Yes, today is the quarter century anniversary of the first of two consecutive Super Bowl meetings between the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills. Dallas was a young and rising team on the verge of greatness, while Buffalo managed to equal the feat of the Miami Dolphins of the early 1970's by tying their record of three straight Super Bowl appearances. The next year, they would break that record and make it a fourth straight time, which still stands as a record.
The game itself ended up being quite lopsided in favor of Dallas, as they won the first of three championships in a four year span, which would qualify them for "Team of the Decade" honors for the nineties.
Here is a recap of that Super Bowl, which took place 25 years ago on this day:
Super Bowl XXVII Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17. Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Alvin Harper. Rose Bowl Stadium, MVP Troy Aikman, Favorite Cowboys by 6.5, National anthem Garth Brooks, Coin toss O.J. Simpson, Halftime show Michael Jackson, Attendance 98,374. Network NBC, Announcers Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy, Nielsen ratings 45.1, est. 90.99 million viewers, Market share 66, Cost of 30-second commercial US$ 850,000
Personal Memories: I had just begun going to school again, this time at an institution of higher education at Bergen Community College. Still very young, and really almost still a high school student, it felt kind of good to be the youngest, or near the youngest, bloke around. I joined the Environmental Club, and was starting to enrich my social life quite a bit. Things were really looking up for me at that point, and I recall that spring semester very fondly, perhaps even as one of the most pleasant times of my life.
This was a cool Super Bowl, with a bit of history. The Dallas Cowboys had been one of the teams that had always seemed to make the Super Bowl before I was a fan, but just like the Pittsburgh Steelers, I had just missed all of that with the first season of being a fan of the NFL in 1981. So, to see them in the Super Bowl, and to see the immediate reaction of so many people, was something to see. Also, I was very pleased that they beat the hated San Francisco 49ers when those two franchises renewed their rivalry. On the AFC side, it was awesome to watch the Buffalo Bills overcome a deficit of 32 points to mount the greatest comeback in NFL history to date, and then to qualify for a record tying third straight Super Bowl. That said, I felt bad for the Bills when they completely fell apart, particularly in the final quarter, when they went from down 31-17, with some slim hopes of still winning it, to a humiliating 52-17 route that, ironically, could actually have been worse, had Leon Lett not infamously celebrated before actually scoring what should have been an easy touchdown.
Here are some of the major events that took place in 1993, the year this Super Bowl was played. The world's population was 5.522 billion people. The Maastrict Treaty effectively created the European Union. Vaclav Havel was elected President of the Czech Republic. South Africa adopted a constitution that gave the majority the rule over the country. An Israeli-Palestinian Accord was reached. The British House of Commons passed the European Unity pact. In Somalia, 22 United Nations troops were killed. China broke the nuclear weapons test moratorium. Russian President Boris Yeltsin crushed a revolt in the Russian Parliament. Just days before Super Bowl XXVII, Bill Clinton took the oath of office to become the 42nd President of the United States.
Yup, they sure are. After all, they collectively elected Donald Trump, thinking he might be a good president, when all of the evidence pointed to the contrary. Certainly, tens of millions of Americans currently are asleep, and dreaming that this clown is doing is stand up job at the White House.
Now, we have him in the Oval Office, and the reality is hardly a dream. Rather, it has become a nightmare.
How bad is it?
Well, I have mentioned some things here before. It is a source of embarrassment, to me as an American, that this man does not believe in science and, moreover, actively mocks it. He pulled us out of the Paris Accord, claimed that we could use a bit of that "global warming" when it was cold earlier this winter, he slapped some extra fees on solar panels, made it easier for American waters to be polluted, made it much easier to have offshore drilling throughout most of the country, and shrank the size of national parks to benefit private interests. It also embarrasses me that he proudly displays his astonishing levels of ignorance, such as when he praised the healthcare system of a non-existent nation, Nambia, referred to many African nations, as well as Haiti and El Salvador, as "shithole nations," and threatened to wipe an entire nation off the map before the United Nations around International Peace Day. European leaders made public announcements, within hours of meeting with Trump, that they no longer felt that they could count on the United States as a reliable partner. And he suggested that he had spoken to the President of the Virgin Islands, even though since this is an American territory, he is the President there. It is more than enough to make you want to cover your face as you grimace.
Of course, there is that whole racism/sexism thing, his backward and divisive immigration policy that clearly favors northern Europeans over everyone else, and that damn wall, which he promised to make Mexico pay for, but could not deliver. But then again, he made a lot of promises that he did not keep, including not playing golf, bringing back all of those jobs for the coal industry, being the greatest job creator in history, and of course, the whole transparency issue, which includes but is not limited to releasing his taxes and divorcing himself from his companies, both things which he promised to do.
Still, his supporters give him a pass, despite all of these glaring examples of his failure as a leader.
As if all of that were not enough, there are all of those embarrassing things, particularly his Tweets. Daily humiliating news from his ridiculous tweets, and the staggeringly unstable situation with White House chaos, as it looks like a revolving door job site since Trump took over.
Still, his supporters give him a pass, despite all of these glaring examples of his failure as a leader.
Then, of course, there are the elitist economic policies. These are not actually radically different than other recent Presidents, but he just takes them to greater extremes. His tax scam, which benefits the wealthiest Americans, at the expense of everyone else (the vast majority of Americans).
Still, his supporters give him a pass, despite all of these glaring examples of his failure as a leader.
Through all of that, Trump relentlessly gives himself credit for everything good, while taking the blame for nothing. Of course, he continues to praise his own leadership, his own intelligence as a "very stable genius," and his own expertise in every conceivable field of human knowledge.
More of that "winning" that then candidate, and now President, Trump was talking about during the election season, but has failed to deliver once he obtained office. Just another in a very long list of easily demonstrable broken promises and downright lies.
Still, his supporters give him a pass, despite all of these glaring examples of his failure as a leader.
Last night, Trump delivered his first official State of the Union. He claimed that the state of the union was very strong, promised to push for greater spending for an infrastructure overhaul, and of course called for strengthening borders.
Of course, in typical Trump fashion, it appealed to his base, while turning off everyone else. These trends only seem to be strengthening in this country, which is probably more divided than I have ever seen it before.
