Halloween Moments In Kisstory! - by Scott Carr

October 31, 2017 Scott Carr

Probably no other band is better suited for Halloween than Kiss, well maybe Alice Cooper but Kiss has had a lot of cool Halloween related moments over the years and I thought I would take a moment to compile some of my favorites.

1. The Tom Snyder Interview

On Halloween Eve of 1979 the four members of Kiss went to NBC Studios in New York City to do a full length interview with Tom Snyder. Tom had a late night talk show called Tomorrow that aired right after The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Tomorrow would eventually be replaced by Late Night With David Letterman in 1982.

Hands down this is one of the best moments in Kisstory. If you are a Kiss fan and haven't seen it, you are in for a treat. The band were on tour supporting their album Dynasty that had been released earlier in the year and was the group's return after releasing their solo albums the previous year.

Guitarist Ace Frehley is in rare form during the entire interview and absolutely steals the show. I'm not sure that was his intent going into the show but once he gets rolling there's no turning back. Group leaders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons play the straight men throughout the interview and seem a bit put off by Ace's activity but Tom Snyder seems very intrigued by Ace and continues to give Ace free reign.

So, check it out. It will make you day much brighter......

KISS appeared on "The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder on October 31st, 1979. Called "The Halloween Special". It would be the most loved and also the last interview of all 4 original members of KISS on TV. The chemistry between the members of KISS is "strained" to say the least.

2. Paul Lynde Halloween Special

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special was a Halloween themed variety show that feature campy skits from comedian Paul Lynde and various other celebrities such as Betty White, Florence Henderson, Marie Osmond and others. Kiss was the musical guest.

The special aired on October 29, 1976.

Kiss Lip-synched three songs during the show, all from their current album Destroyer. Although not a live performance, this remains as an iconic moment in Kisstory and many Kiss fans can tell you what they were doing and where they were at the night this show aired.

I was attending a wedding for a family friend. I drove my parents crazy and was protesting the whole event because I knew Kiss was gonna be on TV that evening! My protests did me no good and I got pulled by my ear to the wedding. Luckily my brooding face throughout the ceremony prompted my family to leave the reception early and we got home just in time to see the show. Life was good......

Also from this show there is also a song by Beth, but YouTube blocked it

3. Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park

October 28, 1978 the first and only Kiss movie aired on the NBC Saturday Night Movie.

Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park was released a little over a month after Kiss had released the Kiss Solo Albums. Kissteria was in high gear and it seemed the band could do no wrong.

Over the years the movie has become somewhat of a cult classic but I remember watching it as a kid and thinking "man, this movie is kinda lame". My biggest frustration with the film at that young age was, it seemed like it took forever for the band to make an appearance.

The coolest parts for me now are the opening credits scene and the concert footage towards the end. The "Real" Kiss battling the "evil" Kiss is pretty cool too.

Check out the clip below that features all the films dialogue from the band members, it clocks in under 4 minutes......

Uploaded by Trash Film Orgy on 2015-09-14.

KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978) with everything cut out but KISS's dialogue

COMMERCIAL - NBC bumper for Kiss Meets the Phantom - 1978

4.. Kiss MTV Unplugged Debuts

In August 1995 Kiss recorded a performance for MTV's highly successful MTV Unplugged series. This show would debut on Halloween night October 31st, 1995.

In 1995 Kiss launched the official Kiss Konvention Tour and had been traveling the country hosting day long events in different cities. The event included vendors selling everything Kiss, a traveling museum of Kiss artifacts and other Kiss related festivities. Each event featured a Q&A session with the band and a special unplugged performance.

When it was announced that Kiss would be taping MTV Unplugged, rumors were floating around the original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would be joining the band. This would mark the first time the four original members had played together since 1979. To the surprise of Kiss fans around the world, the rumor became reality. Near the end of the set Ace and Peter were brought out to perform with the band. This performance would plant the seed for a full blown Kiss reunion in 1996.

Kiss MTV Unplugged stands as one of my favorite Kiss moments ever, who knew Kiss songs could sound so good stripped down.

Created In - Sony Music Studios, NYC, August 8 Aired In - October 31, 1995

5. Psycho Circus Tour Kick Off At Dodgers Stadium

After reuniting the four original members in 1996 and touring the world for almost two years, Kiss returned with a new studio Psycho Circus on September 22, 1998.

