

30 Years Ago Today, ESPN's Favorite Highlight

Discussion in 'History Zone' started by Hostile, Jan 10, 2012.

  1. Heisenberg

    Heisenberg Pow! Pow!

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    I was just thinking the same thing watching that.
  2. Randy White

    Randy White Well-Known Member

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    as iconic as it is, wasn't the one that won the game. That came courtesy of Wright's one finger tackle of Drew Pearson a few plays later and the one that deserves all the credit.

    Then Alvin Harper returned the favor 12 years later, same place, same play, different outcome. ( altough it was Kelvin Martin who eventually clinched it ).
  3. KJJ

    KJJ You Have an Axe to Grind

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    Had the "tuck rule" been around then I don't think it would have been called on that play. White didn't appear to be in the process of "throwing" the ball then changed his mind and lost it as he was bringing the ball to his body. From the angle shown it appeared he was bringing the ball down not to throw but to brace himself from the hit and protect the ball. Once he brought the ball into his body he then fumbled. The "tuck rule" is the most ridiculous rule in football but I really don't believe had the rule been around at that time it would have been called there.
  4. Chocolate Lab

    Chocolate Lab Run-loving Dino

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    Totally agree... I've always thought that. As clutch as Drew was, he didn't have great speed.

    The restaurant where I had lunch today had ESPN on, and they showed a bunch of highlights from this game. Even in the few short clips they showed, I was impressed with both teams. I almost forgot Danny had that good an arm. Even Montana, who never had a great arm, had more zip on the ball than I remembered on several throws. Sometimes people get so caught up in saying how much bigger, faster, and stronger the players are now that they don't give those players and teams enough credit.
  5. UVAwahoos

    UVAwahoos Benched

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    Agreed. Hicks was waiting on him there from the looks of it.

    Excuse me while I go throw up now.
  6. Randy White

    Randy White Well-Known Member

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    Hicks didn't come into the picture until after Drew was tackled, so he wouldn't have been in position to tackle him. He might have caught Drew from behind, but not until Drew would have been near the goal line. Look at the :38 second mark and see where Hicks was coming from.
  7. UVAwahoos

    UVAwahoos Benched

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    I don't think so. If you watch at :57, you can see Hicks take an angle to cut him off. Plus, I don't recall Drew having breakaway speed. Would have put them much closer to field goal range though.
  8. casmith07

    casmith07 #TeamJerry

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    Pearson really rounded off his route in that video...
  9. bbgun

    bbgun Benched

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    I disagree. He appeared to be at least five yards ahead of Drew when he made the catch and had an angle.
  10. KJJ

    KJJ You Have an Axe to Grind

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    Hicks would have still had to make up some ground but did have an angle and Pearson wasn't a speedster so he may have caught him but by the time he did the Cowboys would have been in chip shot FG range.
  11. jobberone

    jobberone Orangutan for hire; blues and southern rock Staff Member

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    So does Montana. Running for his life and tries to throw it out the back of the EZ. I got physically ill.
  12. KJJ

    KJJ You Have an Axe to Grind

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    Hicks was ahead of Pearson and did have an angle on him but he still had some ground to make up. Drew caught the ball in stride and was turning up the field slightly away from Hicks so it would have been a foot race. As mentioned Drew wasn't a speedster but he did have deceptive speed and could separate. Never having to break stride and turning up the field at the angle he did would have gotten him to at least inside the 49ers 20 yardline.
  13. Hostile

    Hostile Peace Zone Supporter

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    I don't believe Hicks would have stopped Pearson. He had his back turned to him, though he was ahead of him. It only takes one juke move to leave a guy turned the wrong way, and Pearson, though not a burner, was fast enough to leave any wrong footed player behind his wake.

    Eddie DeBartolo walking around the sidelines. No comments about it?

    I know many hate the result, I do too, but this really was a great football game.
  14. Fritsch_the_cat

    Fritsch_the_cat Well-Known Member

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    Made it worth watching just to see him sweating it.

    Drew might not have been a speed burner, but he was very good at making tacklers miss. Go watch some old highlights of him and you'll see.
  15. Dallas4ever

    Dallas4ever Active Member

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    I agree that Harpers 70 yard game clinching play cast out a few demons for me as well. I'm willing to bet that there's a lot of 49er fans that hate seeing that one. They have "The Catch"! They should call ours "The Slant"!!!

    AMERICAS_FAN Active Member

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    Like the first game that we lost to the Giants in 2011 - how we almost scored after that, except Austin lost it in the lights.

    Everyboy talks about that Giants game like they dod that 49er game, as if those teams did something to bury us in those games, when in relaity, we came up short because WE stoppe ourselves in the end.

    Fitting that after this 2011 season we'd be talking abnout "the catch" game.

    AMERICAS_FAN Active Member

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  18. yimyammer

    yimyammer Well-Known Member

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    I can't change the channel fast enough, at a minimum I avert my eyes, can't stand to watch it
  19. dboy214

    dboy214 Benched

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  20. sonnyboy

    sonnyboy Benched

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    I was 12 at the time and I'm still not over it.

    What bothered me then and still does about the game ending sequence(and I know this is classic 2nd guessing)

    But what was the rush and why wasn't Dorsett in the game. We had James in there in the nickle(hurry up offense package), but didn't even go shot gun.

    Imagine how that game may have turned out had Landry run a draw play to Dorsett. He was killin it that day and you know the 9ers were thinking pass all the way.

    But we only need about 10-12 yards for Septein, with 38secs and at least one TO left.

    Ahhhh what could have been.

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