Take a look at the map of Trump's approval ratings by state. His approval rating is highest in West Virginia, even though he could not fulfill his promise of bringing back all of those coal jobs. Go figure. His approval rating is lowest in Vermont, of all places, where only 26 percent approve of the job that he is doing. Not that this is a shock, since Vermont tends to go very blue. But you might figure it would be California (29 percent), or New York (30 percent, despite this being his home state), or Massachusetts (27 percent). Technically, his approval rating is lowest in Washington, the District of Columbus, but of course, that is not a state. By and large, this map looks quite similar to the 2016 election map, with red states and blue states by and large staying right where they are. The one major exception to this would be Texas, where Trump's approval rating stands at 39 percent. However, his approval rating is surprisingly high in Maine, New Hampshire, and Nevada - all states that went blue in 2016. In the three major swing states that helped give Trump the White House, Trump's approval ratings are as follows: Ohio gives him the highest approval ratings at 45 percent, Pennsylvania gives him 42 percent, and Michigan gives him 40 percent. Overall, Trump's disapproval ratings are at 60 percent or higher in 11 states (including my home state of New Jersey!), and his approval rating is at 50 percent or higher in 11 states. Such a divided country politically! Take a look for yourself by clicking on the gallup poll link below:
Trump Is Killing the American Dream Kashana Cauley Kashana Cauley JAN. 22, 2018:
Recently, I both finished reading Stephen King's "The Dead Zone," and watched the movie, as well. It was not the first time in either case, although I seem to have gotten far more out of my reading the book this time than the last time, which was right around 1997 or 1998, when I was obviously a lot younger.
This was always one of my favorite works from King. I think I saw this movie well before I ever started reading his books, and enjoyed it, as well. And the novel was great when I read it two decades or so as well, too.
Somehow, though, I got far more out of it this time around, despite already obviously being familiar with the story. Perhaps this familiarity helped me to pay attention to the small details that it seems I overlooked the first time that I read it, or the previous times that I watched the movie.
Also, for some reason, I was under the impression - mistaken, apparently - that the movie and the book were very similar, with minor differences. In fact, there were quite a few differences, and some of them were quite substantive! However, by and large, it seems that the spirit of the novel and the movie were consistent, with only the details varying. Most likely, this was out of necessity, since you cannot fit as many minute details in a movie as you can in a 400-page novel.
If you have not read the novel, I would highly recommend it. This is a perfect example of how the label of being a writer of "horror" does not always strictly apply for King. Yes, this is horror, and in many respects, this is truly one of King's most frightening works. But it is not what most people would necessarily think of in terms of horror, and if another novelist - one not known as a horror writer - had written this, I think it very well might have received a lot more credit, and would not fall into the "horror" genre at all. Needless to say, King does an excellent job in this truly scary novel, and there has never been a more apropos time than now to read this book.
I was surprised by how substantial the differences were between the movie and the book, although I will also say that, for the most part, the movie stays true to the general message in the movie. That said, I think that Greg Stillson seems a lot more nightmarish in the book, because you can visualize just how popular he becomes, and who seems to be drawn to it. Perhaps this is especially haunting for me now, having seen the rise of Donald Trump to the White House. There seem to be some comparisons to be made between Stillson and Trump. Both have big mouths, both appeal to the emotions of their followers, who by and large have seen better times. Both were also dismissed, with many people feeling that they surely must be joking, even though they were actually dead serious in their political positions. And both seem to have a certain recklessness which, when dealing with international politics, seems so irresponsible as to be almost literally playing with fire. Trump's bravado might backfire, much like Stillson's bravado in this novel and movie eventually allows some kind of diplomatic crisis to get far, far worse on account of him.
This really is a great book or movie, and most people my age seem to know that. At least, in most cases, they have seen the movie.
But many younger people are not aware of it, despite a more recent television series based on it, which I only saw a few episodes of. I would highly recommend you check one of these things out, and I guess a brief summary should follow.
So, here goes: a young teacher named Johnny Smith is out on a date with coworker and fellow teacher, Sarah. They have a good time, and it seems very promising. However, Johnny goes home at the end of the evening, and gets in a horrific car accident. He is in a coma for four and a half years, and when he wakes up, everything has changed. Sarah has married, and has a child. Johnny's job is gone, and simple control over his own body, things that he used to take for granted, are also now gone.
Now, the following will be filled with spoilers, to both the book and the movie (and presumably, the television series), so be warned! Last chance before I delve into the details. Okay, you have been warned!
One thing that he discovers, however, are these incredible psychic abilities to see events in the future. He saves someone's home from a fire (in the movie, he also saves a child from that same fire). He is able to identify that his doctor's mother is still alive after they were separate during World War II. He saves a student from certain death (although again, there are differences between the book and the movie here). Most importantly for the public eye, he solves the mystery of a local killer who has eluded police for years now.
All of this would be horrifying enough for anybody to see. Many people view Johnny as a hoax, or as some kind of a freak. Clearly, these abilities have done him no favor. However, the most troubling thing for Johnny is yet to come. He sees the future of a rising populist politician, and comes to understand that this man's future will be the man in charge at the White House. And once there, this man will begin World War III.
Unless, of course, Johnny does something to stop it.
It's a damn good story, and enough to keep you on the edge of your seat!
Some differences between movie and book:
No wheel of fortune in movie, which was actually a prominent part of the book.
Johnny is driving the car when it crashes in the movie, but in the book, he is being driven in a taxi.
The crash takes place on a Thursday night (a school night, which affects why Johnny was on the road, and why Sarah gets the call notifying her about what happened) in the book, while all of this takes place on a Friday night in the movie.
Johnny grabs the nurse in the movie, but it his his physical therapist in the novel. He reveals less shocking things, if you will, to the nurses in the book at first. Just glimpses of his psychic abilities, really.
Johnny is in bed the first time that he sees Sarah in the book, while in the movie, he is outside and trying to walk, and the scars on his leg, which have just been freshly operated on from an operation days ago, are clearly visible.
Wiesak sets up the press conference in the book, while it is Johnny who sets it up in the movie. The obnoxious reporter hands him a medalian that belonged to his suicidal sister in the book, while in the movie, he simply goes up to Johnny and gives him his hand.
Frank Dodd is with Sheriff George Bannerman, driving in the car on the way to Johnny's house, while in the book, Dodd and Johnny never actually meet. Yet, Dodd goes home and kills himself after he sees Johnny, because he knows the gig is up. Johnny touches the mother in both, but in the movie, she tries to kill him, while in the book, she does not. In the book, Johnny gets the call from Bannerman, who asks Johnny to meet him. At first, Johnny refuses, much like he does in the movie. But then they meet over a bowl of chili. In the book, Johnny and Bannerman go to the town common, with the press right behind them. The press has recognized Johnny, and are already having a field day.
Sarah surprises Johnny with a visit in the movie, while in the book, she enthusiastically brings up the idea with John, suggesting that they had unfinished business.
Roger Chatsworth (father of Chuck) seeks Johnny out in the movie, not the other way around. He also seems like a supporter of Greg Stillson in the novel, finding him amusing, and seems to be a fan, while in the movie, he is giving Stillson money, but talks trash about him once Stillson is gone. Sarah and her husband, Walt, are also supporters of Stillson in the movie, but not in the novel.
