New Orleans Saints’ Tom Dempsey the Unlikeliest of All Sports Heroes

November 5, 2010   ·   Greg Eno   ·   Jump to comments

Did you hear the one about the guy with half a foot and no right hand who walked onto a football field?
The Detroit Lions are used to being the NFL’s punch line.
In recent years, a struggling comedian, if he feels the crowd getting ugly and turning on him, only has to say “the Detroit Lions” and the room will immediately be filled with guffaws and knees being slapped. Tears will start streaming down the faces of the patrons.
Only, this was in 1970 and the Lions were far from being the league’s laughing stock.
Time for another 40-year anniversary retrospective.
A couple weeks ago, I regaled you about the Tigers’ heist when they foisted Denny McLain onto the poor Washington Senators in October, 1970.
On November 8, 1970, Tom Dempsey trotted onto the field at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. There were just two seconds remaining and the Lions were leading the Saints, 17-16.
The football was on the Saints 44-yard line.
Dem...

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