February 9th, 2010 12:35am
by OldSchool
I have to admit, as an old-school baseball fan, I was ambivalent, to say the least, over the news that the Chicago White Sox are going to un-retire Hall of Fame shortstop Luis Aparacio’s No. 11 so that newly acquired (and future Hall of Fame shortstop) Omar Vizquel can wear it.
But after thinking about it, I’ve decided it’s an honorable idea. Besides, it gives younger generations of baseball fans exposure …
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TAGS Luis Aparicio, Minnie Minoso, Omar Vizquel, Roberto Clemente, White Sox | CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 8th, 2010 08:34pm
by OldSchool
Don’t get me wrong. It was nice to see Floyd Little elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame at age 67. He had a solid nine-year career with the Denver Broncos (1967-75). But if you really look at his numbers, and at the success (or lack thereof) of the teams he was on, I don’t know. Pretty shaky selection, actually.
It got me to thinking. If Floyd Little is a …
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TAGS Cookie Gilchrist, Floyd Little, Pro Football Hall of Fame | CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 8th, 2010 03:32am
by OldSchool
Don’t get me wrong. It was nice to see Floyd Little elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame at age 67. He had a solid nine-year career with the Denver Broncos (1967-75). But if you really look at his numbers, I don’t know. Pretty shaky selection, actually.
It got me to thinking. If Floyd Little is a Hall of Famer, why not Cookie Gilchrist? Frankly, if you look at Gilchrist’s …
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CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 7th, 2010 03:30am
by OldSchool
Yeah, I know the Jets aren’t in today’s Super Bowl. Yeah, I know today’s Super Bowl pits Saints vs. Colts. But allow this long-ago Jets fan to say something. When I think of the Colts, it doesn’t matter if it’s Baltimore or Indianapolis, Morrall or Unitas or Manning. It doesn’t matter how many Super Bowls the franchise has won, and it doesn’t matter that it’s 2010 and not 1969.
For this …
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TAGS Colts, Jets, Super Bowl | CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 6th, 2010 08:17pm
by OldSchool
The best Super Bowl-related quote still has to be from Dallas Cowboys running back Duane Thomas, before the 1972 game:
“If it’s the ultimate game, how come they’re playing it again next year?”
Thomas went on to have a pretty good Super Bowl against the Miami Dolphins, rushing 19 times for 95 yards and one touchdown, and catching 3 passes for 17 yards in the Cowboys’ 24-3 win. In a sense, it …
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TAGS Dallas Cowboys, Duane Thomas, Super Bowl | CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 5th, 2010 09:00pm
by OldSchool
What team is your pick for the most-underrated Super Bowl champion? Let me know. Here’s mine: The K.C. Chiefs, who beat the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, In January 1970.
The Chiefs were huge underdogs to the Vikings. In the postseason, they beat the defending Super Bowl champion Jets and the Raiders, whom they had lost to twice in the regular season — both on the road, then routed the Vikings, who had …
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TAGS Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Super Bowl | CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 5th, 2010 01:10am
by OldSchool
Today’s athletes may be bigger, stronger, faster, blah-blah-blah, but the first paragraph of Bill Dudley’s obit on the AP wire Thursday speaks volumes about old-school athletes.
“Bill Dudley, a Hall of Fame player who in 1946 with the Pittsburgh Steelers led the NFL in rushing, punt returns and interceptions …”
The media is making a big deal about 2009 MVP Peyton Manning calling his own plays. What about playing offense, defense and …
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TAGS Bill Dudley, Manning, NFL, Steelers | CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 4th, 2010 06:00am
by OldSchool
In anticipating the new biography, “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend,” by James S. Hirsch, due out this month, I began recalling my personal favorite Mays memories. If you’ve got one, share it. Here’s mine:
I was 8½ years old. My dad took me to the Polo Grounds. This was late in the 1956 season, when the N.Y. Giants sucked and rumors were already circulating that the team was going to …
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TAGS Giants, Polo Grounds, Willie Mays | CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 3rd, 2010 08:14pm
by OldSchool
In a previous blog, I mentioned running back Joe Don Looney, who played for both the Colts and Saints. Today the Colts-Saints link is quarterback Gary Cuozzo.
Cuozzo backed-up Johnny Unitas with the Colts from 1963 through 1966. And he was on the original Saints of 1967, splitting time with Billy Kilmer.
Cuozzo played in Super Bowl IV with the Vikings, a 23-7 loss to the K.C. Chiefs. Cuozzo came in for …
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TAGS Colts, Saints, Super Bowl | CATEGORY Uncategorized
February 3rd, 2010 10:00am
by OldSchool
Hank Greenwald was the brilliant broadcast voice of the Giants for 16 years (1979-86; 1989-96). He sent me the following e-mail regarding Jon Miller’s winning the Ford Frick Award and a place among legendary baseball announcers at the Hall of Fame:
“I’m delighted to see Jon Miller get the award not only for his excellence as an announcer but his love of the game that permeates all of his broadcasts. I’m …
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TAGS Giants, Hall of Fame, Hank Greenwald, Jon Miller | CATEGORY Uncategorized
Robert Rubino has been a daily copy editor for nearly 30 years and a weekly sports columnist for 15 years. 
