambeau Field or whatever stadium had an important game coming up.  Every Sunday without fail that's how The NFL Today would start. I get chills just thinking about it.

Of course 30 minutes was not that long. They went through that Sunday's match-ups and they would also have a story or two about a player or a team. Then to end the show Jimmy "The Greek" would do his predictions for the games. As a child I hung on every word and would hope that he would predict a Cowboys victory because in my mind the Cowboys needed that to help them win.

Then it was onto the 1pm game that was being televised. As I sat there watching I would wait to see the out of town scores pop-up at the bottom of the screen. There were no certain times that this would happen. When the network decided it was time to give the audience some scores they would. Because of this I would stay glued to the television. If the Cowboys were playing, but not televised I would sit and pray that when the score was shown they would be winning. NBC games actually had it better as they had something called the Ten Minute Ticker. No matter what every ten minutes they would show all the scores. One thing that hasn't changed over the years is that during games they would go back to the studio to show a scoring play from the other games. And once again, if it was the Cowboys game that I saw them going to I was hoping and praying that they were the ones scoring. Also, back in the 80's during the game that was on TV, they never had the score of the game displayed on the screen or how much time was left in the quarter. That information would normally be shown as the game went to commercials.

Then at halftime it was back to the studio where Brent Musburger would go through the scores and show some highlights. I'll never forget how he would go through the flash cards in his hands as the scores showed up behind him. Musburger always had a way to set things up for the audience and made the highlights exciting. Along side of him was always Irv Cross adding to the highlights that were being shown. There was nothing like the Sunday Ticket or the Redzone to turn to back then, which is why you listened to every word that was being said by Brent Musburger and company and watched every single highlight. That's all there was back then to stay updated on the other games and it was appreciated.

When the game I was watching ended whether it was the 1pm game or the 4pm game, there was always the chance that the network would switch over to one of the other games that still had some time left. It was like Christmas morning if that game was the Cowboys game. Of course if the game was the late game on CBS and it was 7pm there was no way the network was going to another game because of the show 60 Minutes.

So what was there to do once the Sunday afternoon games were over? There was no real post game shows like there is today. No Internet to look up the games recaps, box scores and highlights. There was also no regular Sunday Night Football in the early 80's except for those rare occasions. You see, back then Sunday Night Football was considered a treat for fans that happened maybe twice a season.

There was one highlight show that came on late Sunday nights that I always looked forward to, but since I was young I had to sneak to the living room to watch it. I'm sure some of you remember the show. It was the George Michael Sports Machine. He would stand there with his clipboard in his hand and as he introduced the highlights of each game he would press one of the many buttons on his board. Highlights were so hard to come by back then after all the games were over. It was just amazing to see so much of what happened in the games that were not televised.

On Monday mornings it was a mad rush to the corner store to buy the newspaper to read about the games from Sunday. There were times when I would buy different papers just hoping that there was at least one picture from the Cowboys game to see.

That's how it was back in the early 1980s. It was fun, it was exciting and you wouldn't think it would be that way considering how hard it was to get information, unlike today. But I think that's what made it so much fun. In today's world you can get information with a simple click of a mouse or just by asking Siri to get the information for you. My football memories are so much clearer from back in the early 1980's. For those who remember those times go to YouTube and do a search for The NFL Today and it will bring back some great memories. For those who are younger and don't remember you can go see for yourself what it was like back then. It was a great time to grow up a football fan. It was a time that will never be forgotten.

Flashback 1982: Third time wasn't a charm in the NFC Championship game

For those who remember the 1982 season, it was strange from the very start. After the first two regular season games there was a strike that lasted two months. Due to the length of the strike the NFL season was reduced to just nine games. There was also no divisions for the 1982 season. It was simply the AFC and NFC. The top eight teams in each conference would make the playoffs and it became known as the Super Bowl tournament.

The Cowboys finished the 1982 season with a 6-3 record and took the second overall seed in the NFC behind the 8-1 Redskins. It was the Cowboys who handed the Redskins their only regular season loss in 1982, but the Cowboys lost their final two games of the season, which knocked them out of the number one seed.

Entering the 1982 season the Cowboys had lost the last two NFC Championship games. In 1980 they were handled easily by the Eagles in Philadelphia, 20-7. In 1981 they traveled to San Francisco to play the 49ers in what ended up being one of the best Championship games in NFL history. Although the game is mostly remembered for one catch that still haunts me to this day. Not to mention a blown call at the end of the game that this writer still believes was an incomplete pass and not a fumble. The Cowboys lost 28-27 to the 49ers that day. Bad memories for sure. But lets move on.

The Cowboys returned to the NFC Championship game for the third year in a row in 1982. Once again they would have to play on the road. This time traveling to RFK Stadium to play the hated Redskins. The Redskins fans had made no secret that they wanted the Cowboys in the worse way. They chanted "We Want Dallas" and actually rocked the field level stands up and down as the Redskins won their playoff game to advance to the NFC Championship game.

For those who don't remember this game and simply look at the final score they would be led to believe that they Cowboys were beaten pretty convincingly that day, but in reality they were in this game almost to the end with a chance to win or least force overtime, but one final mistake did them in late in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys had failed to advance to the Super Bowl in 1980 and 1981. Their 1982 opportunity would be no different.

One of my passions is watching and writing about past Cowboys games. Some popular and some not so much. To me being a fan is knowing your teams history and embracing the good times as well as the bad times. It's easy to talk about the great games in Cowboys history, but I feel we should also be fascinated by the not so great games as well and what happened during those games.

The Cowboys entered the 1982 NFC Championship game wearing their new blue jerseys for the first time in post season play. They received the opening kickoff and started at their 15 yard line. A combination of Danny White passes and the running of Tony Dorsett and Ron Springs got the Cowboys down to the Redskins 15 yard line. The drive almost came to a halt when Dorsett fumbled at the 10 yard line, but tight end Doug Cosbie was lucky to be behind Dorsett and fell on the loose ball. On 3rd and 5 from the 10 yard line Danny White fired the ball into the end zone for Drew Pearson, but a Redskins cornerback made a nice play and knocked the ball down. Cowboys kicker Rafael Septien kicked a 27 yard field goal and the Cowboys took a 3-0 lead.

One of the keys to beating the Redskins was to keep their offense off the field. On the Cowboys opening drive they did just that as they put together a 14 play drive that ate up 7:45 of the first quarter clock.

