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| Photo Credit: SPHL |
#8 Macon v. #1 Peoria- Peoria
#7 Knoxville v. #2 Huntsville- Huntsville
#6 Birmingham v. #3 Roanoke- Birmingham
#5 Pensacola v. #4 Evansville- Evansville
Semifinals
#6 Birmingham v. #1 Peoria- Peoria
#4 Evansville v. #2 Huntsville- Evansville
Presidents Cup Finals
#4 Evansville v. #1 Peoria
Winner: Evansville Thunderbolts
 |
| Photo Credit: MiLB |
By Zane Miller
Playoff teams in italics
Triple-A
International League East
Syracuse Mets
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Worcester Red Sox
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Charlotte Knights
Norfolk Tides
Rochester Red Wings
Durham Bulls
Buffalo Bisons
International League West
Toledo Mud Hens
Indianapolis Indians
Memphis Redbirds
Columbus Clippers
Nashville Sounds
Gwinnett Stripers
St. Paul Saints
Iowa Cubs
Omaha Storm Chasers
Louisville Bats
Pacific Coast League East
El Paso Chihuahuas
Round Rock Express
Oklahoma City Comets
Sugar Land Space Cowboys
Albuquerque Isotopes
Pacific Coast League West
Sacramento River Cats
Tacoma Rainiers
Salt Lake Bees
Las Vegas Aviators
Reno Aces
Double-A
Eastern League Northeast
Hartford Yard Goats
Binghamton Rumble Ponies
Somerset Patriots
Portland Sea Dogs
Reading Fightin Phils
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Eastern League Southwest
Altoona Curve
Akron RubberDucks
Erie SeaWolves
Richmond Flying Squirrels
Harrisburg Senators
Chesapeake Baysox
Southern League North
Birmingham Barons
Chattanooga Lookouts
Knoxville Smokies
Rocket City Trash Pandas
Southern League South
Biloxi Shuckers
Montgomery Biscuits
Columbus Clingstones
Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Texas League North
Springfield Cardinals
Arkansas Travelers
Wichita Wind Surge
Tulsa Drillers
Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Texas League South
Midland RockHounds
Frisco RoughRiders
Corpus Christi Hooks
San Antonio Missions
Amarillo Sod Poodles
High-A
Midwest League East
West Michigan Whitecaps
Lake County Captains
Great Lakes Loons
Dayton Dragons
Fort Wayne TinCaps
Lansing Lugnuts
Midwest League West
Beloit Sky Carp
Quad Cities River Bandits
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Peoria Chiefs
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
South Bend Cubs
Northwest League
Vancouver Canadians
Eugene Emeralds
Everett AquaSox
Tri-City Dust Devils
Spokane Indians
Hillsboro Hops
South Atlantic League North
Greensboro Grasshoppers
Brooklyn Cyclones
Hudson Valley Renegades
Frederick Keys
Wilmington Blue Rocks
Jersey Shore BlueClaws
South Atlantic League South
Winston-Salem Dash
Hub City Spartanburgers
Rome Emperors
Asheville Tourists
Bowling Green Hot Rods
Greenville Drive
 |
| Photo Credit: Donruss |
By Zane Miller
If you’ve
been watching baseball for any substantial amount of time, then you’ve likely
heard the term “Mendoza Line” used at least once during a broadcast. Named
after veteran MLB shortstop Mario Mendoza, it refers to a player hitting around
or below the lackluster batting average of .200. Usually, there are only a couple
of full-time batters throughout the league per season hitting poorly enough to
finish the year below the Mendoza Line, though said players are often bringing
something else to the table to justify their place in the lineup.
In
Mendoza’s case, this was his stout fielding ability. Of course, with his
playing career spanning from 1974 to 1982, Mendoza retired well before Statcast
or other modern-day defensive analysis techniques, but was nonetheless
well-known at the time for his powerful throwing arm. This ability was
especially useful at the shortstop position, and his prowess is backed up by
the fact that he was used as an emergency pitcher on at least one occasion. However,
even with a notably strong arm, it was outweighed by his frequent struggles at
the plate.
Interestingly,
Mendoza technically only has one full season in which he hit below his namesake
statline, coming in 1979 with a .198 batting average in 148 games as a member
of the Seattle Mariners. He did have four part-time campaigns beneath the .200
mark, though the aforementioned plate issues led to him being pulled from the
lineup and playing in less than half the games as a result. In 1980, though,
Mendoza had arguably the best batting season of his career, getting 68 hits, 16
walks, 14 RBI and two home runs for a .245 average in 114 games played. While
it was far from Silver Slugger-winning territory, the signs of improvement were
there and the Texas Rangers were interested, eventually working out a trade
with Seattle to bring Mendoza in as the primary shortstop.
Coming
into the 1981 season, Mendoza had actually flirted with a four-hit performance
on several different occasions, securing a trio of three-hit games during his
time with the Pittsburgh Pirates before getting a total of seven three-hitters
as a Mariner. In his first two months in Texas, Mendoza was having a decent
enough start to the year, but it was nothing compared to what was to come on
May 18th on the road against the Detroit Tigers.
Facing
Tigers pitcher Dan Petry for his first at-bat in the third inning with the
score tied 1-1, Mendoza hit a leadoff single to get the ball rolling in what
would be a big inning for the Rangers. After Mendoza’s hit, both Petry and the
Tigers defense as a whole appeared to start unraveling, with leadoff batter
Bump Wills drawing a walk before a wild pitch brought both runners to second
and third. Center fielder Mickey Rivers put a weak grounder into play in what
should have simply been a sacrifice RBI, but a rare misplay by second baseman
Lou Whitaker enabled Mendoza to cross home without any outs being recorded. The
error set up an eventual 4-1 Texas lead, though the Tigers were able to respond
in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own.
Coincidentally,
Mendoza led off once again to start the fourth inning, where he drew a walk but
was promptly erased from the basepath thanks to a double play. The score
remained 4-3 in favor of the Rangers for Mendoza’s next plate appearance in the
top of the sixth, where he happened to be leading off the inning for a third
time. By now, reliever Kevin Saucier had taken the mound for Detroit, but was
in for a painful awakening as Mendoza hit a hard ground ball right back to him.
Saucier was unable to recover in time as Mendoza reached for his second hit of
the night, and was forced to exit the game due to a dislocated right shoulder
sustained on the play.
The Tigers
called upon their closer from the past two seasons in Aurelio Lopez on short
notice to keep the Rangers’ lead at one. However, Lopez struggled to find the
plate after getting an out on a fielder’s choice, hitting two batters to go
along with a walk as two runs scored in the commotion. Fellow veteran reliever
Dave Rozema took over with the bases loaded, but it wouldn’t take long before first
baseman Pat Putnam drilled a two RBI double to give the Rangers a bit of
breathing room.
All of the
scoring allowed Mendoza to come to the plate a second time in the inning, this
time getting an opportunity with the bases loaded. Sure enough, he drove in two
more runs with a single to center field, officially giving Texas a double-digit
run total on the evening and himself a three-hit game. The Rangers tacked on
another run in the sixth for good measure, as they found themselves sitting
pretty with an 11-3 lead.
As the
Rangers continued to cruise with an eight-run advantage, Mendoza’s next chance
at the plate came in the top of the eighth with a runner on first in left
fielder Leon Roberts. After years of general ineptitude in the batter’s box and
a few previous missed opportunities, Mendoza would finally capture the elusive
four-hit game as he hit another single into center field. Of course, the moment
was somewhat dampened as Roberts was thrown out trying to go to third on the
play, but nonetheless it signified a superb hitting performance from an
otherwise unlikely source.
The two
teams each a couple of runs across in the later innings to bring the score up
to 13-5 Rangers, where it would stay to the end of the game. Late in the ninth,
Mendoza would actually have the change to do the truly shocking and secure a
five-hit performance, but unfortunately this is where the storybook ending
comes to a close as he struck out looking. That aside, Mendoza ended the night
with the previously mentioned four knocks, a pair of RBIs and a walk as Texas
improved to 19-14 on the 1981 season. This would be the final full season in
Mendoza’s major league career, as he played in 88 of the team’s
strike-shortened 105 games. He finished with 22 RBIs, seven walks, no home runs
and 53 hits for a .231 average. Mendoza played sparingly in the 1982 season
before being released and subsequently starting his coaching career.
Eventually,
Mendoza worked his way into a managerial role for a handful of teams within the
California (now Los Angeles) Angels minor league system, notably leading the
Midland Angels to a Texas League championship finals appearance in 1995. He has
amassed nearly 30 years of coaching experience both in MiLB and in his home
country of Mexico, managing as recently as 2023. While his fielding ability at
the shortstop position was always his calling card, his game on May 18th,
1981 showed that any player with a bat in their hand at the plate is dangerous.
 |
| Photo Credit: MLB Trade Rumors |
Playoff teams listed in bold
AL East
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles
AL Central
Cleveland Guardians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox
AL West
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros
Seattle Mariners
Sacramento Athletics
Los Angeles Angels
NL East
Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Washington Nationals
NL Central
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds
Chicago Cubs
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Diego Padres
Colorado Rockies
 |
| Photo Credit: Getty Images |
By Zane Miller
On Sunday,
April 22nd, 1928, the Washington Senators (now Minnesota Twins) hosted
the Boston Red Sox at Griffith Stadium on a rainy afternoon in the nation’s
capital. The previous matchup between the two opponents two days earlier saw Boston
eke out a 6-5 victory, improving to a 3-6 record as Washington dropped to 5-2.
