Big Blue Huddle

Though he was only acting the part at the time, little did we know in 1978 that Dave Jennings would go on to be a broadcaster for Giants and Jets games.  This article appeared in the September 29, 1978 issue of The Bergen Record.  This one is for Kartanoman!

Giants' punter-broadcaster
'HI, THIS IS DAVE JENNINGS'

By Vinny DiTrani

     EAST RUTHERFORD---Dave Jennings, the Giants' punter, aspires to be a broadcaster when his kicking days end.  He's already done some radio work in New York and Connecticut, with a modicom of success (about 35 yards per boot, translated into the punter's terms).
     At the urging of a few reporters, Jennings decided to try his interviewing techniques on one of the players he most admires in the National Football League.  "He's the best," Jennings has often said about John James, his counterpart in Atlanta, where the Giants will meet the Falcons Sunday.
     After getting James on the phone and dispensing with the pleasantries, Jennings' session turned into two punters talking shop.  Here are a few of the highlights:
     Jennings: John, I always tell the writers up here that you are the best punter in the league, better than Ray Guy because of your ability to get the ball inside the 20.  Who do you think are the best punters in the league?
     James: I think there is a highly talented group of punters right now.  Guy certainly kicks them high and long, but Ray's not as accurate as he can be. 
     Jennings: That's right.  In the playoffs he kicked five into the end zone and when he did try to kick out of bounds, it went out on the 22.  The name of the game is field position, the ability to put the ball out of bounds inside the 10. 
     James: You and I have very similar views.  We consider ourselves as members of the team.  We could be selfish and kick through the end zone to help our averages, but that won't help the team make the playoffs.
     Jennings: That's right.  It's easy to kick the long ones; it's the short ones that are tough.  Who are some of the other good punters around the league?
     James: I think Tom Blanchard is a good punter.
     Jennings: Cough!
     James: You know Tom, don't you, from the time you were up there together?
     Jennings: Er, yes, he was the guy I beat out here the year of the strike (1974).  The writers still refer to that as the "Great Mistake."
     James: I think [Chicago's Bob] Parsons is another good punter, very effective.  And he's got a good man on the outside, Schuler [Steve Shubert] who gets down under those punts for him.  [Washington's Mike] Bragg is another fairly effective punter. 
     Jennings: That's right, Bragg is one of my favorites, too.  I see him twice each season. 
     James: There are a lot of young punters I really don't know too much about yet.  There's been a big turnover.
     Jennings: I think it's up to 11 now, with [Mitch] Hoppes back in Philadelphia.  What do you think about [Cincinnati's] Pat McInally?
     James: I've never kicked against him, but I admire his statistics.
     Jennings: Talking about statistics, let's see who's on top in the NFC this week [scans the punting averages].
     James: You are, aren't you?
     Jennings: In distance, yes, but not in net.  Says here a guy named James leads in net -- oops, no, it's [Tom] Sklandany in Detroit.  He's the guy making $400,00 a year.
     James: I can't pull for that guy.  But any time you average 35-36-37 yards in net, you're doing a good job, no matter what your total average is.
     Jennings: Up here they call me an actor because I've been roughed up 14 times in my career.  Do you think I'm an actor?
     James: You really want me to answer that?  Okay, I think every one of those calls was legitimate.
     Jennings: Did you see the one last Sunday against the 49ers?
     James: No, we'll see that film Friday.
     Jennings: Well, I got out of the hospital Monday, and the X-rays were negative.  Have you seen our place [Giants Stadium]?
     James: I punted there in an exhibition against the Jets this summer.  I liked it a lot.  I normally like to kick on grass, but the turf up there is nice and soft. 
     Jennings: It can get very windy up here, and that's one reason my average is so high.  The day before the opening game here we had a storm that knocked over one of the goalposts. 
     James: It's not that easy punting with the wind at your back.  You can't always get the ball to turn over.
     Jennings: That's right.  And sometimes it's hard just getting the snap.  Have you ever played golf?
     James: Since I was four years old [Note: he's a three-handicapper].  It's not easy getting a golf ball up on your approach to the green with the wind at your back.  Punting is a lot like playing golf. 
     Jennings: Well, John, thanks for your time.  Maybe we can get together Saturday night and have dinner.
   