The Redskins went to work on their first possession as well. From the start the Cowboys defense seemed over matched by the Redskins huge offensive line as well as running back John Riggins who seemed to gain five or six yards every time he touched the ball. The Redskins quickly drove to the Cowboys 19 yard line. From there quarterback Joe Theismann connected with wide receiver Charlie Brown, who had beaten Cowboys cornerback Dennis Thurman into the end zone. The Redskins took the lead, 7-3.

The Cowboys failed to match their opening drive when they got the ball back and gained only seven yards in three plays and were forced to punt.  Danny White's punt went only 31 yards and the Redskins took over at their own 40 yard line.

The Redskins faced a 4th and 1 from the Cowboys 40 yard line and decided to go for it. Riggins was able to get the first down and the drive continued. The Cowboys defense was able to make a stand at the ten yard line and forced the Redskins to attempt a field goal. Mark Mosley's kick hit the left upright and was no good. The Cowboys had caught a break with not allowing points and now they needed to take advantage of it.

The Cowboys offense once again was stuffed by the Redskins defense and only gained 9 yards in three plays. They were forced to punt again and this time Danny White's punt only traveled 29 yards.

The bad punt by White didn't hurt the Cowboys as the defense forced the Redskins offense into a three and out as well.

On the Redskins punt Cowboys returner Rod Hill muffed the punt at the 11 yard line and the ball rolled towards the end zone. The Redskins recovered the ball in the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but because it was a muff the Redskins were not awarded the touchdown. They did however take over at the Cowboys 11 yard line where the muff happened.

It took the Redskins only four plays to capitalize on the turnover. Big John Riggins leaped over the Cowboys defense from the one yard line and scored. The Redskins took a 14-3 in the second quarter.

On the kickoff things continued to go bad for the Cowboys. Once again Rod Hill mishandled the ball at the goal line and it rolled into the end zone. He was able to get possession of the ball and was about to run it out of the end zone when he decided to take a knee. His foot and the ball seemed to cross the goal line, which would have meant a safety for the Redskins, but the officials ruled that the ball stayed in the end zone and awarded the ball to the Cowboys at their 20 yard line.

From the 20 yard line Danny White fired a pass to a wide open Tony Hill at the 41 yard line, but Hill dropped it in full stride. If Hill would have caught the ball there was a good chance he would have scored on the play. The Cowboys ended up going three and out once again.

The Cowboys defense then forced the Redskins into another three and out as the two minute warning approached. The Redskins punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback and the Cowboys took over at their 20 yard line with 57 seconds left in the first half.

Danny White finally got the Cowboys offense moving for the first time since the games opening drive. He found Tony Dorsett on a screen pass that gained 19 yards to the 39 yard line. Then White connected with Timmy Newsome that got the Cowboys to the Redskins 45 yard line with just 31 seconds remaining. White then completed a pass to Butch Johnson at the 32 yard line with 23 seconds. There was plenty of time left for a Septien field goal attempt to get the Cowboys a little closer and end the first half on a positive note.

But it just wasn't meant to be for the Cowboys. Danny White once again dropped back to pass and couldn't avoid the tank that was headed straight for him. That tank was Redskins defensive end Dexter Manley who took an inside rush and took aim straight at Danny White. Manley hit White with such force that he planted him into the RFK Stadium hard grass and his helmet hit even harder causing a concussion. White laid on the ground and couldn't get to his feet. On the hit by Manley, White lost the ball, but it was ruled an incomplete pass and not a fumble. So the Cowboys maintained possession.

With just 19 seconds left and no timeouts backup quarterback Gary Hogeboom entered the game. On his first play he connected with Timmy Newsome at the 23 yard line, but the Cowboys were unable to stop the clock or get in position for a field goal attempt. The clock ran out in the first half and the Cowboys found themselves down 14-3 and wondering what would happen with their quarterback Danny White for the rest of the game.

The second half kickoff started with the Redskins fumbling the ball. But once again the Cowboys weren't able to capitalize on a golden opportunity and the Redskins recovered deep in their own territory. The Cowboys defense were able to force another three and out. And after a bad punt the Cowboys took over at the Redskins 39 yard line.

Danny White had come out of the locker room with the rest of the team after halftime, but it was obvious that he was not able to return to the game. His eyes seemed glossy and as he sat on the bench he seemed to be 1,000 miles away.

So Gary Hogeboom was now the Cowboys quarterback and it would be up to him to bring the Cowboys back and lead them to the Super Bowl.

On the Cowboys first drive of the third quarter Hogeboom took control of the offense and drove the Cowboys down to the Redskins six yard line. From there he connected with Drew Pearson who just made it over the goal line before being hit. The Cowboys had their first touchdown of the game and pulled closer at 14-10. Hogeboom didn't seem fazed with how big the moment was and he giving the Cowboys and their fans hope that something special was going to happen.

Like so many other times in this NFC Championship game the Cowboys allowed something bad to happen after doing something positive. The Redskins returned the kickoff 76 yards to the Cowboys 20 yard line. The Cowboys defense forced the Redskins into a 3rd and 18, but Theismann was able to convert on a completion to the seven yard line. The Redskins offensive line along with Riggins once again over powered the Cowboys defense and Riggins scored from the four yard line. The Redskins went back ahead by 11 again 21-10.

The Cowboys offense seemed to have new life with Gary Hogeboom leading them. He once again took control and drove the Cowboys to the Redskins 23 yard line. He threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Butch Johnson that got the Cowboys back in the game 21-17 with 3:25 left in the third quarter.

The Cowboys defense forced another Redskins punt and Hogeboom went back to work. From the Cowboys 45 yard line Hogeboom found Ron Springs wide open at the Redskins 36 yard line. But like Tony Hill in the first half, Springs let the ball go through his hands. Also like Tony Hill, there was a good chance that Springs would have scored on the play. That incompletion ended the third quarter with the Cowboys still looking to take the lead back from the Redskins.

The Cowboys drive stalled at the Redskins 24 yard line. Always reliable Rafael Septien could have pulled the Cowboys to within one point of the Redskins, but he missed a 41 field goal and they remained down 21-17.

As the Cowboys defense was once again forcing the Redskins into a three and out, Danny White was seen on the sideline warning up. From the look on his face he was not ready to return and if he was it would have been a difficult decision for Tom Landry to make. Deciding between his starting quarterback and the backup that had led the Cowboys to two third quarter touchdowns.

It was a medical decision not to allow Danny White back into the game due to his concussion. It was now Hogeboom's team and the Super Bowl awaited these hungry Cowboys.

Gary Hogeboom and the offense took possession at the Cowboys 32 yard line after the Redskins punted. From there Hogeboom made his first mistake of the game. He tried to get a pass over a Redskins linebacker, but Mel Kaufman made a leaping play for the interception and the Redskins took over at the Cowboys 40 yard line.

