I've watched a lot of NFL on TV in my 45 years, but I probably watched it the least often in the period of 1986 to 1994. So I didn't know how the NFL Network's broadcast this afternoon of an Oct. 17, 1994, Monday Night Football pitting the Kansas City Chiefs at the Denver Broncos was going to come out.
Well, let me tell you, it was excellent! I caught the last six minutes or so of game time. John Elway led a crazy, penalty-marred drive that gave the Broncos a 28-24 lead, but then Joe Montana led an efficient (nine plays, 82 seconds) and almost flawless drive that gave Kansas City its first victory in Mile High Stadium in 11 seasons.
Joe Montana ... wow. The guy was 38 years old at the time, and, except for Marcus Allen, who appeared to be on the field for only one or two plays of the game-winning drive, I honestly didn't recognize the names of any of the guys who caught any of Montana's seven completions in eight attempts on the possession. There was a running back named Anders (surely not Benny Anders, the basketball player from the University of Houston?); there was a tight end named Greene (not Eric Green, the Steeler who came into the league about the same time), and there was the wide receiver who caught the touchdown pass, Willie Davis (not the old Dodgers outfielder, surely?). I don't know anything about any of those three guys, but they certainly each looked fantastic at the other end of Montana's passes.
Well, I don't have a lot more to say about this game other than I really, truly love football and I really, truly love TV. Oh! That reminds me: The MNF crew was Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford. I thought they did a fine job.
So, in conclusion, hooray for football, and hooray for TV!
I watched this game at the time -- in fact, I watched every Chiefs game that I could during the 1994 season. Back then, this game convinced me that Joe Montana was the greatest quarterback of all time, and in the 19 years since, I've had no reason to revise that opinion.
ReplyDelete