There is no thin ice, no hockey, in the book, but there is a high school graduation party at a local steakhouse, where the restaurant catches fire. In the movie, Charlie is much younger, not nearly as athletic, and he, against his father's wishes, decides not to play hockey.
Chatsworth throws him out of house in movie, but in book, he tracks Johnny down, so grateful is he for saving his son's life.
Only asks one person in movie, asks several in the book, enhancing the perception that he is completely, perhaps unhealthily, obsessed with the Hitler assassination question, and Greg Stillson more specifically.
We see Greg Stillson decide to launch a nuclear strike, but we do not see the aftermath.
In the book, Stillson still seems uncertain about where he is going to go, and he does not quite utter further political ambitions. In the movie, he speaks outright about not only his desire, but his certainty, that he will one day be President.
Johnny's stay at the town hall lasts much longer, and several times, he almost screams out and gets caught.
One question I had about the movie which feels like an inconsistency: if Johnny can get readings from objects, why can he not get one from the political button that Stillson hands him?
I wanted to honor the Buffalo Bills of the early nineties earlier this month. Specifically, I wanted to do so on the anniversary of the "Greatest Comeback in NFL History," which fell on January 3, 1993. It was a wildcard game, and I watched it live on television. Actually, I was in New York state at the time, although in Liberty, NY, and nowhere near Orchard Park. I remember it was an icy day, and I went for a walk, sliding around (the cars were sliding dangerously, as well).
A lot of people forget, but the Oilers had beaten the Bills in a blowout the week before, 27-3. But that had been in Houston, and this playoff game was going to be up in frigid Buffalo. Yes, the Bills had played poorly against the Oilers the weekend before, but surely, they would get big time revenge in this game. At least, that was what I expected, and probably what most people expected, as well. After all, the Bills had been the AFC champions two years running, and they had very nearly won the whole things just two years before. And despite having lost the game against Houston to lose their shot at home field advantage, most everyone expected them to at least get past the Oilers, and probably to make another Super Bowl run.
But the Oilers came to play on that day! They picked up right where they had left off the previous week, as they built a lead, and kept padding it. They were leading 28-3 by halftime, completely dominating the Bills. And then, as Buffalo hoped to rally in the second half, Frank Reich threw a pick six, and Houston was then up, 35-3.
Now, I will admit that, at that point, I was completely shocked. Stunned, really. How could Buffalo not even put up a fight? This was how their terrific run was going to end, with a humiliating blowout loss at home to the same team that they had gotten blown out by the week before? I could hardly believe that the Oilers were dominating quite like this, but did not dare believe that the Bills would truly pull off the miracle of miracles and enjoy a record comeback for a win.
And yet, part of me remember a game that few people seem to remember these days. It happened earlier that season, and also involved one of the teams that would be in the Super Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys were trouncing the Giants at the Meadowlands, crushing them, 34-0. But the Giants began to rally, and kept scoring, while holding Dallas on defense. Suddenly, it was 34-28, and the Giants had the ball, with time running out. But they fell short, their final drive stalled, and I felt robbed.
As it turns out, the Bills would complete an epic comeback, and it began shortly after Houston's pick six touchdown to go up by 32 points in the third quarter. The Bills drove down the field and got a rushing touchdown, and fans in Orchard Park finally had a reason to celebrate. But the celebrations felt half-hearted, as that seemed to really be the first truly positive development for the home team that day. However, it would not be the last, and the celebrations would be much more spirited before long.
When Don Beebe caught a touchdown pass after stepping out of bounds (it should not have counted), the Bills had closed to within 35-17, and the fans sensed a huge shift in momentum had taken place. Then, Reich started hitting Andre Reed for touchdowns. Once. Twice. Then three times.
But this point, the Bills had, unbelievably, taken the lead, 38-35. The Oilers were able to stop the bleeding, at least temporarily, and kicked a tying field goal to force overtime.
Once there, however, Houston stumbled again. Warren Moon threw an interception, and the Bills were almost already in field goal range. Back then, it was still sudden death, and so shortly later, Buffalo lined up for the game winning kick. It did not go wide right, but split the uprights, and Buffalo had a victory for the ages. It was the single greatest victory that the Bills had during that incredible era, and probably ranks as the best win in franchise history. How could it not?
The Bills got hot, beating Pittsburgh the next weekend, and then crushing Miami in the AFC title game, although of course, once again, they fell short - way short this time - in the Super Bowl.
A lot of people are critical of the Buffalo Bills during that era. There is that joke that the team name of Bills stands for:
Boy
I
Love
Losing
Super Bowls!
However, going to four straight Super Bowls stands as a record that no other franchise can boast, and most likely will not be eclipsed anytime in the near future. Plus, there was that epic comeback, which further distinguishes those Bills as one of the great and most accomplished teams of all time!
This blog entry is in tribute to them, and honors their finest moment!
Roger Federer did it yet again! At 36 years old, the Swiss tennis legend managed to notch still another impressive title to add to his already unbelievable collection of championship hardware. He continues to be far and away the most decorated man in tennis history.
It really is amazing, is it not?
With this victory, he now has 20 career Grand Slam championships, having won eight Wimbledon titles (more than any other man in history), six Australian Open championships (tied with Djokovic for the most of all time), five U.S. Open championships, and one French Open title, as well. He is one of eight men to have won the career Grand Slam, and holds the distinction for having won more Grand Slam titles (20) than any other man in history, as well having qualified for more Grand Slam finals (30) than any other man in history.
Those are some of the most impressive accomplishments in Federer's history, although there are others. He won the Olympic silver medal in single's competition in 2012, and also took gold in the 2008 games in doubles with fellow Swiss tennis star, Stan Wawrinka. Federer also enjoyed more time as the number one ranked man than any other man in history, and has played more Grand Slam matches and tournaments than any other man. Currently, the most overall career wins is 1,256 by Jimmy Connors, but Federer ranks second all-time with 1,139 wins, and still counting. Since Federer does not appear to be on the verge of retirement anytime soon, there is a very real possibility that he could reach even that milestone. And he is obviously still in the running to capture the number one ranking again, which would make him the oldest man ever to hold it.
With this victory, Federer is able to put some cushion between himself and Nadal, the man who has won the second most Grand Slam titles. The two men have enjoyed an intense, yet mostly friendly, rivalry throughout their career. Nadal, the world's number one ranked man in tennis, has won 16 overall career Grand Slams, and seemed to more or less keep pace with Federer last year, as the two took turns with Grand Slam titles. But Federer's win now puts him four ahead of Nadal, at least at the moment.