The Cowboys defense held the Redskins at the 12 yard line, but Mark Mosley kicked a field goal and the Redskins went ahead by seven, 24-17 with 7:00 left in the game.

There were so many lost opportunities for the Cowboys up to that point in the game. Plus two turnovers that the Redskins converted into 10 points, but the Cowboys still only found themselves down 24-17 with plenty of time left in the game.

On the Cowboys next possession the road to Super Bowl XVII came to grinding halt. They took over at their 20 yard line and that is when Hogeboom made his second and biggest mistake of the game.

Dropping back to set up a screen pass on the left to Dorsett, his pass was tipped by Dexter Manley. Fellow defensive lineman Darryl Grant leaped and came down with the interception at the ten yard line and scored easily. The Redskins went ahead 31-17 with just over six minutes left to play.

Even being down 14 points and the clock ticking down, Hogeboom and the Cowboys offense were not about to give up. They were able to drive to the Redskins 38 yard line, but failed to convert a 4th and 10 and the Redskins took over.

Behind the running of John Riggins the Redskins were able to run out the final four minutes and crush the Cowboys dreams as well as Cowboys fans.

What the 1982 NFC Championship game came down to was the Cowboys inability to take advantage of opportunities they had like two dropped passes that could have been touchdowns. Add in three turnovers that resulted in 17 Redskins points. The Redskins played a near perfect game and that was what head coach Joe Gibbs said they needed to do to beat the Cowboys.

The Redskins came out looking to establish the running game against the Cowboys, which they did as John Riggins gained 140 yards rushing. It should be noted that in the previous three games against the Redskins the Cowboys defense only allowed 25, 12 and 26 yards rushing to Riggins.

So for the third year in a row the Cowboys came up short in the NFC Championship game. All these years later that is still what is talked about from the 1980's and the Cowboys. How they just couldn't get over that hump and advance to the Super Bowl. How Danny White just couldn't get the job done. How the game had passed Tom Landry on. Some would agree with those accusations, but as someone who remembers the early 80's very well I couldn't disagree more. What really matters for this particular game against the Redskins is that the Cowboys never gave up even after being down 14-3 and 21-10. They fought hard as they overcame losing their leader at quarterback and had to put their faith in the backup quarterback. This game is a perfect example that simply looking at the 31-17 final score doesn't tell the whole story. The Cowboys may have lost a heart breaker, but they did Cowboys Nation proud with their effort.

What is this game they call the Super Bowl?

The date was January 15, 1978. I was only nine years old at the time and could not tell you what a third down conversion was, what it meant to blitz the quarterback or even what a quarterback was. I was about to sit and watch something called the Super Bowl on a day they called Super Sunday. As long as this game didn’t interfere with me watching Bugs Bunny or The Flintstones, then I was fine with watching it. Why would I miss this Super Bowl thing considering that the new coffee table sitting in the living room was filled with chips, pretzels and a lot of other stuff to eat and drink? I also had this magazine my Mother got from McDonald’s that listed a few of these Super Bowl games and I was looking through it only because it had some really cool color pictures in it.

My father sat in his favorite place in the living room, which was on the floor, with his back against the couch right next to the new coffee table that my parents had just purchased. I will tell you that they didn’t want to buy a new coffee table; they needed to buy the new coffee table due to a little accident that occurred, which did not involve me, thank goodness. You see, my father was a huge Giants fan back then and later in life after I became a football fan I found out that the Giants weren’t very good in the 1970s. Actually, the Giants were so bad in the 70’s that they never made the playoffs and this particular season (1977) they only managed five wins. So, getting back to the accident that occurred. One Sunday while my father was watching a Giants game, he got so angry that he slammed his fist down on the coffee table with such force that he split the table in two pieces. You see, my father was a big man who didn’t know his own strength and all he had to do was give me that look for me to fully understand I needed to behave. Anyway, to say that my Mother wasn’t happy with what had happened to the coffee table is an understatement. So, now the new coffee table sat where the old one had been. 

My father sat ready for the game along with one of my brothers and a few of his friends. They were about to cheer for this team dressed in orange shirts called the Denver Broncos. Who? From what my family was saying these Broncos were the team that was going to beat up on the other team that was playing. The Orange Crush is what I heard them all yell as they sat on the couch, but as I looked over at the new coffee table I saw none of that orange soda anywhere and I really wanted some. What were they talking about? I was a very confused, but I sat down on the floor in front of the television and started to watch. I will be honest and tell you that I had no idea what was happening during the game. Yes, my father was a lifelong Giants fan as well as my brothers, but I never had any interest in football up to that point. All I cared about in life were my Matchbox cars and cartoons. To take me away from those things was very difficult, but junk food and soda was a good start. 

As I sat there watching this game I noticed something that I thought was really cool. There were these bright and beautiful blue stars on the helmets of the other team. These stars were like bright lights that I couldn’t look away from. Now I started to pay a little more attention to what was going on. I asked who the other team was with the stars on their helmets and with a groan from the others watching they said “Dallas”. Hmmm. Dallas sounded nice, so I decided to stick around to see what these blue stars were all about. I really didn’t get any more information out of anyone and even though I was young I could sense that they were annoyed whenever I asked about this Dallas team. So I decided to just sit and watch and of course keep reaching for the chips and pretzels. One reason for the lack of information to my questions was because the game was on, which meant talking to the TV was more important than talking to me. The second reason was because there seemed to be an overwhelming hatred towards this Dallas team called the Cowboys. Why? Why so much hate? What did this team do to be hated so much? Now I was intrigued by the situation. Initially because my questions were being ignored, but mostly because the chips were being inhaled by these people crowded around the coffee table. I wanted very much for these guys with the blue stars on their helmets to do something good, whatever that was.

As the game was being played this Dallas team scored something called a touchdown. Not really sure what it was or what it meant, but from the moans and groans behind me, it told me that a touchdown was something good…for Dallas. There were no curse words from anyone because my father would never allow it and there was no slamming of fists on the coffee table because my mother would not allow it, for obvious reasons. 

OK, I was on to something now with this Super Bowl game. My father, brother and his friends hated when this Dallas team did something good. I could have joined in with them and cheered for this Denver team who had really ugly orange shirts on. But like I said before, being ignored didn’t sit well with me. I had questions and wanted answers, especially when it came to those guys with the blue stars on their helmets. So I made a decision to go against this crowd sitting in my living room as they continued to eat all the chips and pretzels. I became a pain in the butt nine year old and every time I heard moans and groans from those cheering for Denver, I would just turn around and smile at everyone. Almost as if I knew what was going on in the game. Of course I had no idea what was happening, but me smiling was getting the crowd angrier, which of course I liked very much. 

