NFL Network: A Football Life Tom Landry

Source:NFL Network- from the NFL Network documentary.

Source:The Daily Press

Mike Ditka on Tom Landry: “Grantland Rice had a quote on class:

Class is a hard thing to define:

It could be the swing of a slugger’s bat.

It could be the lift of a thoroughbred’s hoof.

It could be the flick of a quarterback’s arm.

But once you see it, you’ll never forget it. Tom Landry was class.” No better way to start of A Football Life Tom Landry, than with Mike Ditka, who perhaps knew him the best.

“A Football Life Tom Landry" 

From Sport Freaks Podcast 

Tom Landry is an interesting subject for me as a Redskins fan because here’s the guy who built America’s Team that became the new arch-rival of the Redskins in the early 1970s replacing the New York Giants and cost the Redskins division-titles in the 1970s which the Redskins corrected in the 1980s. But Mike Ditka I believe has the best quote that at least I’ve heard about Tom Landry so far when he was talking about class.

And Iron Mike said and I’m paraphrasing here, but “that class is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. It might be a great throw from a quarterback or the sound of a ball off of a sluggers bat for a home run. Tom Landry was class”, that when you saw him or knew him you knew he was class and that’s a great way to describe Tom Landry. That greatness is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. You know a great play when you see it, you know a great player when you see them play and you know a great head coach when you play for him. Or watch his career and that’s what Tom Landry was.

Tom Landry’s philosophy of coaching was simply to get the best out of his players and teams that he could possibly could. To make them as good as could be, which is easier said then done and hopefully the goal of every head coach. But then how you do that and every head coach probably has their own philosophy to accomplish that. But with coach Landry it was about never being satisfied with any of his players until he got the best out of him that he could.

Which is why he never congratulated his players or tell them how great of a job that they were doing and never complemented them. Unless he was getting the best play and games out of his players that he could and when he did that is what we saw America’s Team in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys of the 1970s a team that was almost impossible to beat. When they were all playing up to their capabilities and winning championships. And with Tom Landry pushing his players to the limit was on both offense and defense always pushing his players to get the best out of them.

You want to talk about football genius’, how many head coaches do you know that could be either the offensive or defensive coordinator on the team. That knew enough about both offensive and defensive football that he could not only call the offensive plays and defensive plays for his team, put both the offensive and defensive game plans together for his team, not just do all of these things, but do them very well. The only person that did all of these things and did them well is Tom Landry.

Tom Landry is one of the top 3-5 head coaches of all-time because of how knowledgable he was about both sides of the ball. But then was such a great teacher and knew how to communicate his knowledge to his players. And show them exactly what he wanted out of them and very few if anyone did that better than Tom Landry.The numbers in Tom Landry’s career. Twenty consecutive winning seasons from 1966-85 which I believe will never be broken. Eleven straight playoff appearances from 1975-85, that may be never be done again. Two Super Bowl championships in the 1970s, the Cowboys being the only NFC team to win a Super Bowl in the 1970s. Twelve division-titles, five conference championships.

All of these things happening after inheriting one of the worst expansion teams of all-time in the 1960 Cowboys. But it’s not the championships and the 270 odd victories that Tom Landry had but all the knowledge he brought to the game. And his great ability as a teacher to teach his knowledge which is why he’s Ss high on the list of greatest NFL head coaches of all-time.

Carrie Underwood: 'Carrie Underwood - Mama's Song (Official Video)'

Source:Carried Underwood- Mama's Song.

Source:The Daily Press 

"Carrie Underwood's official music video for 'Mama's Song'. Click to listen to Carrie Underwood on Spotify... 

From Carrie Underwood

Source:Carrie Underwood- Mama's Song 

How do I describe my own mother, the most important woman in my life who without I wouldn’t have a life. And how do I do that in a blog post. Which I guess is the challenge of this post, right. I guess the way I would do that would be to look at people who I truly respect who’ve influenced my life. and those people are the people, men and women who are never satisfied and never completely happy, who are never interested in settling. Not that they are depressed people always looking for the negative and only feel good when tears are flowing down their faces, who want to hang around depressed people all the time. I think that would even be depressing for shrinks, because it would be like going to a depression convention. 

