Two Memorable Divisional Round Games In The 1981 AFC Playoffs
The 1981 AFC playoffs produced two games that deserve to be on the short list in any discussion of great NFL playoff games.
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The 1979 Washington Redskins: When Building Anguish Found Its Peak
The great fan base of the Washington Redskins had endured some heartache in both 1977 and 1978. Each season saw the Redskins miss the playoffs on the final week of the season, in the latter case after giving away a 6-0 start to the year. What the fans couldn’t have guessed, nor would they have wanted to, was that the 1979 Washington Redskins would lift the season-ending anguish to a new level.
The Blaze And Fade That Was The 1978 Washington Redskins
The 1978 Washington Redskins were starting a new era in franchise history. The had a new coach in Jack Pardee and were moving forward with Joe Theismann as their quarterback after going on-again, off-again between Theismann and veteran Billy Kilmer in 1977. The first year of Pardee & Theismann got off to a fantastic start, but it had an all-too-familiar ending.
1977 Washington Redskins: George Allen’s Last Ride
George Allen had arrived in the nation’s capital prior to the 1971 season and he made the Washington Redskins a winner. The next five seasons saw Allen go 58-25-1, make the playoffs four times (at a time when only one wild-card per conference qualified) and reach the 1972 Super Bowl. But Allen was clashing with ownership and the 1977 Washington Redskins team would be the coach’s last ride.
1985 Notre Dame Football: Gerry Faust’s Last Shot
Faust’s enthusiasm, his devout Catholicism and his record of winning seemed to make him a dream choice for Notre Dame. But the first four years hadn’t gone well—no major bowl appearances—and 1985 was his last chance to make it work
The 1980 NCAA Tournament: The First Gutted Final Four
The 1980 NCAA Tournament took it a step further and produced the first-ever gutted Final Four, where three of the participants were seeded #5 or lower and it left the door open for powerhouse Louisville to roll to a national championship.
A New Era & A New Champion In The 1980 Stanley Cup Playoffs
It was a year of change in the 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens’ dynasty ended. The postseason expanded to 16 teams and allowed the Edmonton Oilers, with their 18-year-old star Wayne Gretzky to get in the playoffs. And the New York Islanders won their first Stanley Cup
A New Era Starts In The 1980 NBA Season
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird arrived for the 1980 NBA season and the league would never be the same.
The Playoff Teams Of The 1980 NFL Season
No team had ever won four postseason games prior to the 1980 NFL season, although was just the third year of the wild-card round, so the opportunities to do so had been pretty limited. It was the 1980 Oakland Raiders that were the first team to do what is now fairly common, as they took the long path to a Super Bowl win.
The Road To The 1979 Final Four
The 1979 Final Four was a landmark in the history of college basketball. The national championship game of Michigan State-Indiana State, with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, remains the most-watched college basketball game ever. But there were other great stories that have been lost to history–1979 was the last year an Ivy League team made the Final Four, and it was the one appearance on college basketball’s grand stage for a venerable coach. Here’s a look back at how all four–Michigan State, Indiana State, Penn and DePaul made it to Salt Lake City.
The 1979 Montreal Canadiens: A Fourth Straight Cup Completes A Dynasty
The 1979 Montreal Canadiens continued their dynastic run and won their fourth straight Stanley Cup. But unlike previous years, the regular season and playoffs weren’t one long ode to Canadien greatness. The New York Islanders had the look of a real Cup possibility, the Boston Bruins were a strong contender and the playoff semi-finals saw Montreal pushed to the very brink of elimination.
1979 MLB Season: Six Key Contenders & The October Battles
The 1979 MLB season was marked by a return to form from teams that dominated the early part of the decade, along with one newcomer. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds had all won multiple division titles and at least one World Series title in the period covering 1970-76. All three continued to field good teams in the ensuing three years, but they had been displaced by others in their division. In 1979, they returned to the October stage.