This Super Bowl game reached something called halftime and both teams left the field. Was the game over? If it was then the Dallas team with the nice blue stars on their helmets had 13 points and the Denver team with the ugly orange shirts had no points. I wasn’t sure if the game was over, but if it was I was more than happy to go back to playing with my Matchbox cars. I asked my father if the game was over and he said no in a grumpy unhappy voice and sure enough the teams started playing again soon after that.

I continued with my own little show of smiling every time I heard the moans and groans from the crowd behind me. As the game played on and the unhappy yelling started to increase, my smiles became larger because I knew Dallas must be doing well. I also found it funny that everyone was yelling at the television almost as if those guys playing the game could hear them. My father and my brother along with his friends were not happy as they talked about what a joke this Orange Crush was. Once again I looked over at the new coffee table for that orange soda that I really wanted, but I still didn’t see any. I guess I could have spoken up about the soda, but from the look on everyone’s faces I figured it wasn’t a good time to do so.

I found it amazing that I was doing something other than playing with my Matchbox cars or watching cartoons and I was actually having fun. I never would have imagined that happening even though I had no clue what was going on. Watching this Dallas team with the bright blue stars on their helmets was very addicting after a while. I kept looking through my McDonald’s magazine hoping to see a few pictures of players with stars on their helmets, while I continued to glance up at the television to see what was happening.

At one point there seemed to be a lot more people on the field and not all of them had uniforms on. Now what was happening? Then I looked behind me and my brother and his friends had finally removed themselves from my couch. The same couch that no one offered me to sit on in my own house, which was why I was on the floor. My father told me that the game was over, which I guess explained why all those people were now on the field. Then I noticed a man wearing a hat who was sitting on the shoulders of a few Dallas players. Wow, I thought to myself. How cool is it to be carried like that and who was this guy? This Dallas team must have done something pretty good considering all the attention they were getting. I also could not get out of my mind how nice those blue stars were and how shiny they were.

I had fun watching this game called the Super Bowl. I also had fun being a pain in the butt nine year old to those guys sitting behind me as they moaned and groaned in frustration as the Cowboys did something great, I think! Or was it because this Denver Broncos team did not do as well as my family had hoped for? They seemed so excited when the game first started just hours before. But now as everyone got up to leave the living room, all I heard was grumbling about how horrible Denver was and that the Orange Crush was a big joke. Well, it must have been a joke because once again I looked over at the new coffee table for the orange soda that everyone kept talking about, but I could never find. There was so much about football that I just didn’t understand.
 

All-Time favorite Super Bowls

It's so hard to say which Super Bowl was the best ever. The conversation happens every year around this time. It’s all a matter of opinion. If you were to get ten people together to talk about the best Super Bowl ever played, chances are you would get ten different opinions. That's what makes the Super Bowl conversation so great. 

There are many people who believe Super Bowl XXIII was the best ever as the 49ers beat the Bengals 20-16. It was a classic ending as Joe Montana drove his offense down the field and connected with John Taylor with just seconds left to win the game. It was one of the great endings ever in a Super Bowl, but the best game ever? Because of the great ending most people forget that the first half was beyond boring. Of course that is just my opinion. 

Being a Cowboys fan I would never say any of the Giants Super Bowl victories were the best ever and those game would never make my list. Of course their 20-19 Super Bowl XXV victory against the Bills comes very close and could be argued as the best played from start to finish.

As we approach Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona, once again the discussions start as far as the best Super Bowls. Like I said, it’s all a matter of opinion because some people love Super Bowl blowouts, while others love exciting endings. Others want a great game from start to finish. For me it’s kind of a mixture of all those types of those games, but there has always been one that has been my favorite. Here are my top 8 Super Bowls of all time that I have watched.






8. 2000, Super Bowl XXXV - Ravens beat the Giants, 34-7
If it was any other team losing this Super Bowl it wouldn't have made my list of favorite games. But since it was the Giants getting crushed it just had to make my list. Other than the Raiders defense dominating the Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII, I have never seen a defense like the Ravens shutdown an offense like they did against the Giants. The Ravens offense did just enough in this game, but it was the Ravens defense that collected five turnovers, four sacks and scored once. Add on a kickoff return and it all added up to a 27 point victory for the Ravens. It was only a Giants kickoff return in the third quarter that prevented a first ever Super Bowl shutout.


7. 1983, Super Bowl XVIII - Raiders beat the Redskins, 38-9
One of the most exciting Super Bowl blowouts ever as the Raiders dominated from start to finish. The Raiders offense was led by Marcus Allen with 191 yards rushing, which included his famous 74 yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The Raiders won this game with their offense, defense and special teams as they beat down the defending champion Redskins in the most dominating fashion to date.


6. 1977, Super Bowl XII - Cowboys beat the Broncos, 27-10
This has to be on my list simply because it's the game that turned me into a Cowboys fan. I watched as the Doomsday defense created eight turnovers and held the Broncos to only 156 yards of offense. It wasn't the best played game ever, but it was the first time that I ever watched the Cowboys and a game that I will never forget.


5. 1992, Super Bowl XXVII - Cowboys beat the Bills, 52-17
This Cowboys Super Bowl was very special because it had been 15 seasons since their last championship. After a slow start by the Cowboys and falling behind 7-0 early, the Cowboys dominated the Bills by forcing nine turnovers and scoring 52 points. The offense exploded as Troy Aikman threw four touchdown passes. Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Jay Novacek and Alvin Harper all scored. Add on two more touchdowns by the Cowboys defense and it added up to one of the most lopsided Super Bowl wins ever.


4. 1982, Super Bowl XVII - Redskins beat the Dolphins, 27-17
This is probably one of the most unmentioned Super Bowls of all time. The Dolphins took the lead early in the game against the Redskins and it stayed that way into the fourth quarter. With the Dolphins leading 17-13, the Redskins decided to go for it on fourth down. John Riggins broke a tackle and scored on his famous 43 yard run on 4th and 1 to give the Redskins their first lead of the game and their first world championship.


3. 1978, Super Bowl XIII - Steelers beat the Cowboys, 35-31
Yes, the Cowboys lost this game, but it cannot be denied that it was one of the great Super Bowls of all time. There was excitement from start to finish as Roger Staubach and Terry Bradshaw combined for 546 passing yards and seven touchdowns. It was the Doomsday defense vs the Steel Curtain. In the end the Cowboys comeback was stopped short and the Steelers won their third Championship.


