Sports Then and Now

Joe Delaney was a rising star when he died while trying to save others on June 29, 1983.

It was 30 years ago, June 29, 1983, when the sports world lost a true hero and budding star with the tragic death of Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe Delaney.

What should have been a fun summer day spent at an area amusement park in Monroe, Louisiana, instead turned tragic as three young boys were drowning in a water hole that had been left by recent construction. Though he could not swim, the 24-year-old NFL star quickly jumped in to try and save the boys. Two of the boys made it to shore, though one later died, while Delaney and one of the boys drowned.

It was a tragic and sudden end to what had been a mercurial rise from obscurity to NFL stardom for Delaney.

After playing primarily receiver at Haughton High School in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, Delaney received some Division I interest, but ended up at Division I-AA Northwestern State. He quickly was moved to running back and twice earned All-American honors.

In a 1978 game against Nicholls State, Delaney rushed for 299 yards, including an NCAA record 263 yards in the second half. He finished his career with 3,047 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns and had his jersey retired after his final game for the Demons. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

Likely because he didn’t play against top-level college competition at Northwestern State, Delaney slipped into the second round of the 1981 draft before being selected with the 41st pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.

As a rookie, Delaney proved to be the best weapon on a team that posted a 9-7 record under the guidance of future Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy.

Delaney was known for his good deeds and was a team and fan favorite with the Chiefs.

After gaining a combined total of 211 yards on the ground during the first four games of his rookie season, Delaney reeled off three straight 100+ yard games, including 149 yards in a victory over Denver.

Delaney later rushed for 117 yards in a two-point loss to San Diego and 193 yards in a victory over the Houston Oilers as the Chiefs raced to an 8-4 record and looked like a playoff contender.

However, they were derailed by the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day and Delaney struggled with injuries the next two weeks as they lost three straight games. He rushed for only 136 yards in his final three games and missed the season finale (a 10-6 win) against the Minnesota Vikings.

Despite the tough finish, Delaney still completed his rookie year ranked 10th in the NFL with 1,121 yards rushing and was a first team All-AFC and Pro Bowl selection.

Delaney’s second NFL season was not as successful as he never was able to find a running rhythm during the strike-shortened season. He suffered a detached retina that limited his playing time and he rushed for only 380 yards in eight games.

Tragically, Delaney would never have another season to regain his rookie form.

After his death, more than 3,000 people attended his memorial service on July 4, 1983. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizens Award by President Reagan and later received the NCAA Medal of Valor.

It would be seven seasons before the Chiefs would have another 1,000 yard runner (Christian Okoye in 1989).

Though his number has not been worn by a Kansas City player since his death, Delaney’s number 37 has not been officially retired by the Chiefs. It would be a fitting tribute and remembrance 30 years after his death for the Chiefs to rectify this oversight.

Because Delaney definitely deserves to be remembered both for his greatness on the field and for his selflessness off the gridiron.

Tim Tebow is certainly hoping for a little better treatment from the Patriots now that he is on the team.

To paraphrase from the great Mark Twain “the rumors of the death of Tim Tebow’s career have been greatly exaggerated.”

After months of rumors, speculation and denials, it appears that Tim Tebow has not worn an NFL uniform for the last time. As first reported by ESPN’s Ed Werder, the New England Patriots are going to give the former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback another chance to play in the NFL.

Of course with one of the best quarterbacks of all-time, Tom Brady, firmly secure as the starting quarterback, there may not be many chances for Tebow to show his stuff. However, given how few chances Tebow seemed to have, beggars certainly can’t be choosers.

According to most media talk, there was very little interest in Tebow for two primary reasons. One is the belief among many that Tebow doesn’t have what it takes to be a successful NFL quarterback. The other is that if a team signed Tebow they weren’t signing a football player, they were signing the ringmaster for the circus.

It could be considered hubris that New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick (and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels) think they have what it takes to both make Tebow into a capable pro and can manage the media circus that seems to follow the former Florida quarterback wherever he goes. Read the rest of this entry →

Deacon Jones was twice the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and recorded 20 or more sacks in four seasons.

The NFL lost an all-time great with the death this week of Hall of Fame defensive end David “Deacon” Jones at the age of 74.

While he will be remembered as a revolutionary defender who invented the term “sack” and the now-outlawed “head slap”, Jones was more than just another great player.

At a time when African American players were just gaining wide-spread acceptance, Jones beat the odds to become one of the best players of his generation.

Born in Eatonville, Florida (near Orlando), Jones attended Hungerford High School and then South Carolina State. After just one season, Jones lost his scholarship after being involved with the Civil Rights Movement. He then played one season at Mississippi Vocational College (now Mississippi Valley State) before being drafted in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

Though unheralded, Jones soon established himself as a rising star and became part of one of the greatest defensive lines in NFL history. During the 1960s, the “Fearsome Foursome” developed into a key component of the turnaround of the Rams from a perennial loser to a consistent playoff contender.

