Bringing The Super Bowl Back To California?

Posted on January 10, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

On the TunneySide of Sports January 10, 2022 #882 Up next… Bringing The Super Bowl Back To California?

After further review… It has been six years since the Super Bowl was hosted in the Golden State. On Feb. 13, Super Bowl LVI will kick off at the SoFi Stadium located in Inglewood, just outside of Los Angeles. The stadium is home to two National Football League teams: the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams. However, the NFL, not surprisingly in the midst of a rise in COVID-19 cases, has looked into other potential sites for next month’s Super Bowl. According to the Associated Press, the league is already looking at AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas as a possible replacement. AT&T Stadium is home to the Dallas Cowboys.

“We plan on playing Super Bowl 56 as scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Wednesday. “As part of our standard contingency planning process that we conduct for all regular and postseason games, we have contacted several clubs to inquire about stadium availability in the event we cannot play the Super Bowl as scheduled due to weather-related issues or unforeseen circumstances.” Unforeseen circumstances, meaning the omicron variant may throw a wrench in those plans.

There is no question that things will change and change swiftly as needed so making travel plans at this time may be unwise and costly.

Reminiscing … A few years ago I co-authored a book titled “Super Bowl Sunday: The Day America Stops,” presented by CBS Sports and edited by author and sports journalist Matt Fulks. My contribution was focused on Super Bowl XI played between the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders in the Pasadena Rose Bowl on Jan. 9, 1977. Oakland won 32-14. It was the first Super Bowl played in that iconic stadium and I was the referee. My friend the late great John Madden was the Oakland Raiders Head Coach.

It was special to me since my dad, Jim Sr. was the referee in the college Rose Bowl game on Jan. 1, 1947, between Illinois and UCLA – the latter won 45-14. Exactly 30 years later – to the month – I officiated Super Bowl XI in that same stadium as my dad.

I have been fortunate to be associated with the National Football League for 60 years as it celebrates its 102nd year!

How will you watch the Super Bowl this year?

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com or email jim@jimtunney.com. “Impartial Judgment” is now out of print but is available for $20 with free shipping from the website or contact Jim at 2962 Club Rd. Ste #32 Pebble Beach, CA. 93953. It includes Jim’s autograph. 

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Jim’s books include many messages about rules and regulations (remember he was a referee). His bobblehead on your desk or shelf will be a treasure in your office or home. Jim’s Bobblehead includes no tax and comes with free shipping. Use PayPal or mail check to 2962 Club Rd, Ste 32, Pebble Beach, CA 93953. Enjoy your Holidays!

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

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A Tribute to Coach John Madden

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

A tribute to Coach John MaddenOn the TunneySide of Sports January 3, 2022 #881 Up next… a Tribute to Coach John Madden

After further review… ”Who are these guys? I mean, what kid grows up wanting to be a referee? Most kids want to be players or coaches in the NFL – not referees!”

That’s the opening line from the foreword that coach John Madden wrote to my book “Impartial Judgment.”  Coach Madden wrote that foreword for the book when it was published in 1988. It was the first book I had written from my perch as a 31-year NFL referee and I wanted someone with superb creditability to write the foreword. Who better than John Madden? John died Jan. 28. He was 85. We were friends for almost 60 years. Stay tuned.

In those 31 years, I probably worked with some 300 NFL coaches. I respected them all, but you have to admit Madden was special. All those who coached loved football but not with the same love as Madden. Football was his life!  After he retired from the field, he helped create the Madden NFL video games through EA Sports, a video game company in Redwood City.  He asked me to do the voiceover for the first edition.

I’m getting ahead of myself. Building on the success he had as a defensive assistant coach at San Diego State in 1966 under head coach Don Coryell, Madden was hired by Al Davis, head coach and owner of the Oakland Raiders as a linebackers coach in 1967. We met that year. Every year thereafter we were on the field together. I have lost track how many games to which I was assigned, but they always seemed to be the important ones. As an example, during the 1970s, when the Raiders were the winningest team and the Pittsburgh Steelers were so dominant, I must have been assigned some 10 or 12 times – both in the Oakland Coliseum and Three Rivers Stadium (Steelers home field).