2. 1979, Super Bowl XIV - Steelers beat the Rams, 31-19
This was the end of the Steelers dominance in the 1970s, but they weren't going down without a fight against a hungry Rams team. There were seven lead changes in the game and the Rams actually held a 19-17 lead into the fourth quarter. The Rams only turnover of the game happened late in the game it helped the Steelers to their fourth Super Bowl title as they scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.


1. 1997, Super Bowl XXXII - Broncos beat the Packers, 31-24
This is probably my favorite Super Bowl every played. The defending champion Packers and the John Elway led Broncos battled from start to finish. Elway didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders as he did in past Super Bowls. MVP Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and scored three touchdowns, even though he only played three quarters while suffering with a migraine. The best Super Bowl I have ever watched and the Broncos and Elway won their first championship.

It's a Wonderful Life Dan Bailey

Since the holiday is season is here once again I thought I would dust off one of my favorite articles that I wrote back in 2011. I got the idea after Cowboys rookie place kicker Dan Bailey kicked the game winning field goal against the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving in 2011. This story is all based on how Bailey’s rookie season started out when he missed a 21 yard field goal against the 49ers in Week 2. For those of you who don’t remember Dan Bailey won quite a few games as a rookie for the Cowboys back in 2011. 

For those who know my writing also know that I like to have some fun with articles and this is one of them. So allow me to share a story with you. It’s a story that will make you laugh and make you cry. For those who have seen the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”, you will understand the story that is about to be told.

It was September 18, 2011 and the Dallas Cowboys were visiting the San Francisco 49ers. After a bad loss to the NY Jets 27-24 in the season opener the Cowboys were looking to even their record at 1-1. The Cowboys did not want to go 0-2 simply because it might have been too deep of a hole to dig out of. 

The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and drove down to the 49ers four yard line. Rookie kicker Dan Bailey came out to attempt a 21 yard field goal. The kick sailed wide right and Bailey walked to the sideline devastated because of the miss. He sat down on the bench thinking that this was not the place for him. He knew he could never be a successful kicker in the NFL and just wanted to walk off the field and never come back. Bailey wished that he had never been a kicker. He wanted out of football and felt dead inside. He wished he could be anywhere except for where he was. As he sat on the Cowboys bench feeling lost and alone, he looked up to the sky with his eyes filled with tears and whispered "show me the way... show me the way".

At that moment Bailey found himself in the stands of Candlestick Park. Confused as to how he got there he began looking around. He noticed an older gentleman sitting next to him staring at him. It was as if no one else could see Bailey except the gentleman who continued to stare at Bailey. The crowd around both of them cheered as the game continued on. The older gentleman introduced himself as Clarence and began to explain to Bailey that he was his guardian angel sent down from the football gods to show Bailey the way just as he had asked. Bailey, only half listening to Clarence because he was so confused, got up to head back down to the field. Clarence explained to Bailey that he couldn’t go because he was not a part of the Cowboys team and never was. As Clarence reminded Bailey about his wish that he had never been a kicker, he handed Bailey a game program. As Bailey looked at the Cowboys team roster he noticed that he was not listed as the team kicker. Looking confused Bailey got up and decided to make his way to the tunnel where the Cowboys were running towards for halftime. He yelled and screamed for his teammates to help him. But it was if Bailey wasn’t even standing there as the Cowboys ran past him never acknowledging him in any way. Clarence placed his hand on Bailey's shoulder and said..."You've been given a great gift, Dan. A chance to see what football would be like without you". At that point Bailey felt the only thing he could do was just leave so he could sort out what was happening to him. Bailey made his way out of Candlestick Park with Clarence following closely behind. 

Sitting home that night Bailey wanted to watch highlights of the Cowboys game against the 49ers to see how things turned out. He was disappointed to find out that the 49ers had beaten the Cowboys 24-21 and dropped the Cowboys to a 0-2 record. Feeling upset, Bailey kept telling Clarence that he could have helped his teammates win. Clarence kept reminding Bailey he could not have helped because he was not a kicker and the Cowboys had no idea who he was. Over and over again Clarence tried to explain the situation that Bailey was never a kicker, but Bailey was obviously still having a hard time believing what was happening to him. 

As the season continued on Dan Bailey sat and watched the Cowboys play each game. Every time Bailey would talk about being a kicker and helping the Cowboys, Clarence would remind him of his wish never to be a kicker. Bailey pleaded with Clarence to bring him back to the Cowboys, but Clarence would just put his head down and tell Bailey that it wasn’t possible.  

With the Cowboys record at 0-2 things just got worse as they lost their next three games to the Redskins 16-15, the Lions 34-30 and the Patriots 20-16. Bailey just couldn’t believe what he was watching as the Cowboys started the season 0-5. He wanted to help the Cowboys, but he just didn’t know how he could get back to them. With the Cowboys record at 0-5 they finally got a win over the Rams 34-7, but then followed that up with a horrible loss to the Eagles 34-7. Things seemed to be getting better after the loss to the Eagles as the Cowboys beat the Seahawks 23-13 and the Bills 44-7. With each passing game Bailey regretted saying he never wanted to be a kicker that day at Candlestick Park. He wanted to be a kicker again more than anything in the world. He wanted to help the Cowboys win games. After two wins in a row and the Cowboys record at 3-6, there seemed to be some hope that the Cowboys could save their season. Then before Bailey’s eyes the Cowboys lost their rematch against the Redskins in overtime 27-24 and then lost again four days later on Thanksgiving to the Dolphins 19-17. The Cowboys were now 3-8 and their season was all but over. Bailey felt helpless and lost and could only blame himself for the horrible season the Cowboys were having.

Dan Bailey argued with Clarence that he should have been there to help the Cowboys win games and that it was his fault they were 3-8. Clarence reminded Bailey about his own comments that he could never be a successful kicker and not wanting to be a kicker anymore. Clarence also reminded Bailey that he said he wanted out of football. They argued for a long time until Bailey couldn’t take it anymore and ran out of his house. Bailey wanted to get as far away from Clarence as he could. He didn’t want to hear any more of what Clarence had to say. Bailey had regretted everything he had said that day and wished he could take it all back. He ran until he was exhausted and couldn’t run anymore. He sat down on a park bench to rest and think things through. He put his head in his hands and sat there wondering how he ended up there and how things got so bad. He wanted so much to help the Cowboys and he missed being around all his teammates. With his head still resting in his hands he said out loud…

"Clarence! Clarence! Help me, Clarence! Get me back! Get me back; I want to be a kicker again. I want to help the Cowboys win. Get me back to my teammates! Help me Clarence, please! Please! I wanna live again. I wanna live again. Please, Clarence, let me live again".

