NFL Quiz: 1) Who holds the record for most yards gained
rushing as a rookie? 2) Who holds the record for most yards
gained in a single game? 3) Who had the most games of 200 or
more yards rushing in his career? Answers below.
September 17, 1862
Immediately following the attacks of 9/11/01, many spoke of
how it was the bloodiest day on American soil, until we realized
that, thankfully, the initial casualty figures from that day were
inflated. [This is history, folks. I’m not trying to be insensitive.]
I wrote back then that it was an important discussion because we
were establishing the official record that generations to come
would read, thus there was a need to be accurate. So, with this in
mind, it’s appropriate to remember the Battle of Antietam, a
titanic chapter in America’s Civil War. It’s also appropriate
because this past weekend, the 140th anniversary was
commemorated with a large reenactment.
During the summer of 1862, the Union Army had suffered a
series of devastating defeats, including the “Seven Days Battle”
and at the Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas). It’s easy to
forget that by September, the North was demoralized (having
expected a quick victory in the war), and Confederate General
Robert E. Lee (working through President Jefferson Davis)
sought to create a political climate that might lead to Southern
independence. At the time, England and France were
contemplating recognizing the Confederate States, which, if
done, may have ended the war right then and there. [One of just
many twists and turns that make this whole chapter in our
nation’s history so fascinating.]
Lee thus sought to deal the North a crippling blow by drawing
the Union Army out from its defenses in and around Washington,
so he invaded Maryland. Lee only had about 40,000 troops, and
they weren’t really ready to fight, after taking substantial losses
in previous engagements, but the general felt he had to grab the
opportunity so he plowed ahead.
Meanwhile, when word hit Washington that Lee had crossed the
Potomac, President Abraham Lincoln sent General George
McClellan and some 87,000 troops out after the Confederates.
But right from the start, McClellan, who always acted as if he,
himself, was a huge underdog, grossly overestimated Lee’s
forces (at one point he thought he was facing up to 120,000), and
McClellan thus proceeded in a most deliberate, and tentative,
manner.
What McClellan didn’t know was that Lee was in the process of
splitting his forces into four groups, as he sought to take some of
the federal armories in the area, including the large one at
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Stonewall Jackson was assigned
this particular task, and Jackson captured Harpers Ferry on
September 15.
But something momentous had occurred two days earlier on the
13th that was to change the direction of battle. Lee had issued
“Special Orders No. 191” for the taking of Harpers Ferry and had
sent copies, by courier, to his generals in the area. One copy
never made it to its assigned recipient, General D.H. Hill, and
Union forces discovered the documents wrapped around 3 cigars,
just lying on the side of a road. [Hill was a cigar lover.] Though
the reason why the orders were lost, and found, has forever
remained a mystery (there are various conspiracy theories),
chances are they were simply dropped along the way by the
courier.
Anyway, an alert Union officer, realizing the significance of the
documents, which revealed the divided Confederate Army,
delivered them to the cautious McClellan who now had a better
idea of what he was really dealing with.
And so it was that while Jackson was about to take Harpers Ferry,
on the 14th some of Lee’s vastly outnumbered forces were dealt
a big blow at South Mountain, with the Confederates suffering
almost 4,000 casualties and the Union 2,300. The Confederates
then regrouped in a meager line around Antietam Creek, outside
the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, while Lee sent orders to
Harpers Ferry to speed up the processing of the Union prisoners
there and immediately head to Antietam.
But even with McClellan’s newfound intelligence, he still vastly
overestimated Lee’s forces and he was hesitant to attack.
Following the victory at South Mountain, the Union troops
outnumbered the scattered Confederates by about 4 to 1, but in
delaying a few days, McClellan allowed some of Lee’s units to
regroup, including Jackson’s men, who heroically (we’re
Southern sympathizers here at StocksandNews) marched the 17
miles from Harpers Ferry to Antietam just as McClellan finally
attacked on September 17.
Starting around 6:00 AM, the Battle of Antietam unfolded, and
the battlefield shifted, with some of the stages taking on mythic
proportions…the Cornfield, Dunker Church, Bloody Lane and
Burnside’s Bridge.
McClellan had so many opportunities over the course of the day
to annihilate Lee, but he never took advantage of his
overwhelming strength and held back some 26,000 reserves
(though, admittedly, many of these were ‘green’ troops). He also
made the mistake of viewing the action from afar, instead of
getting closer to the front lines for a more accurate picture (a la
Patton…or any of the Confederate generals, for that matter).