     After the closing remarks, Jennings asked the assmebled group of reporters about his performance.  The consensus: Keep that right leg in shape, Dave.
   

That must've been a great game!  What week in the season was that game from? 

The Giants' 1979 season was supposed to be redemption for what happened in 1978.  1978 started out rather promising but the Fumble only reassessed their mediocrity and it was downhill after that in the remaining games.  This is what happens when the offense is chopped liver compared to the defense; a team cannot live by defense alone. 

I totally forgot that Gravelle was sent to the Rams midway through the season.  What's interesting about this is that Gravelle had retired prior to the start of the 1979 season and then decided to come back, at least that's what I think happened.  Guess the MNF incident only made his return even more futile.  And to think Gravelle has two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers (he played for them from 1972-76, I think).

The 1979 NFL season began on September 2, 1979, and the Giants' were matched against the Eagles.  It was nine-and-a-half months earlier that they had met for the Fumble game.  Now, with a new head coach (Ray Perkins), would the Giants be in better shape the close out the '70s?  One thing still remained the same: the offense was still a trouble spot.

GIANTS STILL STUCK WITH WEAK OFFENSE
by Vinny DiTrani

this article appeared in The (Bergen) Record, September 2, 1979.  Excerpted by yours truly.

     PHILADELPHIA---Perhaps it's fitting that Ray Perkins debuts as Giants head coach today against the Philadelphia Eagles.  It was the Eagles, you may recall, who prompted ticket burnings and fly-overs last year by beating the Giants in the infamous Fumble Game at Giants Stadium.
     The furor raised by the incredible ending resulted in the appointment of George Young as general manager, and then Perkins as head coach, replacing John McVay.  Now, after a training period that produced more news than either Young or Perkins would have preferred, the "new" Giants wil be unveiled at Veterans Stadium.
     "I don't know how far this team will go, I really don't," admits Perkins.  "It's no secret we've had a few problems, but every team does.  That's not an excuse.
     "This team will go only as far as the attitude of the players will carry it.  Our success will depend upon how many people we have who really want to win.  That's how far we'll go."
     Linebacker Brian Kelley added: "We've had a lot of bad things happen in camp, but sometimes that works to draw a team together.  It just makes each guy work harder to make up for the problems.  I'm a firm believer in hard work paying off eventually, and we certainly have worked hard in training camp.
     "It might not pay off right away, but eventually it will."
     Perkins' theories, no matter how they sound, must be executed if they are to be worth anything.  Offensively, the soundest of theories can be negated by a porous offensive line.  And the Giants' line, entering today's Eagle game, must be considered questionable at best.
     Starting left tackle Gordon King is out for at least four games with a dislocated elbow, and starting right tackle Ron Mikolajczyk has been limping with tendinitis in his surgical knee.  Behind them are utility man Jim Pietrzak, rookie Dan Fowler, and waiver pickup Gus Coppens.  The outlook, at least until King and Mikolajczyk return to full health, is not promising.
     Jim Clack is steady at center.  The entire line picture should brighten in about four weeks when Brad Benson, who suffered a knee injury in late July, is scheduled to return from the injured list.
     If the line can give him protection, Joe Pisarcik could prosper under Perkins' theories.  Pisarcik was unhappy with the former Giant plan of attack, which used the forward pass almost exclusively in passing situations. 
     Perkins is entering the season with just three wide receivers, Jimmy Robinson, Johnny Perkins, and rookie Earnest Gray.  The three will rotate, as will tight ends Gary Shirk and Al Dixon, who are rated even going into the season.
     As far as the Giants' defense goes, Perkins apparently has found a capable replacement for the late Troy Archer in rookie Phil Tabor. 
     Pro Bowl players [Harry] Carson and Brad Van Pelt, plus the steady [Brian] Kelley, are the starting linebackers once again with veterans Dan Lloyd, Frank Marion, and John Skorupan in reserve.
     Perkins shouldn't have any problems with his kicking game, what with Pro Bowl punter Dave Jennings and dependable place-kicker Joe Danelo. 
     "We've still got a long way to go," Perkins admitted, "but I think we've come a long way together so far."