At that moment Bailey heard his name being yelled by many different people. He looked up and found himself sitting on the Cowboys bench in Candlestick Park. He was back in uniform and players and coaches were yelling at him to get ready. He couldn’t believe it and began smiling. Clarence had sent him back to where he wanted to be. To the place where he knew he belonged, as the kicker for the Dallas Cowboys. Bailey looked up at the scoreboard and saw that the Cowboys were behind 24-21 to the 49ers with only seconds remaining in the game. Feeling an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness that he was once again back where he belonged, Bailey grabbed his helmet and ran onto the field. He kicked the game tying field goal to send the game into overtime. Then in overtime Bailey was called on again to help his team. This time Bailey kicked the game winning field goal to beat the 49ers 27-24 and evened the Cowboys record at 1-1. Bailey had never felt better kicking a football in his life and could not have been happier to be part of the Cowboys and to help them win. He was thankful that Clarence had shown him what life was like without football. Bailey also realized what was important in life and that just because something goes wrong he should never wish it all away. But most importantly Bailey was thankful that Clarence was able to return him to where he belonged.

The following week with Bailey still feeling good and knowing there was no other place he wanted to be, he was called on again to win the game for the Cowboys. The Cowboys were losing to the Redskins 16-15 at Cowboys Stadium with only 1:47 left in the game. Bailey kicked what ended up being the game winning field goal as the Cowboys beat the Redskins 18-16 and improved to 2-1.

Dan Bailey now understood that missing field goals were part of the game and that they would happen from time to time. But as a kicker he couldn’t dwell on the misses. He just needed to continue to improve each and every week. With the right kind preparation and conditioning he knew that when called on he would always be ready to help his team. 

As the 2011 season continued, Dan Bailey started to convert every field goal he attempted. It was almost as though every kick was being guided by someone as it was in the air. With every kick, Bailey thought about Clarence and remembered how he showed him how unhappy he was when he wasn’t the kicker for the Cowboys. He never ever wanted to feel that way again. He knew he was a professional kicker and even more important was that he was the kicker for the Dallas Cowboys. Bailey thought about Clarence every day and wondered what ever happened to him. He had not seen Clarence since that day he ran out of the house and ended up in the park.

With the Cowboys record at 5-4 they found themselves in another fight against the Redskins in their rematch. Only this time the game had gone into overtime and Bailey was called on again to win the game. Bailey, for the third time that season had won a game for the Cowboys. The win also helped the Cowboys into a first place tie with the Giants with a 6-4 record. The Cowboys once again congratulated Bailey on another game winning kick and Bailey being beyond happy could not remove the smile from his face.

Four days after beating the Redskins was the Cowboys annual Thanksgiving Day game. That season they were scheduled to play the Miami Dolphins. With so many people being thankful for so many things on Thanksgiving, it was Dan Bailey who felt even more thankful for everything he had. He had gone through so much as he learned from Clarence what life would be like if he wasn’t the kicker for the Cowboys, He felt the pain of not being able to help his team and he saw the pain his teammates were going through as the losses piled up.

It was a hard fought game against the Dolphins and the Cowboys found themselves losing 19-17 with only three seconds left in the game. The offense had moved into field goal range for Bailey. Once gain Bailey grabbed his helmet and ran out onto the field to help his team. Bailey’s 28 yard field goal was good as he won another game for the Cowboys and they improved to 7-4. The Cowboys attacked Bailey and congratulated each other on a tough victory. Bailey could just tell how much his teammates appreciated him and how glad they were that he was their kicker.

Always remembering that Clarence showed him the way after his field goal miss against the 49ers early in the season; Bailey knew just how lucky he was to be a kicker and was beyond thankful for everything. From the time Bailey found himself back on the 49ers bench in Week 2 as he won the game, through the winning kick against the Dolphins, Bailey had converted 26 straight field goals for the Cowboys. Bailey was also responsible for winning four out of the Cowboys seven games to that point during the 2011 season.

As Dan Bailey walked to his car after the Dolphins victory he heard the cheers of the fans that had waited for him. It made him smile because he felt so appreciated by the Cowboys fans. He loved being able to kick for the Cowboys and especially win games for the Cowboys and their fans. As Bailey got to his car he felt a cool breeze behind him. As he turned around he saw Clarence standing there smiling at him. For a moment they both looked at each other and said nothing. They knew what the other one was thinking. Finally Clarence reached out to Bailey and gave him a hug. Clarence told Bailey that he had been watching him how proud of him he was. 

Clarence continued saying…

"You’ve been given a great gift, Dan: A chance to see what football would be like without you. You’ve really had a wonderful life. You have seen what a mistake it would have been to just throw it away. Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he? Always remember, Dan, no man is a failure who has teammates".

Bailey couldn't help crying over what Clarence had just said to him. He hugged Clarence again and thanked him from the bottom of his heart for everything. As Bailey got into his car and shut the door, he looked over towards Clarence and he was gone. Bailey looked all around, but Clarence was nowhere to be seen. Bailey shouted towards the sky, “THANK YOU CLARENCE”. He smiled, started his car and started to drive home. Thanks to Clarence, Bailey knew what he was meant to do with his life. That was being the kicker for the Dallas Cowboys. As Bailey drove home that night smiling he knew he wouldn’t have it any other way.

A classic Cowboys-Giants game from 1985 when Sunday Night Football was rare

In today's NFL Sunday Night Football has become the norm. To some fans that's how it's always been. But in a time long ago and far away it was completely different. Sunday Night Football was once considered a treat for fans. In the 1980's there might have been two or three Sunday night games a season and it was exciting. It was even more exciting if it was your team playing in the game.

Back in Week 5 of the 1985 season one such game was played on Sunday night and it ended up being a classic division match-up between the Cowboys and Giants.

It was October 6, 1985 and this primetime game would be played at Giants Stadium. Both the Cowboys and Giants entered the game with 3-1 records and the NFC East lead on the line. It was also a time when many teams, including the Giants would make the Cowboys wear their blue jerseys and this game was no different.

With darkness covering the Garden State, the bright lights of Giants Stadium stood out as the Cowboys kicked off to the Giants.

On the second play of the game Giants running back Joe Morris never got control of a handoff from quarterback Phil Simms and he fumbled. The ball landed right in front of Cowboys linebacker Mike Hegman who recovered it. The Cowboys took over at the Giants 43 yard line.

