Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
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Bob Gill wrote:
The comparison is ludicrous. Dempsey is known for a single play; Lamonica had at least three MVP-caliber seasons in a row. There's no resemblance whatsoever. It's like comparing Pat Seerey, who hit four home runs in one game, to Harmon Killebrew, who never did, but hit 570-some in his career. Or Adrian Burk, who threw seven TD passes in a game, to any of the great quarterbacks who didn't.
That was a flippant statement on my part. I should not have worded it that way. Glenn Dickey's comment reminded me of Tom Dempsey, who could easily kick a 50 yard field goal but miss from 20. I was only comparing him to the Mad Bomber in that respect. Lamonica was an AFL/NFL All-Star for several seasons and one my of my favorites from that era. Dempsey certainly did not attain the same level of career success.
Lamonica is an odd case to me, I really don't know anyone with that particular career arc. HIs stats were always above average for the six year run, with completion percentage being the weak part. So my impression is that he could ride the wave, like he did in a couple of the blowout playoff wins, but wasn't particularly adept at dinking and dunking down the field when the chips were down. The 1968 AFL Championship game doesn't help in this regard, neither do 1969 and 1970. HIs big play in the playoffs was Dolphins 1970, another long pass.
That and his seeming lack of personality. There are few prominent players about whom I know so little. Maybe that says something about lack of "swagger" and leadership. The 1970 thing with Blanda was weird, what other QB does that happen to? Lamonica just seemed to take that sort of thing without pushing back. The Raiders seemed ready to dump Lamonica the moment he lost any effectiveness, and he didn't seem to fight back at all on this. Usually there's some sort of comments made or battle, but not here. Seems to say a lot.
Youre right Jay Z but I could see where John Madden in 1970 could have full confidence in Blanda and go to him. Blanda played well in that AFC Championship game but his interceptions in the middle, trying to force things were ugly ... By the 72 playoffs, it seemed the team lost confidence in Lamonica if he didnt get things going and against the Raiders, he couldnt.
Bob Gill wrote:
The comparison is ludicrous. Dempsey is known for a single play; Lamonica had at least three MVP-caliber seasons in a row. There's no resemblance whatsoever. It's like comparing Pat Seerey, who hit four home runs in one game, to Harmon Killebrew, who never did, but hit 570-some in his career. Or Adrian Burk, who threw seven TD passes in a game, to any of the great quarterbacks who didn't.
That was a flippant statement on my part. I should not have worded it that way. Glenn Dickey's comment reminded me of Tom Dempsey, who could easily kick a 50 yard field goal but miss from 20. I was only comparing him to the Mad Bomber in that respect. Lamonica was an AFL/NFL All-Star for several seasons and one my of my favorites from that era. Dempsey certainly did not attain the same level of career success.
Lamonica is an odd case to me, I really don't know anyone with that particular career arc. HIs stats were always above average for the six year run, with completion percentage being the weak part. So my impression is that he could ride the wave, like he did in a couple of the blowout playoff wins, but wasn't particularly adept at dinking and dunking down the field when the chips were down. The 1968 AFL Championship game doesn't help in this regard, neither do 1969 and 1970. HIs big play in the playoffs was Dolphins 1970, another long pass.
That and his seeming lack of personality. There are few prominent players about whom I know so little. Maybe that says something about lack of "swagger" and leadership. The 1970 thing with Blanda was weird, what other QB does that happen to? Lamonica just seemed to take that sort of thing without pushing back. The Raiders seemed ready to dump Lamonica the moment he lost any effectiveness, and he didn't seem to fight back at all on this. Usually there's some sort of comments made or battle, but not here. Seems to say a lot.
A former Raider, Tom Keating, said around 1974, "The Raiders play better for Stabler than they did for Lamonica."
Retro Rider wrote:That was a flippant statement on my part. I should not have worded it that way. Glenn Dickey's comment reminded me of Tom Dempsey, who could easily kick a 50 yard field goal but miss from 20. I was only comparing him to the Mad Bomber in that respect. Lamonica was an AFL/NFL All-Star for several seasons and one of my favorites from that era. Dempsey certainly did not attain the same level of career success.
I really knew it wasn't a serious comparison, but I was feeling unusually grumpy this morning, or last night, or whenever it was.
Jay Z wrote:
Lamonica is an odd case to me, I really don't know anyone with that particular career arc. HIs stats were always above average for the six year run, with completion percentage being the weak part. So my impression is that he could ride the wave, like he did in a couple of the blowout playoff wins, but wasn't particularly adept at dinking and dunking down the field when the chips were down. The 1968 AFL Championship game doesn't help in this regard, neither do 1969 and 1970. HIs big play in the playoffs was Dolphins 1970, another long pass....
Well, they didn't call him The Mad Bomber for no reason...
Retro Rider wrote:That was a flippant statement on my part. I should not have worded it that way. Glenn Dickey's comment reminded me of Tom Dempsey, who could easily kick a 50 yard field goal but miss from 20. I was only comparing him to the Mad Bomber in that respect. Lamonica was an AFL/NFL All-Star for several seasons and one of my favorites from that era. Dempsey certainly did not attain the same level of career success.
I really knew it wasn't a serious comparison, but I was feeling unusually grumpy this morning, or last night, or whenever it was.
Tom Dempsey was also the source of arguably the greatest meltdown in PFRA forum history from none other than Bob Carroll. Interesting coincidence.
Jay Z wrote:So my impression is that he could ride the wave, like he did in a couple of the blowout playoff wins, but wasn't particularly adept at dinking and dunking down the field when the chips were down.
Bryan wrote:I was watching some mid-80's weekly recaps, and came across the Packers-Cowboys game of 1984. There is a play where Gary Hogeboom drops back into his own endzone and lobs the ball directly into the hands of Packer DE Robert Brown who is standing like 5 yards away from Hogeboom.
It just occurs to me: Didn't Kyler Murray threw an absolutely horrible interception in the Cardinals' playoff game last year? As I recall it, he was getting tackled in or near the end zone, and he just flipped the ball over his shoulder, turning it into an interception and a touchdown. Whatever it was, exactly, it was pathetic.
