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Roland Hooks and Super Joe!


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I was also at that game - I remember the fans streaming out of the stadium and I told my brother "We aren't leaving - this will be an Alcoa Fantastic Finish!"  (old timers will get the reference).

 

The catch by Hooks may be the most remarkable sports play I've ever seen live.  We were in the end zone and I can still picture plain as day the ball leaving Fergy's hand and sailing down the middle and then the catch.  OMG.  What an unbelievable catch - and to see it live in the moment it was even better - I'll never forget it.

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4 minutes ago, stevewin said:

I was also at that game - I remember the fans streaming out of the stadium and I told my brother "We aren't leaving - this will be an Alcoa Fantastic Finish!"  (old timers will get the reference).

 

The catch by Hooks may be the most remarkable sports play I've ever seen live.  We were in the end zone and I can still picture plain as day the ball leaving Fergy's hand and sailing down the middle and then the catch.  OMG.  What an unbelievable catch - and to see it live in the moment it was even better - I'll never forget it.

It was an incredible catch! I saw the highlights after turning off the tv. Technology of the 70's

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1 hour ago, plenzmd1 said:

Anyway,t he term Hail Mary had not been used yet..

 

I believe it was Roger Staubach who coined the term after a late game heave to Drew Pearson won a playoff game against the Vikings in Minnesota.  1971 or 72?

 

Anyways, after the game, Staubach said he just threw the ball up there, said a Hail Mary, and hoped for the best.  It's been called a "Hail Mary" play ever since.

 

And that is your history lesson for the day...

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17 minutes ago, Ned Flanders said:

 

I believe it was Roger Staubach who coined the term after a late game heave to Drew Pearson won a playoff game against the Vikings in Minnesota.  1971 or 72?

 

Anyways, after the game, Staubach said he just threw the ball up there, said a Hail Mary, and hoped for the best.  It's been called a "Hail Mary" play ever since.

 

And that is your history lesson for the day...

That was when it was first used but..as mentioned in 79 Bills still called it the Big Ben..thinkin maybe in the 80's did it offcially become "a hail Mary" pass

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7 hours ago, Rocket94 said:

After discussing Jerry Butler, I suppose it triggered another "moment" from the Bills past. The 1981 game against New England where Joe Ferguson and Roland Hooks  "Hooked" up and beat the Pats. I remember that the Bills were down...I remember turning off the TV thinking the Bills would come back If I did. Sure enoigh they did! Does anyone have the video? Please post it!

 

Roland Hooks?  Who?  Never heard of him

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1 hour ago, plenzmd1 said:

That was when it was first used but..as mentioned in 79 Bills still called it the Big Ben..thinkin maybe in the 80's did it offcially become "a hail Mary" pass

 

It was called Big Ben because that's what it was called the first time it was successfully used - by the Atlanta Falcons.

 

Staubach's pass was a true Hail Mary, as it was just a pass launched in hopes his receiver would catch it. But in 1978 the rules were changed so that an offensive player could tip a pass to another offensive player. Before then it was illegal. The Falcons practiced doing this and called the play Big Ben for whatever reason. And the first time they used it it worked - twice actually, except they didn't have replay reviews and the refs blew the second one. The NFL being a copy cat league, naturally everybody started practicing and using the play, and most of them, as well as the announcers, called it Big Ben just because that's what it was originally called. It had nothing to do with Ben Williams. Then over the years it just became fashionable to call it Hail Mary - again.

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8 hours ago, Dave in Bluffton said:

I was at the game as well and we left because it started snowing and game seemed out of reach.  We heard the crowd roar and tried to turn around as we were walking to our car outside Rich, but too late.  It would have been my first live look at a "Hail Mary"  Fergy rightfully deserves praise for his abilities and that was a great demonstration of what he could do.  I think some of his heroics are overshadowed by blunders at critical times.  Not sure how I would rank him as Bills QB but probably 3rd after Kelly and Lamonica.

I was there too ... in the parking lot because Dad wanted to leave ... only hear the cheers and “Here's the replay on the scoreboard” and we watched it from the north lot on that amber lit beauty!

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2 hours ago, Bills Fan in Haiti said:

I was there too ... in the parking lot because Dad wanted to leave ... only hear the cheers and “Here's the replay on the scoreboard” and we watched it from the north lot on that amber lit beauty!

Those were good times. I missed that game. A local bar used to have bus excursions to the games. Some of the fans on the bus were so drunk...they slept through the game. 

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11 minutes ago, Helpmenow said:

I have all the bills home playoff games tickets as well.  Kept them all those years. Moved all over the country with em.

Those were fun years. I expected us to win every week!

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13 hours ago, Rocket94 said:

After discussing Jerry Butler, I suppose it triggered another "moment" from the Bills past. The 1981 game against New England where Joe Ferguson and Roland Hooks  "Hooked" up and beat the Pats. I remember that the Bills were down...I remember turning off the TV thinking the Bills would come back If I did. Sure enoigh they did! Does anyone have the video? Please post it!

 

8 hours ago, Rocket94 said:

It was an incredible catch! I saw the highlights after turning off the tv. Technology of the 70's

 

 I remember seeing the highlights on an 'Alcoa Fantastic Finishes' clip. They used to show them during Sunday games at the two minute warning before halftime. It was awesome.

 

 

1 hour ago, Helpmenow said:

Got the game tix, who else has it

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Never left a game early. There was nobody there. We had a great view of the catch

 

Nice  keepsake but it's not for the Roland Hooks game winner in '81. You're 6 years too late.

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8 hours ago, stevewin said:

I was also at that game - I remember the fans streaming out of the stadium and I told my brother "We aren't leaving - this will be an Alcoa Fantastic Finish!"  (old timers will get the reference).

 

The catch by Hooks may be the most remarkable sports play I've ever seen live.  We were in the end zone and I can still picture plain as day the ball leaving Fergy's hand and sailing down the middle and then the catch.  OMG.  What an unbelievable catch - and to see it live in the moment it was even better - I'll never forget it.

Yes...The Alcoa highlight flashes with the deep voiced narrator!

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It was my Dad’s birthday and we left.

We just got out of the stadium when we heard the roar of the remaining crowd. 

By the time we got to the car the game was over and we won.

My Dad said it was his birthday present.

 

EJ did the same for me at the Panthers game on my ? 

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