On the
mound to battle through the wet conditions were Bump Hadley for the Senators
and Red Ruffing for the Red Sox. While the two would later end up being
teammates as part of the New York Yankees’ dynasty of the late 1930’s, to start
off the 1928 season both pitchers appeared to be headed in completely different
directions. Hadley broke onto the scene in his rookie season of 1927, taking an
impressive 2.85 ERA with 14 wins in nearly 200 innings pitched. Meanwhile,
Ruffing was still struggling to find himself in his fourth full season with the
club, his best showing to that point being a 4.39 ERA over 166 innings in 1926.
However, on this day, both would encounter trouble early on.
In the
bottom of the first inning, a bases loaded walk by Senators first baseman Joe
Judge and a two-out, two RBI single from catcher Muddy Ruel allowed Washington a
3-0 advantage. However, the Red Sox came fighting back less than an inning
later as the top of the second proved disastrous for Hadley. In his first of
what would turn out to be multiple hits, Boston catcher Fred Hofmann knocked in
an RBI double to get the Red Sox on the board. The hits just kept coming for
Hadley, who was in recovery from a bout of appendicitis during the offseason, as
his opposite pitcher in Ruffing created some of his own run support with an RBI
single to center field. After an RBI double from center fielder Ira Flagstead
and an RBI single courtesy of third baseman Buddy Myer, Hadley was removed from
the game with the Red Sox up 4-3. Left fielder Ken Williams added an insurance
run which was charged to Hadley, as Boston headed into the break with a two-run
lead.
An RBI
triple by future Hall of Famer Sam Rice cut Boston’s lead in half at the top of
the third, but the Red Sox were able to respond in their half of the inning off
of reliever Clay Van Alstyne. With two runners on and no outs, Hofmann drove in
another run with an RBI single as shortstop Billy Rogell did the same to give
the team their biggest lead of the day. When the Senators came up to bat in the
fourth inning, center fielder Sam West nabbed the game’s only home run, scoring
an inside-the-park HR into Griffith Stadium’s vast center field.
Despite giving
up his fifth earned run of the day, Ruffing would settle in for the remainder
of the contest. He got himself out of a fifth-inning jam unscathed and wouldn’t
allow another baserunner until the eighth inning, who was promptly erased on
the next at-bat. This gave Boston an opportunity to add to their advantage, as Hofmann
picked up his third hit of the game and third RBI, driving in first baseman Jack
Rothrock who also had his fourth hit of the afternoon. Holding a solid lead in
the final frame, Ruffing did his part once again as the Senators went down in
order to seal an 8-5 win for the Red Sox. Despite going through a tough first couple innings, Ruffing survived for a complete game with five earned runs, 10 hits, four walks and five strikeouts.
Both the
Red Sox and Senators would have their troubles in 1928, with Boston finishing
last in the American League standings as Washington was also unable to take a
winning record at 75-79.
 |
| Photo Credit: IFL Network |
By Zane Miller
Playoff teams in bold
Eastern Conference
Tulsa Oilers
Green Bay Blizzard
Fishers Freight
Quad City Steamwheelers
Orlando Pirates
Jacksonville Sharks
Iowa Barnstormers
Western Conference
Arizona Rattlers
San Diego Strike Force
Vegas Knight Hawks
Northern Arizona Wranglers
San Antonio Gunslingers
Tucson Sugar Skulls
New Mexico Chupacabras
 |
| Photo Credit: Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library |
By Zane Miller
On Wednesday, November 26th, 1997, the Montreal Canadiens were able to hold off the Washington Capitals 6-5, sending the local fans in attendance at US Airways Arena into the Thanksgiving Day festivities on a less than festive note. However, they could still take solace in the fact that they were able to witness the final National Hockey League game played at the Landover, Maryland, facility.
Opened near the end of 1973, the then-named Capital Centre was built as a new home venue for the National Basketball Association’s Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards), who relocated to the DC area after spending over 10 seasons playing in nearby Baltimore. Consequently, with the NHL still looking to expand further after doubling the number of teams in the 1967-68 season and adding four more teams over the next five years, the brand-new building provided the ideal opportunity to bring the league to America’s capital city.
The Washington Capitals began play in the 1974-75 season, along with a fellow expansion franchise in the Kansas City Scouts. While the Scouts wouldn’t remain in Kansas City for long, relocating to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies before finally finding a permanent residence in New Jersey as the Devils, the Capitals managed to stay in Washington long-term in spite of some truly tough seasons to start out their tenure in the NHL. With expansion draft eligibility being far more limited in 1974 than in recent years, Washington struggled to an eight-win season in 1974-75, followed by another dead last finish in the standings in 1975-76. While the Capitals were unable to post a winning record in their first eight seasons, the ‘80s would see them not just find their footing, but thrive as one of the most consistently strong teams in the league.
A major facet of the turnaround was the team’s acquisition of former Montreal defenseman Rod Langway. Immediately upon joining the Capitals, Langway earned back-to-back Norris Trophies in 1983 and 1984 and remained one of the best at his position throughout the rest of the decade. The defensive unit also benefitted greatly from the presence of Scott Stevens and Larry Murphy in the lineup, both of whom would become future Hall of Famers along with Langway. At the same time, the Capitals had exceptional offensive output from forward Mike Gartner, who burst onto the scene with 36 goals as a 20-year-old in 1979-80 (he already played a season in the World Hockey Association and was ineligible for rookie of the year). Gartner maintained incredible consistency, never scoring below 35 goals in any of his nine full seasons in Washington.
Even with the clear talent at their disposal, the Capitals of the 1980s were unable to get over the hump in the playoffs, failing to reach the conference finals, let alone the Stanley Cup Finals, in any of their seven postseason appearances. Infamously, the team was on the losing end of 1987’s “Easter Epic” opening round game seven matchup against the New York Islanders, which happened to be hosted at Capital Centre. With the score tied 2-2, the game ended up going into four overtime periods, but Washington was knocked out after a goal from New York’s Pat LaFontaine. This isn’t to say the Capitals didn’t have any good playoff memories from this time, as they picked up first-round sweeps against the Philadelphia Flyers in 1984 and the Islanders in 1986. Due to the playoff format, both of these sweeps were finished off away from Capital Centre, but the arena would be host to another first-round game seven in 1988. Matching up once again with the Flyers, Philadelphia held a 3-1 series lead as the two teams returned to Capital Centre. Washington harnessed the home ice advantage with a 5-2 victory, before blowing out the Flyers in Philadelphia 7-2 and forcing a game seven. Back in Landover, the Flyers ran away early with a 3-0 lead. Undeterred, the Capitals fought back to even it up with a pair of goals just over a minute apart and a tying goal from defenseman Kevin Hatcher. The teams traded goals to set up an overtime, but the newly acquired Dale Hunter needed only six minutes to find the back of the net for the biggest goal in the history of the Capital Centre for the home team.
The biggest hindrance for the Capitals in the 80s was the lack of reliable goaltending, as the team ended up using a revolving door of goalies for the better part of the decade. That came to an end in the 1989-90 season, as the team named Don Beaupre as the main starter going forward. While not generally a Vezina Trophy contender, Beaupre provided the Capitals with some much-needed stability between the pipes. While Gartner was out of Washington by the 1990s and Langway was nearing the end of his playing career, the team put together their strongest postseason run of the Capital Centre era during the 1990 playoffs. Ironically, this came on the heels of the team’s first losing season since 1981-82, but would nonetheless pick up a first round triumph over the Devils before pulling off the second round upset against the New York Rangers in five games to reach the conference finals for the first time in franchise history. Unfortunately for Washington, this is where the run would end as the Boston Bruins took the four-game sweep to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the Capitals still had high hopes for the rest of the decade, getting a strong playoff showing from forward Dino Ciccarelli as well as John Druce, who despite scoring just eight goals in 45 regular season games went off for 14 goals during the 1990 playoffs.
The first half of the ‘90s played out similarly to the majority of the ‘80s for the Capitals, as they continued to make the playoffs on a regular basis but were unable to threaten for a championship. By late 1993, the owner of both the Bullets and Capitals, Abe Pollin, was already looking to obtain funding for a new arena in the DC area. After reaching a deal with the city, construction began in October 1995 in Washington’s Chinatown area on what would become MCI Center, now Capital One Arena, which continues to host the Capitals to this day. In the meantime, the team unveiled a new logo and uniform set in 1995-96, swapping the familiar red, white and blue for a blue, white and black pattern and using a soaring eagle with talons drawn as the primary logo. It was under this new identity that the team had its first Vezina Trophy winner in franchise history, with an out-of-nowhere performance from second-year goaltender Jim Carey seeing him collect a league-leading nine shutouts along with 35 wins. Despite this, the Capitals were again knocked out in the first round in 1996 and missed the playoffs in 1997, ending a 14-year streak. Before the 1997-98 season, it was known that the Capitals would be moving into MCI Center before the end of the year, but while the finishing touches were made on the new arena, they would play out a good portion of the first half at the now-named US Airways Arena.
