Creative Misfortune - Season 1 Sign-Off

The first of Creative Misfortune’s blog seasons has finally come to an end with the crowning of its Tournament of Past Champions champion – the 1999 St. Louis Rams. As we await the outcome of the NFL’s lockout, Creative Misfortune will now head into its offseason. While I am away, relive some of the many highlights during the first season of blogging action…

- Baseball, ironically, kicked this football blog off with a much celebrated reset of the classic Casey at the Bat poem – Mauer at the Bat. Relive the audio version here and the text version here.

- Soon after the Mauer bit, Letters of Misfortune were sent out to every NFL team.

- The great Brett Favre was sarcastically praised in the poem A Country Boy in Summer, which can be viewed here. Perhaps the 2010 Vikings season would have gone far differently had Favre shown up for training camp.

- Week-to-week Power Rankings led to the infamous Rocky-themed rankings of Week 13, found here.

- The first ever “If Real Football Used Fantasy Scoring…” champions – the 2010 New York Giants – were crowned in Week 16.

- Team by team Season Recaps filled the void following Super Bowl XLV.

- And last, but certainly not least, Creative Misfortune pitted 128 of the greatest champions in NFL History against one another in its Madness-style Tournament of Past Champions.

Creative Misfortune will return in the fall once the NFL has figured out its money woes. For now, go out and enjoy your summer! Do not long for the passing of days until the NFL returns. Laugh and live life to its fullest.

After all, life is about making some things happen, not waiting for something to happen.

May your Creativity know no bounds and

May Misfortune and Folly never find you!

Tournament of Past Champions ~ Championship Matchup

The two championship contenders - the Mythical bracket champion 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers and the Fabled bracket champion 1999 St. Louis Rams - have survived six rounds of intense, simulated action against the greatest of the great NFL champions of the past 70 years. Both teams have won games easily and both teams have also struggled to escape defeat by the slimmest of possible margins. But regardless of how they reached the championship game, they alone made it here while 126 other championship hopefuls fell by the wayside.

After all has been said and done, it is time for Creative Misfortune’s Tournament of Past Champions to be done. Now, on a simulated neutral field, the Tournament of Past Champions Championship Matchup gets underway, featuring the 20-seeded 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers vs the 11-seeded 1999 St. Louis Rams.

First Quarter:

St. Louis received the opening kickoff and sent their quick strike offense on the field. After two outside runs by Marshall Faulk netted only three yards, their third offensive play showed everybody why they were the Greatest Show on Turf. Isaac Bruce blazed down the right sideline and Kurt Warner hit him in stride a full five yards clear of the Steelers secondary. Bruce crossed the goal line without being touched and the Rams took an early 7-0 lead on the 77-yard bomb.

Pittsburgh, rattled by the early score, but undeterred, put their power running game on display when they first touched the ball. The Steelers pounded the Rams and marched down the field on the strength of the O-Line and Franco Harris. Their long drive finally stalled inside the Rams 20-yard line. A field goal put the Steelers on the scoreboard, though they still trailed 7-3.

St. Louis countered with more precision passing and reached deep into Pittsburgh territory once again before they, too, kicked a field goal as the quarter ended.

End of First Quarter: St. Louis 10, Pittsburgh 3

Second Quarter:

The Steelers again marched the ball into field goal range on their first drive of the second quarter with another heavy dose of Franco Harris and some timely play-action passes to close the deficit to 10-6. Both offenses sputtered and traded punts following the Steelers score.

Late in the second quarter Warner finally got the Rams moving again and connected with Torry Holt on a quick slant that covered 17 yards for another St. Louis touchdown.

Down 17-6 at the two minute warning, Bradshaw managed to convert one first down for the Steelers, but three straight incompletions ended their drive. Warner kneeled down after a Steelers punt, content to take St. Louis into the locker room with the lead.

Halftime: St. Louis 17, Pittsburgh 6

Third Quarter:

After fiery halftime locker room speeches, the Steelers came out of the break loaded for Ram and immediately set to work. Punishing runs, play-action passes and a deep out route to Lynn Swann all contributed to a touchdown drive punctuated by Franco Harris to pull the Steelers within four points.

Still leading 17-13, the Rams offense struggled and failed to move the chains on their first second-half drive. The teams alternated punts until the Pittsburgh D picked off an errant Warner pass and returned the ball deep into Rams territory. Four plays later, the Steelers kicked another field goal and the quarter ended with St. Louis nursing the slimmest of leads.

