NBC Sports: NFL 79- Halftime Scores: Mike Adamle & Bryant Gumbel

Source:NBC Sports- left to right: NBC Sports anchors Mike Adamle & Bryant Gumbel.

"A young Bryant Gumbel and Mike Adamle run down week 11 scores from 1979." 

From Daddy Sinister

From 1967-77, the New Orleans Saints never even had a 500 season. Their best record during this period was 5-9, which they accomplished 3 times. But in 1978 under new head coach Dick Nolan, they were in the NFC playoff race up until the last few weeks of that season and finished just a couple games out of the NFC Wildcard at 7-9, after going 3-11 in 1977 under Hank Stram. 

So in 1979, going into that season and into that season, with the Los Angeles Rams dealing with all sorts of key injuries and never being at full strength until the end of that year, the Saints looked like they were about to not just become winners for the 1st time ever, but perhaps get an NFC Playoff birth, and perhaps even win the NFC West, with the Rams down, the 49ers still very bad and the Atlanta Falcons, who finally made it to the playoffs in 1978, but it looked like the Saints could at least be as good as the Falcons in 79. 

I only mention all of this because the Saints-49ers game was one of the scores that Bryant Gunbel and Mike Adamle mentioned. The Saints won that game to move to 6-5 and move into 1st place in the NFC West.

Roger Sharp Archive: 'ABC News Late Wrap Up of The Ruby-Oswald Shooting'

Source:Roger Sharp Archive- ABC News anchor Roger Sharp, anchoring ABC News's coverage of the JFK Assassination.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Following the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, ABC Correspondent Roger Sharp anchors late coverage recapping the events of the day.  Features Correspondent Bill Lord in the field. (November 24, 1963)" 

From the Roger Sharp Archive

ABC News was still not a major news operation yet. CBS News was the biggest TV news division at this point at least in America. Thanks to the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. And NBC News with Meet The press and the Huntley Brinkley Report was its closest competitor at this point. But ABC News did the best job that they could even being buried in the ratings and with limited resources. And this like with CBS News and NBC News was the biggest story they ever had. I can honestly say I don’t believe Jack Ruby shooting and killing Lee Oswald was a bad thing and no I don’t consider it murder. Because of course Oswald hadn’t been convicted of assassinating President John F. Kennedy yet. But he is obviously the shooter of Jack Kennedy, the man who assassinated JFK. And he would’ve been convicted of that crime.

Roger Sharp Archive: 'Roger Sharp On JFK50: Oswald/Ruby Wrapup'

Source:Roger Sharp Archive- ABC News correspondent Roger Sharp.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Following the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, ABC Correspondents Bob Walker and Roger Sharp anchor primetime coverage recapping the events of the day.  Correspondent Bill Lord interviews the detective who had been escorting Oswald when the latter was shot by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. (November 24, 1963)" 

From the Roger Sharp Archive 

I guess this is easy to say 50 years later, but even back in late 1963, you would have to think the Dallas PD would know exactly how important Lee Harvey Oswald is and that they would do everything that they could to make sure nothing bad and illegal happens to him while he's in their custody. There should've been no public presence at the attempted transfer of Lee Oswald from the city jail to the county jail. That whole area should've been blocked off from the public.

CBS Sports: NBA 1983- Western Conference Semifinals Game 3- Los Angeles Lakers @ Portland Blazers: Full Game

Source:CBS Sports- Portland Blazers center Wayne Cooper.

Source:The New Democrat 

“1983 NBA Playoffs Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 3” 

From NBA Classic Games

The Blazers were a very consistent playoff team in the 1980s. I believe making the Western Conference Playoffs every season in the 1980s. They just didn’t have much if any history of advancing in the playoffs in that decade consistently having to play the Lakers or Mavericks or Rockets, teams that were pretty good in that decade. 