As the Canadiens and Capitals faced off on November 26th, 1997, the Capitals were in the midst of a solid bounce back from the disappointing 1996-97 season, starting out with a 13-8-3 record. Montreal, on the other hand, had beaten the Capitals for the last playoff spot the year before and were just ahead of them in the standings once again, holding a 14-7-3 record . Before the game, Langway would have his #5 jersey officially retired by the Washington Capitals, appropriately having his number raised to the rafters at the same arena he called home for much of his career as one of the greatest defensive defensemen in league history.
In net for the Capitals would be longtime backup Olaf Kolzig, who in 1997-98 was getting his first chance as the primary starter following the departure of Beaupre and later Carey. Kolzig started off the year strong with six straight wins, and still had an impressive 12-4-2 showing coming into the November 26th matchup. Meanwhile, the Canadiens sent out starter Jocelyn Thibault, a goalie who was no stranger to last hurrahs as he also played the final game at Quebec Colisee, home of the Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche) on May 14th, 1995. As for how his year in Montreal was going, Thibault recorded an 8-4-1 start with a .913 save percentage.
Canadiens forward Shayne Corson was clearly not impressed by Kolzig’s immaculate .922 save percentage, scoring on him twice in the first period. The first was an even strength marker, while the second tally was on the power play, taking advantage of an interference penalty by veteran defenseman Sylvain Cote. On both goals, Corson received an assist from third-year forward Saku Koivu. The hits kept coming for Washington as they also lost forward Jaroslav Svejkovsky for the remainder of the game in the opening frame, reinjuring a sprained left ankle. However, they would be able to gather some positive momentum before the end of the first, as rookie forward Richard Zednik found his way past Thibault to cut the Canadiens’ lead in half at the 15:29 mark.
Reinvigorated by the late period goal, the Capitals wasted little time in eliminating the Canadiens lead once the second period rolled around. As a matter of fact, it was Zednik who would even the game up at two apiece less than three minutes in, getting assists from veterans Phil Housley and Steve Konowalchuk. The excitement would be short-lived for Washington, though, as Montreal jumped back out in front courtesy of forward Valeri Bure. The Canadiens were able to stay out in front through the contest’s halfway mark, but another Capitals franchise legend would make his presence felt.
Forward Peter Bondra had spent the entirety of his career with the Capitals since joining the NHL in the 1990-91 campaign and already had significant accolades to his credit, such as leading the league in goals with 34 during the strike-shortened 1994-95 season and crossing the 50-goal mark the next year. With his team needing a goal to close the game, Bondra delivered with his 17th score in just the 25th game of the season. The goal also gave Housley his second helper of the evening. Montreal wouldn’t take this lying down, however, as future Hall of Famer Mark Recchi scored to reclaim the lead before defenseman Stephane Quintal (not normally known for his goal-scoring prowess) followed with a marker of his own just two minutes later. After the latter goal, Kolzig was pulled in favor of backup Bill Ranford, best known for leading the Edmonton Oilers to their most recent Stanley Cup in 1990.
Of course, the Capitals were hoping that a new goalie would mean a fresh start in the third period, which they started trailing 5-3. At first, this seemed to be just the spark they needed as forward Jeff Toms, who was claimed off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning just a week earlier, brought it to a one-goal game again just over two and a half minutes into the third for his first of five goals in a Capitals uniform. Just as they had done throughout the night, though, the Canadiens spoiled the jovial atmosphere as Recchi shot one past Ranford for his second of the game, thus restoring the two-goal advantage.
Washington continued the back-and-forth theme at the 8:30 mark courtesy of defenseman Mark Tinordi, assisted on the play by both Hunter and longtime Capital Kelly Miller. Down by one goal again, the team fought valiantly throughout the final frame, forcing Thibault to make several big-time saves to keep the lead intact. However, the comeback effort ultimately fell short, as Tinordi’s goal would be the final in US Airways Arena history. Thibault nabbed his 55th career win in the 6-5 victory, eventually finishing the season with a 19-15-8 showing for a .902 save percentage. Despite entering the game in relief, Ranford was charged with the loss as the deciding goal was scored against him. After the game, the Capitals completed a final ceremonial skate around the ice in a salute to the sellout crowd. Although the game signified the end of an era, the team was clearly excited to begin play at the MCI Center just nine days later. Once the Capitals and Wizards vacated the arena, it continued to host various concerts, trade shows and other events until closing in March 2002.
After setting up shop in their new building, the Capitals maintained their early season pace before really getting hot in the final two months of the regular season, winning 14 of their final 21 games. They rode the momentum into the playoffs, taking care of business against the Bruins and Ottawa Senators for a second chance at the conference finals. This time around, they defeated the Buffalo Sabres in six games, qualifying for their first Stanley Cup Finals in franchise history. Even so, they were considered the underdogs against the vaunted Detroit Red Wings squad, and the Red Wings demonstrated why with a four-game sweep in the Finals, the most recent in Stanley Cup history. While the championship run didn’t work out, the Capitals still retained a bit of magic from their time at their original venue.
Originally published Jun. 25, 2022
By Zane Miller
On Saturday, June 25th, 2022, Rugby New York defeated the Seattle Seawolves 30-15 in the 2022 MLR Final to win the fourth championship in Major League Rugby history. It was the first championship for the Rugby New York franchise, as New York back Andy Ellis won the MLR Final MVP Award. The match was held at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
Both the Austin Gilgronis and LA Giltinis were disqualified from postseason competition following an investigation which revealed the teams had been paying players more than allowed by the league's salary cap.
Out of playoffs: Austin Gilgronis (12-4, .750), LA Giltinis (11-5, .688), Toronto Arrows (8-8, .500), Utah Warriors (5-11, .313), New Orleans Gold (4-12, .250), Old Glory DC (3-13, .188), Dallas Jackals (0-16, .000)
Out in first round: Rugby ATL (L 26-19 to New York), San Diego Legion (L 43-19 to Seawolves)
Out in second round: New England Free Jacks (L 24-16 to New York), Houston SaberCats (L 46-27 to Seawolves)
Scoring summary
Originally published May 21st, 2019
By Zane Miller
The Last Hurrah is a series that discusses the final
major sports events at sporting venues around the world.
On Sunday, May 18th, 1924, the United States national
rugby team and the France national rugby team faced against each other at Stade
de Colombes (now Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir) in Paris for the gold medal in
rugby union, the final rugby union match to be held at the Olympics as of this
writing.
Rugby union has had an interesting history with the
Olympic Games, as it made its debut in 1900 in Paris in the second Summer
Olympics ever held, with France taking the gold; however it was taken out for
the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, likely due to those particular Olympics having
much less interest and fanfare, along with the possibility of not having enough
athletes to adequately field teams.
Nevertheless, rugby returned in the 1908 Olympics in
London, where Australasia, a combined team made up of athletes from both
Australia and New Zealand, claimed the gold medal. Australasia would compete
once again in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, where they would win two more
gold medals, both in swimming.
However, rugby did not return in the 1912 Olympics, but
it did come back once again in 1920, with the scheduled 1916 Summer Olympics
being cancelled due to World War I.
In the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, only
two teams participated, with the United States and France facing each other in
a one-game playoff for the gold medal. The United States won the lone match to
earn the gold in a massive upset over the much more established French team, which
might have been the kindling for the disdain of the French fanbase towards the
American team going into the 1924 Olympics.
As the two countries met in September of 1923 to set
up the rugby union competition in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, both
France as well as the United States agreed to return for 1924. However, they
would be joined by brand new team that year as well, as Romania also agreed
their national rugby team. It was the first time in Romanian history that they
had sent a team to compete for any Olympic sport, and they were essentially
guaranteed a medal as there were only three teams competing.
Despite the United States winning four years earlier,
France was still the massive favorite and was predicted to win easily. This assessment
makes sense when you think about it, as France had a clear home field advantage
as the United States team had to travel by ship to Paris (airplanes were not
yet a common mode of transportation) and Romania collectively hadn’t even heard
of rugby until it was introduced in 1913, and had only competed in a grand
total of one international competition before heading into the Olympics.
The United States team arrived in Europe after the
aforementioned exhausting and treacherous journey across the ocean, but they
were not met with a warm welcome from the French immigration officers, who
refused the team entry into France for unknown reasons after the team finished
passing through England. The team was detained for over 12 hours, however they
were eventually granted access into the country.
The Americans had received a negative reputation
amongst the local fans, as French newspapers had referred to them as “streetfighters
and saloon brawlers” after word got out that the team had initially been banned
from entering the country.
The weeks leading up to the actual tournaments did not
help quell the tension, as the American team was also barred from practicing at
Stade de Colombes, and were instead forced to use a small patch of open land
next to their hotel. The team decided to practice at the stadium anyway, and
essentially broke in by scaling the fence around the field to complete their
practices, further angering the fans in the process.