Cowboys quarterback Danny White led the Cowboys to the Giants 18 yard line. From there White got flushed from the pocket by the Giants pass rush. He ran towards the right sideline and a second before he stepped out of bounds he threw across his body into the back of the end zone where he found wide receiver Tony Hill for the score. The ABC cameras must have been convinced that White was going to run out of bounds because once he threw the ball the cameras never followed the ball into the end zone to the show the touchdown. It was only after the commercial break that the end zone camera showed Tony Hill scoring the touchdown. The Cowboys went ahead early in the first quarter 7-0.

Giants kickoff returner Phil McConkey returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield. That seemed to jump start the Giants offense as they drove to the Cowboys six yard line. But the drive came to a stop there as the Cowboys blitzed Phil Simms on third down and forced him to throw the ball away through the back of the end zone. Giants kicker Jess Atkinson converted a 23 yard field goal to close the gap to 7-3.

After exchanging punts on each of their next possessions, the Cowboys took over at their 17 yard line as the first quarter came to an end. On the arm of Danny White he led the Cowboys offense to the Giants eight yard line. From there he would throw his second touchdown pass of the game. White stepped up in the pocked and rolled to his left where he pulled up and fired into the end zone to wide receiver Mike Renfro for the touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

On the Giants next possession they were once again able to drive deep into Cowboys territory. On second down from the 15 yard line Simms over threw wide receiver Bobby Johnson in the end zone. On third down Simms was sacked. Once again the Giants had to settle for a field goal from Atkinson as he connected from 37 yards to make the score 14-6.

After the kickoff Danny White began moving the offense down the field again. It would be a common theme for this game as rushing yards would be hard to come by, especially in the first half for Tony Dorsett. At the two minute warning and sitting at the Giants 15 yard line, Danny White went looking for Mike Renfro again.  White threw into the end zone, but did not see Giants safety Kenny Hill standing there and he intercepted White's pass for the touchback.

The Giants offense could not move the ball after the interception and was forced to punt to the Cowboys with 1:14 left in the first half.

After the Giants punt the Cowboys took over on their 32 yard line with 1:06 left. Danny White threw deep to Tony Hill, but the pass went off his finger tips and fell incomplete. White then connected on his next three passes to get the Cowboys to the Giants 23 yard line with just 28 seconds left.

Danny White was sacked by the Giants ferocious pass rush which pushed the Cowboys back to the 33 yard line. White then threw into the end zone looking for Mike Renfro again. White's pass would have been intercepted again, but Renfro reached up to knock the ball away from Giants cornerback Ted Watts. On the next play White threw incomplete towards tight end Doug Cosbie with 10 seconds remaining, but there was a holding penalty on the Cowboys. That pushed the ball back to the Giants 43 yard line. On third down White was once again sacked and this time fumbled the ball, but the Cowboys recovered at their 48 yard line with six seconds left. On fourth down Danny White threw deep, but his pass was intercepted by Giants cornerback Elvis Patterson as time expired in the first half. The Cowboys went into halftime leading the Giants 14-6.

Some Cowboys fans might remember the name Elvis Patterson. It was Patterson who joined the Cowboys in 1993 and won a ring with them in Super Bowl XXVIII.

The Cowboys dominated the Giants in the first half on the arm of Danny White and if not for their two turnovers they might have led by a lot more than eight points. What the Cowboys were not aware of was the third quarter storm that was headed their way.

The second half started off with a missed opportunity for the Cowboys. Danny White threw deep to a wide open Tony Hill on third down, but White's pass sailed over Hill's head and for the first time in the game the Cowboys went three and out and had to punt.

The Giants took over at their 38 yard line and began to unleash a third quarter from hell onto the Cowboys that they couldn't stop. On the third play of the drive from their 49 yard line Simms connected with wide receiver Lionel Manuel, who beat cornerback Everson Walls at the Cowboys 32 yard line. Manuel then spun away from two other Cowboys defenders at the 26 yard line and broke free for a 51 yard touchdown. Jess Atkinson missed the extra point and that would become very important in the outcome of the game. The Cowboys now led 14-12.

On the Cowboys next possession they drove to midfield, but Danny White threw his third interception of the game. White never saw Elvis Patterson standing in front of Mike Renfro at the Giants 45 yard line and he came away with the easy pick and returned it to the Cowboys 49 yard line.

The Giants offense quickly went back to work and drove to the Cowboys 23 yard line after the turnover. On third and 15 Phil Simms rolled out to his left and fired the ball towards the end zone. Cowboys safety Dexter Clinkscale reached up and tipped the ball at the three yard line, but the ball ended up going into the hands of Lionel Manuel in the end zone for the score. The Giants took their first lead of the game, 19-14.

Next Cowboys possession. Next Cowboys turnover. Sitting at the Giants 45 yard line, White threw deep to rookie wide receiver Karl Powe. Giants cornerback Terry Kinard came down with the interception at the four yard line and returned it to the 30 yard line.

On the Giants third play from their 30 yard line, Simms threw a short pass to running back George Adams at the 38 yard line who was wide open in the middle of the field. Adams exploded up field and raced untouched for a 70 yard touchdown. It was the Giants third touchdown of the third quarter and increased their lead to 26-14 over the Cowboys.

What was once a 14-6 halftime lead for the Cowboys had very quickly turned into a 26-14 deficit. The Cowboys were in trouble and they had to find a way to stop the bleeding before it was too late.

If the Cowboys were to get back into the game they would have to forget about the turnovers and get back to playing like they did in the first half. And they did just that after the kickoff. Mixing a few passes from Danny White and Tony Dorsett's longest run of the game for 24 yards, the Cowboys found themselves at the Giants 24 yard line. Danny White was feeling the pressure from the Giants pass rush and threw off his back foot towards the end zone. Mike Renfro jumped up to grab the ball at the two yard line and scored his second touchdown of the game. The Cowboys finally got on the scoreboard in the second half and pulled closer at 26-21.

On the Giants next possession it was Phil Simms who turned the ball over. Cowboys cornerback Dennis Thurman stepped in front of Phil McConkey who fell down on his route and he intercepted the pass at the Giants 45 yard line.

After Tony Dorsett's 24 yard run during the previous possession the Cowboys continued to feed him the ball on the first two plays. Dorsett gained 10 yards and then 6 yards, which put the Cowboys at the Giants 29 yard line. Danny White then connected with tony Hill at the 16 yard line, but Hill fumbled. The ball rolled out of bounds at the 22 yard line before the Giants could recover and the Cowboys maintained possession as the third quarter ended.