Federer met Marin Čilić, the 2014 US Open champion, in the final. It was the second time in the past year that the two met in a Grand Slam championship, with Federer having also won the first meeting at Wimbledon in July. Čilić played very well, and looked capable of pulling off the upset to deny Federer his 20th career Grand Slam title. But in a tough, bruising match, Federer ultimately outlasted Čilić, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
It was on this day in 1788 that 11 British ships commanded by Governor Arthur Phillip, and carrying convicts, arrived on the banks of Port Jackson in New South Wales. Phillip also raised the Union Jack, and the beginnings of what is now modern-day Australia came to be.
Initially, Australia was designed as a penal colony, as an agricultural working camp for British convicts.
It was rough going early on, but the colony eventually managed to survive.
In 1818, January 26th was honored as the anniversary of the founding of Australia. Once Australia gained independence, this date was recognized as "Australia Day", a national holiday honoring the arrival of Phillip and the British.
Understandably, this holiday is recognized in different ways, particularly along the color lines. While whites in Australia generally celebrate in a similar manner as Americans celebrate Independence Day and the French Celebrate Bastille Day, Aborigines generally recognize it as a day of mourning, not all that dissimilar to native Americans regarding Thanksgiving. For them, the day marks the beginning of the end of their traditional way of life, as the British began the process of spreading out across the continent.
Today marks the 66th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of India on January 26, 1950. The constitution went into effect, which qualified India as the world's biggest democracy in terms of population.
It was a struggle to come up with a solution, and unfortunately, Gandhi was not successful in keeping the peace in the region. While he was successful in using methods of nonviolent activism to gain India's independence from Great Britain, Pakistan soon broke off, and religious tensions remained very strong, even militant.
Yet, this is a date that should be recognized, as one of the world's biggest countries (projected to become the biggest in a few decades) and already the biggest democracy celebrates 66 years since the Republic of India was established on this date.
Yes, today is the anniversary of this incredible game! It was played in 1991, and was a bit overshadowed by the outbreak of war in Iraq under President George Bush (that would not be the only year where we could say that little bit of news).
Of course, I am a bit biased, being a fan of the New York Giants. That makes my memory of this a bit shinier than what it is for others, surely.
Yet, it was a fine Super Bowl. Both teams brought their A-game into this one, and the game was remarkable for that reason. It was the first postseason game in NFL history where neither team had a turnover. Since then, this has been achieved a few other times.
But this game was a contrast in styles. The Giants were the defensive minded team, conservative and relatively quiet. They were the heavy underdogs among the relative elites heading into the season, but they pounded away, overcame injuries and, ultimately, perservered to get their shot. The week before this game, they ended the 49ers dynasty in San Francisco, on the very last play of the game. Ironically, they did it with a field goal in the final seconds to win it.
The Bills, by contrast, were the hot, flashy, cocky team. Most people at the start of the season predicted that they would win the AFC East, but not much else. They had been known as the Bickerin Bills, after all. They were not supposed to be as good as some of the other AFC contenders, particularly the Bengals, who were supposed to be the team. But the Bills caught fire with their no huddle offense, and a talented defense. They had people standing up and taking notice by midseason, and they just kept gettingf hotter and hotter. They plowed through Miami and the Raiders in the AFC playoffs, scoring an unbelievable 95 points in those two combined games.
Buffalo crushed the Raiders, 51-3 in the AFC Championship Game, and headed into the Super Bowl as heavy favorites, and were cocky and acted the part. Some Bills were complaining that the Giants, and not San Francisco, had won the NFC title game, because the 49ers were more famous, and beating them would perhaps look and feel more legitimate. Another Bills player announced that he was getting his finger measured for a ring.
When the two teams finally took the field, they were both ready to go. It was the Bills new, fast, and sophisticated, high-powered offense versus the traditional, physical, smash mouth brand of football of the Giants. The high-flying Bills planned to ram Thurman Thomas down the Giants throats, and then to open up their deadly passing game. The Giants, in the meantime, had a smothering secondary, and on offense, they had a punishing, physical style featuring a solid running game of their own. What they did on that day was similar to what they had done against San Francisco: namely, to hang onto the ball and not put it in the hands of the dangerous offense. In Super Bowl XXV, the Giants would hold onto the ball for a Super Bowl record 40 minutes and 27 seconds (most people say it was 40 minutes and 23 seconds, although they forget the crucial final four seconds after Scott Norwood's field goal, when Jeff Hostetler knelt down to run out the clock).
It was an incredible Super Bowl. The Giants had the momentum early, driving the ball for a field goal and an early 3-0 lead. The Bills answered with a field goal of their own, and that was the first quarter. But in the second, Buffalo came alive with a touchdown drive for a 10-3 lead, and then got a safety for a 12-3 lead. But the Giants managed an impressive drive that culminated in a touchdown in the final minute of the first half, closing to within 12-10. They opened the second half with what was then the longest drive in Super Bowl history, filled with some highlight plays, particularly by wide receiver Mark Ingram and running back Ottis Anderson, and ending with an exclamation point touchdown that gave New York the 17-12 lead. Buffalo struck back all of a sudden with a long touchdown run by Thurman Thomas to make it 19-17 going into the final quarter. The Giants notched a field goal midway through the fourth, making it 20-19, and it came down to Buffalo's final drive. They got to within field goal position, and if it was good, of course, they would win.
We all know what happened then.
Norwood missed by two feet, and the rest is history. Parcells resigned shortly thereafter, and a few years later, he became the head coach of the New England Patriots. Later, he coached the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys. The Bills kept getting back to the big game, but never won it. They were dismantled by Washington completely the next year, and then after a fast start in the first half of Super Bowl XXVII, they completely fell apart and made mistake after mistake, committing a shocking nine turnovers and losing, 52-17. They played a little bit better the next time around against Dallas, but lost that fourth and final Super Bowl, too. They were very good, but they never did manage to win one. Yet, in this game, they came so unbelievably close!
What a game both teams played! And what a championship season for the Giants!
Here is my tribute to them, and to a great game, and probably the greatest week in the history of the New York Giants, a week which saw them defeat the 49ers in the NFC title game on one Sunday, and then eke out a victory against the Bills the next. I thought it would be good to add the blog entry that I wrote about it last year at around this time. It was called "Super Bowl XXV Memories" and was published on January 14, 2016:
Super Bowl XXV – New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19. Played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Scott Norwood shank. MVP Ottis Anderson. Favorite Bills by 7. National anthem Whitney Houston. Halftime show New Kids on the Block. Attendance 73,813. Network ABC. Announcers Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf. Nielsen ratings 41.8. est. 79.51 million viewers. Market share 63. Cost of 30-second commercial US$800,000. Ottis Anderson 102 yards 1 TD.