Finally, at the end of the day, a battered Robert E. Lee retreated,
saved only by the late arrival of some 3,000 troops under A.P.
Hill. The most commonly accepted figures for September 17 are
13,700 Confederate casualties (including 2,700 killed and 2,000
missing), with 12,400 Union casualties (2,108 killed, 750
missing). Most of the articles and books on the battle list 4,800
dead, total, though figures over 6,000 include a semi-official
estimate of the missing, as well as those who died of their
wounds over the ensuing days. Regardless, Antietam was the
bloodiest single day in U.S. history.
Of course McClellan had his chance on September 18 to pursue
Lee’s remnants and smash them, particularly since the Union
leader received fresh reinforcements from Washington (only
about 50 miles away from the action), yet the general sat and let
Lee escape back over the Potomac without further incident to
fight another day….and prolong the agony.
The South was dealt a devastating defeat, with the biggest loss
being that European rulers opted not to recognize the
Confederacy. In the meantime, Abraham Lincoln used the Union
victory as an excuse to issue his Emancipation Proclamation,
which abolished slavery in the Confederate States of America.
[To be historically accurate, a “preliminary” proclamation was
issued on September 23rd, with the formal one being on January
1, 1863.] Lincoln also sacked McClellan (famously writing him:
“If you don’t want to use the army, I should like to borrow it for
a while”) and set in motion the leadership changes that would
eventually result in Ulysses S. Grant taking control of the Union
Army, following Grant’s key victory at Vicksburg on July 4,
1863 (at the same time that Gettysburg was being fought).
Johnny U.
I haven’t had the opportunity to comment on the death of Johnny
Unitas until now, but it wouldn’t be “Bar Chat” without noting
his passing the other day at the age of 69.
Born in Pittsburgh, May 7, 1933, Johnny Unitas grew up poor in
the Mount Washington section (a great spot today, overlooking
the Steelers’ new stadium). A talented ballplayer as a kid, he
wanted to attend, first, Notre Dame, then Pitt, but he settled on
Louisville (not that there is anything wrong with that, Louisville
fans).
After a sterling college career, Unitas was selected in the 9th
round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1955 draft, but Johnny
(John to his teammates) was cut in training camp. The Steelers’
coach at the time gave Unitas $10 to get a ride home, but Unitas
pocketed the money and hitch-hiked back to Pittsburgh, where he
set out to play semi-pro ball for $6 a game, while also working
construction.
The Baltimore Colts found out about him, however, when a fan
wrote to tell Colts management to check Johnny out and Unitas
made the 1956 roster. Then, after starter George Shaw got hurt,
Unitas got his shot, but a most ignominious one it was, as
Johnny’s very first pass in the NFL was intercepted for a
touchdown. He then proceeded to fumble his next two
possessions, as well, but after that he pulled off an upset in the
next game and the starting job was his.
By the end of that first season, Unitas began a run that stands
right up there with Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. From
late 1956 to 1960, Johnny threw for at least one touchdown pass
in 47 consecutive games (12-game schedules back then), an
astounding mark. To fully appreciate it, #2 on this particular list
is Dan Marino with just 30 in a row.
Of course it was 1958 that fully burnished the Unitas legend, as
on December 28 of that year the Colts defeated the New York
Giants 23-17 for the NFL championship, a game that effectively
brought professional football into the modern era.
Trailing 17-14 in Yankee Stadium and with just 1:56 left in
regulation, Unitas drove the Colts from their own 14-yard line to
the Giants’ 13, completing four tough passes, whereupon kicker
Steve Myhra booted a 20-yarder to tie the score with seven
seconds left. Then, after the Giants failed to move the ball in
their first possession of overtime, Unitas capped it off with an
80-yard drive, with Alan Ameche going over from the one to win
the championship.
The game was the first title match-up to be telecast live across
the country and football was never the same afterwards. Unitas
then led the Colts to the championship the following year and
added a third title in Super Bowl V (though Earl Morrall led that
effort). Johnny also had 3 league MVP awards in his career.
Baltimore tight end John Mackey famously said of the QB who
was known for his crew cuts and black high-tops, “It’s like being
in a huddle with God.” Unitas was an incredible leader and a
great teammate. Probably the best illustration of this latter point
was the fact that after the dramatic win in the 1958
championship, Ed Sullivan asked Johnny to appear on his hugely
popular Sunday night television show that evening, but Unitas
turned it down so he could be back in Baltimore to celebrate with
his teammates.