End of Third Quarter: St. Louis 17, Pittsburgh 16

Fourth Quarter:

The fourth quarter continued the defensive standstill of the third quarter. Neither the Rams nor the Steelers were able to advance the ball past midfield. As the seconds ticked away, each team thwarted the other at every opportunity. With six minutes remaining in the game, still leading by one, St. Louis caught a break when Pittsburgh’s punt coverage broke down and Az-Zahir Hakim scampered 63 yards to the Steelers 27-yard line. Four plays later, with little over four minutes remaining, Kurt Warner hit Isaac Bruce for a 7-yard touchdown pass.

Pittsburgh received the ensuing kickoff, down 24-16, and set their passing game in motion. Lax zone coverage by the Rams allowed the Steelers to get across midfield in three quick plays. An incompletion stopped the clock just outside of two minutes. Steelers fans looked grim in the stands. Their team, down by eight, still needed to cover 34 yards to get into the end zone. A draw play to Franco Harris on second down netted Pittsburgh 12 yards and the two-minute warning came with 1:53 showing on the clock.

The Rams tightened their coverage and blitzed on first down, though Bradshaw read the blitz and hit Swann for a quick pickup of five yards. 1:37… 1:36… 1:35… The clock counted down. An incomplete fade pass to John Stallworth on second down stopped the clock at 1:24. Third down and five, a hitch to Tight End Bennie Cunningham netted a first down, but little else, and Pittsburgh was forced to take their final timeout with 57 seconds remaining, still 11 yards away from a touchdown and a possible game-tying two-point conversion.

Bradshaw missed on his first down pass and was forced to throw the ball away when flushed out of the pocket on second down. 31 seconds remained with the Steelers facing a long third down with no timeouts. Pittsburgh split Wide Receivers Stallworth and Swann out wide and then hit Franco Harris on a flare pass out of the backfield. Harris fought his way out of bounds at the four yard line.

Fourth down. 19 seconds remaining. Four yards from the end zone. Bradshaw took the snap, glanced left, and then fired the ball right to Stallworth. The ball hit Stallworth’s hands at the goal line just as Rams Cornerback Todd Lyght barreled into the fleet-footed receiver. The football caromed into the air and was corralled by Rams Linebacker London Fletcher in the end zone for a touchback.

Kurt Warner gathered the Rams offense at the 20-yard line, called for the final snap and ended the Championship Game with a kneeldown.   

Final Score: St. Louis 24, Pittsburgh 16

Congratulations to the

1999 St. Louis Rams.

Creative Misfortune’s Tournament of Past Champions

Champion of Champions

Tomorrow, the final blog announcement of Creative Misfortune’s first season…

Tournament of Past Champions ~ Elite 4 Matchup – Battle of the ‘70s

Like the Green Bay Packers, the Mythical bracket champion 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers are quite familiar with championship games. The last of the great Steelers teams of the 70’s, the ’79 Steelers have alone among their franchise brethren emerged from the bracket competition of Creative Misfortune’s Tournament of Past Champions. Led by an experienced Terry Bradshaw, the fleet-footed and powerful Franco Harris and a dominating defense, Pittsburgh fought their way through round after round of tournament action.

Entering the tournament feeling disrespected at being a 20-seed (earned by a less than scintillating 12-4 regular season record), the ’79 Steelers soon proved they were a team to be reckoned with. A dominating, opening round 26-17 victory over the 2004 Philadelphia Eagles gave way to a gut-check, 17-16 win over the 1992 Buffalo Bills- a matchup in which the Steelers only managed to win 8 of the 20 simulations outright.

Pittsburgh recovered in round three by knocking out the 1992 Dallas Cowboys (no less) in a 16-10 defensive battle. A Fortunate 16 round defeat of the 1963 San Diego Chargers propelled them into the Mythical bracket championship game against the veteran 1949 Philadelphia Eagles. 20 gritty simulations later, the ’79 Steelers walked away with a narrow 14-12 victory and moved on to face the 1977 Dallas Cowboys in the Elite 4.

For their part, the Dauntless bracket champion 1977 Dallas Cowboys came into the tournament seeded eighth and their defense made quick work of their first round opponent, the 1965 AFL Champion Buffalo Bills. At the final gun, the Cowboys moved onto round two with a 17-7 win. There they faced one of the fabled Cleveland teams of the late ‘40s, but Dallas handled the ’47 Browns easily, 14-10.

