how the cypriot stole christmas

Where were you thirty-five years ago yesterday?

I forgot about this memorable event until I was ready to go to bed last night. Those of us alive back then will never forget where they were when Garo Yepremian kicked off with a minute and seven seconds left in the fourth quarter of the longest game in NFL history.

It was the Chief and Dolphins at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City and the Dolphins came back and tied the game with 1:07 left. I remember the announcers were as worn out as the rest of us and when Dick Carlson made the call.

….Podolak and McVea at the goal line and Yepremian’s kick is in the air. Podolak up the middle; the ten, the fifteen….

The crowd erupted because they saw the hole develop long before Carlson did, but Carlson continued with his call, even though he was barely audible.

…the twenty, the twenty-five…

If one listened closely one could hear Carlson finally catch on while he uttered the word “five.” He screamed the word. He screamed:

…thirty…

After I spent hours replaying the reel-to-reel tape I made of the broadcast, I was finally able to make out what I believe was the following, but it was so inaudible over the noise of the crowd, I can’t vouch for its accuracy.

...the thirty-five, the forty! He’s gone!…

However, at the time of the live broadcast, the last thing we could understand was “thirty.” There was the uncomfortable half-minute or so when it was not certain what had just happened. Fortunately, after the thirty-seconds of crown noise, Bill Grigsby came on and explained that Podolak had broken the kickoff for 75 yards and was caught by one of the gunners at the twenty-three. It was just a matter of Jan Stenerud—one of the most reliable kickers of all time—to come in and kick the field goal to put the game away. Unfortunately, Stenerud missed the field goal and the game went into two overtimes.

Garo Yepremian finally ended the game with a field goal in the sixth “quarter.” Yepremian was probably the most notable American football player ever to come from Cyprus. It was a point at which the Chiefs’ dynasty began to go downhill and the Dolphins began to rise to the top.

It was one of those days we’ll always remember, even if it didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, here in Jimbo’s world.