The tournament, which was a round-robin format
typically used in the Olympic Games, with each team playing two games, got
underway with France easily handling Romania with a 61-3 victory on May 4th. The
United States did the same in the next game of the round robin on May 11th,
beating Romania 37-0 as Romania quickly exited the tournament, locking up the
bronze medal. This left France and the United States to play in the gold medal
match once again.
Once the teams reached the gold medal match on May 18th,
the atmosphere had reached its boiling point. While the relationship between
the French media and the American team had improved, as the newspapers admitted
the skilled play of the Americans, the fans were not impressed. During a
practice, thieves stole $4,000 worth of clothing and possessions from the
American team and when the time of the game finally arrived, the crowd of
nearly 40,000 fans booed the United States team any time they got their hands
on the ball.
However, not to be deterred, the Americans held on to
beat the French team 17-3, defending their gold medal from four years earlier,
while France clinched silver yet again. After watching their team face yet
another tough loss in a gold medal match, the French fans quietly left the
stadium and headed home.
No, just kidding, they began rioting almost
immediately, hurling glass bottles, rocks, and whatever debris they could get
their hands on at the American side. The French players tried to help defend
the American players from their own fans, but they too were overwhelmed by the
hostile mob. An American player was knocked unconscious after the game after
being hit by a walking stick when the crowd stormed the field in anger, but
eventually the police at the match were able to restore order.
Things did not get much better with the medal
ceremony, as the playing of the United States’ national anthem, The
Star-Spangled Banner, was drowned out by intense booing, and the United States
team left under police protection back to their locker room.
When all was said and done, the Americans took home
their second gold medal in rugby, while France settled for their second silver
medal with Romania taking the bronze medal, their first medal in any sport at
the Summer Olympics. Rugby would not return at the Olympics for another 92
years, despite strong efforts to bring it back in 1980 and 1988. However, when
it did return for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the game played
was the ‘rugby sevens’ variety, named as such due to the teams playing with
seven players a side and 14-minute games (seven minutes a half), rather than 15
players a side and 80-minute games for rugby union. When it returned in 2016, the
men’s gold medal was won by Fiji, with Great Britain taking silver and South
Africa getting bronze. On the women’s side, Australia earned the gold, with New
Zealand and Canada in tow, taking the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Link to stats database: https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1924/RUG/
Other sources:
http://wesclark.com/rrr/1924_olympics_2.html
http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/olympics.htm#usa1924
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| Photo Credit: Bench Racing from the Volunteer State |
By Zane Miller
With only
45 different men (two of which with the same first and last name) holding the
title of President of the United States in the country’s 250-year long history,
the odds of a NASCAR driver later or retroactively sharing the same given name and
surname with one of these individuals is rather low, though not impossible by
any means. With it being Presidents' Day, it’s time to take a look at these racers
who beat the odds and made it amongst NASCAR’s highest ranks, despite not
capturing the same level of notoriety as their presidential counterparts.
The first
such driver is Woodrow “Woodie” Wilson, who made his Cup Series debut during its
inaugural season in 1949. Sharing his name with the United States’ 28th
president, Wilson was born in 1925, less than five years after the president
left office and about a year and a half after his death. After finishing 17th
in his debut on the Daytona Beach & Road Course, Wilson would not attempt
another NASCAR event until 1955 in another one-off appearance. However, in
1961, he did what he became most well-known for by claiming Rookie of the Year
honors. This came despite making just five starts in the 52-race schedule,
though he was able to collect a ninth-place finish at Atlanta International
Raceway (now EchoPark Speedway) for his first career top-10. Wilson ended up 41st
in points, well behind fellow rookies Wendell Scott, who took five top-10s in
23 races and came in 32nd in points, and Lee Reitzel who scored three top-10s
in 17 races and finished 37th in the final standings.
Wilson made
just three more starts at the Cup Series level, but posted his career-best
finish of seventh in 1962 during the second Daytona 500 Qualifier, which was an
official points race at the time. Unfortunately, the last two races saw him
drop out in the early laps with mechanical failures, and his time in Cup is
remembered as the most puzzling Rookie of the Year selection in series history.
Not long
after Wilson’s entry into NASCAR, driver George Bush found his way into the Cup
Series in the 1952 season. The 41-year-old native of Hamburg, New York made his
first start at the infamous Langhorne Speedway, where he finished 123 laps down
in 34th. His next start went a lot better by comparison, claiming a tenth-place
run at Occoneechee Speedway, albeit 12 laps off the pace. Bush finished his set
of races with a career-best seventh at Lakewood Speedway and another top-10 at
Palm Beach Speedway (though the latter saw him crash out of the event in the
waning laps). He would not attempt another NASCAR race after the 1952 season,
and would sadly pass away in 1967. 21 years after his passing, George H.W. Bush
was elected as the 41st president, with his son George W. Bush
following as the 43rd president in 2001.
San
Fernando, California’s Bill Clinton had a similarly brief stint in NASCAR, starting
with a trio of races in 1961. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to complete
the first lap in his opening Cup Series race at Riverside International Raceway
thanks to a busted radiator, relegating him to last in the 27-car field. One
week later, however, Clinton rebounded at Ascot Park for what would be his career-best
result of 11th, running 34 laps down at the finish. He would race in
the series three more times, all of which at Riverside, making his final appearance
in 1964. With this being the early 1960s, not much is documented about Clinton,
including his birthdate or a possible date of death. What is known is that, almost
three decades after the driver’s final Cup start, another Bill Clinton would be
named as the 42nd president.
Born on Christmas
Day in 1939, driver John Kennedy was 21 years old when John F. Kennedy became
the nation’s 35th president and was a month away from turning 24
when President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. After growing up in the
Chicago area, Kennedy took up local racing and eventually found himself in the
Cup Series in 1969. It was during this season that he had his most starts in a
season with eight, along with a career-best finish of 14th at
Atlanta in his self-owned Chevrolet.
Kennedy stepped
away from NASCAR for the first half of the 1970s, instead competing in the USAC
Stock Car Series. However, he made his return to Cup in 1977, racing a partial
schedule throughout the late ‘70s after finding sponsorship from Avanti Research
& Development. Unfortunately, this comeback would not go according to plan,
as Kennedy failed to finish in eight of his 11 races with his #0 entry, nearly
all due to mechanical woes. He was able to complete his final Cup race at North
Wilkesboro in 1979 with a 23rd-place result, finishing off his career
with no top-10s in his 18 starts. Nonetheless, he still has the most starts of
any driver on this list. Kennedy also made a handful of starts in the ARCA
SuperCar Series (now ARCA Menards Series) in 1984, before relocating to Florida
and competing on local short tracks for the next several years.
As of this writing, there has not been another NASCAR driver with a ‘presidential’ name, but this could certainly change in the years to come, whether it be a future driver sharing a name with a past president, or a future president sharing a name with an already-retired driver. There may even be an active driver and president whose careers converge simultaneously. To my knowledge, these are all of them, but if I missed any or if there are any drivers who have shared names with leaders of other countries, feel free to let me know!
Happy Presidents' Day!
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| Photo Credit: The Daily Norseman |
By Zane Miller
After an
exceptional high school football career split between both his hometown of
Warren, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia, it was clear that Joey Browner had the
potential to make it at the NFL level and was a lock to join a major college
football program for the 1979 season. This wasn’t without precedent for the
Browner family, as his older brother Ross had already been drafted by the
Cincinnati Bengals in 1978 and had a phenomenal introduction to the league by
finishing runner-up in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race. Not only that,
his other older brother Jim had just wrapped up a solid college football career
of his own at Notre Dame and looked to join Ross on the Bengals roster after
being taken by the team late in the 1979 draft.
After
consideration, Browner ultimately chose to attend USC, who had just won the
national championship the year prior. Now, something to emphasize here is that,
throughout high school, Browner played at defensive lineman and obviously did
so quite well. Conveniently enough, the Trojans had a spot to fill on the
defensive line after the graduation of team captain Rich Dimler. However,
instead of doing the logical thing and move Browner in to fill the vacancy, USC
went in an entirely different direction.
In a
surprising turn of events, the Trojans opted to convert Browner to safety prior
to his freshman season. This was done even with USC still having future Pro
Football and College Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott at the safety position,
as well as a couple other future NFL players holding down the defensive
backfield. While I was unable to find which coach was responsible for
suggesting the position change, whoever it was certainly deserved a raise as
the gamble paid off beautifully. Browner played in every game of his freshman
and sophomore years, including a 17-16 Rose Bowl victory against the Ohio State
Buckeyes to close out an undefeated 1979 season (though I should point out this
came along with one tie).
After
Lott’s graduation, Browner assumed the role of the team’s marquee safety for
1981. After failing to qualify for any bowl games the previous year despite
ending up as the #11-ranked team in the nation, Browner did hit part to ensure
that wouldn’t happen again as he racked up three interceptions and 16 pass
deflections in 11 games. Thanks to their 9-2 overall record, the Trojans would
face the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Fiesta Bowl, but would come up short
26-10.