Does anybody remember watching the Monday Night Football game with the Giants and the Redskins on September 17, 1979?  Apparently, former Giant offensive lineman Gordon Gravelle wasn't too happy with how he was treated on television by a certain member of the play-by-play team.  Don't remember?  Read on...

COSELL, ABC HIT FOR GIANT MISTAKE
by Vinny DiTrani

this article appeared in The (Bergen) Record, September 20, 1979.

     EAST RUTHERFORD---The Giants offense didn't fool too many people Monday night, as the 27-0 final score indicated.  But at least three in attendance at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., were befuddled by one segment of the offensive unit: the left tackle position.
     And Gordon Gravelle is considering a suit against Howard Cosell, one of the three who jam the ABC booths for the Monday night games, for blaming him for sins committed by Gus Coppens.
     The mix-up occurred in the second half when Redskins end Coy Bacon rolled past Coppens, who was identified as Gravelle by play-by-play man Frank Gifford.
     "Frank knew Gravelle wasn't on the roster and asked the Redskins' PR department to find out the number he'd be wearing," said an ABC spokesman.  "They told him he was wearing No. 78."
     The broadcasting team took it for gospel even though No. 78 already was assigned to Coppens.  "And besides, what do they put the names on the back of the uniforms for?" asked Gravelle.
     So as the nation watched a player with "Coppens 78" on his back have trouble with Bacon, Cosell said, "I tell you the Giant linemen look like statues."
     "There they go around Gravelle again," said Gifford.
     "He may take another fine and go home now," added Cosell, referring to the $15,300 Gravelle was docked for missing training camp and the first week of the season.
     "I called my wife after the game and she was in hysterics," said Gravelle.  "It was slanderous.  I'm talking to my attorney about it and we're considering filing a suit against Cosell.
     "He is a disgrace to the broadcasting profession, the epitome of an arrogant egotist.  He is degrading to football."
     The ABC spokesman declined any comment on the proposed suit, but said, "As far as any blasting of Gravelle by Cosell, it wasn't there."
     "I understand he was referring to my staying out of camp," said Gravelle, who ended his retirement two weeks ago.  "A man of his caliber shouldn't be allowed to broadcast.  He takes away from the integrity of the football and allowed himself to be swayed into a false sense of importance with the American public.  The man doesn't know what he's talking about."
     This isn't the first case of mistaken identity that has shown up on Monday night telecasts.  The ABC broadcasting crew is notorius for mixing up names and numbers. 
     But neither Gravelle nor Coppens nor any of the other Giants' offensive linemen have grounds for any action against the announcers' critique of their performance.  Joe Pisarcik's battered body and the club's No. 14 rank in NFC rushing and total offense attest to that.

Kartanoman, great article!  I had mentioned that game last week in a thread about the Eagles and Giants matchup but no one responded to it. LOL!  I guess they must've had a few in them to realize what I had done! 

from THE BERGEN RECORD, August 8, 1979

ANOTHER TERRY BRADSHAW?

