This awesome video of ESPN’s 1981 draft coverage does just that, showing us a loosely organized get together inside a hotel ballroom, struggling with technical difficulties … as opposed to the multi-million dollar Radio City Music Hall spectacle it is today.

Watch as Pete Rozelle kicks things off with the selection of George Rogers and Lawrence Taylor, while a young Dr. Z (SI’s Paul Zimmerman) provides the pre-Kiper-era draft analysis:

Watch Part 2 after the jump:

PART 3 | PART 4

[H/T Adam Schefter]

(Photo via Reddit.com/r/nfl)

Basic math tells us the picture was taken in approximately 1958, and in it we find young William, pre-hoodie, sitting and smiling in the front of the stands at what was likely the U.S. Naval Acadamy, where his father was an assistant football coach.

If you look closely in his eyes, behind that innocent grin, you can tell little Bill is already putting together defensive schemes in his head.

[H/T Reddit.com/r/nfl]

Mike Golic might have a unique perspective on all this bounty talk

Here’s a fun little trip down memory lane! Back in 1989, the Buddy Ryan-led Philadelphia Eagles played their rival Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, in a nationally televised game that would forever come to be known as the “Bounty Bowl“.

In it, Ryan was accused by Dallas head coach Jimmy Johnson of placing a $200 bounty on kicker Luis Zendejas, and a $500 bounty on quarterback Troy Aikman. On the Cowboys’ only kickoff of the game, which Philadelphia won 27-0, Eagles linebacker Jesse Small sprinted straight at Zendejas (who had previously played for Ryan and the Eagles) in an obvious attempt to take him out. Zendejas dove to avoid the hit, but took a knee to the head resulting in a concussion, and setting off a firestorm of controversy.

Despite Johnson’s attempts to challenge Ryan to a fight in an alley, it was all fun and games in the media as Johnson made fun of Ryan’s “big, fat rear end”, who in turn deflected the controversy by making light of his own weight. Ryan also claimed that Zendejas was the one trying to injure Smalls, and wondered aloud “Why would we want to knock out that kicker? He wasn’t making any kicks at the time. We wanted him out there.”

On Monday, Mike Golic – who played for the Eagles in both games - said on ESPN that “there were bounties in that game”. But at the time, commissioner Paul Tagliabue turned the other cheek and exonerated Ryan of any wrongdoing - a claim that Ryan still clings to this day - and pretty much everyone got a big kick out the idea of bounties in football. Two weeks later, the league even promoted the re-match for ratings as “Bounty Bowl II”, which was marketed by CBS with wanted signs and became memorable for the snow/ice balls lobbed onto the field (and at announcers) by the Philadelphia fans.

BOUNTY BOWL VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

But now, 20+ years later, it seems that the attitudes in NFL locker rooms haven’t changed all that much, with the Saints bounty scandal as the news of the day, and more and more stories coming out about similar pay-for-performance systems being commonplace around the league. And this should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. Now, there’s a big gap between rewarding someone for making an interception or a sack (or even a big hit), and putting a dollar value on injuring a specific player … but at the end of the day, it all stems from the same mentality, and is not a good look for the league as it tries to clean up its image as a violent game.

The biggest difference today is that Roger Goodell certainly isn’t going to look the other way like Tagliabue, and is sure to drop the hammer on the New Orleans Saints and Gregg Williams (and possibly Sean Payton), to make an example out of them.

Interesting side note: Gregg Williams got his NFL coaching start as a member of the Houston Oilers staff in the early ’90s, where he worked under none other than defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. Hmmmm …

An early version of the now-classic Eli Manning face

This Manning home video - in all its 80′s VHS glory – has been on YouTube since 2009, but we hadn’t seen it until recently, and it’s a pretty fantastic slice of football history.

Watch young Eli Manning playing a game of pick-up football at his home in New Orleans, with his family looking on. It appears to be a birthday party of some sort, with Eli and his friends participating in one of the least-organized games you’ll ever see. Father Archie is the cameraman, brother Peyton is the ref, and mother Olivia is barely paying attention as Eli refuses to play two-hand touch, and cheats his way around the football field.