When Jones joined the Rams in 1961, Lamar Lundy was already on the squad as a defensive tackle. The year after Jones, Merlin Olsen was drafted by the Rams and became one of the best defensive tackles in NFL history.  The line was complete when Roosevelt “Rosey” Grier was traded to the Rams from the Giants in 1963.

Over the next three seasons, the defensive front became one of the best in football, but the Rams were still unable to develop into a winning team. Read the rest of this entry →

Pat Summerall and John Madden were the most popular duo in NFL broadcasting history.

The sports world lost a broadcasting legend with the death on Tuesday of Pat Summerall at the age of 82.

Though known to generations for his work as an announcer for the NFL, U.S. Open tennis championships and Masters Golf Tournament, Summerall actually spent 10 years as an NFL player before moving to the broadcast booth.

After playing college football at Arkansas, Summerall was drafted by the Detroit Lions, but a broken arm ended his first season in the league. He was traded to the Chicago Cardinals and spent five seasons with them primarily as a placekicker.

In an era when kickers were not often as involved in deciding games as they are today, Summerall converted 41% of his field goals and 95% of extra points with the Cardinals. He also played some defense and had the only pass interception of his career along with three fumble recoveries.

Summerall joined the New York Giants in 1958 and helped lead the team to the NFL Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts, a game commonly referred to as the Greatest Game Ever Played. His 49-yard field goal in the regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns ensured a playoff for the conference title, which the Giants won.

The 1959 season was the best of Summerall’s career as he converted a career-best 69% of his field goals (20 of 29) and was perfect on extra points while scoring a career-high 90 points. He retired after scoring 88 points in the 1961 season.

Summerall began his broadcasting career working part-time for New York Giant games in 1962. In 1964 he was hired by CBS to serve as a color commentator for NFL broadcasts. He served in that role until 1974 when he moved to the role of play-by-play announcer. Read the rest of this entry →

The Baltimore Ravens broke the bank to keep quarterback Joe Flacco.

The Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens sure haven’t done a very good job basking in the glow of their remarkable Super Bowl run. They have made some very questionable decisions that have impacted the team both on and off the field.

The Ravens certainly have been busy in the six weeks since defeating the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII.

In a move that many felt they had to make, but some question as being excessive, they made quarterback Joe Flacco the highest paid quarterback in the NFL. By signing him to a six-year, $120.6 million contract, they have now given a player who in five seasons has spent more time being average than being great a contract higher than that of the quarterbacks generally thought to be the best in the game in Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.

They say timing in sports is everything and Flacco’s timing was perfect. With his contract expiring, Flacco was marvelous in the playoffs with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in four games as the Ravens rolled to the Super Bowl Championship.

If Flacco can perform like that every week for the next six seasons, then the Ravens have certainly made a good investment. However, Flacco’s own history suggests otherwise. During the 2012 regular season Flacco threw 22 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. He had only five games in the 2012 regular season where he threw a touchdown pass without also throwing an interception. And while Flacco threw three touchdowns with no picks in three straight playoff wins, he had previously accomplished that feat only three times in 80 regular season games.

With his new contract in hand, Flacco in 2013 will be judged in a very different manner than in previous years. In the past, the fact that he has never made a Pro Bowl and that his statistics were very good, but not great, really didn’t matter because the team has always been a winner. Flacco is the only quarterback to win a playoff game in his first five seasons and has a 9-4 career playoff record. Read the rest of this entry →

We have seen the last of Wes Welker in a Patriots uniform.

As the 2013 edition of NFL free agency is barely a day old, the Patriots don’t appear any closer in being able to reach an agreement with Pro Bowl wide receiver, Wes Welker. What’s even worse is that the Denver Broncos do.

It has been reported throughout the day that the receiver has been “in serious talks” with Broncos management. Adam Schefter of ESPN broke the news regarding the situation earlier in the day after hearing it from league sources.

6:40 p.m.: Now, it appears that Brady is being described as “enraged” at the situation. Who exactly he is enraged at is not perfectly clear.

5:50 p.m.: Faulk Again: “NO…RT @luko65: @feezy_k do you think there is a reasonable replacment for wes out there?”

5:25 p.m.: Chandler Jones tweeted the following: “Hey @WesWelker it was a pleasure being your teammate, learned alot from ya even tho we didn’t talk much! I’m a fan and always will be..” His next tweet, just a minute later, read “#Respect.”

5:22 p.m.: Tom E. Curran tweets this: “Spoke to someone close to Tom Brady. Beyond enraged at contract details that netted Broncos Wes Welker. “Disgrace” “disservice” were used.”

5:21 p.m.: “Wes Welker to the Broncos” trending worldwide.

5:20 p.m.: Former Patriot, Kevin Faulk, had this to say regarding the situation: “I hear you Justin.RT @GilbertDustin: @feezy_k why .. Why are we so cheap …why did Brady bother to even take a pay cut .. So crazy and dumb” in response to a tweet from a fan.

5:15 p.m.: Breer reported that the Patriots’ counter-offer was for two years and $10 million plus incentives. Read the rest of this entry →