Approaching
Browner’s senior year, USC’s coaching staff made another shocking change, moving
him over once again from safety to cornerback. While not as drastic of an
adjustment as going from a defensive lineman to a defensive back, cornerback
and safety are still very different positions requiring different skillsets. As
if that wasn’t enough, Browner was also named the team’s primary punt returner,
though he at least had some previous experience there as he had filled in as a
returner on occasion in 1981. Even with having to learn the cornerback position
quickly, Browner still put up arguably the best season of his college career.
Playing in all 11 games once again, he registered four interceptions, two of
which he was able to run back for touchdowns, and added a punt return touchdown
for good measure. This enabled Browner to claim first-team All-Pac-10 honors as
well as being named team MVP at season’s end. Unfortunately, the Trojans were
unable to send Browner off with another bowl game, just missing the cut with an
8-3 finish. Regardless, it was as if everything Browner touched was turning to
gold, and his versatility made him a sure-fire first round pick in the upcoming
NFL draft.
With the
19th overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, Browner was taken by the
Minnesota Vikings, who were looking to shore up a disappointing 20th-ranked
defense from the year before. While Browner wasn’t able to break the starting
lineup right out of the gate, he made the most of his opportunities while
backing up starting cornerbacks Willie Teal and John Swain, getting his first
career interception against Detroit Lions quarterback Eric Hipple on September
25th and adding another interception later in the year.
The 1984
season was a complete disaster for the Minnesota Vikings, as legendary head
coach Bud Grant retired and the team plummeted from an 8-8 record in 1983 to 3-13,
just barely being saved from the worst record in the league by the two-win
Buffalo Bills. Amongst the chaos, however, Browner was able to make his
first-ever starts at the NFL level, replacing Swain as the second starting
cornerback for the second half of the year. In the final seven games, though, Browner
only had one interception as the Vikings defense finished dead last in points
allowed at over 30 points per game. Seeing the dire situation the team was
facing, Grant came out of retirement and reclaimed his title as head coach for
1985. One order of business was pulling the plug on Browner at cornerback. Browner
would very much still be a part of the defense, however, as he quickly found
himself in a situation he knew all too well.
For the third
time in six years, Browner would have his position switched, though it was at
least more familiar than the last two occasions as he reverted back to the
strong safety position he had played throughout college. It turned out that he
wasn’t too rusty at the position either, winning the starting job out of
preseason. In the second game of the 1985 season against the Buccaneers on
September 15th, with Tampa Bay backed up deep in their own
territory, Browner picked off a Steve DeBerg and ran it back 15 yards for his
first interception return touchdown. This came about a year after his first NFL
touchdown overall, as on September 2nd, 1984, Browner scored after
scooping up a fumble forced by veteran linebacker Scott Studwell in garbage
time of a 42-13 loss to the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers.
While
Browner only recorded one more interception the rest of the way, he still made
his presence felt with a whopping six forced fumbles. This easily makes the
1985 season the biggest anomaly of his career, as he wouldn’t have more than
two forced fumbles in a single season afterwards. For this season, though, he
was inside the top-five in the forced fumble category, just two away from
co-leaders Jacob Green of the Seattle Seahawks and Linden King from the
Chargers. The Vikings failed to reach the playoffs with a 7-9 finish, but the
defense improved significantly to allow 22.4 PPG, slightly below the league
average at the time.
In 1986,
Minnesota would bring in another new coach as Grant retired again, this time
for good. Hiring from within, they turned the reins over to offensive
coordinator of nearly two decades Jerry Burns, who would be Browner’s coach for
the remainder of his time in Minneapolis. Now that he finally had some
much-needed stability, Browner continued his ascent to becoming one of the
greatest safeties in the league.
Starting
in all 16 games again, Browner collected four interceptions while also forcing
a pair of fumbles. He also grabbed his third career touchdown on November 9th
in Detroit, intercepting Hipple again and taking it 39 yards to the house. Adding
in a career year from cornerback Issiac Holt, the secondary played a major part
in the Vikings’ fifth-ranked defense. Despite having both a top-five offense
and defense, the team could only manage a 9-7 record. This was good enough for
Minnesota’s first winning season since 1982, but not enough to make the
playoffs.
The 1987
campaign would be a tale of two halves for Browner. Like many players across
the league, he would participate in the players’ strike beginning two weeks
into the regular season, causing him to miss three games. With the regulars
still on strike, the NFL brought in replacement players to fill out the rosters
throughout October. Of course, while every team was impacted by the strike, no
team was hurt worse than the Vikings as they lost all three games while using
the replacements. Even after returning to the field, Browner failed to record a
single interception through week eight. Badly needing a win on November 8th
against the Los Angeles (now Las Vegas) Raiders, the Vikings fell behind 3-0 in
the first quarter. However, early in the second quarter, Browner grabbed his
first interception of the season. Minnesota took flight after the play, going
on to win 31-20. This set off a four-game winning streak for the Vikings, as
Browner registered another pick in a victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
As the
regular season wound down to its final three games, Minnesota was in the thick
of the battle for the final playoff spot, but were in a relatively good spot at
two wins above .500. Browner came through with his third interception on
December 13th against the Green Bay Packers, but the offense was
unable to get the job done as the Vikings lost 16-10. With the Los Angeles Rams
and St. Louis (now Arizona) Cardinals hot on their heels, the team needed a win
in next week’s game in Detroit. Browner clearly got the memo, as he registered two
first quarter interceptions as Minnesota went on to win 17-14. This meant the
Vikings controlled their own destiny going into the final week of the regular
season, though it was against no easy opponent as they hosted the 10-4
Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders).
Going into
the fourth quarter, the Redskins held a 14-7 advantage, but Minnesota was able
to tie it up with a touchdown on the first play of the final frame. Before
Washington had a chance to get anything going on their next drive, however,
Browner intercepted quarterback Doug Williams and returned it just outside the
Redskins’ red zone to lay the groundwork for the eventual touchdown. After
another interception, the Vikings added a chip shot field goal for a 10-point
lead with less than 10 minutes left. While this should have been enough of a
cushion to take the win, the Redskins came storming back with a field goal and
touchdown of their own to force overtime. Back when a team could win in OT with
a field goal on the first possession, Washington won the toss and quickly made
their way downfield to set up the game-winning 26-yard kick. After the
heartbreaking loss, all the Vikings could do was watch the next day’s action
and await their fate. Fortunately for them, the Cardinals, in their final game
under the St. Louis moniker, were unable to get the job done against the Dallas
Cowboys, falling 21-16 to give the final playoff spot to Minnesota.
After the fantastic
finish to the regular season, Browner cooled off a bit in the playoffs as he was
unable to get his hands on a pick. However, even without the interceptions the
Viking defense still played well with a 44-10 first-round trouncing of the New
Orleans Saints and a less convincing but still adequate 36-24 win against the San
Francisco 49ers in the second round. This set up a rematch with the Redskins
for the NFC Championship Game, where both defenses were on it as the game was
tied 10-10 in the fourth. Washington captured a crucial touchdown with just
over five minutes to go, but Minnesota was threatening to force overtime as
they moved deep into the red zone. However, facing a 4th-and-4
situation, quarterback Wade Wilson’s pass went in and out of the hands of
running back Darrin Nelson, ending the postseason for both Browner and the
Vikings with a 17-10 loss. This would be the closest they would come to a Super
Bowl appearance during Browner’s tenure with the team.
Despite
playing in 12 of the 15 games, Browner set a new personal best of six
interceptions to go along with another forced fumble. As a result, he was named
first-team All-Pro at the strong safety position. Browner would ride this
momentum into the 1988 season, and the rest of the Vikings squad seemed to feed
off of his energy. He didn’t waste much time in getting his first interception
of the year, coming in a 36-6 week two takedown of the New England Patriots. On
October 23rd versus the Buccaneers, he posted another
multi-interception performance as quarterback Vinny Testaverde, playing his
first full season in the league, threw two of his six picks on the day to
Browner as Minnesota handily won 49-20.
Through
the month of November, the Vikings embarked on a five-game winning streak where
they played immaculate defense. For the last four of those contests, the team
did not allow a single touchdown to be scored against them, including a 23-0
shutout win on the road against the Lions on Thanksgiving. If not for the Chicago
Bears still playing the elite level of defense they had been synonymous with
throughout the 1980s, the Vikings would have had the #1-ranked defense in the
NFL that year. Instead, they would settle for a cool 11-5 record on their way
to another playoff appearance. In the first round against the Rams, Browner was
a thorn in the side of quarterback Jim Everett, as he picked him off twice in
the first quarter. Both of these turnovers led to Vikings touchdowns and while
Los Angeles would regroup, it wouldn’t be enough as Minnesota moved on with the
28-17 victory. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the next round
against the 49ers. Determined not to have a repeat of the year before, San
Francisco jumped out to a 21-3 lead at halftime, eventually taking it 34-9 to end
Minnesota’s title hopes. Even so, Browner would give Joe Montana his only
interception of the day, doing so in the third quarter.