But it’s worth noting the two-time Super Bowl MVP’s preternatural leadership qualities on display at an early age (he’s clearly the one in charge out there), as well as the play where Eli goes down on the concrete part of the driveway, and simply brushes himself off as he gets back up and resumes playing. And then there’s the now-infamous Eli Manning face, as seen in the banner pic above. Some things never change.

Eventually, Archie steps in at all-time QB to bring some sanity to the proceedings (with Peyton taking over camera duties), delivering a touchdown strike to Eli before the video cuts out. But not before we get a small taste of what life growing up in the Manning household was like.

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

The steroid-feuled Alzado was a nightmare for opponents

Wow … this one really brings us back.

It was 1984, and a young MTV was sweeping the nation. In an attempt to tap-in to the up-and-coming music video market, NBC put together a series of sports highlights set to some of the day’s hottest hits for an end-of-year special. To give you an idea of how old I am, our high school football coach actually used to play these videos to get us fired up before games … and believe it or not, it worked. You’ve got to understand, at the time, most sports highlights were set to the old-school, classical, NFL Films-style music.  So to see the game set to our favorite music – stuff that we actually listened to – was a revelation. Hell, “Walk of Life” by Dire Straits is a great song, but I remember watching the music video for it over and over and over again, simply because it was set to sports highlights.

One of the more memorable clips from the special was this video about the bad boy-era Los Angeles Raiders, set to Duran Duran’s “Wild Boys”. As the defending Super Bowl champions, the 1984 Raiders were on top of the world, and they weren’t afraid to let people know it. With colorful personalities like Lyle Alzado, Todd Christiensen, Matt Millen and Marcus Allen, these Raiders mirrored to personality of their owner Al Davis and played with a chip on their shoulder. That same year, the US Supreme Court also upheld the Raiders victory in Davis’ antitrust case against the NFL, making the franchise the very definition of rebellion in professional sports. Unfortunately, they also seem to have gotten caught up in some of the LA hype, as evidenced by this video’s fashion show, and their wild card round exit from that year’s playoffs.

But this video still remains a treasured piece of NFL & pop culture history, and we’ll do our best to try and track down some of the other clips from that NBC special …

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

(Photo: Getty Images via SI.com)

The run that Eli Manning and the New York Giants put together this post-season was nothing short of remarkable, and after earning his second Super Bowl MVP, Manning has officially entered the pantheon of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks. For Giants fans, Manning’s success is vindication for the now-legendary 2004 draft day trade that brought Eli to New York instead of guys like Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers … it’s like we’ve watched him grow up before our very eyes and finally become the franchise quarterback we always hoped he could be.

But even the most pro-Eli fans in the world would admit to periods of doubt while watching Manning struggle through his early growing pains. The most memorable example was after his fourth NFL start as a rookie against the fearsome Baltimore Ravens, when Ray Lewis and Ed Reed turned young Eli into a quivering mess on the field, going 4 of 18 for 27 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions: a 0.0 passer rating. Many people thought it would be the end of little brother, but he ended up bouncing back the following week in a showdown against Big Ben, earning is teammates respect, and leading the Giants on what would become the first of many 4th quarter comebacks in the final game of the season against Dallas. There was something about this kid, after all.

Former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi – the man who pulled the trigger on that fateful draft day trade – saw something special in Eli all the way back in 2002, when he was just a junior at Ole Miss. That November, Accorsi went to Oxford, Missisippi to watch Manning take on Jason Campbell and the heavily favored Auburn Tigers … and what he saw on that day changed Giants franchise history forever.

From Accorsi’s summary:

Throws the ball, takes the hit, gets right back up… Has courage and poise. In my opinion, most of all, he has that quality you can’t define. Call it magic. As [former Baltimore Colts defensive back] Bobby Boyd told me once about Unitas, “Two things set him apart: his left testicle and his right testicle.”…

Read Accorsi’s entire scouting report from the game below, as re-printed from Tom Callahan’s book The GM: The Inside Story of a Dream Job and the Nightmares That Go With It.

Manning's poise under fire helped lift NY past the 49ers for the NFC Championship (Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images via NBCSports.com)

With the benefit of hindsight, and after watching Eli pull out comeback after comeback for his team as a pro, Accorsi’s assessment of Manning from almost ten years ago is insanely accurate and prescient. The traits he identified during one college game – courage, poise, toughness and that indefinable “magic” – are exactly what have allowed Eli to succeed in the NFL, almost down to the play (like the streaking pass down the left sideline, dropped perfectly over the shoulder of his receiver … sound familiar?).