by Vinny DiTrani

  PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.--Ten years ago, the Steelers and Giants met in the preseason game that opened Three Rivers Stadium.  One of the stars of the 21-6 Steeler victory was a heralded, blond, rookie quarterback who threw a long touchdown pass.
  The Giants, Steelers, and Terry Bradshaw all will be back at Three Rivers Saturday night for the 10th anniversary of the stadium.  The game, however, will spotlight another heralded, blond, rookie quarterback who will be making his debut for the Giants.
  Ironically, when Phil Simms became the famous "Phil Who?" of the 1979 draft, the Giants' immediate reaction was to compare him to Bradshaw, who in his first 10 years out of Louisiana Tech has led the Steelers to three Super Bowl championships. 
  "When I think of the Steelers, I don't think about Bradshaw," Simms said yesterday as he prepared for his debut against the man he idolized most amongst NFL quarterbacks.  "He hasn't even crossed my mind.  I have to think about the Steelers' defense.  They do a lot of things, a lot of stunts, and I'm really going to have to be on my toes against them."
  Simms was held out of last Saturday's opening exhibition with the Browns.  Head coach Ray Perkins says the No. 1 draft pick from Morehead State and free agent Fred Besana will play the bulk of the game against the Steelers.  "I haven't decided how I'm going to split it yet," he said.  "I should know by Thursday."
  Simms says he doesn't know how much he'll play and whether he'll start the game.  All he's sure about is that he will play some and that he's anxious to give it a try.
  "The last 10 days I've really felt like I've improved a great deal," said Simms, who conceded he got off to a slow start in training camp.  "It took me a while to adjust to the new environment, new people, new routines.  Now I'm getting settled and concentrating bettereach practice."
  Simms talked near the riding stables at the Giants' Pace University training camp during yesterday's lunch break.  As he spoke, Gary Jeter, once a No. 1 draft pick himself, sauntered by and offered to serve as the quarterback's publicity man.  "I'll get you on the cover of Time magazine," Jeter promised.
  Then Brad Van Pelt strolled by and offered some juicy tidbits.  "Joe Pisarcik's too much of a playboy; Randy Dean's too straight.  What else can we say?" the veteran linebacker said with a laugh as Simms just shook his head.
  "I think the players here have accepted me," Simms said seriously.  "For a while they were feeling me out, and I was feeling them out.  But now I feel like one of the guys.  At least I like to think they've accepted me."
  And Simms also is learning to cope with the media attention that comes with his No. 1 selection.  "Some days I just don't have the time to talk with people, but they insist," he said.  "And it gets on my nerves.  I don't mind talking when I have the time, but there have been a few occasions when it has become a hassle."
  There has been improvement on all levels for Simms, but the one he most cherishes is the improvement on the field.  "The first few days I'd throw the ball well in the warmups and then couldn't throw at all in the drills," he said.  "But lately I've been throwing well throughout practice.  And, just as important, I've been picking up the reads.  The mental part is just as tough as the physical part."
  With Perkins, the mental part may be even tougher.  The new coach said he places the mind over the arm in his quarterback priorities.  Until Simms is mentally ready, he won't be the Giants' No. 1 quarterback.
  "I haven't set any timetable for myself, because really the whole thing isn't up to me," Simms said.  "I want to play, but I know the others have the experience edge over me.  How soon I get to play will depend upon them.  If they have a hard time, then I'll get my chance."
  Perkins hasn't offered any hints as to how his quarterbacks are shaping up.  "He doesn't say much to us either," said Simms.  "But I can feel that I've improved the last few days.  And I think the other players can see that improvement in me, too."
  Bradshaw wound up throwing 218 passes his rookie season of 1970 after beating out veterans Kent Nix and Terry Hanratty for the Steelers' starting job.  Whether Simms will throw nearly that many times for the Giants this years remains to be seen.

I don't know anything about Timberlake since my knowledge of the Giants starts roughly around 1969, but George Hunt, who was the kicker for the 1975 season, had his share of inexcusable mediocrity.  He actually beat out long-time kicker Pete Gogolak, who the Giants let go of two weeks before the start of the '75 season.  Then-coach Bill Arnsparger thought Hunt was kicking better than Gogolak in training camp.  Ditto Jim O'Brien, the former Colt kicker, who also was there for the 1975 training camp.  Fortunately the Giants got a miracle in Joe Danelo, who played from 1976-82.

K-Man, great pic!   

He played for the Giants from 1978-81, but Jim Clack will probably be remembered more for his days as a Pittsburgh Steeler, when he was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams (1975 and 1976). 

