1962 AFL Title Game

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LeonardRachiele
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Joined: Tue May 22, 2018 4:15 pm

1962 AFL Title Game

Post by LeonardRachiele »

While never a fan of the old American Football League, I remember the 1962 Championship Game, the Dallas Texans at the Houston Oilers.  I say the following grudgingly. It was a great game, far better than the Green Bay victory over New York in the NFL. Though still considering the AFL inferior, the public began to take it seriously. There now was no danger of folding as in the All America Conference. It marked the downturn of the Houston Oilers after winning the first two AFL titles.   And it showed that life is always a compromise. No one ever gets anything without paying a price or losing something. It just not in the cards.

The game pitted some classic match ups:

Quarterbacks-Two Hall of Famers; George Blanda for Houston and Len Dawson for Dallas
Running Backs-Charlie Tolar and Billy Cannon for Houston; Curtis McClinton and Abner Haynes for Dallas
Ends-Charlie Hennigan and Willard Duevall for Houston; Chris Burford and Fred Arbanas for Dallas.

Both Dallas and Houston had 11-3 records; they split the regular season. Dallas won at Houston 31 to 7. Houston won at Dallas 14 to 6.

I am going to write from the view of George Blanda, since he is from just outside Pittsburgh and one of the game's most versatile players-his career had 1,911 pass completions for 26,953 yards and 236 touchdowns; and he kicked 335 field goals and 943 extra points. From training camp, the Oilers rushed George Blanda to the hospital for a thyroid operation. He recovered in time for the regular season. During the year, Blanda sustained broken ribs but continued to play. These health problems, together with going for touchdowns, caused six interceptions in the first game and a record 42 for a single season. In 418 attempts, this translates into a 10% interception rate or an average of three per game. Nevertheless, Blanda did not have a bad season. He completed 197 passes for 2,813 yards and 27 touchdowns. His best day was throwing six touchdown passes in a 56 to 17 victory over the New York Titans. In response to a questions about his interceptions, Blanda said "They are only important when you lose."

Dallas, with a great start, led 17 to 0 at halftime. Two interceptions hurt Houston, and Blanda, preventing the Oilers from scoring and setting up a Dallas touchdown. In second half, Blanda was superb and nearly won the game. When a team is behind 17 to 0, an eight minute drive is still fine, provided it's not in the fourth quarter. After such a drive, George Blanda fired a 15 yard touchdown pass to Willard Duevall.

Back came the Houston Oilers. Blanda kicked a 31 yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. A third Houston drive ended deep in the Texans' territory with an interception. George Blanda, very resilient, was still determined after Dallas went three and out. He fired a long pass to Billy Cannon at the Dallas two. Charley Tolar ran the ball over on the next play.  Another drive went for naught as Dallas' Sherrill Heddrick barely deflected Blanda's 42 yard field goal attempt with less than one minute left.  A matter of inches prevented a third Houston Championship. 

With the game going into overtime, Dallas Texans' Coach Hank Stram wanted the wind from the Gulf, the south side, at his team's back.  He told his offensive captain, Abner Haynes, that the Texans would to kick off and defend that goal. {Pointing}   Haynes nodded and went off.  George Blanda was one of the captains for Houston.  After the handshake, Abner called heads as the coin took off.  Unfortunately for him, that's the way it came up.
 
"We'll kickoff and defend the south side", Haynes said.  The official told him having both was not an option.  "We'll still kick" Haynes quickly, and evidently without thinking, replied.  George Blanda, eyes blinking in disbelief, chose to defend the south goal.   The Texans won the toss and yielded both the wind and the ball.  The game went into the sixth quarter.  Blanda's second pass interception in overtime and his fifth of the day led to the winning field goal. It was Dallas' Kicker Tommy Brookers' 18 yard effort.
 
George Blanda completed 23 of 46 passes for 281 yards, one touchdown, and, as stated, five interceptions.  The Dallas Texans, fresh from their title, saw greener pastures in Kansas City, Mo. The changed cities and their mascot to the Chiefs in 1963.  The AFL had new life.    Dallas won 20 to 17.


The coin flip showed you can't have things both ways.  As Clarence Darrow stated in a speech:
--Women, you may win the right to vote but you cannot retreat behind your powder puff and petticoat,
--You may fly in airplanes but distance will lose its charm and the clouds will smell of gasoline,
--you many make a telephone call but there will be a loss of privacy.

So it goes with the coin flip in football.
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