The Psycho Circus World Tour kicked off at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Halloween Night October 31st, 1998.

The Smashing Pumkins opened the show dressed as the Beatles. The concert was streamed on the internet and a radio broadcast. Two songs were broadcast live on Fox Television.

Original KISS well into the "Reunion" perform on Halloween eve @ Dodger Stadium . Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Gene Simmons .

6. Halloween Dance Party At The Agora - Columbus, Ohio

Halloween Eve October 30, 1974 Kiss performed at The Agora in Columbus, Ohio.

Just one week earlier Kiss had released their second album Hotter Than Hell.

I did not attend this show but I have lived in Columbus since the early 90's and have attended many shows at this venue which has been called The Newport Music Hall for decades. When I first started going to shows at The Newport (Agora), it was hard to wrap my mind around Kiss playing such a small venue. If only I could time travel.

The show was sold out with 2,000 in attendance. It is rumored that during the perfomance there was a power failure and the lights went out. The band reportedly passed out candles from their on stage candleabra's until the lights came back up. I can not confirm this but how cool is that!

Check out the poster below. $3 bucks gets you in the door......

My costume needs a little work but I had the mask! Happy Halloween!

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps andReturning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Crew Chatter with Brian Phillips and Greg Bartram - #savethecrew

October 31, 2017 Colin Gawel

--Have you guys ever seen a more exciting 0-0 game than the one in Atlanta last Thursday?

BP - Me? I'm sure I have, but this one was right up there. End to end, some posts and cross bars struck. Great goalkeeping. Tons of running. Great game!

GB - Really don't think I have. I sure can't remember one, of for no reason than it was a win-or-be-done knockout match. And to look at the scoreline doesn't do the match justice. Lots of opportunities, and lots of offense. I was on my feet the last 40 minutes.

--Crew goalie Zach Steffen looked to these eyes to be playing at a World Cup level. Was he just having a good night or is he destined for big things?

BP - Whatever happens to Crew SC this kid needs a serious look. So athletic! That save he made to open the PK shootout is as good as it gets. As the ESPN guys pointed out he had to essentially reach behind himself to flick it out of danger. You can't teach that shit.

GB - Let's not just look at this game. Lets not forget that he robbed Eurolegend David Villa the game prior, both on a PK and on a point-blank shot as well. When the season started, I wasn't sure what to make of him, but he's absolutely made a statement. The USMNT would be crazy not to give him a look. Tim Howard and Brad Guzan aren't the youngest of guys, and by the time you tack on four more years in age and wear-and-tear, I think it'll be time for the next generation to step in and make their statements.

--When a Crew goal was taken away for offside and not reviewed my conspiracy senses started tingling. Isn’t the Crew advancing embarrassing for the league?

BP - I won't buy into conspiracy theories because MLS linesmen have always been garbage. Nothing new. Is a Crew SC run potentially embarrassing? No. I don't think they're capable of embarrassment. Is it awkward? Maybe. I don't know. These people used to have a good business plan. I think they threw it out a few years back.

GB - Here's the thing on that. The whistle blew. That stops the play and prevents review. Was the whistle premature? Absolutely. Did the official let play go on longer shortly after this one, which would have allowed a review if it had been needed? Yep. Conspiracy? I'm not ready to go there. Alternately, the official realized on the Crew SC goal/nongoal that he'd screwed the pooch, and made sure he administrated correctly the next time. As far as Columbus advancing, I don't think it's an embarrassment so much as simple business. We talk about it every year when a smaller market NFL or NBA team goes to the finals...the leagues are going to want the markets to advance that will put the most eyeballs on the most television sets in order to maximize their visibility. Simple business. The embarrassment goes around Teh Drama. There are eyes all over the soccer world on #SaveTheCrew signs, from College Gameday (WELL DONE, FANS!!!) to other supporters' groups around the league. The unspoken secret here would be that, the farther Columbus advances, the more eyeballs that are gonna be drawn to it, with Columbus Crew SC playing the Little Engine That Could., and picking up support from those other teams' supporter groups at least for the short-term.

