motife
12-12-2007, 04:08 PM
Rams always have Packers feeling Crabb-y
Posted: Dec. 11, 2007
Mike Hart
NFL Grapevine
E-MAIL
The Frozen Tundra has been the site of many, many memorable plays.
There's Bart Starr's quarterback sneak to win the Ice Bowl.
There's Chester Marcol, wearing glasses, doing the 25-yard dash in about four minutes to beat the Bears in overtime.
There's LeRoy Butler doing the first Lambeau Leap against the Los Angeles Raiders in 1993.
Then there's Andrew Walter of the Oakland Raiders (fashionable Los Angeles became weary of black and silver outfits) being called for a false start with 11 minutes 4 seconds remaining to go during the festivities Sunday. Walter, allegedly, plays quarterback. You don't see many quarterbacks being called for a false start. Hopefully, NFL Films was able to document the historic event.
While life is good for the Green and Gold these days, all signs point to a potential bump in the road this weekend.
Call it the Claude Crabb Curse.
Who's Claude Crabb?
Well, back in 1967 when the Packers were on the road to the Super Bowl, Claude Crabb played a key role in the Los Angeles Rams beating the Packers at the not-so well-lighted Los Angeles Coliseum.
The Packers were clinging to a 24-20 lead with 54 seconds left when Donny Anderson, the left-footer, was forced to punt from the Green Bay 27. The punt was about as ill-fated as your Aunt Martha's fruit cake. Tony Guillory blocked it, and Claude Crabb scooped it up. But before he could show the ball, he was knocked out at the five. Moments later, Roman Gabriel hit Bernie Casey for the winning touchdown.
This was just a temporary setback. The Packers would go on to win the Super Bowl.
Bernie Casey would go on to star in some of the Revenge of the Nerds sequels.
Claude Crabb?
Well, you can procure an autographed 8-x-10 glossy autographed photo of Claude Crabb at usaautographs.com for the low, low price of $29.99. Order yours before midnight tonight!
The moral of the story is bad things happen to the Packers when they play the Rams, who just happened to be on the docket this weekend. And it all started with Claude Crabb.
Let's take a trip down Memory Lane and look at the pratfalls.
• Packers 16, Rams 14 (Oct. 13, 1968): Starr gets hurt in pregame warm-ups. That was the coup de grâce. Near-sighted kicker Bruce Gossett comes up with the dagger as the Rams win on a late field goal at County Stadium.
• Rams 31, Packers 21 (Oct. 18, 1971): Somehow the Packers lose by 10 on "Bart Starr Day" of all days. It's OK to lose on "T.J. Rubley Day," but not "Bart Starr Day."
• Rams 24, Packers 7 (Oct. 21, 1973): History was made in this tussle at the Coliseum. Rams defensive end Fred Dryer became the first human being to record two safeties in one game. Or was it historic because Packer offensive tackle Malcom Snider became the first human being to be held responsible for two safeties in one game? Snider accomplished this feat in about five minutes. Adding injury to insult, Packer star cornerback Willie Buchanon breaks his leg and is never the same player again.
• Packers 17, Rams 6 (Oct. 13, 1974): John Hadl is inept enough in the rain at County Stadium to make Dan Devine want to trade the farm for him. Hadl goes 6 of 16 for 59 yards and gets benched in favor of James Harris. Surely, that type of outing is worth two No. 1 draft choices, two No. 2 picks and a No. 3. As Mel Kiper Jr. says, that was a reach.
• Rams 24, Packers 6 (Nov. 13, 1977): Lynn Dickey suffers a broken leg on the last play of the game at County Stadium. Perhaps the best pure passer in Green Bay history, Dickey missed 34 games over the next three years. Ouch.
• Rams 45, Packers 17 (Jan. 20, 2002): Brett Favre throws six interceptions in the playoff game in St. Louis. It's pretty doggone hard to throw six interceptions in one 60-minute setting. Rex Grossman can't even do it.
There you have it.
The Claude Crabb Curse is obviously worse than the SI Cover Jinx, the Madden Curse and, of course, the Curse of the Billy Goat.