Personal Memories: This is it! When I think of my very favorite Super Bowls, this one tops the list! For that matter, when I think of my favorite teams, and NFL memories that made me happiest growing up, the 1990-91 New York Giants were the team that tops that list. Entering this game, they had completed a 13-3 regular season record, and had entered the playoffs as the second seed in the NFC. And even though they wound up winning the Super Bowl in a very exciting fashion, this game does not even top my own personal favorite list from that season. That would belong to the game the Giants played the week before to get to the Super Bowl, when they knocked off the two-time defending Super Bowl champion 49ers in San Francisco.
Both teams had raced out to a 10-0 undefeated start, the first time that this had happened in a long time in the NFL, if not ever (it has since happened twice, in 2009 with the Saints and the Colts, who would meet in that season's Super Bowl, and then this season, with the Panthers and the Patriots). But at the time, two teams starting off so incredibly well and continuing this so late into the season was unheard of.
Everyone thought that the 49ers were the best team,and with good reason. They had won their fourth Super Bowl of the 1980's the prior season, and had won the title two years in a row. They still had that incredible dynasty lineup, with huge names like Montana, Rice, Craig, Haley, and Lott,among others. Think about it: Steve Young, who would soon take over quarterbacking responsiblities for the 49ers and become one of the most prolific passers of his era, had been a backup behind Montana for years, and he was easily good enough to be the starter for most teams. Yeah, they were that good.
So, they entered the season as the odds on favorites to achieve the historic "three peat", something that no NFL team had ever managed to do during the Super Bowl era. The Packers had won three NFL Championships in a row, and they had won the first two Super Bowls after winning the NFL Championship the year before, but that meant that they had not won three Super Bowls in a row. San Francisco seemed on the verge of achieving exactly that, and everyone agreed that this would separate them from everyone else in history, and raise their status to greatest team of all time.
And there were the Giants, who had the gall to think that they could contend against such a team. They were set to meet in Week 12, and after both teams had remained undefeated at 10-0, it was a hugely anticipated match between what everyone presumed would be two unbeaten teams. Some were calling it the game of the century. Then, the week before the two teams would meet on Monday Night Football, they both lost to division rivals. The Giants lost at Philadelphia, 31-13, while San Francisco was downed by the Rams, 28-17.
So, it would be a meeting not of perfect teams, but of 10-1 teams. Still, it was one of the most watched Monday Night Football games ever, with everyone expecting it to be an offensive fireworks show.
It wasn't. In fact, the game would be the lowest scoring contest of the entire 1990 season. The Giants went up in the second quarter after getting a field goal, and the 49ers responded quickly with a touchdown, when Montana hit John Taylor. That made it 7-3, and that was it for the scoring. The Giants had some opportunities late in the game, but they opted to try and keep the drive alive, rather than going for a field goal to cut the lead to 7-6, and that cost them. On the final drive, instead of only needing a field goal to win it, they needed a touchdown, and they were not able to get it.
The Giants had lost two games in a row, and desperately needed a win. They got one against Minnesota, a team that themselves were struggling. But the next weekend, the Giants hosted the red-hot Buffalo Bills, who were emerging as the clear favorites in the AFC. This was taken as a major test for Buffalo, being from the AFC, and thus constantly questioned, as the AFC had lost the last six Super Bowls, and were seen as the weaker conference. But the Bills played hardball against the Giants, and defeated New York on a soggy December day, in a physical contest that helped legitimize them among football fans as a serious contender not just to make the Super Bowl, but possibly to win it. The game was costly for both teams, since the two starting quarterbacks both went down - first Phil Simms for the Giants (who was enjoying the finest season of his career and led the league among quarterbacks in overall statistics that season, and Jim Kelly for the Bills. Still, it was a triumph for Buffalo, cause for celebration. Indeed, when these two teams would meet in the Super Bowl, the Bills would officially be favored by one touchdown.
In the meantime, however, the Giants were reeling. They took the next two games on the road against weak teams, but won by a field goal margin against the Cardinals in the desert, and then the Patriots at Foxboro. The Patriots were the worst team in the league that year (a far cry from these days, isn't it?), and the Giants barely hung onto the game to finish at 13-3.
A lot of people expected the Giants to go one and done once in the playoffs, given the injury to Simms and the seeming end of the strong momentum that they had played with early in the season. Their first opponent happened to be the Chicago Bears, the third seed, and these two teams were a mirror image of one another. Tough, conservative, physical teams that had each won the Super Bowl years before. But the Giants used the versatility of their new starting quarterback, Jeff Hostetler, who used his athleticism and mobility to add a dangerous element to the Giants normally predictable offense. In the meantime, the defense shut down the Bears, and the combination was a surprisingly easy and convincing victory, as the Giants stomped on Chicago, 31-3.
The Giants and 49ers had been the two best teams in the NFC all season, and so it was fitting that they would meet in that year's NFC Championship Game. This game would prove to be intense and physical to an extreme. That is the reason that I count it as my very favorite NFL game right to this day. New York came in as heavy underdogs, as the 49ers were 8-point favorites. Everyone expected them to at least get back to the Super Bowl, and for many, the real question was whether or not they could beat the Bills, who again looked incredible in running through the AFC playoffs, easily dispatching with the Raiders in the AFC title game by a whopping 51-3 margin. They had a 38-point lead by halftime!
The 49ers were, again, the most accomplished team in the NFL at that point. They had won four titles, including the two prior ones. They owned the best record in the league in 1990, finishing at 14-2, and of course, the result as that they had home field advantage in that NFC title game. The names on that 49ers team are immortal, and include Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley, Matt Millen, John Taylor, Roger Craig, and others. They were more than a formidable opponent. They were probably the biggest obstacle that any team could hurdle. The Giants clearly would have their work cut out for them.
Unlike in their earlier meeting during the regular season, the Giants would try to put points on the board at every opportunity, even if that meant sacrificing the touchdown for the field goal. They had lost by four points in the earlier meeting, and neglecting capitalizing on a field goal opportunity early in the final quarter had come back to haunt them in the final minute of the contest. So this time, the Giants relied on field goals. As it turned out, they scored field goals exclusively in this contest, and were unable to penetrate to get a touchdown. But the defense was tough, and kept the Giants in what proved to be another low scoring contest.
It was a bunch of field goals in the first half, but the 49ers faithful smelled blood when Montana once again hit John Taylor, who sprinted into the end zone, outrunning the pursuing Giant defenders. The score was now 13-6, and it seemed that San Francisco might be able to break the game open. But the New York defense kept strong, while the Giants offense kept plugging away, getting a field goal to bring it to 13-9.
