CBS Sports: NFL 1985- Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears: Full Game

Source:CBS Sports with this 1985 Vikings-Bears regular season game at Soldier Field.

Source:The New Democrat

I think at least and I bet a lot of Vikings and Bears fan agree with this, but I believe this is one of the most under appreciated rivalries in the NFL. It is not the Bears-Packers rivalry, or the Vikings-Packers rivalry, but it is at least as good the Packers-Lions rivalry, which use to be a very good rivalry at least. I don’t know if there are two better teams that better represent the old NFC Central, or as ESPN’s Chris Berman called it the NFC Norris Division, play better than the Vikings and Bears. Both teams, are traditionally tough and physical on defense and come right at you on offense. And both teams love to play in cold weather and won a lot of big games in cold weather.

The 1985 Vikings, were a lot different from the traditional Vikings teams that we saw in the 1960s and 70s and the late 1980s. They no longer had the great defense or running game that they could count on. They were a pass first and almost pass all the time team. And the running game they got was from their passing game. And defenses having to respect their passing game a lot. Tommy Kramer, was a very good if not a Pro Bowl quarterback, but not the type of quarterback that could put his team on his back and lead them to championships on his own. He needed a good running game and defense to play their part as well. And the Vikings from 1983-86, missed the NFC Playoffs four straight seasons. Which never happened again until the 2000s. The Vikings missing the playoffs at least four straight seasons. And a big part of that was they no longer had that great defense and running game to complement their powerful passing game.

Teams like the 85 Vikings, played into the Bears 46 Defense perfectly. The Bears were always going after the quarterback with their defensive line and blitzes. And probably blitzed 90% of the time. And if they didn’t have a running game to have to worry about and giving up a big running play on a blitz, it meant they could blitz all the time and attack the quarterback every single play. Remember, the 85 Bears were 18-1 including playoffs and Super Bowl. The only team that beat them in 85 were the Dan Marino Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins had Dan Marino, but they also had a very good offensive line, that could pick up their own man and pick up blitzers on the same play. And they also had 4-5 really good and quick receivers. And could spread the Bears out on defense. And had enough of a running game to keep defenses honest. The Vikings, weren’t that good of a football team.

NBC Sports: NBA 1992-Portland Blazers @ Boston Celtics: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

A very interesting game, not just because it was a double overtime shootout, but also because it was one of the great Larry Bird’s last big games. 1992 was Larry Legend’s last season and a time when the Celtics were in transition. No longer a prominent NBA Finals contender and moving from a half-court based low-post motion offense team, to a more finesse team that would look to break a lot, with a lot more athletic players. And the early 1990s Celtics were also a deeper team where Legend, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish no longer had to play 35-40 minutes a night for the Celtics to beat good teams. Because they had good players on the bench on the frontline and in the backcourt. Like Ed Pickney, Dee Brown, Joe Klein and others. With Reggie Lewis now as a full-time starter and perhaps their best scorer. And also with Brian Shaw and Kevin Gamble. I would’ve loved to of seen a healthy Legend, McHale and Parish, to go with the young good players that the Celtics had in the early 1990s.

The Blazers of 1992 were like the Blazers of 1991 and 1990. A very talented deep all around team, that could score a lot of points and score fast with a lot of weapons. But were also one of the best defensive teams and rebounding teams in the NBA as well. But this was all when they were on, which was the story of the 1990s Blazers. The most consistently inconsistent winning team perhaps all-time in the NBA. So when you were playing the Blazers, you didn’t know who you were playing. Were you playing perhaps the best team in the NBA when they were on, or were you playing a team that looked like they could be beat by a bad team at home. They would make a lot of great plays and then follow them up with a lot of bad mistakes. Win a lot of games and then go on a losing streak. So this was one of the most interesting matchup’s in the NBA in 1992.

NBC Sports: NBA 1992-Portland Blazers @ Chicago Bulls: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

What was supposed to be a preview of the 1992 NBA Finals, as this game turned out to be between the Blazers and Bulls, was also a blowout. The Blazers of the late 1980s and early 1990s were a very talented, deep all around great team with no real clear weakness’. They essentially replaced the Los Angeles Lakers as the top run and gun fast break athletic team. But that was only when they were on. They were an up and down club as far as consistency that would still win 58-62 games a year, but not because of their consistency. But because they would go on long streaks followed by sloppy streaks. And get it together in time for the NBA Playoffs. The only consistent thing about the Blazers of this era, was their leader the Clyde Drexler. Who without Michael Jordan, is perhaps considered the best player of the 1990s.

The Bulls on the other hand were just coming into their own in 1992. Winning the NBA Finals in 1991 and using 92 to prove to the world that they were really the best team in the NBA. Not the deepest and certainly not the most talented. But the best team in the NBA that played the best as a unit and team. I think the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s had more talent than the Bulls. More great All Star caliber players, but I think the Bulls were better and had more talent and not just because of Michael Jordan. But throw in Scottie Pippen who would’ve been the best player on a lot of other teams in the NBA at this point. Similar to what the Lakers and Celtics had in the 1980s and Bulls proved this in the 1990s.

NBC Sports: NBA-1991-NBA Finals-Game 5-Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers: 1st Quarter

Source:NBC Sports- Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen, represent the new leaders of the NBA, in the 1990s.

Source:Real Life Journal

“Michael Jordan (30 points, 10 assists, 5 steals), Scottie Pippen (32 points, 13 rebs, 7 assists, 5 steals), and John Paxson (20 points, 9-12 shooting) all have superb games to lead the Bulls to their first ever NBA championship defeating the Lakers in the Great Western Forum.”

From Scottie Pippen

This was one of the best games in NBA Finals history. And had Big Game James Worthy been healthy and played this game for the Lakers, this game would’ve been different. Because it would’ve meant less double-teaming on Earvin Johnson, with Scottie Pippen or Michael Jordan having to cover James Worthy or Horace Grant having to cover James Worthy. And not being able to help out on Magic as much without getting burned by it.

This should’ve been one of the best NBA Finals in NBA history and not a five-game series, with the Bulls dominating at least two of them. But where this series goes back to Chicago at least for game 6. But the Lakers not having all of their weapons and not being as good as they were in the late 1980s, meant that this great Bulls teams was playing an inferior Lakers team even with Magic for their first NBA Championship.