I'll remember one special moment from last week's NFL games as long as I live.
I'm not talking about Shawn Alexander scoring his record-setting 28th touchdown of the season, or Brett Favre winning against his former coach in what could be his final game.
I'm not talking about the Colts winning one for Tony Dungy, who returned to the sidelines last weekend after the death of his son in December.
I'm not talking about Jerome Bettis scoring three times in his bus ride at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
I'm not even talking about Houston "winning" by losing in overtime at San Francisco, and securing the first draft pick in April, and presumably the rights to USC's Reggie Bush. (Anyone wanna set the over/under on the number of times we'll hear jokes about how there will be another Bush running in Texas?)
Those were all memorable, sure, but to me, there was one play that will have its own legacy, much like "The Catch," and "The Drive."
Last weekend, I saw "The Dropkick."
New England's 43-year-old Doug Flutie revived the forgotten art after the Patriots scored a touchdown in an otherwise meaningless game against Miami. For those of you who weren't around to see the last such kick—which came two weeks after the Pearl Harbor bombing, more than 64 years ago—it is what it sounds like. Flutie stood back in punt formation, took the snap and dropped the ball, just like a punter. But in this case, the ball must bounce off the turf before it is kicked to make it a legal placekick.
Sounds trivial, but it was awfully fun to watch, especially since Flutie put the ball through the uprights successfully. If you have a few months of your life to kill, try dropping a football and trying to kick it solidly after it bounces. Then try to get it to go straight, and then try to kick it more than 20 yards while more than 10 feet in the air. Best of luck to you.
Yet Flutie made it look easy, as he has for most everything in his long, odds-defying career. Flutie's unlikely legend began with that 1984 desperation heave that gave Boston College a miracle win over Miami in his Heisman Trophy season.
At 5-feet-10, he was considered too small to play in the NFL, but after playing with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL in 1985, he managed to last for a few seasons with the Chicago Bears (1986) and Patriots (1987-89).
After his release in 1989, most people figured his NFL lifespan was over. For eight years, they were, but only because the diminutive quarterback was tearing up the Canadian Football League, where he was named the league's most outstanding player six times. The Buffalo Bills took notice, and signed Flutie in 1998. At age 36, Flutie was named to the Pro Bowl after his first season in Buffalo, and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.
Seven years later, he's still alive and kicking—literally, in this case. Maybe he has vision of a George Blanda-like career extension as a drop-kicker.
But even though he made "The Dropkick" look easy, I wouldn't expect it to become a trend around the league.
In fact, I can only think of one place where the dropkick would make sense. Are you listening, Charlie Brown? This could finally solve that longtime problem with Lucy as your holder.
Wayne is Golden
Congratulations go out to Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton, who posted a 3-0 week against the spread to secure the title in the fifth Sal Celebrity Football picks contest, and with it, the prestigious (cough) trophy, the Golden Nerf.
Newton held off late challenges by Monte Carlo master magician Lance Burton, KLAS Channel 8 meteorologist Kevin Janison, Mirage impressionist Danny Gans and New York-New York comedian Rita Rudner to win the competition.
Newton will receive the traveling Golden Nerf from last year's winner, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, before the Super Bowl.