--Along those lines,with the USA failing to qualify for the World Cup, isn’t this possible move of an original team another black eye for the sport?

BP - Yes. Terrible black eye. The fact that MLS doesn't seem to see that is a huge problem.

GB - It's unbelievably shortsighted. The thing they missed is that, no matter how much other supporters' groups might make fun of our stadium here, every one of them love it when they come to support the USMNT here. Every single one of them. Dos A Cero took on a life of its own, and until the USMNT lost in the most recent Mexico qualifier, US Soccer, oth the men and women, were undefeated in Columbus. Considering that the US didn't make the World Cup, that can hardly be blamed on Columbus. There's an aura here for a US match that doesn't exist anywhere else. The players love coming here for that reason. The reaction around the league makes it look even worse for the decision makers. The fact that they're looking at a smaller market as an alternate doesn't do any better. The market has been unable to support USL teams, so it's a big risk as well. If you go there and it falls flat (as I believe it would), you have a bunch of smart people looking remarkably silly.

--Has Precourt been half assing on purpose to make the move easier?

BP - I think so. Look at the marketing for the playoff game. Nothing... It's on a Tuesday... On Halloween (there's your MLS conspiracy if you want one.) No marketing. Ticket sales entirely driven by the incredible people at #SaveTheCrew.

GB - There are a lot of folks who think so. I'm not so sure. I do think that parts of the business community don't take Columbus Crew as seriously as I wish they would. I look at things like the time it took to sell our stadium's naming rights or the difficulty in securing jersey sponsors. I don't know the cause of that in the case of the jersey sponsor, but I fear that the stadium rights took the amount of time it did because our stadium is the oldest in the league and was built on a budget. If you're spending Big Corporate Dough out of your marketing/advertising budget, you want the Newst/Shiniest, and our beloved stadium isn't that.

-- is there a scenario where the Crew stay? What is the mood like in Austin? What do they have that we don’t?

BP - I get the feeling Austin doesn't give a shit. It's a great town. They have UT sports, great live music, and kick ass food. Why do these shitheads need our soccer team? Fuck them. Sure Crew SC can stay. It seemed like a joke to compare this to the movie Major League, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a cut out of Precourt as crazy as this story is turning out to be. If the lads win MLS cup or even go deep in the playoffs I can't imagine the league would let this go forward, but I really don't know. I go back and forth.

GB - Can the team stay? I say yes. This groundswell has been incredible. Getting 2000+ out to the rally at City Hall was big. Had 200 people shown up, those visuals go everywhere, and the air comes out of the tires. That didn't happen. People are engaged, and a good kind of mob mentality takes over. The support from around the league has been impressive. At least one owner tweeted out support before deleting it. The owners in the league have to okay this for it to happen. The more team owners hear from their own supporters, the less likely they are to support a move. This doesn't end on Tuesday, or even this season. All eyes are going to be on the yellow benches at MAPFRE Stadium. If you can see them, then there aren't people sitting in them. The most critical statement that can be made is the economic one. The stadium has to look good throughout the season. Butts have to fill the seats, beer has to be bought, food has to be purchased...Columbus fans have to up their game, and show their support. If they get mad at PSV (Precourt Sports Ventures) and don't show up, they prove his argument, and we can't do anything but be sad. You want the team to stay? You gotta vote with your dollars. I don't know what they have that we don't, but I know what WE have that THEY don't...a team history and tradition that started in 1994 as the first franchise awarded.

--On to the game Tuesday, what should fans expect and how do you see it playing out?

BP - Crew SC will come out looking to get the jump on NYCFC. NY have some great skill, but throughout their brief existence they've lacked quality in the back. We play on a huge field compared to them in Yankee Stadium (very small for soccer.) Stretch em out and run at them. Get up big in game one. It's a two game total goal series. Americans hate this format, but soccer fans are used to it. (Champions League knock out play etc.

