Mikie Prestone grades the Ravens

[TBird]

Flacco gets a B-. He can win with a supporting cast which he

doesn't have this year in way of receivers thus the results we see.

 

Running Backs - A.

 

Forset had great game over 120 yards, then rookie back up, 3rd

on the depth chart comes in after Forsett is injured and gets over 50

including a long run of 44 yards.

 

O-LINE gets an A.

 

Monroe came back and held off a strong rush on left side and KO

demolished his man and right side did well. Joe was protected most

of the game.

 

See link for rest. You can guss what the defense got.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/mikeprestonreportcards/bal-mike-preston-grades-the-ravens-3330-loss-to-the-cleveland-browns-20151011-story.html

[vmax]

The Baltimore Stupids....

 

 

They then went out in a 33-30 overtime loss to the Cleveland Browns and committed 12 penalties for 98 yards. That means that in three of their five games, the Ravens have been called for 10 penalties or more.http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/bal-penalties-are-killing-ravens-20151012-story.html

[TBird]

Some of you guys are laughable as fair weather

fans. I'd never call my home team as the Baltimore

Stupids even if they were. I didn't say that when they

lost SB 3, except Shula who didn't start Unitas just

to make a point. John finally came in late in the 3rd

qtr and scored their only TD marching them down the

field. He always said I only needed one more qtr to win

it. Johnny Sample, former teammate and Jets CB, said

Colts would have won if Unitas had just started the 2d half.

 

Ravens had 4 s acks in first half and one called

back because pf a penalty. They were 6th in

NFL in sacks before the game.

 

Injuries and stupid plays are costing them as well

as bad coaching. This is on HARBs and Pees.

 

Trestman's O scored 30 points with absolutely no receivers

in 2d half.

[cravnravn]

Some of you guys are laughable as fair weather

fans. I'd never call my home team as the Baltimore

Stupids even if they were. I didn't say that when they

lost SB 3, except Shula who didn't start Unitas just

to make a point. John finally came in late in the 3rd

qtr and scored their only TD marching them down the

field. He always said I only needed one more qtr to win

it. Johnny Sample, former teammate and Jets CB, said

Colts would have won if Unitas had just started the 2d half.

 

Ravens had 4 s acks in first half and one called

back because pf a penalty. They were 6th in

NFL in sacks before the game.

 

Injuries and stupid plays are costing them as well

as bad coaching. This is on HARBs and Pees.

 

Trestman's O scored 30 points with absolutely no receivers

in 2d half.

Johnny had a injured elbow. He would of never made a full game. Maybe a quarter. If the game wasn't fixed(my belief) then maybe we would of won.

 

The penalties are definitely on coaching.

[TBird]

Colts would have won if JOhn started the second half

according to Sample. We got the ball first and Matte whose

record for longest run from scrimmage still stands fumbled

the ball which led to a FG.

 

John led them to their only TD. His throws were off and a

little high over Orr's head in the 4th

qtr often over throwing Jimmy Orr who was open the entire

game but nobody could hit him. Center Bill Curry said John's

hard ball was off by 80% but if John starts the game, it's

different game.

 

You never start a game with your best player on the best and

when Shula was in Miami the same situation occurred. Grease

went down and the same Earl Morrall whom Irsay let go is

back with Shula and he took them to the SB but when Grease

was ready Shula started him instead of EArl and won.

 

He learned his most important lesson. Never start a game

with your best player on the bench. When JOhn told Shula

he was ready, Shula you'll start when I say so.

 

Unitas hated Shula and vice versa. Gino said Unitas showed

Shula up at times refusing to run a play he sent in and then

scored a TD with his own play.

 

Everyone in Bmore thought the game was fixed and the next

time we played them in Bmore after Colts went into the AFC

we killed them. Namath ran for his life the entire game, not

so during SB 3. He beat the blitz but Earl always said the

team treated the game as an exhibition game.

 

The big game was winning the NFL world Championship in 68.

The merger wasn't completed yet and wasn't big like it is today

so they took a lazy attitude about.