The Lakers not only the Western Conference team of the 1980s but the NBA team of that decade. The 1980s I believe should’ve been a decade where the Blazers took a step up and became a consistent Western Conference and NBA Finals contender. If you look at who their head coach was in Jack Ramsey and then you look at their teams with Calvin Natt, later Kiki Vandeweigh, Clyde Drexler the best Blazer of all-time. Mychal Thompson and Steve Johnson were solid big men for them. And then of course Terry Porter as well as their point guard.

NBC Sports: NFL 1978- AFC Wildcard - Houston Oilers @ Miami Dolphins: Dan Pastorini's Performance

Source:Official Jaguar Gator- Houston Oilers QB Dan Pastorini.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Prior to the 1978 AFC wild card game between the Houston Oilers and Miami Dolphins, Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini was severely injured. He was hospitalized for multiple days, did not practice all week, and was dealing with injuries to his elbow, his knee, his ankle, and his ribs, of which he had three of them that were cracked. What followed was a game where not only did Pastorini play and somehow send the Oilers to the next round of the NFL playoffs, but a game where despite all the pain, Pastorini had arguably the best game of his career at the time." 

From Official Jaguar Gator 

Dan Pastorini wasn't a great NFL QB. At best, he was a system's quarterback, who needed a strong offensive line and running game, to be a successful QB. As a backup, I think he would've been one of the best backups in the NFL during his career. But as a starter, he needed the people and coaching around him, to be successful. He needed a power offense, that only three off of play action a and threw the ball vertically, to be successful. Which is exactly what he had in Houston, with head coach Bum Phillips and the Oilers. 

As far as this game, I think Dan Pastorini, what ever he think of him and career in the NFL, cemented his legacy as one of the toughest QB's to ever play in the NFL. To not only play an NFL game, but a playoff game, on the road, in the heat and humidity of Miami, Florida, at Orange Bowl Stadium, where the Dolphins were almost unbeatable, against a team as good as the 1978 Dolphins, to play that game with broken ribs and on drugs to deal with the pain, you know he was a tough guy and clutch QB.

NBC Sports: NFL 1978-AFC Wildcard-Houston Oilers @ Miami Dolphins: Highlights

Source:NBC Sports- Houston Oilers head coach Bum Phillips.

Source:The New Democrat 

“Bum vs Shula. If you want to see the first game it’s highlights are below. Reposted from classicsportsvids”

From Classic Sports 

The Houston Oilers were playing an AFC Wildcard game on the road in 1978, because they finished second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Central that year. But not because the Miami Dolphins were a better team. Because if anything the Oilers were better. 

Back then and until 1990, you had to win your division in order to host an NFL playoff game. As it should be, at least as far as I’m concern. So because the Oilers were in the same division as the Steelers in 78 and finished behind the Steelers that season, the Dolphins won the AFC East, so the Dolphins hosted this wildcard against the Oilers.

The Oilers were the second best team in the AFC in 78. They just didn’t win their division, because again they were in the same division with the Steelers, the best team in the AFC in 78 and Super Bowl champion.

NBC Sports: 1987 MLB All Star Game

Source:Ian Ward- Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Bret Saberhagen. When he was on and healthy, one of the top pitchers in all of MLB in the 1980s.

Source:The New Democrat 

"1987 MLB ASG Film" 

From Ian Ward

What I remember about the 1987 MLB All Star Game as a 14 year old, was the Oakland Coliseum and a few other things. But when they only played baseball there, after the Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1983, I think the Oakland Coliseum, even with the miles of foul territory, where relief pitchers would get a workout just walking from the bullpen, to the pitchers mound, or just back and forth from the mound to the dugout, or where someone of them would try to hail cabs, so they wouldn't have to walk as far from the bullpen and dugout to the mound, (ha, ha) I think this was a beautiful place for baseball. 

This ballpark looked good, there was alway plenty of sun, the grass beyond the outfield walls, 48,000 for baseball, so there should've been a lot of great seats for baseball (at least without the miles of foul territory) and the Athletics started winning again shortly after the Raiders left. 

Officially, the Oakland Coliseum was a multi-purpose stadium, but it was always a baseball first stadium. And with no football there, they could've put in lower-deck box seats in the foul territory and it would be a great place just for baseball.