Source:INVDB- Mama's Song 

Depressed people, are well, depressing and listening to nothing, but sad stories all the time, could create more depression. But what I’m talking about is someone in my mother, who doesn’t let the people they care about and love settle when they know they can do better. Always looking for that edge who doesn’t settle for mediocrity always pushing the people they love to do the best they can. And that’s how I would describe my mom.

My mom is not only someone who doesn’t let her sons settle for being okay or good. And I’m one of three sons, my parents have three kids all boys, but she’s also someone whose always looking to challenge her kids. And try to get them to do something they normally wouldn’t do, especially if it’s good for them. And she knows they would be successful at it and would even enjoy it. 

I can give you a small example of how Mom pushed me and a big example of that. When I was a kid, my mother was always pushing mashed potatoes on me, even though she knew I didn’t like them and I wouldn’t eat them. And she would keep saying: “These are really good you should try them I think you’ll like them I made them different this time.” And so-forth. 

I hated mashed potatoes my whole time as a kid. But at some point as an adult I guess in my mid twenties, I tried mashed potatoes one more time, I guess. Either made by mom like on Thanksgiving, or perhaps at a restaurant where the mashed potatoes came with the meal. And actually liked them and have loved mashed potatoes ever since. As an adult and eat practically every time I’m eating meatloaf, or steak, or some type of meat like that. I guess my mom built up my tolerance for mashed potatoes as a kid and I grew to love them as an adult and they are also good for me. A bigger example of my mother’s influence on me has to do with what I’m doing at this very moment. Which is blogging and writing.

Ten years probably before blogging was a major industry, Mom knew I was a political junky from our family conversations and she suggested I should write a letter to the editor at the Washington Post about politics. I wish I had done that now, but I wasn’t even thinking about writing online at that point. And wasn’t sure what I wanted to do professionally. I wish I had done that, but I’m not blogging without my mother. And people who I use to work with at a bookstore and I have them to thank for that especially my mother. Who I’ll always love and be grateful for.

NBC Sports: FBS 1992- Pennsylvania Nittany Lions @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Full Game

Source:Notre Dame Fighting Irish playing the Pennsylvania Nittany Lions in 1992.

Source:The Daily Press

“On Nov. 14, 1992, the Fighting Irish met the Penn State Nittany Lions on a snowy Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Trailing 16-9 with 25 seconds remaining, Notre Dame quarterback Rick Mirer (‘93) threw a touchdown pass to Jerome Bettis to pull the Irish within one point. In the days before overtime, head coach Lou Holtz elected to go for the win. He drew up a two-point conversion play on the sidelines, and as they say, the rest is history. Mirer found Reggie Brooks (’93) in the back of the end zone, lifting Notre Dame to a 17-16 victory.”

From the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Penn State-Notre Dame, was one of the better college football rivalries in the 1980s and early 1990s. And it’s just a shame that they still aren’t playing. And I believe one of the weakness’ of Notre Dame not being part of a conference because a lot of their big rivalries wouldn’t have to end, because of where they are located, if they could’ve been in the Big Ten or Big East. And never have to stop playing Michigan or Purdue or Penn State or West Virginia, Syracuse, Boston, because they would likely be in the same conference as most if not all of these teams.

The Big East, would make a great comeback in football if Notre Dame was part of it. And they bring back Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Syracuse. Add Penn State and perhaps Buffalo and you would have a great conference with Notre Dame as perhaps the top program in it.

For President: Jimmy Carter 1980 TV Ad- Commander

Source:For President- James E. Carter (Democrat, Georgia) 39th President of the United States (1977-81)

Source:FRS FreeState

“Commander, Jimmy Carter 1980 Presidential Campaign TV Ad, Courtesy Jimmy Carter Presidential Library... 