It’s a report that will go down in Giants lore as a treasured historical document, to be marveled at by generations of football fans to come. And it makes Accorsi look like a freakin’ genius.

READ THE FULL SCOUTING REPORT AFTER THE JUMP

Nov 2, 2002 – Ole Miss vs Auburn

Wears left knee brace… During pregame warmup, didn’t look like he had a rocket arm… As game progressed, I saw excellent arm strength under pressure and the ability to get velocity on the ball on most throws. Good deep ball range. Good touch. Good vision and poise.

Sees the field… In shotgun on most plays and his only running option is a draw… his offensive line is poor. Red-shirt freshman left tackle. Eli doesn’t trust his protection. Can’t. No way he can take any form of a deep drop and look downfield. With no running game (10 yards rushing the first half) and no real top receivers, he’s stuck with the three-step drops and waiting til the last second to see if a receiver can get free. No tight end either. No flaring back. So he’s taking some big hits. Taking them well. Carried an overmatched team entirely on his shoulders. I imagine, except for Vanderbilt, his team is overmatched in every SEC game… He’s big, never gets rattled. Rallied his team from a 14-3 halftime deficit basically all by himself. Led them on two successive third quarter drives to go ahead, 17-16. The first touchdown, a 40-yard streak down the left sideline, he dropped the ball over the receiver’s right shoulder. Called the next touchdown pass himself, checking off to a 12-yard slant… Makes a lot of decisions on play calls at the line of scrimmage, but they ask too much of him. They don’t just let him play. This is a guy you should just let play… When he’s inaccurate, he’s usually high, but rarely off target to either side… Plays smart and with complete confidence. Doesn’t scold his teammates, but lets them know when they line up wrong or run the wrong pattern… Threw three interceptions. Two were his fault. Trying to force something both times. He could have run on one of them, a fourth down play. He has a lot to learn.

Summary: I think he’s the complete package. He’s not going to be a fast runner, but a little like Joe Montana, he has enough athletic ability to get out of trouble. Remember how Archie ran? In that department, Eli doesn’t have the best genes, although I never timed mom Olivia in the 40. But he has a feel for the pocket. Feels the rush.

Throws the ball, takes the hit, gets right back up… Has courage and poise. In my opinion, most of all, he has that quality you can’t define. Call it magic. As [former Baltimore Colts defensive back] Bobby Boyd told me once about Unitas, “Two things set him apart: his left testicle and his right testicle.”… Peyton had much better talent around him at Tennessee. But I honestly give this guy a chance to be better than his brother. Eli doesn’t get much help from the coaching staff. If he comes out early, we should move up to take him. These guys are rare, you know.

Ernie Accorsi

Paula Abdul reportedly did the choreography for this video (Image via Youtube.com)

Wow. I’ve been a Giants fan for as long as I can remember, but I don’t ever recall seeing this video before yesterday … and it’s absolutely, awesomely & hilariously awful.

Back in the ’80s – fresh on the heels of the Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle” sensation – getting sports teams to sing terrible songs and make even worse music videos became the cool thing to do. And during their own run toward Super Bowl XXI in 1986, some members of the New York Giants apparently couldn’t resist the seductive allure of the music biz either.

This video for the creatively titled “We’re the New York Giants” was shot in the old Giants Stadium on a budget of approximately $42, featuring a random collection of just eight Giants players with stars in their eyes, dancing (awkwardly) and lip synching in street clothes to a super-sweet electro/pop synth beat. And holding a deflated football.

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

It appears that the song was credited to “Manuel, Headen & Roberts”, which means that WR Lionel Manuel (in the blue baseball cap), backup LB Andy Headen (in the cowboy-meets-pimp hat), and OL William Roberts (in the shades and brown jacket) were the masterminds behind this track. The token white guy is DB Herb Welch, and we spot CB Mark Collins (checkered jacket) in there too, but otherwise we have no idea who the rest of these dudes are … and we desperately want to know who the guy in the white jacket and blue sweatpants tucked into his socks is. If you have any leads on any of the unidentified Giants, please post them in the comments.