In 1984, John created the All-Madden team where he selected the best offensive and defensive players that season. I was honored but surprised when he named me as the best NFL official. Further, in 2006 John called to invite me to attend his Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction in Canton, Ohio at his expense that August. He had some 250 “guests” fly non-stop from Oakland to Canton, Ohio, but without the coach — who was claustrophobic about flying.

Coach Madden concluded on the back cover of my book: “Anyone who needs to understand people and teamwork ought to read this book. Everybody will enjoy it. I can’t believe I’m saying all things nice things about …a referee!”

Will you mourn the loss of Coach Madden for his specialness to the NFL and sports broadcasting?

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com or email jim@jimtunney.com. “Impartial Judgment” is now out of print but is available for $20 with free shipping from the website or contact Jim at 2962 Club Rd. Ste #32 Pebble Beach, CA. 93953. It includes Jim’s autograph. 

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Jim’s books include many messages about rules and regulations (remember he was a referee). His bobblehead on your desk or shelf will be a treasure in your office or home. Jim’s Bobblehead includes no tax and comes with free shipping. Use PayPal or mail check to 2962 Club Rd, Ste 32, Pebble Beach, CA 93953. Enjoy your Holidays!

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

Posted in NFL, Sports, Tunney Side of Sports Columns | Tagged | Leave a comment

Keep Hope Alive!

Posted on December 27, 2021 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

Keep Hope AliveOn the TunneySide of Sports December 27, 2021 #880 Up next… Keep Hope Alive!

After further review… The TunneySide is hoping your holidays were joyful and pleasant. Within our sports world, it was not so pleasant due to the various diseases that plagued us throughout 2021. Let us turn our attention to a more thoughtful and positive 2022.

It’s always been my thinking to K.H.A., meaning Keep Hope Alive!  I remember hearing about a doctor who, after thoroughly examining his patient and seeing/knowing there was not much treatment left that would keep his patient alive, said: “I can’t give you much hope.” I thought to myself: “Hmm, doctor, that’s maybe all you can give him!”

This brings me to 2022. With all we (in the USA) have endured throughout 2021, what can we hope for in 2022? Well, certainly, besides hope we can place our trust in others that are, perhaps, more knowledgeable than we then do our best to stay healthy. Since this column/blog is about sports, let’s examine how difficult it was to carry on in our sports world in 2021.

Many professional games in all sports – NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB – and so on had players infected with COVID-19. How do you compete with only a partial roster? Last week in the NFL, seven rookie quarterbacks were starting for their teams with some of them in battles for a playoff berth. As I write this the NBA is quarantining players and coaches.

The NHL has canceled the US hockey team from the 2022 Winter Olympic Games scheduled to begin the first week in February 2022. I  wonder how many other Winter Olympians will be forced to withdraw due to the pandemic of COVID-19 or omicron variant or even another virus? Or even, perhaps, other countries will be forced to withdraw their teams due to infections?

Then, too what about our student-athletes at the college level or on down to the Little League level? Will some just give up hope that it’s just not worth it to try again next year? I’ve heard some coaches worried that they may not have enough players trying out for their teams. Our high schools have tried to carry on during this pandemic. What is their level of hope that 2022 will be better?

Will you keep hope alive for those who still have the desire to compete?

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Jim’s books include many messages about rules and regulations (remember he was a referee). His bobblehead on your desk or shelf will be a treasure in your office or home. Jim’s Bobblehead is on a holiday sale for $25, (vs $30.) and includes no tax and free shipping. Use PayPal or mail check to 2962 Club Rd, Ste 32, Pebble Beach, CA 93953. Enjoy your Holidays!

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

Posted in Current Affairs, NFL, Sports, Tunney Side of Sports Columns | Tagged | Leave a comment