Two weekends ago, close to the end of the Monday night NFL Dallas/Cincinnati game, Dallas miraculously got a chance to win when they blocked a Cincinnati punt (deep in Cincinnati territory). But they proceeded to blow it when a Dallas player touched the ball as it careened to the ground (after the block) only to have a Cincinnati player quickly fall on it. The rule on a blocked punt (which Teresa and I didn’t know) is If a defensive player touches it, the ball is in play, and if that player doesn’t then secure it (which the Dallas player didn’t) and the offensive team falls on it, the offensive team (that just had their punt blocked) is awarded possession (and a first down).
That odd play got me thinking about oddities in the NFL, weird things you’d never know that would make you sound “football smart” around your friends-fans. So, I Googled “odd things about the NFL” and found some pretty interesting stuff.
Hupmobile Beginnings
Did you know the NFL was founded in a car dealership? In 1920, representatives from four states gathered in Ralph Hay’s Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio, to create what would eventually become the NFL.
Prohibited Forward Pass
Before 1906, throwing the ball in a football game was illegal. The first legal forward pass was thrown by Saint Louis University’s Bradbury Robinson against Carroll College on September 5, 1906. This pivotal change was driven by concerns over the game’s violence.
The Team That Never Was
Imagine a team that was granted an NFL franchise but never played a single game. That’s the story of the Los Angeles Buccaneers in 1926, a traveling team supposed to represent Los Angeles but never played a game on the West Coast. Instead, the team was entirely made up of Chicago-based players!
Sacking The Quarterback
Ever wonder where the term “sack” came from? Credit David “Deacon” Jones, a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s, who likened the act of tackling the quarterback to sacking a city. That bit of trivia caused me to look up where the ancient term “sacking a city” came from. It was apparently derived from the sacks/bags invaders used to carry away their loot.
Coin Toss Anomaly
NFL games start with a coin toss, but the outcome can be statistically bizarre. Over the last 10 years, the coin toss results in the Super Bowl have been heads 65% of the time. The captains of this season’s Superbowl teams need to know that stat.
No Cheer in Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers are one of the few NFL teams without a professional cheerleading squad. The last time they had official cheerleaders was in 1988. Since then, local college cheer squads occasionally fill in. No surprise here. Who wants to lead cheers in snow and subarctic cold?
Snowy and Cold
Speaking of snowy and cold in Green Bay, the coldest NFL game ever played was the 1967 NFL Championship between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, also known as the “Ice Bowl.” Temperatures at Lambeau Field were a bone-chilling -15 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -48 degrees.
Draft Day Rejection
Bo Jackson, one of the most athletic prospects in sports history, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986 but chose to play professional baseball instead. Why? He visited the Buccaneers (per their invite) during college, which caused the NCAA to void his senior year college baseball eligibility. He blamed the Buccaneers and vowed never to play for them.
Most Penalized Game
During a typical NFL season, referees throw approximately 3,700 penalty flags, averaging about 15 flags per game. The most penalized game in modern NFL history occurred Oct. 17, 1976 between the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There were 39 penalties for 310 yards.
Touchdown Celebrations
Choreographed touchdown celebrations were banned in 1984 but reinstated in 2017. Since then, fans have enjoyed elaborate dances and skits, highlighting players’ creativity and team spirit.
Presidential Pigskin
Which U.S. President threw an NFL touchdown? None other than Ronald Reagan. While he didn’t do it in real life, he portrayed George Gipp (who did throw a touchdown pass for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish) in the film “Knute Rockne, All American,” which famously coined the phrase, “Win one for the Gipper.”
This Season’s Surprise
The Washington Commanders have been my biggest surprise of the season. They’re in second place in the NFC East and have an offense that rocks.
Now, will all that help you be the smartest NFL fan in the room next Sunday? If not, I tried.
