Greatest Games
Colts win NFL title in 'Greatest Game Ever Played'
On December 28, 1958, the Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants, 23-17, in overtime in the NFL Championship Game—a back-and-forth thriller that later is billed as "The Greatest Game Ever Played.” The nationally televised championship—the league's first overtime contest—is ...read more
First NFL playoff game is played indoors
On December 18, 1932, the Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans, 9-0, in the NFL's first playoff game—and first game played indoors. The victory gives the Bears the championship and leads to a playoff system for the first time. Because of frigid weather and ...read more
The NFL's First Playoff Game Was Played Indoors in a Hockey Arena
On December 18, 1932, with waist-deep snow and frigid weather plaguing Chicago, the Bears moved their NFL championship game against the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans from Wrigley Field to the indoor arena of the city's NHL team. The league's first playoff game—and first contest ...read more
NFL's Greatest Play: The Immaculate Reception
In the decades before 22-year-old rookie Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception—considered the greatest play in NFL history—the Pittsburgh Steelers were mostly awful. From its inception in 1933 to 1971, the team posted seven winning records and no playoff victories. "They were a ...read more
Two Days After JFK's Assassination, the Dallas Cowboys Faced Backlash
Two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, the Dallas Cowboys played the Browns in front of angry, anguished and hostile fans in Cleveland. Many blamed Dallas, a hotbed of far-right extremism in the early 1960s, for JFK's ...read more
The Dramatic NFL Championship Game Nearly the Entire Country Missed
On Christmas Eve 1950, in wind chill that made the temperature feel close to zero, one of the greatest football games in NFL history was played between the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. The nearly forgotten championship featured two revolutionary offenses, 12 future Hall ...read more
The Most Dramatic Home Run in World Series History
The World Series has produced many moments of incredible drama, but only in 1960 has the Fall Classic ended with a Game 7 home run. That World Series was among the wildest in baseball history as the New York Yankees outscored the Pittsburgh Pirates, 55-27, and second baseman ...read more
The Freezer Bowl: The Coldest Game in NFL History
Frosty temperatures are typical for National Football League playoff games, but never have football fans and players shivered as much as they did on January 10, 1982, when the Cincinnati Bengals hosted the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game. With a kickoff ...read more
The NFL's Longest Game: How a Soccer Player-Turned-Kicker Secured the Win
The longest game in NFL history featured 13 future Hall of Fame players, two future Hall of Fame head coaches, starting quarterbacks who would finish their careers with a combined three Super Bowl titles and an unlikely star for the losing team. But the 1971 Christmas Day playoff ...read more
When Frank Gifford Was Knocked Out by One of the Most Vicious Tackles in NFL History
The Philadelphia Eagles-New York Giants rivalry intensified during the 1960 season. Intent on ending New York’s two-year reign atop the NFL’s Eastern Conference, Philadelphia carried a half-game lead on its big-market adversary going into the teams’ November 20 meeting. One ...read more
Fog Bowl: The Most Bizarre Game in NFL History
Foul weather, from ice, snow and below-freezing temperatures to downpours and excessive heat, has adversely affected NFL games since the dawn of the league more than 100 years ago. But no game in NFL history matches the weird weather at the "Fog Bowl” playoff game between the ...read more
How Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson Made the 'Hail Mary' Pass Famous
In 1975, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach popularized the term "Hail Mary" to describe his miracle, winning touchdown pass to fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Pearson in a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. Hail Mary thus became ingrained in the American ...read more