Dal@Oak '74 finale: Halftime w Cosell, Karras, and Gifford

[74_75_78_79_]

Yes, the historically unfortunate thing about this (Saturday night, actually) game is that it was the only ever Landry/Madden, Staubach/Stabler showdown yet it was essentially meaningless. The Raiders' playoff-position was already secure at 11-2 as Dallas, at 8-5, were already boxed-out despite winning 7 of their last 8 games. Big D was simply playing for 'pride'; simply trying to prove that they at least "should have" been in the playoffs! However, the halftime break in the booth is a worthy look! All three make their prediction as to who they think will win the Super Bowl in a few weeks and also pick their offense and defense MVPs of the year.

Howard and Alex were talking of next Saturday's game as if it were...the "real" Super Bowl! Cosell picked the Dolphins to threepeat, Karras picked the Raiders. Then Howard says that Frank's Super Bowl pick may come as a surprise and Gifford actually picked the Steelers, giving heavy kudos to their defense while pointing out that they made the most sacks by far with a whopping 52! Not a bad pick from him considering that the "better-than-good, but perhaps not great" Steelers were quite overshadowed by the 12-2 Raiders and them back-to-back defending-Champ, Fish! Gifford did mention how this was St. Louis's first playoff appearance then also added that this was Buffalo's first as well but, of course, not the case (just first NFL playoff appearance for the Bills). Funny how not a mere mention from either three of an NFC team possibly holding up the Lombardi at season's end!

As for best offense and defense players of the year...Howard picked the Snake for offense, and Bills' FS Tony Greene on D who had 9 INTs until suffering an injury a few weeks back. Gifford picked RB Otis Armstrong for Denver and, on defense, whom he opined was Pittsburgh's best DL, Ernie Holmes (not an unpopular opinion at the time despite Mean Joe's obvious well-earned notoriety). Karras, being Karras, picked a certain University of Mars-graduate for both defense - and also - offense! After pointing out his defensive play, Karras gave him kudos on "offense" for his blocking (only for the one highlight they show is of he blocking his own teammate by mistake as that very teammate was running back an INT). Then he says, "but seriously", before giving his true offensive pick to the Cards' Terry Metcalf.

[BD Sullivan]

Was this the game where Karras made the "University of Mars" remark about Otis Sistrunk?

[74_75_78_79_]

Was this the game where Karras made the "University of Mars" remark about Otis Sistrunk?

The first time he was ever named that? I think that may have been a previous MNF game. Not sure.

[nicefellow31]

Was this the game where Karras made the "University of Mars" remark about Otis Sistrunk?

According to IMDB it was indeed this game.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1363867/tr ... tt_trv_trv

[Retro Rider]

Was this the game where Karras made the "University of Mars" remark about Otis Sistrunk?

The first time he was ever named that? I think that may have been a previous MNF game. Not sure.

FWIW, Wikipedia (shame on me) states that Karras first made the University of Mars remark during his Monday Night Football debut in Week One (Raiders @ Bills):

Karras made his debut on September 16, 1974 and immediately made an impact when he jokingly referred to Oakland Raiders' defensive lineman Otis Sistrunk as having attended "The University of Mars." That would essentially be the high point of Karras' three-year tenure, with a developing movie career often distracting him from showing any improvement (in reality, Sistrunk did not attend any college but enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school and played semi-professional football before getting a tryout with the Raiders; the Raiders team guide listed his college alma mater as "U.S. Mars").

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History ... t_Football