 

As Rick Volk said, we went down and partied while the Jets went

down and worked. They deserved to win.

 

But we still think there was something fishy about the game - right?

 

Bubba sure thought so and wrote about it.

[cravnravn]

I'm fully aware of Bubbas book, and trust me deep down I feel it was fixed. I knew the Unitas family on a personal level, never had the stones to even mention that game to Johnny, we always talked about current day NFL.

 

Back in the early 80's there was a documentary on Carroll Rosenbloom. It touched on his life the Colts and his death. It just firms my belief that the game had the "fix" on.

Edited October 14, 2015 by cravnravn

[TBird]

Speaking of Rosey, if the fix was on he bet on his

own team, the Colts, like always. In the 58 sudden

death championship game he was on the side line

forcing Weeb to go for the TD when they could have

kicked the FG to win but they wouldn't have beaten

the point spread. Rosey needed 6 points and was down

there to make sure he got it

 

Rosey not only got his money but according to Steadman,

each player got an envelope shoved under his door with

cash. There was wide spread gambling amongst the owners

back then who were never penalized but Alex Karas and

Paul HOrning were suspended for gambling on their teams

and Horning almost blew the lid off by threatening to

disclose the owners were doing it to. It didn't happen.

 

But years later, Rosey's bookie in Miami admitted that he

bet on the Colts not the Jets so it the fix was on he didn't

know about it.

 

Elsewhere, the word on the street, meaning York Rd from

Cockeysville, where his restaurant was, all the way down to Greenmount AVe was the

retired Colt Bill Pellington bet $30,000 on the Jets. Why would

he bet against his old team that was the power house.

 

He was from NY where his dad used to own a bar where he

grew up and he was the bouncer at 15 and threw guys out.

His contacts said to bet on the Jets and he did.

 

Namath had mob contacts and was forced to sell his night club,

Bachelors 3 in Manhattan because of mobsters in in. Pete

Rozelle even suspended him til he sold the club.

 

Namath knew the NY mob so when he guaranteed them a Jet

victory, maybe he knew the fix was on. I said maybe.

 

BTW, Bubba later recanted on his book when a TV show did a

documentry in LA about the game being fixed and Namath's

and Al Davis' mob connections was mentioned. The shows

reporter ended up dead in a road side accident.

 

Bubba was scared shitless and recanted in a NY TIMES

interview but always insisted privately that the game was

fixed.

 

Some guy heard him talking in the gym and investigated

but the only thing he learned was there was a clause in

the merger agreement between the NFLand AFL that if

the AFL lost the first 3 SBs, the merger was voided.

 

Billions were at stake and Al Davis went from being the

comish of the AFL to owner of OAK Raiders and there's some

fishy stuff on how he stole that team from someone. Unitas

once said Davis would steal from his own grand mother.

[Spen]

It wasn't fixed.

 

And calling good gave who are critical of their team fairweather is silly.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Spen

[cravnravn]

It wasn't fixed.

And calling good gave who are critical of their team fairweather is silly.

I do believe the fix was in. And not by the mobsters. Higher powers,

 

Colts were 17 point favs, if they cover that there would have been no merger, NFL always looked down on the AFL,

 

I believe it came down from the NFL commish. It made the NFL what it is today, while I'm upset that my team was on the losing end of the deal, the merger has made the league what it is today.

[Spen]

I do believe the fix was in. And not by the mobsters. Higher powers,

Colts were 17 point favs, if they cover that there would have been no merger, NFL always looked down on the AFL,

I believe it came down from the NFL commish. It made the NFL what it is today, while I'm upset that my team was on the losing end of the deal, the merger has made the league what it is today.

I know all about the game and how heavily favored the Colts were. Some people think it was fixed because of how it affected the league. And some people think it was fixed because it makes them feel better because their team lost. The better prepared team that had nothing to lose won. It happens.

 

It's as silly as people thinking the league is out to get us when we don't like a call or schedule.

[varaven45]

Spen, I remember the game all too well. In fact, I watched every second from my Rosedale home with my Dad "in shock" as our guys got worked.