However, the Giants defense (which was the best in the league that year) were not the only solid defense on the field that day. San Francisco had the second rated defense in the NFC, and they showed why on this day. New York kept struggling, but the 49ers held firm, forcing a punt in the final quarter, as they tried to cling to their 13-9 lead. That was when what may have been the turning point of the game occurred. Bill Parcells was known as a gambler, and he took a big chance here, calling a fake punt, and giving instead to Gary Reasons, who easily picked up enough for a first down to keep the drive alive. Not much later, the G-Men got another field goal to close to within a single point of the 49ers.
Still, San Francisco had a chance to clinch the win during the final minutes, as they were driving and trying to hang onto the ball and run the clock out on the Giants. What seemed like a huge first down from Steve Young to Bret Jones. Young was in because Montana had gotten knocked out of the game. In fact, he would never fully recover from the hit that Leonard Marshall delivered. Hostetler also took some hits, particularly one by former Giant defender Jim Burt, who hit his former teammate square on the knee. It looked like a serious injury, but Hostetler would return later in the contest. There were a lot of big hits in this game, but none had more of an impact on the outcome of the game than Erik Howard hitting Roger Craig right where he was holding the ball, popping it loose. Lawrence Taylor recovered, and the Giants were back in business. Up to that point, this game was flirting with becoming the first postseason NFL game in history without a turnover, a sign of how well both teams were playing.
The Giants made that last drive count, marching down to get into field goal position, hoping to win the game on the final play. Indeed, that is what happened, as they lined up for a 40-yard field goal, which placekicker Matt Bahr hit through the uprights, sending the Giants to Tampa and Super Bowl XXV. It was his fifth field goal of the game, but the most memorable and important kick, perhaps of his career. If not, it surely would be the next week, in the final quarter of the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XXV was a contrast in styles. The Bills had the flashy, high-powered offense, while the Giants had the smashmouth approach that focused on solid defense and a running game that wore out opponents and killed the clock. While the NFC Championship Game between the Giants and 49ers had almost been the first playoff game without a turnover, this one would achieve the feat, which was just one of many indicators of just how well played this game was by both sides.
The Giants drew first blood, scoring a field goal early, but Buffalo answered quickly with a field goal of their own. The first quarter ended in that 3-3 tie. But in the second quarter, the Bills would start taking control of the game, pounding it into the end zone for a 10-3 lead after a rare Giants defensive miscue. Not much later, Jeff Hostetler was caught in his own end zone by Bills defender Bruce Smith for a safety, giving Buffalo a commanding 12-3 lead, and all of the momentum. It seemed like a bad omen, although in fact, Hostetler might have saved the game for New York, as he tucked in the ball safely into his chest, preventing a catastrophic fumble that could have been recovered by Buffalo and given them a much bigger lead.
Still, the Giants were in trouble, and needed something quickly, before halftime. They got it in the final drive, going down the field and putting themselves in scoring position. But they really needed a touchdown, rather than settling for a field goal. This the Giants managed to achieve when Hostetler threw a perfect spiral into the hands of receiver Stephen Baker in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown with seconds left in the second quarter, cutting the Buffalo lead to 12-10 just before the two teams returned to the locker rooms for halftime. it was a huge and critical swing in momentum that Bills coach Marv Levy mentioned in the post-game interview as particularly brutal for them.
When play resumed in the second half, the Giants got the ball first, and used their trademark physicality to wear the Bills defenders down. They orchestrated what was then the longest drive in Super Bowl history, taking the better part of ten minutes off of the clock, keeping a tired Buffalo defense on the field, and a dangerous Buffalo offense off the field. The Bills offense had not taken the field in the better part of an hour, between the Giants final drive of the first half and their first drive of the second half, coupled with the halftime break. It was a way to keep them a little cold, given how hot they had been all season. And perhaps the crucial play had come when the Giants faced a 3rd down and 13, when wide receiver Stephen Ingram caught a Hostetler pass and then twisted and turned through several Bills defenders, ultimately hopping on one leg with defenders clinging to him and trying to drag him down, but not before he picked up a crucial first down. It was that play that perhaps best embodied New York's fighting spirit in that contest.
Buffalo was a championship caliber team this year, however, and they were bound to answer. They did so when Thurman Thomas, their star running back, broke free for a long touchdown run, giving the Bills a 19-17 lead in the fourth quarter.
The game went back and forth between struggling offenses after that, but the Giants once again got into scoring position late in the game. Buffalo's defense held firm and prevented a touchdown, but Matt Bahr was able to get the field goal that gave the Giants a 20-19 lead very late in the game.
Ultimately this game came down to the final Bills drive. With roughly two minutes to go and a long way to move the ball, Buffalo managed to orchestrate a solid drive themselves, finally converting on third down (they had uncharacteristically failed to convert a single third down during the entire game to that point). Bills tight end Keith McKeller made what was a brilliant catch, and the Bills were in field goal position as the clock wound down.
Of course, it came down to that famous field goal attempt by Scott Norwood, and almost everyone knows that story now. He hooked it just slightly wide right, but it was enough to secure the victory for the Giants. Buffalo had played extremely well, but had fallen just short.
The New York Giants had captured their second Super Bowl title in five seasons, albeit by the slimmest of margins. They had established a new Super Bowl record for longest time of possession, with 40:37 seconds (including those final four seconds of the game, after the fateful field goal attempt). The team would be different henceforth. Parcells would leave the team. Mark Bavaro would no longer play for the team. Hostetler would be named the starting quarterback. And the Giants would fail to be a winning team in either of the next couple of seasons. But all of that came to fruition only after the Giants had won another glorious championship, made all the better because it was relatively unexpected! They had overcome enormous odds - losing their starting quarterback, losing home field advantage to the dynasty 49ers, then beating those same heavily favored 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, and finally overcoming a very powerful, and also heavily favored Buffalo Bills team that came closer than any other losing Super Bowl team before or since, in order to win that highly memorable championship - a championship that endures and continues to define the New York Football Giants.
Personal Memories: Junior in high school, the NFC Championship Game that got the Giants to the Super Bowl was my favorite NFL game of all time, and I leaped into the air when the Bahr field goal on the last play of the game won it for the Giants, much to the amusement of my parents, who laughed. The Super Bowl was no less intense, and I again jumped and celebrated when they won. My brother and I kicked field goals on the snowy high school football field earlier in the day.
Here are some of the major events that took place in 1991, the year this Super Bowl was played. The world's population was 5.359 billion people. Economic sanctions were lifted on South Africa, as the reforms from the segregation of apartheid continued. The Gulf War was fought, and within weeks, Iraq surrendered and pulled out of Kuwait. The communist government of Albania resigned. The Warsaw Pact was dissolved. Haitian troops captured the President of Haiti, the United States suspended support of Haiti. France agrees to a 1968 agreement banning the spread of atomic weapons. China accepted the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and Gorbachev met with Bush for arms reductions. Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia declare independence from the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin became the first freely elected President of Russia. The Soviet Union dissolved at the end of the year.