With five
interceptions and a forced fumble during the regular season, Browner won his
second consecutive first-team All-Pro nod. Both he and the Vikings made a
statement to start the 1989 season, blowing out the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee
Titans) 38-7 in week one. Browner would get his first interception of the year a
week later against the Bears, but this time the Vikings were on the losing end
of the 38-7 score. The team quickly rebounded, though, rattling off four
straight wins to get right back to business. They largely remained an
up-and-down team the rest of the way, winding up sitting at 9-6 going into the
season finale. However, due to the NFC Central being one of the weaker
divisions in the league that year, the Vikings controlled their own destiny and
could hold off the Packers for the division title with a win on Christmas Day
against the Cincinnati Bengals. The defense held strong in the first half,
allowing just seven points as Minnesota went ahead by 15 points at halftime.
However, the Bengals had a playoff spot of their own on the line and began
cutting into the lead in the second half. Now leading by a single point, the
Vikings scored an important insurance touchdown with four minutes to go, making
it a two-possession game. With the season on the line, Browner and company
forced the Bengals to go three-and-out on their ensuing possession, ultimately
sealing the victory and the NFC Central crown for Minnesota.
For the
third year in a row, the Vikings would face San Francisco in the playoffs. Just
like the previous postseason, they were no match for the 49ers’ offensive
firepower as Montana passed for four touchdowns and 241 yards, running away
with it for a 41-13 triumph. Interestingly, Minnesota trotted out three
different quarterbacks in this game with each getting significant playing time
and each throwing at least one interception on the afternoon. Despite the rough
postseason exit, Browner claimed second-team All-Pro as a result of his five
total interceptions and forced fumble.
The disappointment
of the playoffs appeared to linger into the new decade, as the 1990 campaign got
off to an abysmal start. Through the first seven games, the Vikings were on the
precipice of a last-place finish in the standings, sitting at 1-6. The normally
sound defense was nowhere to be seen, as the only bright spot was a 32-3 win
over the Saints. Browner had just one interception at that point in the year,
but his fortunes began to change on November 4th against the Denver
Broncos. There, he picked off future Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak early in
the second half, running it back 26 yards for his first touchdown since the
1986 season. This gave Minnesota their first lead of the game, going on to win
it 27-22 and end the losing streak.
On
November 11th against (who else?) Detroit, Browner claimed yet
another multi-interception game, first intercepting Andre Ware, who was making
his first career start, before picking off backup Bob Gagliano late in the
fourth quarter to punctuate a 17-7 win. With the rest of the team reinvigorated
by Browner’s strong performance, the Vikings put together a five-game winning
streak. During this span, Browner had an interception on November 18th
versus the Seattle Seahawks and one on December 2nd against the
Packers. Unfortunately for the Vikings, they ran out of steam after this hot
streak and lost their final four games, finishing at 6-10 for their first
losing record in five years. Be that as it may, Browner arguably had the best
season of his career statistics-wise, nabbing a career-high seven interceptions
(including a touchdown return) and a forced fumble to reclaim his spot as
first-team All-Pro.
Browner’s
incredible consistency continued in 1991, even though the Vikings themselves
were still looking to recapture the stability of the late 1980s. As Browner got
his obligatory first interception of the season against the Lions, Minnesota
had fallen behind at a 2-4 showing. However, after beating the Cardinals 34-7
on October 13th, the team began to look a bit more competitive as
the second half of the year rolled on. In a 28-0 shutout in the return matchup against
the Cardinals two weeks after the original, Browner claimed another
interception along with a pick the next week in a 28-13 win against Tampa Bay. However,
following a loss to Chicago, Browner was sidelined with a minor hamstring
injury. Sadly, this ended his run of 69 straight starts (110 straight if
removing the games missed due to the strike from the equation), but it also was
an ominous sign of what was to come. Staying focused on 1991, though, Browner
returned to the lineup shortly after and reassured many on December 20th
against the Rams, having his fifth multi-interception game. Once again,
quarterback Jim Everett was the deliverer of Browner’s pair of interceptions, as
the Vikings took a 20-14 victory. In the end, though, the team missed out on
the playoffs again with an 8-8 record.
Despite
having similar stats to his last few seasons with five interceptions and two
forced fumbles, Browner was not named as an All-Pro, with the two games missed
due to injury likely being a factor. While it would’ve been known that Browner,
going into his age-32 season in 1992, had less seasons ahead of him than there
were in the rearview mirror, looking at how well he was playing it wouldn’t
have been crazy to assume that he would still be in the league for the next few
years at least. However, on July 22nd, 1992, the Vikings made the
shocking announcement that Browner had been released after failing a physical. It’s
also worth noting that he had been nursing a shoulder injury during the 1991
season along with the previously mentioned hamstring issue.
Shortly
after being released by the Vikings, the Atlanta Falcons were believed to be
reaching out to Browner as a potential solution at strong safety, after 1991
starter Brian Jordan left the NFL in order to pursue his Major League Baseball
career (which turned out to work out quite well for Jordan, who remained in MLB
until 2006). However, Browner ultimately signed with the Buccaneers just before
the end of preseason. Evidently, Browner was able to pass the physical this
time around as he suited up for the Buccaneers on opening day. However, this
pairing would not go well for either side. While he was on the active roster
for the first seven games, Browner started in just two of those contests with
no interceptions recorded. Notably, the schedule worked out for a ‘revenge
game’ against the Vikings in Minneapolis on September 20th, but
Tampa Bay came up short 26-20. On October 28th, Browner was released
again, ultimately bringing his NFL career to a close.
In his 145
games played at the NFL level, Browner registered 37 interceptions, 17 forced
fumbles and four total touchdowns to go along with three first-team All-Pro
selections. After retirement, Browner co-hosted a sports talk radio program in
Las Vegas from 1999 to 2018. In 2013, Browner was inducted into the Minnesota
Vikings Ring of Honor, before induction to the Pro Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in 2019.
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| Public domain photo |
7. Carl Voss (1932-33)
The winner of the inaugural Calder Trophy in 1932-33,
Voss collected eight goals and 16 assists in a rookie season split between the Detroit
Red Wings and New York Rangers, though the majority of his games occurred with
Detroit. Voss ended up bouncing around several different teams throughout his
NHL career, with his personal best season coming in the 1934-35 campaign with
the St. Louis Eagles as he scored double-digit goals for the only time in his
career with 13 along with 18 helpers.
In 1937-38, Voss found himself on the Chicago Black
Hawks, who barely made it into the playoffs with a 14-25-9 record. However, the
team knocked out the Montreal Canadiens in round one, winning the series in two
games to one. Voss didn’t play in the first game, but made it back to the
lineup in time to earn a pair of assists. Although Voss had a quiet semifinal
series against the New York Americans, the Black Hawks were still able to close
out the series in three games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the
Toronto Maple Leafs for the Cup, Voss scored the game-tying goal in the second
period of game three, which the Black Hawks went on to win 2-1. He also
captured the go-ahead goal in game four, as Chicago claimed the upset to take
home their second championship and Voss’ first. This allowed Voss to retire as
a Stanley Cup champ, going out on top with 34 goals and 71 assists in 264
career games. Once his playing career was over, Voss became an American Hockey
League referee throughout the 1940s, eventually being promoted to the NHL’s
referee-in-chief in 1950. Voss held this role for the next 15 seasons, and was
inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame’s builder category in 1974.
6. Russ Blinco (1933-34)
Blinco earned the Calder Trophy for 1933-34 with the
Montreal Maroons, scoring 14 goals and nine assists in 31 games played. He
followed up this success with 13 goals and 14 helpers in 1934-35, guiding the
Maroons to another postseason appearance. At the time, the NHL’s playoff format
entailed the first two rounds being a two-game series in which the winner was
decided by the total number of goals scored between the two games. After
playing to a 0-0 draw in game one of the first round against the Chicago Black
Hawks, the two teams went scoreless in regulation again in game two. This time,
an overtime period was required, and the Maroons’ Baldy Northcott got the lone
goal of the series four minutes into OT.
The semifinal round against the New York Rangers
featured quite a bit more offense by comparison, with the Maroons taking the
series five goals to four. Blinco added a goal and an assist in game two, which
ended in a 3-3 tie. The Maroons went on to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the
Finals, which utilized a more conventional best-of-five format. Blinco assisted
on the first goal of the series in game one, which Montreal went on to win in
overtime 3-2. He struck again in game two, netting the go-ahead goal in a 3-1
victory. With the series back in the Montreal Forum, Blinco was held off the
board but it wasn’t needed as the Maroons picked up a 4-1 win for the second
championship in franchise history and the first of Blinco’s career. He remained
a reliable presence for the next three seasons, before the Maroons permanently
suspended operations after the 1937-38 season. Blinco joined the Black Hawks
for 1938-39, but was held to just three goals and retired after the season with
59 goals and 66 assists for 125 points in 265 career games to go along with his
Stanley Cup win.