 

Ironically, I later (1980s) became business partners and good friends with a CB on that 69 Jet team. He told me the Jets, as huge underdogs, were incredibly pumped up and felt that no one gave them a chance.

They rode that into the game and showed up. For whatever reason (which I will never understand) the Colts didn't show up (and I suppose fortunately for the NFL) and the rest is history.

[TBird]

It wasn't fixed.

 

And calling good gave who are critical of their team fairweather is silly.

No it's not, now when they're calling their home town teams names

like the Baltimore Stupids or the Clowns. That's what we call the

enemy. Nothing wrong with criticizing them when guilty and I was called

a troll on another board for doing it.;

 

Be critical when called for but no name calling. That's a fair weather fan.

[TBird]

Spen, I remember the game all too well. In fact, I watched every second from my Rosedale home with my Dad "in shock" as our guys got worked.

 

Ironically, I later (1980s) became business partners and good friends with a CB on that 69 Jet team. He told me the Jets, as huge underdogs, were incredibly pumped up and felt that no one gave them a chance.

They rode that into the game and showed up. For whatever reason (which I will never understand) the Colts didn't show up (and I suppose fortunately for the NFL) and the rest is history.

It's like I posted. The Colts treated it like an exhibition game because the SB wasnt big yet.

Winning the NFL world championship was. That was their SB. Like Volk said,

they went down and partied while the Jets worked and deserved to win. The Colts didn't

show up and you could see it in the first 10 mins but there were strange forces

working and enough of them to suggest a fix. I mentoned the mob. They made the most

as did the bookie whom they controlled. I was going to bet my college tuition on the

Colts til the point spread got up to 17 pts and I knew something was fishy and backed

off. Too much money was changing hands the wrong hands the wrong way. I knew

that much as a kid.

 

Other forces like Bubba mentioned was Matte's 55 yard run to the 10. He said the Colts

practiced that play every day. John Mackey wiped his man out as Tom ran buy him

but the guy who was knocked down got back up and ran all the way down and was

the guy who tackled Matte from bahind savind a TD.

 

Bubba ssid Shula never ran the play again. Why? Since it was so successful.

Then Earl throws an INT in the end zone on next play.

 

Then there was the old flea flicker when Orr all by himself on the goal line. They

scored on it during the regular season in Atlanta so Earl knew Orr was the intended

receiver but Earl never looked his way, to the leeft. Call the play up on google and

look at his eyes. Earl never looked to the left.

 

One tape I found compared the two plays. In Atlanta, Earl looked to his left right

away and hit a wide open Orr. In the SB, Earl never looks to the left. Choke you

say. Maybe, maybe not but Center Bill Curry stood up after the snap and said

I saw Orr by himself from the los and couldn't understand why Earl didn't. Orr wouldn't

speak to Earl for 20 years til he ran into him at a golf tournament. With tears in his

eyes Earl said Jimmy, Jimmy, I never saw you. Orr said he was such a nice guy how

could I not talk to him.

 

Orr became a black jack dealer in Vegas when he retired-lol.

 

If you look at the tape the Colts d-line was so much bigger than the Jets but they

were manhandled the entire day but Dennis Gaublatz got one of the only sacks

early on and hit Namath so hard he looked like he was seeing stars. Bubba sacked

him for no l oss but Bubba was beaten to the outside the entire game by RB

Emerson Boozer so Bubba only has to look at himself in the mirror to see who is

to blame for the loss. Boozer hit Volk so hard in what Namath called the hardest

hit he ever saw in football that he knocked him out and Vok went into convultions.

The Colts trainer saved his life by holding his tongue with his hand to keep Rick

from swallowing it. Volk never remembered a thing.

 

Other forces like Weeb leaarning that linebacker Don Shinnick and DE end

Ordell Brasse colliding in practice and were so injured they couldn't walk much

less play but they suited up. Weeb found out the night before and changed the

game plan to attack the weak side - Brasse's side instead of Bubba's strong

side with Volk behind him the strong safety and Mike Curtis in the middle.