GB - The atmosphere in there is going to be insane. The Nordecke has sold out their section and are expanding to other sections. The place is gonna be nuts. Supporters' groups and the team both are setting up trick-or-treating (or trunk-or-treating in the parking lot before gates open) so kids don't have to miss out. That's going to lead to some insane adrenaline for our guys, but let's not forget that Atlanta had almost 70-freaking-thousand people there, and their fans couldn't will them over the top. Our guys have to, in the words of Alejandro Moreno during the 2008 MLS Cup run, do what they do. I'm hoping that Zack Steffen is inside NYCFC's heads. Those were a couple of major saves he put on Villa, and they've had some time to think about that. Josh Williams is in great form right now, and Pedro Santos is looking better and better every match. We have them on our field and dimensions for a match, but they get us in their little shoebox for the other match. We can make this work. We can advance. We're on a hot stretch and there's no reason to think we can't continue

Brian Phillips hosts the CD1025 Morning Show and you have seen Greg Bartram's photos everywhere. They are both fans of the Columbus Crew.

Do the Browns Resemble a Benny Hill Skit? The NCP go to London to Investigate.

October 29, 2017 Sean Casey

London Calling for the North Coast Posse

Colin: I think it's awesome you guys shipped the NCP Browns Party Gremlin across the Atlantic Ocean so you could tailgate properly. Seeing other sights while you are in London?

Big$: Full disclosure, K-dubs and I are in negotiations to get a half hour (or halfe houre as they say across the pond) show on the BBC titled "Pencil Storm Gremlin Talk." Some suits at the network are concerned that some of our anti-Beatle rants from the past may surface and derail it, so we're here smoothing things over. It's a coincidence that the Browns are also playing.

Colin: Not to put a damper on your roadtrip across the pond but.... Carson Wentz, Jared Goff and Deshaun Watson are all tearing up the NFL while Kenny Britt is taking Deshone Kizer out to tear up the bars. Meanwhile the Browns were already the worst team in the league before losing their All Pro tackle / ironman Joe Thomas. I think I ask this question every year, but is right now, the lowest point in Browns history?

K-Dubs, the Soldier: Yes. This is the lowest point I can remember. It is disappointing to now think of 3-13 seasons as halcyon days.

Big$: I think expectations play heavily into the depth of certain situations. I had next to no hope for this team going into the season, so it's hard to feel real low about where they are at. Plus, I think there are some pieces in defense that may be bright spots. For me, watching grown men parade around in Manziel jerseys, convincing themselves that he had an inkling of NFL talent will always be the low point.

Colin: The NFL is trying to create excitement in England, are the Browns the right team to be showcasing American football to a bunch of futball hooligans?

Big$: The Browns offense quite often resembles a Benny Hill skit, so this may be just what the Dr. ordered for NFL/England relations.

Colin: Do you see anything positive on the field?

K-Dubs, the Soldier: I am still liking the defense. A lot of media attention has focused on how rookie safety Jabrill Peppers plays excessively deep, but these commentators are missing out on how well the rest of the defensive back field is playing. Jason McCourty is rated as one of the top cornerbacks in the league, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Derrick Kindred are becoming fan favorites. Linebackers Kirksey and Schobert are having good seasons, too. We just need Miles Garrett to stay on the field so we can ratchet up pressure on the quarterback. On the offensive side, positivity is harder to find. Part of the problem is that Hue Jackson has to give up play-calling duties. He continues to baffle with deep throws on 3rd-and-short situations and failing to get the electrifying Duke Johnson any more than 7 touches per game. He and his staff have also failed to curtail the penalties that have killed offensive momentum on countless possessions (notice I didn’t say drives). I still have faith in the development of Kizer but Hue has got to stick with him for better or worse, in good times and bad, until Jimmy do them part.

Big$: I referenced some defensive pieces earlier and I'll cite Carl Nassib specifically. His emergence is especially interesting as I have grave concerns about Garrett's commitment and durability. Not to incite the PC police, but self-reporting concussion symptoms on Tuesday doesn't scream "football guy to build on" to me.

Colin: October is usually the time Browns fans start thinking about the upcoming NFL Draft. Any hope on the horizon?

Big$: It's obvious that the lingering QB issue is still a question. At this point, I think Darnold goes back to USC and Josh Allen (Wyoming) seems to be a fraud. Rosen (UCLA) looks like the real deal, but I'm not sure the brash outspoken Cali kid model would fit in the 216. Therefore, I'm for drafting Barkley and trading for or signing an under the radar QB already in the league.