Super Bowl XXV 25 Years Later: A Giants Fan Reflects on Norwood's Missed Fieldgoal (originally published on January 27, 2016)
Okay, I will admit it. As a Giants fan, I threw my arms up and jumped in celebration when Scott Norwood's kick sailed just wide, securing the back and forth contest in favor of the Giants. Game, set, match, and championship to the Giants.
At the time, it was all that I wanted, all that I could think of as a fan of the Giants for my entire life.
At the time, in fact, I recorded the game and would watch that historical moment, as well as the postgame interviews. And yes, a smile emerged on my face when Norwood's interview came up, and it was a mean-spirited smile that I am not proud of.
It's no excuse, but I was just a dumb, sixteen year old kid who was a little too happy that my favorite team won the Super Bowl. In retrospect, I can admit that, in large part, it was because not much else was going on in my life. I was a miserable high school student without a rich social life, and without a girlfriend. So, the 1990 football season, which was admittedly an unusually intense and entertaining one (at least for fans of the Giants, Bills, and 49ers), took on an unusual degree of importance in my life at the time. In the weeks that followed, I probably watched that game three or four times, and still got a bit nervous each time Norwood lined up to take the field goal, as if this time, he was destined to make it.
But he will always be remembered for missing that kick of a lifetime.
I grew up. Finally did some things to make my life more interesting. The Giants became less interesting as a result, although perhaps this was made easier by the fact that they were nowhere near as good as they had been. No longer was I religiously in front of the television, watching football games on Sundays. I still follow it, and sometimes catch parts of games, and always watch the playoffs and Super Bowl. But no longer am I what you would call a devoted fan glued to my television set whenever the Giants appear.
Yet, the memories still resonate for me. I still think of that game, that kick, and how much it meant to me. How happy it made me. Admittedly, I kind of look at that with some measure of distaste now, because I know that it should not have made me as happy as it ultimately did. In particular, I think back to how I was trying hard not to laugh during Norwood's postgame interview, because I knew that was wrong (even though no one was there to watch me).
The thing is, he seems like a decent guy. I really had nothing against him, and realize that it could just as easily have sailed through, and he would be remembered forever as the hero.
I think the reason that my reaction was so negative, despite my team having won in glorious, memorable, and exciting fashion that postseason not once, but twice, is that it was so close. The Giants could easily have lost that game. Hell, they could easily have lost the NFC Championship Game, for that matter. But they barely pulled off both games, and won an unlikely championship.
Yes, I said it. It was an unlikely championship because, admittedly, the Giants were probably not the best team in the league that season. The Bills were. It took me a long time to come to terms with that. But there came a point, as an adult, when I will admit that I felt at that time, and still feel now (yes, despite New York's victory in the big game) that Buffalo had the better football team that season.
Their offense was incredible and in sync. Their defense was loaded with talent, and disciplined. They caught fire at some point that season and, yes, they looked like the team of destiny. I do not know this for sure, but my suspicions are that they would have beaten the 49ers had San Francisco been in that Super Bowl. They almost beat the Giants instead.
Almost, but not quite. The Giants brought their A-game, and played a very physical (some might suggest boring, if they are not fans) style that wore the Bills out. Remember, that was a Buffalo team that had put up 44 points against Miami and tore the Raiders up 51-3 in the AFC Championship Game. The Giants had to keep that offense off the field, and they did, keeping possession of the ball for over 40 minutes, which still remains a Super Bowl record.
Still, they scraped by for the win. Had the time of possession been a bit more even, the Bills would have won. Hell, if there had not been a miracle play with Ingram's third and 13 conversion, breaking several tackles along the way, Buffalo likely would have won. If Hostetler had not tucked the ball in on the Buffalo safety, which could have been a touchdown, the Bills win. If Lofton takes that long bomb in for the TD, the Bills win. And even after all of that, even after less than 20 minutes of possession time total (at one point, the Bills offense had barely touched the ball for roughly one hour in real time), the Bills could have won with a field goal. Had it been a little closer, they likely would have won. had it been a bit longer, according to Frank Reich (the backup QB and placekicker on the play for the Bills), the kick likely would have gone through, and the Bills would have won.
Instead, the kick sailed wide right, by about two feet.
It was a moment in time that would live on for me for quite some time, but there was something that felt wrong about it.
Ironically, the moment that I remember best from that championship season was the week before, when the Giants, wearing my favorite road white jerseys, beat the "Team of the Decade" 49ers in San Francisco, because Matt Bahr managed to kick the field goal through the uprights to win the game, in a situation very similar to the one that Norwood would be in the next week. It felt right because that kick won it for the Giants, while Norwood's miss lost it for the Bills. To that point, despite all of the things that went wrong for them in that game, they still were dictating play and in a position to earn the win.
Instead, the kick sailed wide right, by about two feet.
In time, that mean-spirited joy over someone else's pain withered, and I thought about Norwood himself from time to time. I was pulling for the Bills the next few years, when they returned to the Super Bowl, and was disheartened when they lost. I remember pulling for Scott Norwood in particular in 1991, and wondering where he was after the 1991 season ended. Buffalo had a new placekicker for 1992, and no one picked up Norwood otherwise.
I felt bad, but life goes on.
Then, I met some Bills fans, and they spoke about that Super Bowl, and how much they hated my Giants. Some suggested that the Bills were the better team, and when I thought about it, found myself actually agreeing. Remember, the Bills had beaten the Giants at the Meadowlands only about one month and change before the two teams would meet in Tampa for Super Bowl XXV.
Had that been the first meeting between the two teams that season (in other words, had that been Super Bowl XXV), then Buffalo would likely have won that Super Bowl.
Instead, the kick sailed wide right, by about two feet.
At the time, I could not have been more thrilled.
As the years went by, I began to think a little bit differently about it. When I met those Bills fans, and when I went to the city of Buffalo, I thought more deeply about it. Every now and then, I looked up Scott Norwood online, to see what was going on in his life now, where he was all of these years later.
Buffalo is a relatively nice city. It has character, and there are certainly nice parts of the city. I love the cities right along a big body of water, like one of the Great Lakes, and Buffalo has that, obviously. It also is in close proximity to Niagara Falls, and has some wonderful countryside in the surrounding area that provides pristine rural, pastoral scenes.
Plus, Buffalo has an interesting architectural history that a former girlfriend of mine awoke me to. She took me to the old rail line terminal, and pointed out some buildings of historical and architectural interests during a visit to the city, and she even contemplated a move up to Buffalo.