From For President

You do not see Jimmy Carter running on the economy here and telling people about how great the economy is. With inflation not being much of a factor or with low-interest rates, or plenty of energy, oil and gas to go around. With low unemployment and high economic growth, with no American hostages around the world, or without Russia on the march in the Middle East, or anything like that. Because the Carter Campaign knew all of that wouldn’t be true and that actually all the opposites to those things were true.

The country was in bad shape in 1980 and back in recession with the American hostages still in Iran. A country that did not want Americans or other Westerners in their country at all. So what the Carter Campaign is trying to do here in this ad campaign is run on what they could and what was left to run on. That the military was stronger, that America was at peace in the world for the most part not involved in any foreign wars. And that even Egypt and Israel were at peace with each other as well. And all of that is true.

NBC Sports: FBS 1993- Pittsburgh Panthers @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports- WR Lake Dawson would go on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL.

Source:The Daily Press

“Notre Dame handed Pittsburgh a stinging defeat as the Irish marched to a 44-0 victory.

The full game is available for a limited time only exclusively on The Fighting Irish Youtube channel. For more games check out the full “The Vault: ND on NBC” playlist.”

From the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 

Talk about your total mismatches: the Pittsburgh Panthers have a great football tradition, at least until went downhill in the early 1990s and were no longer a winning program, let alone a consistent bowl team or national championship contender. Perhaps the main reason why head coach Johnny Majors left the Tennessee Volunteers, where he built a consistent Southeast Conference contender there in the 1980s, was to rebuild the Pittsburgh Panthers football program.

And then you look at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where they were a bowl team every year under head coach Lou Holtz, except his first season in 1986, won the national championship in 1988, contended for the national championship in 1989 and were looking to win another championship in 1993, and are playing the Pittsburgh Panthers who entered this game at 1-3. It’s hard to see how the Panthers can even compete with the undefeated Irish, especially at Notre Dame.

Miss Malevolent: Marilyn Monroe- Happy Birthday Mr. President (1962)

Source:Miss Malevolent- Hollywood Goddess and Babydoll Marilyn Monroe, singing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. 

Source:The Daily Press

"Marilyn Monroe sings Happy Birthday to the President."

From Miss Malevolent

President Kennedy had the line of the night, at least from what I heard saying that after hearing Marilyn Monroe sing Happy Birthday to him, he could now retire from politics. I mean after hearing a goddess like that with that voice sing Happy Birthday to you, what is the point of going on, what else could you even hope to accomplish at that point after hearing Marilyn sing Happy Birthday to you. It’s not just the President of the United States being the only politician that may be lucky enough to get Happy Birthday sung to you by Marilyn Monroe, but that Jack Kennedy might have been the only politician lucky enough to have Happy Birthday sung to them.

Source:National Post- Robert F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe & John F. Kennedy, at JFK's 1962 birthday party. 

Jack Kennedy was certainly ahead of his time as far as how he related to Americans. Because he wasn’t just judged by the job he did as President, which of course all President’s are and he wasn’t just judged by how he related to Americans personally, which of course all President’s are. But he was also judged by how he related to people in a social way, he was our first hip President, someone who related well the entertainment community, including Hollywood. Which is a big reason why he had so many friends out there. Like Peter Lawford, who also happened to be his brother-in-law, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and many others. That is how this event happened

CBS Sports: FBS 1977- Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Clemson Tigers

Source:Sop Ibaga- with this 1977 Irish-Tigers game.

Source:The Daily Press

“Game played November 12, 1977. Notre Dame won the national championship that year. Thanks to MyBloodRunnethOrange for this video. The 1979 game: .

In a classic showdown in 1977 between two top 15 teams, Notre Dame’s Joe Montana leads the Fighting Irish back from a 10-point 4th quarter deficit against .

The Catch Game, played November 19, 1977. Thanks to MyBloodRunnethOrange for the video copy. The Catch at 2:14:56.” 

From Sop Ibaga

A classic matchup between two great football programs. The Fighting Irish have been one of the premier college football programs in the entire history of NCAA football. The Tigers were just starting emerge as a national, college football, power, in the late 1970s.