 

Weeb also taught his LT to cut Brasse at his knees since they were weak to

further immoble them. When Weeb coached the Colts and Brasse was young

he taught him how to rush in by slapping his blocker on the side of the end with

his powerful hand while rushing by which was legal back then.

 

Then while coaching the Jets Weeb taught his blocker how to duck those slaps

by reading the keys. Arty said Weeb made a HOFer out of him by teaching him

how to read the keys.

 

A lot of strange things happening like Weeb getting his assistant coach Walt

Michaels to buy drinks for Lou, his brother who was the Colts FG kicker. He got

him drunk and got the info about the two players running into each other allowing

Weeb to change the game plan.

 

When they were drinking Namath who knew what was going on walked into the

restaurant and Lou Michaels went after him to beat him up. It took 10 guys

to keep him from Namath. Then Namath bought a round of drinks for everyone

in the house and Lou said he's not such a bad guy after all.

 

Then during the game he stumbles out and missed the first FG and I said he

looks like he's drunk. He was.

 

Weeb didn't approve of Namath guaranteeing the victory. He said he's just firing

the Colts up. Joe said Weeb, if the Colts need bulletin board material to win

they're pretty bad to begin with.

[varaven45]

Dang T-Bird. You've got a heckuva memory and amazing attention to detail.

[Spen]

Spen, I remember the game all too well. In fact, I watched every second from my Rosedale home with my Dad "in shock" as our guys got worked.

 

Ironically, I later (1980s) became business partners and good friends with a CB on that 69 Jet team. He told me the Jets, as huge underdogs, were incredibly pumped up and felt that no one gave them a chance.

They rode that into the game and showed up. For whatever reason (which I will never understand) the Colts didn't show up (and I suppose fortunately for the NFL) and the rest is history.

 

I want born yet but have seen so many specials and recaps I have probably seen every play. It's a shocking loss but they happen. Plus the SB wasn't the big deal it is now then.

 

The 1980 Olympic hockey win against Russia is more of an upset than the Colts loss. That was not a great team with an average coach and once the tournament started they were great. And in the game versus Russia they played virtually flawlessly. The fact that Russia beat the US horribly weeks before, and the fact they pulled Tretiak has a few Russians thinking it was fixed. Those thoughts just make some fans and players feel better about the losses.

 

Bubba for years was sore about the loss, it made him feel better to believe the fixed was in. If you look at a lot of upsets with the mindset it was fixed you can often find lots of "evidence" to support that idea.

[TBird]

Dang T-Bird. You've got a heckuva memory and amazing attention to detail.

Thanks, man. I've died a million deaths over the game and

still have the memories and read all the books and seen the

tapes.

[TBird]

Speaking of Weeb and the 58 game, he sent his assistant

to NY to get on the roofs of the bldgs across street from

Yankee stadium to record their practices. Colts played

Giants early in regular season and Earl wanted to know if

they added any new plays in the playbook. He didn't like

surprises. Winner was also his son in law but the Colts

owner promised to take care of his family if he got caught-lol.

 

So he took pics and notes and reported there were no new

plays.

 

Arty said in his book that the CIA would have won the cold war a

lot sooner if they hired Paul Brown and Weeb as spies. They had

plenty of experience sending guys up telephone poles to record

practices.

 

In fact, when Rosey hired Weeb he really wanted Paul Browns offensive

coord, Blanton Collyer who would eventually succeed Brown when Art

fired him but Brown needed him and wouldn't let Rosey hrie him. He

must not have liked Weeb because he recommended him and he got the

job.

 

When he left he took the Browns draft board with him since he worked on it

and knew everyone they wanted. Brown was furious when players they

wanted went off the board to the Colts.

 

Once such player was HOFer Ray Berry one of the best receivers ever.

Brown yelled and screamed accusing Weeb of stealing his draft but Weeb said,

who me?

 

Enter Bellicheat whose first job was with the Baltimoer Colts in the 70s under

Marchibroda. I'm sure he heard all those stories and did a lot of cheating himself

during his famous career accented by Spy Gate and more recently deflate gate.