5. Cully Dahlstrom (1937-38)
Dahlstrom picked up the Calder in 1937-38, putting up
10 goals and nine assists for a not very good Chicago Black Hawks squad. Despite
having just 14 wins during the regular season, Chicago was still able to hold
off the Detroit Red Wings for the final playoff spot. Taking advantage of the
playoff format at the time, which required the same-seeded teams in the
opposing division to play each other in the first round (rather than the lowest-seeded
team playing the highest-seeded team as seen today), the Black Hawks defeated
their fellow #3-seed Montreal Canadiens in the first round two games to one.
In the semifinal round against the New York Americans,
Dahlstrom only scored once in the three-game set, but made it count as he
claimed the only goal of game two. After falling in game one and needing to win
to keep the season alive, the Black Hawks were locked in a scoreless
goaltending duel which went deep into the second overtime, until Dahlstrom finally
got one past fellow rookie Earl Robertson to force a game three. The teams
played another close contest, where the Black Hawks came out on top in a 3-2
win. They would face the Canadian Division champ Toronto Maple Leafs in the
Finals, but the Black Hawks made a statement in game one with a 3-1 win.
Dahlstrom added an assist, but would go scoreless in the next two games as the
teams swapped wins, bringing up a game four. With the chance to end the series here
and avoid needing to win in Toronto, Dahlstrom scored the opening goal in what
would be a 4-1 Black Hawks victory to finish off the incredible upset. In the
process, he also became the first Calder winner to also take the Stanley Cup in
their rookie season.
Dahlstrom was a solid center for the Black Hawks
throughout the first half of the 1940s, consistently getting between 25 and 30
points a season. However, in 1943-44, he exploded for 20 goals and 22 assists,
a career high in both categories as the team went on to reach the Stanley Cup
Finals once again. Unfortunately for Dahlstrom, Chicago got swept by the
Canadiens and he would ultimately retire after the 1944-45 season. With 88
goals and 118 assists for 206 points in 345 career games, Dahlstrom held the title
as the highest-scoring Minnesotan in NHL history until being surpassed by longtime
Boston Bruin Tommy Williams in 1968.
4. Mike Karakas (1935-36)
Speaking of Minnesota natives, Karakas became the
first goaltender to win the Calder in 1935-36, doing so as a member of the
Chicago Black Hawks. Playing in all 48 games, Karakas secured 21 wins and a
goals against average of 1.85 along with nine shutouts. Although his stats
weren’t as strong for the rest of the 1930s, he of course played a major role
in Chicago’s miracle Stanley Cup run in 1938. In the opening series versus the
Montreal Canadiens, he posted a shutout in game two before outlasting Montreal
goalie Wilf Cude in a 3-2 overtime victory to advance into the semifinals
against the New York Americans. Like the previous round, Karakas had to bounce
back from a game one loss and did so under even more dire circumstances.
Receiving no goal support throughout game two, Karakas held the Americans
scoreless for 93 grueling minutes of game time before Dahlstrom finished it off
in the second overtime. Karakas and company grabbed another 3-2 win to set up
their Stanley Cup date against the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, trouble struck
before the Finals could even get underway.
After the semifinals, Karakas discovered that he had
sustained a broken toe, forcing him to sit out the first two games of the
Finals. While Chicago was able to claim game one in his absence, game two did
not go as well as they got stomped 5-1. This prompted Karakas to return to the
ice, broken toe and all. For the final two games, Karakas was as effective as
he had been in the first two rounds, allowing just one goal apiece as Chicago lifted
their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
With a Stanley Cup title already under his belt and
his career on a promising trajectory, Karakas appeared ready to lead the Black
Hawks to another successful decade. However, as soon as the 1940s hit, Karakas’
first tenure with Chicago came to an end. After an underwhelming start to the
1939-40 campaign, he was loaned to the Canadiens for the rest of the season and
subsequently traded to the American Hockey League (yes, both of these were
something teams could do back then). In 1943-44, though, Karakas unexpectedly
returned to the Black Hawks for the second half of the season and played well
enough down the stretch to lock up the final playoff spot. The semifinal round
against the Detroit Red Wings saw Karakas collect a game three shutout on the
way to a five-game series win. Coincidentally, Karakas would face his former
team in the Canadiens for the title, but the Black Hawks were no match for the
most dominant single-season team in NHL history to that point.
While the run for his second Cup ended in a sweep, Karakas
added more noteworthy moments in his final two years in the league. In 1944-45,
despite getting just 12 wins and a 3.90 GAA in 48 games, he claimed second-team
All-Star honors on the strength of his league-leading four shutouts (tied with that
year’s Calder winner Frank McCool). For his swan song 1945-46 season, Karakas set
a new career high in wins with 22, though the Black Hawks were swept by
Montreal again, this time in the first round. He finished his NHL career with 114
wins, a GAA of 2.91 in 336 games and 28 shutouts to go along with his 1938
championship.
3. Sweeney Schriner (1934-35)
Schriner earned the 1934-35 Calder Trophy with the New
York Americans, potting an impressive 18 goals and 22 assists. While the
Americans missed the playoffs that season, they were able to make it back the
next season due in no small part to Schriner’s contributions, as he led the NHL
in points with 19 goals and 26 assists on the year. This also allowed him to take
first-team All-Star honors along with being named a finalist for the Hart
Trophy, though he would lose to Boston Bruins superstar Eddie Shore in a tight election.
The Americans were able to knock off the Chicago Black Hawks in the first
round, with Schriner scoring three goals in the two-game set, but fell short of
the Stanley Cup Finals as they lost in three games to the Toronto Maple Leafs
in the semifinals.
Schriner was back in full force in 1936-37, leading
the way in points once again with 21 goals and 25 helpers, though this time
around he settled for second-team All-Star. He broke the 20-goal mark again the
next season with 21, though his assist total dropped to 17. Schriner rectified
this in what would be his final season with New York in 1938-39, setting a
career-high 32 assists to go along with 13 goals. After another unsuccessful
playoff appearance for the Americans, Schriner was dealt to the Toronto Maple
Leafs in a six-player deal which also included fellow future Hall of Famer
Busher Jackson going the other way.
At first, Schriner didn’t quite live up to the hype,
but would eventually prove that the Maple Leafs made a wise investment in
1940-41. He scored a career-high 24 goals to lead the team in that category,
earning his second career first-team All-Star in the process. However, Toronto
would lose a wild seven-game series to the Bruins in the semifinals. Undaunted,
he returned in 1941-42 and put up another 20-goal season, as the Maple Leafs
went right back to work in the playoffs. While he was quiet in the opening round
against the Rangers, Schriner was a menace in the Finals against the Detroit
Red Wings.
Schriner did his part to begin the series, getting a
couple of goals early, but the Maple Leafs still fell behind and faced
elimination in a 3-0 hole. He added an assist on the tying goal of game four,
which Toronto went on to win 4-3, before adding a goal in a 9-3 beatdown which
forced Detroit to really start sweating. As goalie Turk Broda earned a shutout,
Schriner assisted on both of game six’s third period goals as the Maple Leafs
forced an improbable game seven. In the winner-take-all finale, the Red Wings actually
went into the final frame with a 1-0 lead, but it was time for Schriner to put
the team on his back as he scored twice in the final 20 minutes in a 3-1 championship-clinching
win. Along with finishing off the only successful 3-0 series comeback in
Stanley Cup Final history, Schriner was finally a Stanley Cup champion and a
major part of the Cup run at that.
Unfortunately for Schriner, the next few seasons of
his career were significantly shortened due to a knee injury, which included
sitting out the 1943-44 season. However, despite playing in just 26 games in
1944-45, Schriner incredibly turned back the clock with 22 goals and 15 assists
in the brief time frame. His presence proved valuable in the playoffs, as he scored
the only goal in a 1-0 victory in game one of a Finals rematch versus the Red
Wings. The Maple Leafs were able to hold off a furious Detroit charge to win
the title again in seven games. Now a two-time champ, Schriner retired from
playing after the 1945-46 season with 201 goals and 206 assists for 407 points
in 484 career games.
2. Frank Brimsek (1938-39)
Brimsek immediately made a splash in 1938-39 as a member
of the Boston Bruins, leading all NHL goalies in wins with 33, shutouts with 10
and a goals against average of 1.56 in 43 games. Of course, the man who went on
to be known as “Mr. Zero” easily claimed the Calder Trophy, which was paired
with his first career Vezina Trophy and first-team All-Star honors. Thanks in
large part to Brimsek’s efforts, the Bruins finished the season with the league’s
best record and would take on the New York Rangers in the semifinals. Boston
jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the series, two of which were won in overtime,
before New York rallied with three straight wins of their own to force a game
seven.
With the reverse sweep in play, Brimsek and company
locked in, giving up just one goal in game which eventually went into triple
overtime. In that sixth period, however, fellow Bruins rookie Mel Hill found
his way past Rangers netminder Bert Gardiner to stop the comeback in its tracks
and send the team onto the Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In this
series, though, the Bruins were fully in command, as Brimsek only allowed multiple
goals once and even collected a game four shutout as the Bruins hoisted their
first Stanley Cup in franchise history after the five-win series win. With
Brimsek’s debut season going beyond anyone’s wildest expectations, he was more
than prepared to establish himself as the Bruins staple goalie throughout the
1940s.