Colin: Will Hue survive the Browns and if not who would possibly want this job?

Big$: I think Jimmy will stick it out with the Baseball bunch and Hue for another year because of A.) Rich dude Pride and B.) Ain't no one taking this job. I myself, would’ve fired everybody already. The culture is so toxic at 1-23 that I'm not sure that any leadership position can be salvaged.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: I agree Hue keeps his job, but only because Jimmy has blown his coaching staff up so many times in the past and the changes have yet to bear fruit. In the immortal words of Great White, “Once bitten, twice shy.” (editor's note: Hey, that's the immortal words of Ian Hunter, Dubs.) There has got to be a change in the front office, though.

Colin: Who would Lebron start for this week?

Big$: I'm starting Lebron at head coach, Hue needs a break.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: GM Sashi Brown. LeBron brought Derrick Rose and D-Wade to town. Sashi did not even rate Wentz in his top 15 quarterbacks of last year’s draft, essentially spent $12 million for a second-round pick in the trade for Brock Osweiler, who he then cut and received nothing in return, passed on Deshaun Watson in this year’s draft, signed Kenny Britt, and has forgotten that you need at least a few quality veterans on your team to win.

The North Coast Posse cover the Browns for Pencilstorm. They are a Top 5 Follow on Twitter. follow @northcoastposse

What can win or lose this game for OSU - Baver Answers Colin's Questions Part 2

October 27, 2017 Brent Baver

Colin: I used to make fun of Trace McSorley for just chucking up jump balls and getting lucky. But he sure seems to get lucky a lot. Will this work against the OSU secondary?

Baver: I think most Buckeye fans have now seen enough of McSorley’s lobs into coverage to realize that it isn’t just luck when he completes so many of them. It helps having a 6’4” target in Juwan Johnson and a physical freak like 6’6” TE Mike Gesicki to throws lobs to. And their top WR DaeSean Hamilton isn’t small either (6’1”), and he plays the ball extremely well. It also appears that the Penn St offensive coaches do a pretty good job of finding their opponents’ matchup problems in coverage. This is a huge concern for Ohio St, as the Buckeye corners have had their problems in coverage, often not getting turned around to play the ball.

Colin: Will Urban be wise and avoid kicking to Barkley on kickoffs or be stubborn and risk giving up a big play?

Baver: Barkley is a pretty good return man, 5th nationally (at this point) in KOR avg, but I am not sure he is at the level where you kick away from him. (Knock on wood.) Maybe you take more chances with the coffin corner, and concede to giving Penn St the ball at the 35 if the kick goes out of bounds. By the way, Parris Campbell would be 2nd in the nation in KO return avg, but he is one return shy of the minimum # of returns needed to qualify. If I were James Franklin, I wouldn’t be kicking the ball to Parris.

Colin: Penn State's defense has impressive numbers. Any true NFL caliber studs on that side of the ball?

Baver: Actually, not really. All 11 starters are draft eligible, but safety Marcus Allen and DE Shareef Miller are the only guys projecting as high as 2nd day picks. But Yahoo sports recently talked with 8 coaches that have played Penn St, and every one of them commented about how well the Nittany Lion defense plays together. And they have a lot of bodies that contribute on defense, with 17 different Penn St defenders having registered sacks so far this season. That’s crazy.

Colin: Final thoughts on what can win or lose the game for Ohio State?

Baver: We talked about the problems Buckeye defenders have getting turned around in coverage – this could be a huge factor. The Buckeye LBs are also going to have to play assignment football in playing the read option with McSorley/Barkley, and will have to hold their own in pass coverage. Protecting JT is also a must. On the other hand, if JT gets decent protection and throws the ball with confidence, I think Penn St is in trouble. And if JT makes Penn St respect his arm, JK Dobbins will get his yards against the Nits #1 rated rush D. We also talked yesterday about OSU biggest advantage Saturday, and that is their D-line vs PSU’s O-line.

Colin: Breakdown Ohio State-Penn St from a Vegas perspective. We’ll pass on the other games this week, as there is really only one game that matters.