The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins stood between the Cowboys and a spot in the Fortunate 16. Defense prevailed for Dallas again and the top-seeded Dolphins were undefeated no more- swept from the tournament by the score of 17-14. Following the victory over the Dolphins, the 1994 San Francisco 49ers ended up being a strong, yet beatable team, and Dallas advanced to the Dauntless bracket championship game with another 17-14 victory.

The 1967 Oakland Raiders remained Dallas’ last contest in bracket competition. Despite their offensive capabilities, the Cowboys shut down Oakland’s passing game to clinch the Dauntless bracket championship with a narrow 16-14 win.

Now, on a simulated neutral field, the second of the Elite 4 Tournament of Past Champions matchups gets underway, featuring the 20-seeded 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers vs the 8-seeded 1977 Dallas Cowboys.

First Quarter:

Pittsburgh took the opening kickoff and set out immediately to show the Dallas defense they weren’t afraid of them. Power runs, both inside and outside, kept the Cowboys guessing. A 20-yard play-action pass to Lynn Swann set the Steelers up for a field goal and they took an early 3-0 lead.

Dallas failed to move the ball in response and quarterback Roger Staubach was hit from behind and fumbled for the game’s first turnover. Four plays later Franco Harris pounded the ball in from the three-yard line and Pittsburgh maintained a solid, 10-0 lead as the first quarter came to a close.

End of First Quarter: Pittsburgh 10, Dallas 0

Second Quarter:

The Steelers defense continued to dominate and forced Dallas into three successive three-and-outs. By contrast, the Pittsburgh offense moved the ball at will against the Cowboys defense. A field goal early in the quarter expanded Pittsburgh’s lead to 13 and another with six minutes to go in the first half put the Steelers up 16-0. Dallas, however, refused to lie down before their foes.

Roger Staubach opened up Dallas’ two-minute drill early and hit seven straight passes before connecting with Drew Pearson on a fade route to the back corner of the end zone to give Dallas their first score of the game as the half ended.

Halftime: Pittsburgh 16, Dallas 7

Third Quarter:

The Cowboys received the second-half kickoff and went right back to work. The Steelers, suddenly unable to stop Dallas’ passing attack, fell back into nickel and dime coverages, but Staubach still carved them up with his precision passes. Seven minutes into the quarter, Staubach connected with Tight End Billy Joe Dupree across the middle for his second touchdown of the game. The Steelers defense walked off the field shouting at each other, angry that their early 16-0 lead had nearly been squandered.

The Steelers took possession of the ball and responded to the Cowboys score with a heavy dose of Franco Harris. The powerful running back moved the chains time and time again, helped by a few key play-action pass conversions on third down. The Cowboys defense looked winded as the third quarter came to a close, despite being down by only two points.

End of Third Quarter: Pittsburgh 16, Dallas 14

Fourth Quarter:

The Steelers kept their running game going into the fourth quarter and Dallas had no answer for their powerful rushing attack. Franco Harris broke two tackles in the middle of the line and bounced the ball to the outside where he scampered 24 yards for another touchdown. Dallas, down by two scores with time running out, went into hurry-up mode once again, but Pittsburgh’s relentless pass rush forced Staubach to scramble out of the pocket and throw the ball away. More incompletions led to a stalled Dallas drive and they punted with six minutes left to play.

Pittsburgh once again relied on the power of their offensive line and ended the game with kneel downs after they moved the chains three times against the winded Dallas defense.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 23, Dallas 14

Congratulations to the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers.

They will now face the 1999 St. Louis Rams to determine Creative Misfortune's Ultimate Champion of Past Champions.

Check back on Thursday to see which of these two great teams will emerge victorious in Creative Misfortune’s final Tournament of Past Champions matchup…

Tournament of Past Champions ~ Elite 4 Matchup – Battle of the ‘90s

The Legendary Bracket champion 1996 Green Bay Packers are no strangers to big games. The last surviving team from Titletown, USA, the Super Bowl XXXI champion ’96 Packers, led by young Brett Favre, rolled through their bracket matchups, despite entering the tournament seeded 12^th, based on their regular season win percentage.

Their journey started with a solid, if underwhelming, 17-13 victory over the 2000 New York Giants, followed by a second-round win against the 2003 New England Patriots. Another modern era team matched up with them in the third round, but the ’93 Cowboys were no match for the ’96 Packers and fell, 21-17.

When Favre led them onto the field for their Fortunate 16 matchup against the tournament’s top seeded 2007 New England Patriots, it looked like the Pack’s run was at an end, but an MVP performance shocked the world as the Packers not only defeated the Patriots, but completely outclassed them by winning a surprising 16 of 20 simulations en route to a 24-16 victory.