We are the New York Giants
Don’t you know we’re great
Football is our business
Pasadena we can’t wait

The New York Giants is our name
Football is our game
Winning we proclaim
And drugs are not our thang …

That’s why we’re winners!
THAT’S WHY WE’RE WINNERS!

Weighty stuff. And as you can see from the pic of the original 12″ (available online for just $9.24!), it was the visionaries at A-1 Creative Records who thought it was a wise investment to put it on wax … I somehow doubt they recouped on this one.

Compiled in 2008 following their last Super Bowl run, this is by far the most comprehensive (and emotionally stirring) Giants highlights package we’ve ever seen. Featuring the highs and lows from New York’s storied franchise history – and with several classic moments from their rivalry with the Niners included – it is a must-watch for any fan of Big Blue.

Simply put, this is why I’m a fan of the New York Football Giants:

[Music – “This Is The Sea” by the Waterboys]

Sorry, but any objectivity we had been feigning until now goes right out the window today … GO GIANTS!!!

(Image via Sportsgrid.com)

We’re obviously a little late to the party on this, but the San Francisco 49ers took down the New Orleans Saints 36-32 in the game of the Divisional Playoff weekend, with Alex Smith delivering the game-winning TD to Vernon Davis on what will undoubtedly forever go down in San Francisco sports history as “The Catch III”. 

Both Smith and Davis turned in career-making performances and Smith finally delivered on his #1 pick expectations by out-dueling the NFL’s all-time single season passing leader (Drew Brees) in a game that saw four lead changes in the final 5 minutes! Smith had his NFL bar mitzvah and became a man on Saturday, finishing with 299 yards and 3 TDs passing, 0 INTs and one 28-yard rushing score to pus SF ahead late in the 4th.

For his part, Vernon Davis cemented himself in Niner lore with 7 catches for 180 yards and 2 TDs, including the game winner on a 14-yard strike from Smith with nine seconds remaining. After dominating all day long and when his team needed him most, Davis delivered a huge blow to Saints safety Roman Harper in the endzone and managed to hang onto the ball for the win.

On what was very nearly the 30th anniversary of the original “The Catch” – Dwight Clark‘s infamous touchdown grab in the 1981 NFC Championship game (1/10/82) – Davis’ play more closely resembled “The Catch II” by Terrell Owens in 1999, right down to crying on the shoulder of head coach Jim Harbaugh as he ran to the sideline (pic above).

VIDEO OF ALL THREE 49ERS “CATCHES” AFTER THE JUMP

But after the game, rather than embrace the obvious connection to his predecessors, Davis insisted that his catch go by a different name:

“You’ve got to call it “The Grab,’ ” Davis said of his play. “We were down. I had to make it happen to take my teammates where we want to go.”

“This is huge for us … It’s history, legendary, anything you can describe.”

Yeah … good luck with that, Vern.  It’s “The Catch III”. Get used to it.

The high-powered Saints offense also contributed five turnovers to the Niners’ cause, including 2 Brees interceptions, but give credit where credit is due. Much like their adopted team mascot the honey badger, Jim Harbaugh’s team took what it wanted and proved themselves the better team on this day. The win gives SF their first playoff win in nine years, and they’ll next play host to the New York Giants in Sunday’s NFC Championship game.

Now thanks to the wonders of Youtube, here are all three of the historic 49ers “Catches” in chronological order – Clark>Owens>Davis:

(Photo via forums.49ers.com)

In preparation for tomorrow’s game featuring the same two teams, and just because it’s awesome, we bring you this classic 1990 defensive struggle between the 10-1 New York Giants and 10-1 San Francisco 49ers. 

In it, we get a brilliant MNF broadcast with Michaels, Gifford and Dierdorf, featuring (among other greats) Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Jerry Rice, Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. And although the game didn’t see a lot of touchdowns, you’re watching one of the great offenses of its time squaring off against one of the best defenses in what would be a preview of that year’s NFC Championship game. It just works on so many levels.

So settle in and enjoy the full game … via YouTube user DaveMeggett, in all 13 glorious parts:

[H/T Reddit.com/r/NFL]