Unfortunately, Buffalo is too often overlooked. Niagara Falls is nearby, but it is not Buffalo itself. The city is pretty big, yet more overlooked in New York State (and for reasons that should be obvious) than similar cities are in other states, such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. And, of course, in terms of sports, this is the city that seems to come close to winning championships, but never quite gets there. The Sabres have gone to the Stanley Cup Finals twice, but failed to win. And the Bills went to those four straight Super Bowls, which really is a remarkable feat that sets this franchise apart. Yet, all that people harp on is that they lost them all.
The Buffalo Bills were robbed of their stature of greatness by those four losses. From 1988 until 1993, the Bills were right next to being the winningest team in the NFL. They went 12-4 in 1988, 9-7 in 1989, 13-3 in 1990, 13-3 in 1991, 11-5 in 1992, and 12-4 in 1993. Put that all together, and they enjoyed a 70-26 mark. That is second next to San Francisco's 72-24 mark during that time, but the Bills had 10 postseason wins to add to that, while the 49ers had nine. Both won five division titles during that stretch, but the Bills made it to the playoffs in each of those years, which San Francisco cannot claim. The Niners won two Super Bowls, however, while the Bills won none. But Buffalo came within a few feet of seeing that field goal attempt go through the uprights, and who knows how things would have turned out differently then? The Bills of the early 90's deserve to be recognized as one of the most successful teams. Four straight Super Bowls, and do not forget about the greatest come back in NFL history!
Yet, all that people remember is that the Bills lost those four Super Bowls, like the Broncos and Vikings had at that time before them (Denver has since won two Super Bowls). It is most unfortunate that such a great Bills team should be remembered in such a negative, pessimistic way.
One Bills fan that I met (a particularly immature one for someone over thirty years old, I might add) said that if Norwood walked through the door at any given moment, he would punch him right in the face. I reject such a stupid and unforgiving sentiment.
Ridiculous.
As I already mentioned, the guy seems like a really decent guy. Here is a clip from a few years ago showing Norwood receiving some official distinction for his charity work behind the scenes:
Images and videos like this are occurring far too frequently to simply be dismissed. And far too often, there is someone, like in this video, proudly displaying a Trump/Pence poster.
Recently, I came across one of those silly websites that purports to go in depth to explain why, in this case, some movies that are traditionally viewed in very positive terms, as in fact very bad. The one that I am going to discuss now is "21 Terrible Baby Boomer Movies" from topixstars.com. I am not one who generally makes a point of reading or listening to movie reviews, although sometimes I have. And at the risk of sounding old-fashioned myself, some of the reviewers who most impressed me included Siskel and Ebert because...well, they actually could sound intelligent when reviewing movies. They provided in depth analysis and explanations as to what made a movie moving, or why it was not as good as it should be.
However, this website, or at least this particular article or piece or whatever you want to call it, lacks any kind of serious intelligence to it. Frankly, it sounded more like a kid who is whining about having to read classics or do any kind of serious learning in school, and texting complaints about it to a friend (or anyone who will listen to, or rather read, this nonsense), rather than serious discourse and critiques about the movies that he or she rants about.
I can agree with some of the negatives. Grease always annoyed the hell out of me, as did Saturday Night Fever and, yes, Animal House. I can even admit that certain movies that I loved growing up when a kid, like Revenge of the Nerds, can make this list. To some extent, I can even agree that certain movies, like The Sound of Music and even The Godfather, tend to be overrated, because people put them on such a high pedestal, that they make it feel like these movies are untouchable.
One movie that makes this list is Dances With Wolves. This is a great movie, and I do not know literally anyone who has seen it who did not like it. It was the first major motion picture that seemed to seriously challenge everything that most people had largely accepted about western expansion by whites, with this expansion finally being portrayed accurately for what it was, a criminal intrusion. Also, it is just a nice (if overly idealistic) story, and the movie was beautifully made. Yet, the author of this piece claims that it ranks as one of the "21 Terrible Baby Boomer Movies," even though literally the only explanation that this author gives are rants about Kevin Costner's career. Nothing about this movie, specifically, or the other actors in it, which seems to me like this author was just trying to be witty and to sound funny or have shock value, at the expense of intelligent and serious discourse on the merits, or lack thereof, of this and other movies.
Let's take one of the movies that this clown took exception to: 2001: A Space Odyssey. This movie revolutionized special effects, and it asked all sorts of questions about our society, and about where our reliance on technology is going. Also, it has to be remembered that it should be judged, at least on some level, within the contest of the time it came out. Nothing like it had come out before, which made it unique, and allowed it to enjoy a privileged place as such, kind of like the first Star Wars. Yet, whoever the idiot is who wrote this judges it on the other movies that have come out since, when special effects and similar story lines (gee, I wonder where they got their ideas?) have become quite numerous.
Another example of this would be Forest Gump. This is a great movie. It literally changed special effects, and takes the viewer on a two-hour tour of almost every American era from the 1950's through the late 1970's and even a bit into the early 1980's. Perhaps the author of this piece was too young, not surprisingly.
Also, how can Forest Gump be a "baby boomer" movie, when it came out in 1994, literally 35 years after the very first movie on this list, Some Like it Hot, which came out in 1959? And this is not even the most extreme, Shakespeare in Love, which came out in 1998 and was quite good, also makes the list, and that came out almost 40 years after Some Like it Hot! And Crash came out in 2004, fully 45 years after the first movie on this list? How can all of these movies be the fault of the baby boomer generation, when they are literally more than two generations apart, and address radically different subject matter, and are done in radically different styles? I know that many people criticize the younger generations for not taking education seriously and all, but have math skills deteriorated so greatly that 45 years is considered the same generation? I am guessing that these are the movies that, according to this author, baby boomers rave about, rather than created, because again, a span of almost half a century is a little too long for any generation to take sole responsibility for.
The English Patient is criticized as being the most boring movie ever. Yes, because movies with constant, endless explosions and special effects, all at the expense of a coherent story line, are just sooooo fascinating, right? I mean, Michael Bay's Transformers (pick whichever one you want of those movies) is just the height of mindless entertainment, huh? Commentary like this seems to me to be the reason that we are edging
The author takes exception to Clockwork Orange because it is "used as an excuse for their horribleness since 1971."
What does that even mean? And how is that supposed to be a critique of the movie itself, and what it is trying to convey?
Seriously, this was idiotic. I am not even sure why I decided to click on it, since my gut feeling was that it was going to be exactly this kind of a website, with exactly this kind of intellectually and emotionally immature nonsense. Frankly, it felt like I lost some brain cells just by reading this garbage.