Baver: Most people I talk to think the 6 ½ pt spread is too high. That line likely has a lot to do with the situational angle, with Ohio St at home, off a bye and the Nits off the huge white-out home win against Michigan. Urban is 40-10 against the spread in gms where he has had more than 7 days to prepare for his opponent. If you know anything about picking games against the spread, that is insane. On the flip side, PSU has covered the Vegas spread in 15 of their last 17 games, another crazy stat. I wouldn’t lay 6 ½ in this one – Penn St’s offense is going to put points on the board. The McSorley/Barkley combo is as good as it gets. I think the game could go either way, but I think more things favor Ohio State in this one – there is a reason why they are just short of a touchdown favorite here. The Call: Ohio State 31 Penn State 28.

Why does OSU-Penn State seem bigger than other recent big games? Baver Answers Colin's Questions - Part 1

October 26, 2017 Brent Baver

Colin: Why does this big game feel bigger than other recent big games? Future implications? Revenge? Is it because Ohio State fans truly dislike Penn State?

Baver: The last two big game embarrassments at the hands of Clemson and Oklahoma have created a fragile OSU fan base. I’ve never seen Ohio St be a 6+ point favorite in a game and hear so many doubts from Buckeye fans. With Ohio State being: the team that has more talent, the team that has more depth, the team that has the better coaching staff, the team playing for revenge, the team that is at home, and the team that is off a bye…if that Buckeye team can’t beat a Penn St team that is far better at home than on the road, then this is a major dose of reality for Urban and Ohio St. So yes, future implications are huge here. Usually with those advantages, you simply check the win box if you are Ohio St. But you obviously can’t do that here. If there was any hope of doing so, those hopes were squashed when Penn State torched Don Brown’s vaunted Michigan defense last Saturday night. And that raised the stakes for Ohio State-Penn State even higher.

Colin: Who are you most concerned will hurt the Buckeyes: Saquon Barkley or Trace McSorley? Somebody else?

Baver: Probably McSorley, as his style is going to cause Ohio State problems. He is somewhat of Baker Mayfield clone, with the scrambling and improvising. The OSU defense couldn’t handle Mayfield in early September, but have they progressed enough to rein in McSorley? We shall see. With Barkley, I don’t see him grinding away at the Buckeye defense; it’s the plays where he breaks free for huge gains that I worry about more, but that of course is no small concern either. And the combo of the two, when McSorley runs the read option, is pretty hard to defend. McSorley will make you pay if you key too much on Saquon.

Colin: Can the Penn State O-line hold up against Nick Bosa and company?

Baver: I don’t think so. It’s an improved PSU O-line, but Ohio St’s D-line vs Penn St’s O-line is the biggest tangible advantage Ohio State has in this game.

Colin: Will Penn State use the same defensive formation employed by MSU, MICH, Clemson and Oklahoma and dare JT Barrett to throw downfield? (10 up / 1 safety)

Baver: I think they will indeed stack the box to make JT beat them with his arm, and adjust if JT starts making them start paying for it. I mean, that is certainly what I’d do. JT is now throwing the ball better? JT now has much more confidence? If I’m Penn State, I say, “Prove it”.

Colin: What can Ohio State do to finally score against a top caliber team?

Baver: From a strategy standpoint, Urban has to keep running his tailbacks, a strategy he has gotten away from as the games wore on in some high profile losses. Curtis Samuel had only two carries in last year’s loss in Happy Valley. That was criminal…especially when one of those two carries went 74 yards to the house. Unless Penn St goes to ridiculous measures to take the run away, Urban and Kevin Wilson have to keep giving the ball to JK Dobbins. From a performance standpoint, JT has to throw the ball with confidence, and trust his WR’s….a group that has come a long way since being shut down by the Sooners.

Colin: The forecast on Saturday is for rain. Who does this benefit?

Baver: OSU’s performances against Sparty the past two seasons tell me that bad weather is not a good thing for Ohio State. But from an X’s and O’s standpoint, I think the bad weather probably favors Ohio St. If both teams are reduced to mostly running the football because of the weather, I like Ohio St’s chances of stopping Penn St’s running game more than I like Penn St’s chances of stopping OSU’s running game. It doesn’t matter to me that PSU has the top-ranked run defense nationally; it’s going to be harder for the Penn St O-line to make that Buckeye D-line budge. Also of note, JK Dobbins actually has more rushing yards than Saquon Barkley this season on quite a few less carries. Urban just can’t abandon the tailback run in a big game again, or I’m going to have a mental breakdown.