Momentum carried them to victory in a gritty, defensive battle against the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, all that stands between the 1996 Packers and another title game appearance is the upstart, Fabled bracket champions, the 1999 St. Louis Rams.

The Rams opened their tournament with a dominating 21-13 victory over the 1958 Baltimore Colts and really hit their stride in the second round when they absolutely crushed the 2001 New England Patriots, 29-12, in a matchup where they won every possible simulated game and avenged a real-world loss by the 2001 St. Louis Rams in the process.

St. Louis struggled mightily against the ’95 Cowboys in round three and managed to advance despite winning less than half of the simulations, but managed to find their high gear again when they defeated the 1962 Packers in their Fortunate 16 matchup, 21-14.

The Greatest Show on Turf punched their ticket to the Elite 4 with a gutty, one-point victory over the #1 seeded, 1985 Chicago Bears.

Now, on a simulated neutral field, the first of the Elite 4 Tournament of Past Champions matchups gets underway featuring the 12-seeded 1996 Green Bay Packers vs the 11-seeded 1999 St. Louis Rams.

First Quarter:

St. Louis struck first when they took the opening kick-off and steadily drove down the field. Their balanced attack kept the Packers guessing and they came away with an early field goal to go up 3-0. Green Bay countered with a long drive of their own that faltered in the red zone, though they tied it up with a field goal of their own.  

The Rams offense kicked into a higher gear and moved the ball freely down the field. A quick slant TD strike from Kurt Warner to Torry Holt gave the Rams a 7-point lead. The quarter ended when both quarterbacks traded interceptions at midfield.

End of First Quarter: St. Louis 10, Green Bay 3

Second Quarter:

Green Bay took over and Favre marched the Packers down the field only to stall once again outside of field goal range. Warner missed on his next few passes, but Marshall Faulk picked up the slack and helped get the Rams out of the shadow of their end zone. The two teams traded punts at midfield. With little time remaining in the first half, Warner played perfect pass-and-catch with his receivers during the two-minute drill. The Rams tacked on another field goal as the half expired and headed into the locker room with a comfortable, 10-point lead.

           

Halftime: St. Louis 13, Green Bay 3

Third Quarter:

The Packers went three-and-out on their first drive and punted the ball away to open the second half. On the Rams' second play from scrimmage, Warner hit Isaac Bruce streaking down the far sideline for a devastating, quick-strike touchdown. The Packers defense walked off the field shaking their head at the scoreboard. Favre took the offense back onto the field following the ensuing kick-off, grim determination on his face, his team now down by 17 with little over a quarter-and-a-half to play.

The Green Bay offense did not strike quickly, but moved the ball efficiently down the field. After long runs by Dorsey Levens and Edgar Bennett, Favre connected with Antonio Freeman in the back corner of the end zone to give the Packers some life. Both offenses stalled following the Packers touchdown and the quarter ended with St. Louis in control of both the ball and the scoreboard.

End of the Third Quarter: St. Louis 20, Green Bay 10

Fourth Quarter:

St. Louis, content to keep the clock moving, handed the ball off to Marshall Faulk and kept the chains moving with their short, precision passing game. The Green Bay defense could do little to stop them, but finally caught a break when a well-timed blitz sacked Warner on third down in Green Bay territory, forcing the Rams to try a long field goal. The field goal missed wide and Favre rushed the Packers offense back out onto the field. Playing like a gunslinger, Favre quickly led the Pack down the field and pulled them within one score when Dorsey Levens pounded the ball in from the one-yard line.

The Packers, down by three with just over five minutes left to play, kicked away. An untimely three-and-out by St. Louis made the stadium start rocking as Green-and-Gold fans cheered for another great Favre comeback. Green Bay’s offense picked up where it left off and marched right back down the field. With just over a minute remaining, Favre was flushed from the pocket and was hit just as he launched a dangerous pass across the middle toward Antonio Freeman. The pass was intercepted just short of the goal line as Favre was driven into the turf by two Ram linebackers.

The stadium fell silent as Warner made two successive kneel downs inside his own five-yard line to end the game and knock the 1996 Green Bay Packers out of the tournament.

Final Score: St. Louis 20, Green Bay 17

Congratulations to the 1999 St. Louis Rams.

They now wait for their championship opponent – either the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers or the 1977 Dallas Cowboys.

Check back tomorrow to see which of the great ‘70s franchises will take their place alongside the 1999 St. Louis Rams in the Tournament of Past Champions Title Game…