William Gildea of the Washington Post wrote of Johnny U.,
“Unitas is to pro football what Arnold Palmer is to golf,” while
legend Sonny Jurgensen said of his contemporary that he was
clearly the best ever. And it’s important to remember, as
Jurgensen reminds us, “He didn’t play in an era of ‘Don’t touch
the quarterback.’”
Unfortunately, Johnny’s business ventures post-football failed
and he was forced to file for bankruptcy in 1991.
For his career (1956-73), Unitas threw for 40,239 yards (the first
to do so), along with 290 touchdown passes in 211 games.
Hopefully, as the years go by, the casual fan won’t just
remember Montana, Elway, and Marino, but Johnny U. as well.
Sports Bits
–Atlanta Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan was suspended for
four games for using steroids. I only mention this because not
only did Buchanan step up and accept his punishment like a man,
it also points out what a sham baseball’s own steroid / drug
program is. Any ballplayer getting caught for at least the first
few years of the new contract won’t be penalized at all.
–Ah, yes. Being a rookie QB in the NFL isn’t that easy. David
Carr of Houston was just 6 for 25 and was sacked 9 times this
Sunday. Shades of Terry Bradshaw in his first year, who
completed just 38% of his passes, with 6 TD passes and 24 INTs.
–Rutgers! After receiving its ranking as the worst team in
college football, the Scarlet Knights defeated Army 44-0, thereby
saving all of New Jersey’s citizens from further embarrassment.
–We congratulate Notre Dame on its return to prominence. And
how about Cal?! 1-10 last season, 3-0 this year.
–If you can kick a football, even a pee wee one, and you have
some college eligibility left, please head to Winston-Salem, NC
because my Wake Forest Demon Deacons desperately need your
help. It’s also a pretty good school and you might learn
something. Look at me!…..oops, bad example.
–The other day, Barry Bonds’s line in the box score read as
follows…0-0-0-0-5-0…5 walks! Through Sunday he had 176,
after setting the all-time record last season with 177, and his
onbase average is .575.
–Sports Illustrated had a story about high-jumper Jeff Skiba,
who has cleared 6’10 ½” and is shooting for 7’4 ½”, which
would qualify him for the U.S. Olympic trials. What’s the big
deal, you say? Jeff Skiba is an amputee.
–Tim Montgomery is now the world’s fastest human, as he
clocked a 9.78 in the 100 meters, breaking Maurice Greene’s 3-
year record of 9.79.
–Congratulations to golfer Dan Forsman, who broke a 10-year
drought in winning this week’s PGA tour stop in dramatic
fashion with an eagle on the last hole. These late season
tournaments have provided some great drama.
–I’m going with Randy Johnson over Curt Schilling for the N.L.
Cy Young award. Both now have over 300 strikeouts this
season, the first time in baseball history teammates have
accomplished this feat.
–Bill Gates finally was accepted as a member at Augusta
National. Lou Holtz also got in this go around, but the
membership committee may be rethinking that because Holtz’s
South Carolina football squad is off to a 1-2 start this season.
–That was sad about Alonzo Mourning and his ongoing kidney
problems. I’m not a fan of his, but we wish him well.
–I AM a fan of the New York Mets and can they blow enough?!
Geezuz, they suck. 133 errors this season to lead the major
leagues. Back in 1999, they committed just 68 for the entire
year.
–Just what is the deal with former NBA player Bison Dele, aka
Brian Williams? Actually, it really isn’t surprising at all that
Dele, his girlfriend and the captain of Bison’s boat are all
missing. Brian, err, Bison had as much talent as anyone and was
highly intelligent, but he was also one weird dude. Police and
the FBI are now looking for his brother, who stole Williams’s,
err, Dele’s identity.
–Say it ain’t so, Anna. Anna Kournikova made her 4th WTA
tennis final, but once again came up short at last week’s
tournament in Shanghai. That’s 115 events without a win. Hang
in there, Anna! Love, your friends at StocksandNews.
Top 3 songs for the week of 9/18/65: #1 “Help!” (The Beatles)
#2 “Eve Of Destruction” (Barry McGuire) #3 “Like A Rolling
Stone” (Bob Dylan)
NFL Quiz Answers: 1) Eric Dickerson holds the rookie rushing
mark with 1,808 yards in 1983 with the L.A. Rams. 2) Corey
Dillon (Cincinnati Bengals) rushed for a record 278 yards on
10/22/00. 3) O.J. Simpson has the most 200 yard games in a
career, six. In each of 1973 and 1976, O.J. had consecutive
games with 200.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday.