 

When Weeb died, Marchibroda had a moment in silence and prayer in the Ravens locker

room and asked how many knew about Weeb. Not one player knew who he was but he

was the winning coach of the two most important games ever played - the 58 game and SB 3.

 

Shula was of course another famous ooach to go thru Charm City. He was the def coord

for the Lions when Rosey fired Weeb in 62. Weeb was famous for building championship

teams like the

Colts and Jets but let them run down after they won it all. Colts didnt' win from 60-62

so Weeb was fired.

 

Rosey asked Gino whom he loved like a son if he knew any good coached to recommend and

he said yea, Shula. Rosey said wasn't he that DB we had here several years ago. Gino said

yea back in 54. He shared a house with Fatso and 2 other guys but the Lions beat the Colts

twice that year and Gino said Shula's prints were all over the victories.

 

So Rosey called Shula and asked if he was interested in the job and said you were recommended.

Shula said sure and came to Bmore. I remember the beat up Ford station wagon he drove up to

the stadium in as we lived several blocks behind it. He didnt' even know who recommended him

til he got here and someone said his old pal - Gino. He made Gino a player/coach.

 

I was standing on a cruise ship in Miami 10 yrs ago and looked up and saw a huge sky scrapper

that said the Shula Hotel, owned by him. He has a string of steak hosues around the country.

 

I laughed remembering the beat up Ford he drove to Bmore in. He came a long way baby and made

Miami into the Latin resort capital of the western hemispher. Before it was just a sleepy boring village.

[cravnravn]

Is shula's still at the omni hotel in Baltimore? I won a sales contest when they had their VIP black tie affair opening. Still have the menu made out of a football

[TBird]

I'm not sure where it is. According to this it's closed but

not sure if this is accurate. After Shula's wife,Dorothy died,

he remarred a couple of years later to one of the richest women

in the country and lives in West Palm Beach, FLA, the most richest

zip code district in the country.

 

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Shulas Steak House

Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel

101 W. Fayette St. (N. Liberty St.) Send to Phone

Baltimore, MD 21201

410-385-6601

The merger certainly made the NFL what it is today.

The 58 sudden death game made things what they were

today. That's when many cities wanted pro teams but

NFL wouldn't let them in so they formed the AFL but

Baltimore put the NFL on the map and then it f*cked us

during the expansion derby in 95.

So a bunch of cities formed the AFL headed up by the oil

rich families in Texas of Bud Adams who owns the

TEnn Titans and Lamar Hunt who owns KC. He moved

from Dallas to KC later on and Adams moved to Tenn.

It also helped to have a contract with NBC which competed

with CBS and the NFL. When the merger was completed that

left ABC w/o a game so Art Modell came up with MOndy Night

Football and the rest is history. That's why Art was able to move

to Baltimore when owners like Bidwell and Kraft were blocked out

by the comish and Cooke who owned the skins. Art was the only

owner powerful enough to run thru them with all the favors owed

him. He made billions for the NFL negotiating the rich TV contracts

of the 70s and 80s as football passed basebal as the national

game.

Adams and Hunt were both young playboys when they bought teams

and formed the AFL. They used their family's oil

business to finance the league and pay the stars to keep them

from going to the NFL. They scored Billy Cannonm

early on then Namath to a $500,000 contract. That

was a lot of bread back in those days.

NY Jets won the right to sign Namath while St Louis won the

NFL right. The afl rigged it for Jets to get picked to

Sonny Wuerblen rich pockets. Today, $500,000 is min wage

for the rookies so who do you think would get him,

no St Louis. Poor thinking by NFL.

John Madden who coached OAK asked Hunt's father if he

knew he lost millions running the Texans and the entire AFL

and he said he has millions left in his piggy bank. That's when

Madden knew the AFL would survive.

One thing, the AFL didn't get our Bubba Smith in the 66 draft

or Dick Butkis as George Halas' deep pockets signed him but

they got enough stars to force a merger.