Brimsek played all 48 games for Boston in the 1939-40
campaign, leading the way in wins for a second time with 31. He would again maintain
a sub-two GAA at 1.97 to go along with six shutouts, enabling him to earn
second-team All-Star as the Bruins had the best regular season record once again.
However, in the semifinals rematch against the Rangers, New York would get
their revenge in a six-game victory. Undeterred, the Bruins were back in action
for 1940-41, with Brimsek repeating as a second-team All-Star thanks to his 27
wins, 2.01 GAA and league-leading six shutouts. For the fourth year in a row,
the Bruins were the best team in the regular season, allowing them to take on
the Maple Leafs in the semifinals. This series was not the prettiest for Brimsek,
as he allowed five and seven goals in games two and three respectively after a
game one shutout. However, he returned to form the rest of the way and the
Bruins narrowly escaped in a seven-game victory. In the Finals, Brimsek wasn’t able
to grab a shutout this time around, but still did more than enough to help the
Bruins to a sweep over the Detroit Red Wings. He never allowed more than two goals
in any of the four games on the way to his second Stanley Cup.
In 1941-42, Brimsek was a first-team All-Star once again,
winning 24 games while nabbing three shutouts and a 2.35 GAA in 47 contests. This
effort also placed him as a finalist in the Hart Trophy voting, as well as granting
him his second Vezina title. 1942-43 also saw Brimsek add 24 more wins to his
total as he picked up another second-team All-Star nod, but opted to put his
NHL career on hold in order to join the United States Coast Guard during World
War II. Despite returning to the Bruins midway through the 1945-46 season, he
was nonetheless named a second-team All-Star after getting 16 wins, two
shutouts and a 3.26 GAA in 34 games. In the playoffs, Brimsek led the team to another
Stanley Cup bid, but they would be eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens in five
games.
In 1946-47, Brimsek was back to playing the full
schedule, getting the start in all 60 games as he claimed a 2.92 GAA with 26
wins and three shutouts on the way to a fifth second-team All-Star selection. The
1947-48 season would be a rather strange one for Brimsek from an award standpoint,
as despite being named as a second-team All-Star, he was the only goaltender to
get any votes for the Hart Trophy. If not for New York Rangers forward Buddy O’Connor,
he would have won the award outright, proving that Jose Theodore’s 2002 Hart Trophy
win despite only being named a second-team All-Star was not without precedent. That
anomaly aside, Brimsek’s final All-Star season featured 23 wins, three shutouts
and a 2.80 GAA, though his last season as a Bruin in 1948-49 had similar
metrics at 26 wins, 2.72 GAA and one shutout. After spending the 1949-50 season
with the Chicago Black Hawks, Brimsek ended his outstanding career with 252
wins, 40 shutouts and a total GAA of 2.70 to go along with his pair of Stanley
Cups.
1. Syl Apps (1936-37)
Apps earned the Calder Trophy in 1936-37 for the
Toronto Maple Leafs, leading the league in assists with 29 while also contributing
16 goals on the year. While the Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round
of the playoffs, this was only the beginning of Apps’ long battle with the postseason.
He repeated as the league’s assist leader in 1937-38, getting 29 helpers while
upping his goal total to 21, crossing the 50-point mark for the first time in his
career. This effort enabling him to grab second-team All-Star on the way to another
postseason appearance. In a three-game sweep of the Boston Bruins, Apps had two
assists in the final game and would do the same in the Finals matchup against
the Chicago Black Hawks. However, the Black Hawks refused to be denied, winning
the title in four games despite their inauspicious regular season record.
Apps was amongst the NHL’s top scorers once again in
1938-39, potting 15 goals and 25 assists to secure first-team All-Star honors
and a second-place finish in the Hart Trophy race. The Maple Leafs easily
disposed of the New York Americans in the first round, with Apps adding a goal
and two assists in a game one victory. Their semifinal series against the Detroit
Red Wings required all three games, but Apps registered a total of four assists
as Toronto survived to face the Bruins for another chance at his first Cup. However,
like most of his teammates, he was unable to solve rookie sensation Frank
Brimsek and would score only once as the Maple Leafs fell in five games.
Despite being held to just 27 games in 1939-40, Apps made
the most of it with 13 goals and 17 assists. Surprisingly, he nearly won the
Hart Trophy this season, but lost to Detroit defenseman Ebbie Goodfellow by a
mere six votes. The Maple Leafs were unstoppable to start the 1940 playoffs,
sweeping both the Black Hawks and Red Wings on their path to the Stanley Cup
Finals. Apps in particular came in clutch in game one against Chicago, scoring
both the tying and overtime game-winning goals. However, in spite of Apps’ two
goals and two assists in the Finals, they were defeated by the New York Rangers
in six games.
For 1940-41, Apps had another strong regular season, getting
20 goals and 24 assists to again finish as a Hart finalist and second-team
All-Star. However, just like the previous seasons, Toronto was unable to get
over the hump in the playoffs, losing to the Bruins in the semifinals. At this
point, Apps was on his fifth playoff appearance and third Stanley Cup Final appearance,
but was forced to leave empty-handed on each occasion. However, the 1941-42
campaign was another opportunity for redemption, starting with a regular season
which saw Apps score 18 goals and 23 helpers for his second career first-team
All-Star award. He came out firing in game one of the semifinals against the
Rangers, getting a goal and two assists in Toronto’s 3-1 win. The Maple Leafs
won the series in six games, setting up a Finals meeting with Detroit. The
opening matchups looked to be more of the same for the Leafs, with Detroit taking
a 3-0 series lead. It was also another postseason disappointment for Apps, who
was held scoreless throughout the first three matchups. With his team down 3-2
in the third period of game four, however, Apps turned it around big time. He
scored the tying goal, before getting a crucial assist on the eventual
game-winning goal to keep hope alive for the Maple Leafs.
Game five proved to be a major turning point in the
momentum of the series, as Toronto celebrated a 9-3 rout to cut the Red Wings’
lead to just one game. Apps was a massive architect of the blowout, claiming a
pair of goals and three assists. While he didn’t score the rest of the series,
the wheels were already set in motion for the eventual comeback. Toronto took
the reverse sweep in seven games, ending the years of heartbreak for Apps with
his first Stanley Cup title.
Apps was back in the Maple Leafs lineup in 1945-46,
and returned to full-time play for 1946-47. It was as if he never left, nabbing
25 goals and 24 assists as the Maple Leafs were poised for another deep playoff
run. After losing game two of the semifinals to the Red Wings 9-1, Apps
responded with a total of four goals to finish out the series, which ended in a
five-game Maple Leafs win. In the Finals against Montreal, Apps potted the
critical winning overtime goal of game four, giving Toronto a 3-1 series lead
that they would not relinquish. Toronto had their third Stanley Cup in six
years, with Apps taking home his second championship. Now 33 years of age, Apps
considered retiring after the 1947 Cup win, but ultimately decided to play in
1947-48. This proved to be a great decision, as he set new career highs of 26
goals and 53 points as the Maple Leafs captured the top regular season record. After
taking down the Bruins in the semifinals in five games (with Apps adding a goal
and an assist in game one), the Maple Leafs were on in another Finals rematch
with the Red Wings. Unlike the previous two series, where each was decided in
seven games, Toronto took control and never looked back. In the four-game
sweep, Apps was a force, getting two goals and two assists to close out his NHL
career with a third Stanley Cup. Though he never got the Hart Trophy, Apps still
scored 201 goals and 231 assists for 432 points in 423 career games.
With the narrative of postseason struggles behind him, Apps was on pace for another spectacular season in 1942-43. However, like many other players around this time, Apps took leave from the NHL in order to serve in World War II for the Canadian Army. Even with his truncated 29-game season, Apps was a Hart finalist for a fifth time and a second-team All-Star thanks to his 23 goals and 17 assists. Apps was back in the Maple Leafs lineup in 1945-46, and returned to full-time play for 1946-47. It was as if he never left, nabbing 25 goals and 24 assists as the Maple Leafs were poised for another deep playoff run. After losing game two of the semifinals to the Red Wings 9-1, Apps responded with a total of four goals to finish out the series, which ended in a five-game Maple Leafs win. In the Finals against Montreal, Apps potted the critical winning overtime goal of game four, giving Toronto a 3-1 series lead that they would not relinquish. Toronto had their third Stanley Cup in six years, with Apps taking home his second championship.
Now 33 years of age, Apps considered retiring after the 1947 Cup win, but ultimately decided to play in 1947-48. This proved to be a great decision, as he set new career highs of 26 goals and 53 points as the Maple Leafs captured the top regular season record. After taking down the Bruins in the semifinals in five games (with Apps adding a goal and an assist in game one), the Maple Leafs were on in another Finals rematch with the Red Wings. Unlike the previous two series, where each was decided in seven games, Toronto took control and never looked back. In the four-game sweep, Apps was a force, getting two goals and two assists to close out his NHL career with a third Stanley Cup. Though he wasn't quite able to get the Hart Trophy, Apps still impressed with 201 goals and 231 assists for 432 points in 423 career games.
