On December 31, 1988, the Chicago Bears defeated the
Philadelphia Eagles, 20-12, in a playoff game plagued
by a thick fog starting late in the first half.
Playing conditions at Soldier Field in Chicago become
problematic, and fans in attendance and television
viewers struggled to see the game, dubbed the "Fog
Bowl" by media.
The 20-12 victory by the home team put them into their
first NFC Championship since 1985.
On December 25, 1971, Garo Yepremian kicked a 37-yard field
goal in the second overtime of an AFC playoff game to give the
Miami Dolphins a 27-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the
longest game in NFL history.
Game time elapsed for the Christmas contest: 82 minutes and
40 seconds.
"After I kicked the ball," Yepremian told reporters, "I look up
at the sky and thank God for giving me the chance to kick it."
Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian
(2 June 1944 – 15 May 2015)
(FOX NEWS) – Former NFL Hall of Famer and Eagles linebacker
Bill Bergey died today. He was 79.
Bergey, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1974-1980,
had been battling cancer for the past few years.
On December 18, 1932, the Chicago Bears defeated the
Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans, 9-0, in the NFL’s first playoff
game—and first game played indoors.
The victory gave the Bears the championship and leads to
a playoff system for the first time. Because of frigid weather
and waist-deep snow, the game was moved from Wrigley
Field to Chicago Stadium, home of the city’s NHL team.
On December 10, 1922, the Canton Bulldogs defeated the Toledo Maroons, 19-0, and are declared the first champion of the newly
renamed National Football League.
Canton finished the season 10-0-2, allowing 15 points, producing
nine shutouts. The league champion is determined by best regular-season record.
Future Hall of Famer William Pete Henry, a 5-foot-11, 245-pound
tackle and kicker, and player-coach Guy Chamberlin were the
team’s stars.