from THE BERGEN RECORD, Tuesday, July 25, 1978

GIANTS' NEW CENTER SEEKS TO RECAPTURE OLD FEELING (excerpted)
by Vinny DiTrani

  PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.--There was a point during the offseason, Jim Clack admits, when he wondered if he should report to the Giants' training camp at all.
  And all those close friendships he had built in eight years with the Steelers were about to be terminated.  "There couldn't be a better bunch of guys, a closer-knit group than we had in Pittsburgh," he said.
  But the hope of recapturing what he considered the greatest of his football experiences, the feeling of being part of a team on the upward trend, won out over Clack's doubts.  The Giants' new center, obtained from the Steelers with Ernie Pough for John Hicks, is sweating it out with the rest at the Giants' Pace training base.
  People questioned Clack's sanity for even wanting to play with a team like the Giants, after all those super (including two Super) seasons in Pittsburgh.
  Now, Clack finds himself with a relatively young team whose fans would go bonkers just for a late-season shot at the playoffs.  "There are parallels with this team and the Steelers," he said.  "I think we've got real talent on this team.  Now, it's just a matter of developing unity, getting some experience, and getting the breaks."
  Clack was a starting guard on the two Steelers championship teams, but now rejoins former teammate and roommate, Giant tackle Gordon Gravelle, as a center.  "I liked played guard, especially in Pittsburgh where we had a lot of action," he said.  "But hey, I'm 30 now, and moving back to center [he played there his first five years out of Wake Forest] might help add a few years to my career.
  "And, one of the main reasons I'm here is to see if in a couple of years what happened in Pittsburgh can happen here."  The upward climb, that is.

SIDENOTE: In this article, Clack had mentioned that the Steelers had gone from 1-13 (his rookie year) to 4-10 to 6-8 and then to the playoffs (in 1972).    A somewhat similar pattern had happened during Clack's four-season stay with the Giants: 6-10 (1978), 6-10 (1979), 4-12 (1980) and then 9-7 (1981), their first playoff season in roughly 18 years.  Four seasons to make it to the playoffs in Clack's tenures with the Steelers and the Giants.

Boy, does this bring back memories of watching "NFL's Greatest Moments" on ESPN back in the day.  You would think they would put those shows on ESPN Classic, but apparently they'd rather fill up their programming schedule with crap that nobody cares to watch,

From the Bergen Record, dated July 30, 1978 (excerpted)

GIANTS' OLD-TIMERS REUNITED
by Vinny DiTrani

   PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.-Wide receiver Brian DeRoo cuddled the pass from quarterback Randy Dean, then surrendered the ball upon receiving a terrifying jolt from cornerback Odis McKinney.  On the sidelines ex-corner Dick Lynch broke into a grin; and ex-receiver Joe Biscaha grimaced.
   Lynch and Biscaha were two of the 34 ex-Giant players who were reunited yesterday at the training camp at Pace University.  The gathering was the first event sponsored by the Giants' branch of the National Football League Alumni Association. 
   "There are about 18 chapters throughout the league," said former linebacker Tom Scott, who has organized the Giants' branch.  "We've been putting this together for about a year-and-a-half now, but we were waiting for the new stadium to get things rolling."
   Once the association is set, the players will be charged yearly dues to help keep it going.  "What we'll eventually have," Scott said, "is a mostly more social gathering."
   The first offcial in-season function of the chapter is Oct. 22 when the survivors of the 1938 NFL championship team gather at Giants Stadium for ceremonies prior to the game with the Redskins.  "We'll have a special day like that each year," said Scott.
   "The response has been excellent, especially from the older players.  Guys love to be recognized again.  When they quit playing, they split up, say good-by to each other, and maybe never get together again.  This is a way of bringing them all back together."
   Scott has received membership applications from the likes of Cong. Jack Kemp, who spent time on the Giants' taxi squad in 1958; and Pat Hughes and Don Herrmann, who are still active with the Saints. 
   The ex-players present yesterday watched the current Giants go through a pair of scrimmages.  After the short morning workout, Erich Barnes yelled to former teammate Dick Modzelewski, "Only 30 minutes?  If I knew you practiced only 30 minutes, I'd still be playing."
   Pete Gogolak, the popular placekicker, visited the locker room after the morning session. 
   Gogolak, who now runs a soccer camp in Connecticut, was in for a treat.  "I just love the smell," he said as he wandered through the lockers.  Then, the former placekicker was let in on an old secret. 
   "We're going to tell you who used to order all that beer on the road and charge it to you," Brian Kelley told Gogolak.  The culprits were Jack Gregory and former tackle Willie Young.

     

I don't know much about them, but I think Tucker Frederickson was one of them when he came to the Giants in 1965.

Quote from: Sam56 on October 09, 2008, 04:17:22 PM
Thanks drake.

Would seriously like the rest of our board to know of it's existance. It is a fantasticly easy way for a lot of our fans to learn about the Giants and our players over the decades.

Too bad a great many of them don't bother to come here.