On paper, the Rams look like a cupcake. Hopefully, it doesn't turn into a Crabbcake.
Posted: Dec. 11, 2007
Mike Hart
NFL Grapevine
The Frozen Tundra has been the site of many, many memorable plays.
There's Bart Starr's quarterback sneak to win the Ice Bowl.
There's Chester Marcol, wearing glasses, doing the 25-yard dash in about four minutes to beat the Bears in overtime.
There's LeRoy Butler doing the first Lambeau Leap against the Los Angeles Raiders in 1993.
Then there's Andrew Walter of the Oakland Raiders (fashionable Los Angeles became weary of black and silver outfits) being called for a false start with 11 minutes 4 seconds remaining to go during the festivities Sunday. Walter, allegedly, plays quarterback. You don't see many quarterbacks being called for a false start. Hopefully, NFL Films was able to document the historic event.
While life is good for the Green and Gold these days, all signs point to a potential bump in the road this weekend.
Call it the Claude Crabb Curse.
Who's Claude Crabb?
Well, back in 1967 when the Packers were on the road to the Super Bowl, Claude Crabb played a key role in the Los Angeles Rams beating the Packers at the not-so well-lighted Los Angeles Coliseum.
The Packers were clinging to a 24-20 lead with 54 seconds left when Donny Anderson, the left-footer, was forced to punt from the Green Bay 27. The punt was about as ill-fated as your Aunt Martha's fruit cake. Tony Guillory blocked it, and Claude Crabb scooped it up. But before he could show the ball, he was knocked out at the five. Moments later, Roman Gabriel hit Bernie Casey for the winning touchdown.
This was just a temporary setback. The Packers would go on to win the Super Bowl.
Bernie Casey would go on to star in some of the Revenge of the Nerds sequels.
Claude Crabb?
Well, you can procure an autographed 8-x-10 glossy autographed photo of Claude Crabb at usaautographs.com for the low, low price of $29.99. Order yours before midnight tonight!
The moral of the story is bad things happen to the Packers when they play the Rams, who just happened to be on the docket this weekend. And it all started with Claude Crabb.
Let's take a trip down Memory Lane and look at the pratfalls.
• Packers 16, Rams 14 (Oct. 13, 1968): Starr gets hurt in pregame warm-ups. That was the coup de grâce. Near-sighted kicker Bruce Gossett comes up with the dagger as the Rams win on a late field goal at County Stadium.
• Rams 31, Packers 21 (Oct. 18, 1971): Somehow the Packers lose by 10 on "Bart Starr Day" of all days. It's OK to lose on "T.J. Rubley Day," but not "Bart Starr Day."
• Rams 24, Packers 7 (Oct. 21, 1973): History was made in this tussle at the Coliseum. Rams defensive end Fred Dryer became the first human being to record two safeties in one game. Or was it historic because Packer offensive tackle Malcom Snider became the first human being to be held responsible for two safeties in one game? Snider accomplished this feat in about five minutes. Adding injury to insult, Packer star cornerback Willie Buchanon breaks his leg and is never the same player again.
• Packers 17, Rams 6 (Oct. 13, 1974): John Hadl is inept enough in the rain at County Stadium to make Dan Devine want to trade the farm for him. Hadl goes 6 of 16 for 59 yards and gets benched in favor of James Harris. Surely, that type of outing is worth two No. 1 draft choices, two No. 2 picks and a No. 3. As Mel Kiper Jr. says, that was a reach.
• Rams 24, Packers 6 (Nov. 13, 1977): Lynn Dickey suffers a broken leg on the last play of the game at County Stadium. Perhaps the best pure passer in Green Bay history, Dickey missed 34 games over the next three years. Ouch.
• Rams 45, Packers 17 (Jan. 20, 2002): Brett Favre throws six interceptions in the playoff game in St. Louis. It's pretty doggone hard to throw six interceptions in one 60-minute setting. Rex Grossman can't even do it.
There you have it.
The Claude Crabb Curse is obviously worse than the SI Cover Jinx, the Madden Curse and, of course, the Curse of the Billy Goat.
On paper, the Rams look like a cupcake. Hopefully, it doesn't turn into a Crabbcake.