The Cowboys were able to drive to the Giants five yard line before settling for a Rafael Septien field goal from 22 yards to make the score 26-24.

On the next Giants possession Phil Simms once again turned the ball over. Sitting at their 23 yard line Simms dropped back to pass and was slammed to the turf by Ed "Too Tall" Jones causing him to fumble. Jim Jeffcoat recovered the fumble at the Giants 16 yard line and once again the Cowboys offense was in great position.

The Cowboys could only gain four yards after the turnover and once again had to settle for a Septien field goal from 29 yards. The Cowboys had battled their way back and took the lead again 27-26.

After turnovers on each of their last two possessions, the Giants finally started moving the ball again. On third down from their 34 yard line Simms connected with McConkey for a 29 yard gain to the Cowboys 37 yard line. The drive stalled at the 30 yard line and Atkinson kicked a 47 yard field goal to put the Giants back in the lead 29-27 with 4:57 left in the game.

The Cowboys received the kickoff and hoped to put a drive together to run down the clock as well as position themselves for the win. But they could get no further than midfield and had to punt.

The Giants took over at their 20 yard line with just 2:58 left and they knew with just a few first downs the victory would be there's and so would the lead in the NFC East. But not so fast. This had been an unusual game from the start with big plays and many turnovers from both teams.

On the Giants second play Simms fumbled the ball from center. Cowboys linebacker Eugene Lockhart recovered the ball at the Giants 20 yard line with 2:40 left in the game.

The Cowboys moved the ball to the Giants 14 yard line as the Giants used their remaining timeouts. Septien was called on again to kick his third field goal of the second half. The kick was good from 31 yards and the Cowboys regained the lead 30-29 with 2:19 left.

The missed extra point by the Giants in the third quarter became even more important now considering the game could have been tied 30-30 with 2:19 left to play.

The Giants returned the kickoff to their 23 yard line, but a holding penalty pushed them back to the 13 yard line. On first down Simms found McConkey for a 19 yard completion to the 32 yard line. On the next play Simms was forced to throw the ball out of bounds as the 2:00 warning came.

Simms then threw incomplete passes on second and third downs. That brought up fourth down and the Giants were not about to go down easy as Simms connected with Bobby Johnson at midfield for a first down with 1:45 left.

For some reason the Giants decided to run Rob Carpenter on first down for no gain as the clock was running. Yes, Rob Carpenter is the father of former Cowboys linebacker Bobby Carpenter. Simms second down pass fell incomplete due to the fact he was being hit as he attempted to pass. On third down Simms pass came out of his hand a little wobbly for lack of a better word. Everson Walls came down with the interception and immediately stepped out of bounds.

The Cowboys ran out the final 1:16 and came away with a wild division victory over the NY Giants 30-29. The Cowboys improved to 4-1 and took the lead in the NFC East, which they would eventually win in 1985 with a 10-6 record.

Both offenses combined for 896 yards. 423 by the Cowboys and 473 by the Giants.

Both teams combined for nine turnovers. Four by the Cowboys and five by the Giants.

Danny White threw for 342 yards, three touchdowns and four inceptions.

Tony Dorsett rushed for 86 yards.

Mike Renfro caught 10 passes for 141 yards and two TDs and Tony Hill caught eight passes for 100 yards.

Phil Simms threw for 432 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also fumbled twice.

Lionel Manuel caught six passes for 129 yards and two TDs and Bobby Johnson caught 5 passes for 104 yards.

Super Bowl Boulevard NYC

It's finally here. Super Bowl Sunday is ready to be played between the Broncos and Seahawks. I know there are plenty of Cowboys fans who can't get excited for the game, but as far as myself I still get excited for the big game. Unless of course the Giants are playing, then I'm anything but excited. After so many years of watching the Super Bowl there is still that excitement that goes with it. It's all about the pregame, the unveiling of the field, the player introductions and everything that goes with it.

This year has been a little different because the Super Bowl is being played in my area, kind of. I'm actually in New York, but not very far from Met-Life Stadium as well as New York City. Since there is no way I can ever afford tickets to the Super Bowl I decided to do the next best thing and drive down to Super Bowl Boulevard in Manhattan with my wife and kids.

New York City got lucky on Saturday with the weather. For most of the week were in the teens and then got into the 20s by the end of the week. On Saturday, which was the last day to enjoy everything in NYC the temps got into the low 40s and the sun came out from time to time.

The scene down in Times Square on Saturday compared to New Year's Eve. We had our Super Bowl badge that would allow us into the attractions, but as the day got going more and more people started to show up. For those who know NYC the party started down on 34th Street and went all the way up to 47th Street. Thirteen blocks of nothing but NFL football. It was beyond awesome to be there, but at the same time the crowds were incredible. It was as close as I'll ever get to a Super Bowl so it was a great experience.

With so many people it was hard to actually do anything unless you wanted to spend hours on line. There must have been at least a three hour wait to get in and take your picture with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. It was the same story for those looking to get an autograph from players like Jim Brown, Derrick Books and Cam Newton. Not wanting to wait on line that long for any of it we decided to just walk around, take pictures and enjoy everything. At one point it took us about 30 minutes to walk one block when it would normally take about a minute because no one was moving in either direction. But I guess it was to be expected. Like I said, the weather was beautiful and it was the last day.

Here are some of the things we came across.

The ESPN studios were there and they were on the air.

Cleatus the robot looking over the Fox Studios.

I was able to get a close shot of the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The toboggan run was six floors high and looked like a fun ride.

The NYPD had every block covered and was also over looking things from above.

Macy's was ready with the NFL Shop.

Like I said, the crowds were crazy and it seemed like the further I walked the more people flowed into Times Square.

Although it's hard to really explain how great it was to experience Super Bowl Boulevard, I'm hoping that I was able to capture some of it through my pictures.

It might be hard to believe, but everything on the Boulevard was not the favorite part of my day in NYC yesterday. You see, I found out on Friday that someone I've wanted to meet for a long time was going to be in NYC Saturday morning representing UGG boots and other accessories. When we first got down to the Boulevard Saturday morning we got our badges and then walked from 48th Street all the way down to 31st Street to meet this person. I couldn't wait to get down there. I was like a little kid filled with excitement as we walked the 17 blocks. And then we arrived and there she was. I was able to meet her finally, talk for a few minutes and get my picture taken with her. The person was Maria Menounos and she could not have been nicer and I was glad I got the chance to meet her. I'm sure there are some who don't even know who Maria is and that is alright. Look her up and just know that she is a really nice person who took the time to meet some of her fans.