NFL Flashback: The Snowplow Game
The game looked like an episode of the Three Stooges, as neither team was able to move the football and put any points on the board amid the cold and snow, until five minutes remaining in regulation.
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Since it insists on continuing to snow for what seems like the eleventeenth day in a row in Mid-April and I’m missing football, I have decided to recall one of many memories of snow games of my childhood: the infamous Snowplow Game.
The year was 1982. I was 10 and a huge Miami Dolphins fan. With that, naturally comes a distinct hatred of the New England Patriots. It’s a good thing that contempt translates well into my adulthood living in Denver.
It was mid December and the AFC East division rivals Dolphins and Patriots took the field in New England as they perennially do. It was dumping snow, obviously putting the warm weather Miami team at a distinct disadvantage.
The game looked like an episode of the Three Stooges, as neither team was able to move the football and put any points on the board amid the cold and snow, until five minutes remaining in regulation.
The Patriots were facing a fourth down and were in field goal range when Head Coach Ron Meyer instructed Mark Henderson to get into a mini snow plow and clear a nice cushy dry spot for their place kicker to come in and attempt the game winning kick. A normally calm Don Shula was indeed, furious.
Of course Patriots kicker John Smith nailed the 32-yard kick and New England went on to win the game 3-0. Through all the controversy of trotting out that snowplow I can remember my father and his friends focusing on one detail.
Johnson, the snowplow driver was an ex-convict. I have no earthly idea how they obtained this information or if it was even out in the media, but they were highly upset about it. For weeks my father and his cohorts would grumble on and on about the unfairness of the snowplow and its convicted felon driver.
The following year, the NFL banned the use of any plows, tractors or brushes during any football game.
Do we see a pattern here folks? Did Ron Meyer start the legacy of cheating and attempting to illegally gain advantages by Patriot Coaches?
I’m looking at you hoodie.