What if MLB Didn't Have Playoffs? - by Jack Obora

October 26, 2017 Colin Gawel

While I celebrated the fall of the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS this past Saturday night, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at how the season ended. As an Indians fan, I’d once again be watching the World Series without a real rooting interest. I suppose having both my favorite teams in the Series last year means I don’t get to enjoy such spoils for at least a couple more decades, and as a Cleveland fan in general I’ve had plenty of practice watching other teams win championships, but it doesn’t make it any more fun. In terms of wins and losses, this was the second-best Indians team ever, and they played like it. But instead they get to watch from the couch because of a team that didn’t even win their division.

But why even have divisions? Prior to Major League Baseball splitting things up into East and West in 1969 and long before our modern-day addiction to playoffs (and their TV revenue) the World Series was played between the two teams who compiled the best record all season. Finished 3 games behind the Yankees? Tough luck. Had a hot September but a cold July? There’s always next year. A 162-game season was considered a better indicator of who was the best team in the land than two abbreviated series of 3-7 games spaced out over a month. Weird, huh?

Still, I wondered: How different would the World Series have been if there weren't playoffs? What if, instead of the two hottest teams in October, we saw a battle between the two best teams in baseball? I decided to spend my entire evening take a little time to figure it out, and here’s what I found:

The first team to have the best record in their League and fail to win the Pennant was the 1972 Pirates, who lost to the Reds in the deciding 5th game on a wild pitch, in what turned out to be the last game of Roberto Clemente’s career. Oakland (who did have the best record in the AL) would top the Reds in 7 to take the World Series.
The first World Series to feature two teams without the best record in their League was 1973. A “traditional” World Series would have featured the Orioles and Reds, instead of the A’s and the Mets.
During the East-West divisional years, the “traditional” World Series remained fairly common, with 13 instances of the top-seeded playoff teams facing each other in the Fall Classic and only 5 instances where neither top seed made it. In the Wild Card Era, though, it’s another story; there have only been 3 “traditional” Series since 1995, compared to 9 without either top seed. Considering we’ve now had the Wild Card nearly as long as we had the East-West format (there’s a scary thought) it’s a pretty stark contrast.
If you got sick of Bobby Cox getting outcoached in the World Series in the 90s, then you’re probably thankful for the Wild Card. Without it, the Braves would have won 9 NL pennants between 1992-2003, including 7 in a row bookended by the Barry Bonds-led Pirates and Giants. The Yankees would have been in the Series less in the 90s, but more in the 00s, so there unfortunately wouldn’t be much difference there.
Much to the chagrin of ESPN, the Yankees-Mets Subway Series would not have happened in 2000, which would have instead featured the White Sox and Giants. They would still have gotten their wish in 2006.
The Chicago Cubs’ 2016 NL Pennant would not have been the one to snap their World Series drought. Instead, it would’ve been their fourth Pennant since 1984, and their second in the last ten years. Still, considering the teams they would have been facing in the 80s (the powerhouse ’84 Tigers and ’89 A’s), it still may very well have been the team that broke the Championship drought.
The Marlins, Padres and Rockies would still be without a World Series appearance. But the Mariners’ 116-game winners would have made it in 2001, and the Nationals would have two Pennants since 2012.
Indians fans can breathe a sigh of relief that neither of their extra-inning-game-7 tragedies would have occurred, as they wouldn’t have made the Series to suffer through it. They would, however, have gotten a rematch with the Braves in 1996, and we’d be watching Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller quiet down Dodger Stadium instead of watching the Astros’ pitching melt in the LA heat.

You can draw your own conclusions about how Nolan Ryan would have fared against Reggie Jackson in ’80, or whether Don Denkinger’s blown call at 1st would have given the Blue Jays their first ever World Series title in ’85. But I’d settle for adding some meaning to the regular season and rewarding success all year long, not just at the last minute.

Jack Obora is a political liberal and a sports conservative. He lives in Dublin with his girlfriend, his cat, and his music library, and spends way too much time learning things that will help him win bar trivia nights. You can follow him on Twitter @JackObora.

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