Sports Then and Now

George Martin at the beginning of his 3,000 trek across the country.

The ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, is credited with the oft-uttered saying “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” If this is true than former New York Giant co-captain George Martin’s Journey for 911 must have commenced with three times as many single steps.

And on the way, my mathematical conclusion, is that Martin’s amazing 3003 mile trip from the George Washington Bridge in New York City to San Diego, CA consisted of approximately 15,855,840 single steps, none less important than the one before.

For each of Martin’s steps from September 16, 2007 to June 21, 2008 represented his attempt to raise awareness of the plight of the Heroes of Ground Zero and to raise funds to support their ongoing medical needs.

Martin is back in the news today and appeared with his band of walkers on this morning’s Sunday version of the Today Show in New York City, as he has turned his Journey for 911 Walk into an annual fund raising event.

It is clear that Martin doesn’t want the steps he’s taken to be his steps alone and has enlisted the support of all Americans from sea to shining sea as he continues to raise funds and awareness. Read the rest of this entry →

Each week during the 2009 NFL season, Sports Then and Now will pick one upcoming NFL matchup and look through the history books to find an intriguing past meeting between the two teams. We will recap the game and hopefully help reintroduce (or introduce for you younger readers) you to some of the greats (and in some cases not so greats) from the history of professional football.

The Matchup: Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants

Series Record: Two of the oldest teams in the NFL, the Redskins and Giants have met 152 times with the Giants holding an 87-61-4 advantage. The two teams have been division rivals since the Redskins joined the NFL as the Boston Braves in 1932.

The Game: November 27, 1966, D.C. Stadium in Washington, DC

Team Records: Washington Redskins 5-6; New York Giants 1-8-1

Overview: When the Redskins and Giants met in Washington late in the 1966 season, neither team was headed to the playoffs. Actually, far from it as the Giants were on their way to the worst season in team history just three seasons after playing for the NFL title. The Redskins were trying to reach .500 for the first time in a decade. What ensued on this late November afternoon was not necessarily one of the best played games in professional football history, but it was a contest filled with more big plays and scoring than any other game in the history of the league.
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The Best Game Ever has a special place in the reviewer's library.

“Early in the third quarter, the Giants had their backs to the wall, just as they had all season. They were an established NFL power in America’s greatest city, with a lineup of star athletes expected to dominate the league for years to come…”

So writes Mark Bowen, author of The Best Game Ever. With an eye for detail and a flair for stating the dramatic in a sufficiently understated way so as to make it more dramatic, Bowden weaves the story of the game many still say is the greatest ever played.

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