'Hail Mary'? It Was A Pushoff!

Hello and Happy Hump Day everybody. The final one for 2011...

I'm not even sure why this came to mind but this day in sports history is not a good one for fans of the Minnesota Vikings. Twice in the space of 28 years my boys got the screws put to them with outcomes of games that did not work to their favor. Each against teams with an origin to the NFC East. Each to deny them a playoff/Super Bowl run.

Drew Pearson pushed off. Now, I'm not mad, but I am just saying...

This day in 1975 I sat in front of my television set watching the Vikings and Cowboys play one another. One week removed from a snowball throwing incident with Chuck Foreman in a game played at snowy Buffalo, I remember a referee getting popped with a whiskey bottle as this game wound down.

I also remember the voices of Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas for CBS. I also remember that damn camera being stationed at the 50 yard line at all times unlike the two you now normally see at the 25 covering the whole 120 yards...

Early in this game I recall the Vikings caught a lucky break on a punt that the referees ruled touched the hand of center Dave Manders. That led to an early score. The Cowboys of 1975 had something like 10 or 11 rookies that year and they also had Roger Staubach to do his miracle works. Flashes of Fran Tarkenton having to scramble for his life and some nice runs by Chuck Foreman and Robert Newhouse.

What froths me to this day were some of the non-calls. The aformentioned was one. Right before the Hail Mary was a catch Drew Pearson supposedly made at the 50. He was clearly out of bounds when he caught the ball. Then of course the play that became the 1st original 'Hail Mary' as Roger Staubach supposedly made a prayer to said person prior to the throw.

The ball was thrown some 50 yard in the air and you saw Drew Pearson and Nate Wright going step for step. At the last second at about the 2 you saw Drew Pearson push off, Nate Wright fell, an orange (that I thought was a flag) flew in from the stands, and the Cowboys scored with 24 seconds left for a 17-14 victory. 

Seeing this video reminded me just how unruly fans were back in the 70's. This was before the big TV contracts and all. Prior to this game Minnesota began the year 10-0 before a 31-30 loss in Washington DC and a subsequent beating in Detroit a few weeks later. 8 points short of a perfect season and a disappointing way to end it. Yes, I am also aware the Vikings and Rams of 1975 had the 2 easiest schedules in the NFL. I so remember!

Now fast forward 28 years to the day and the same fate would befall my Vikings in Arizona. With a 17-12 lead in the desert and a few ticks of the clock left Quarterback McCown fires a deep toss. The receiver was clearly out of bounds yet the Touchdown was awarded. This game pissed off even more because the Vikings of 2003 began 6-0 and finished 8-8. They became the second since the 1978 Redskins to have that unexciting distinction. Still irks me to this day!

Of course nothing will top the derision I encountered in 1998 when we were 15-1 and lost at home to the damn Falcons! Gary Anderson picked a great time to miss a field goal...Alas I regress.

The Dallas Cowboys of the 70's were great to watch with a great quarterback and a great coach. However this day 1975 the Vikings were hosed. You can't change my opinion of that one iota!

The Cowboys of today have a more pressing concern. Exactly how is Tony Romo's throwing hand? Will we see Stephen McGee take snaps in NJ? We'll see.

Make it a great day!

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will