The Snow Plow Game 36th Anniversary

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Hard to believe its been 36 years since the most famous Patriots Dolphins rivalry game took place at the home of the Pats (although the actual date of that game was December 12th 1982 but its still 36 years since the Dolphins were beyond a pissed team up here).

Watched it on TV that day and will never forget it as Mark Henderson was really the man who squished the fish that day with his plow that saved the day in what was an impossible day to score - (may Mark R.I.P.)

Imagine today with all the idiot hateful fans and media calling the Patriots cheaters for the past 20 years of how they would have reacted if something like that happened at Gillette in today's NFL?

The fans of the other teams probably would have picketed outside the Patriots bus at every stadium they played away from Foxboro and Goodell probably would have suspended the whole team with the exception of the cheerleaders and the practice squad

 

[oldrover]

https://imgflip.com/gif-maker

 

[PatsFanSince74]

See my sig!

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Hard to believe its been 36 years since the most famous Patriots Dolphins rivalry game took place at the home of the Pats (although the actual date of that game was December 12th 1982 but its still 36 years since the Dolphins were beyond a pissed team up here).

Watched it on TV that day and will never forget it as Mark Henderson was really the man who squished the fish that day with his plow that saved the day in what was an impossible day to score - (may Mark R.I.P.)

Imagine today with all the idiot hateful fans and media calling the Patriots cheaters for the past 20 years of how they would have reacted if something like that happened at Gillette in today's NFL?

The fans of the other teams probably would have picketed outside the Patriots bus at every stadium they played away from Foxboro and Goodell probably would have suspended the whole team with the exception of the cheerleaders and the practice squad

David Lafleche
You must admit, the Patriots used to have the coolest-looking uniforms in NFL history.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Imagine today with all the idiot hateful fans and media calling the Patriots cheaters for the past 20 years of how they would have reacted if something like that happened at Gillette in today's NFL?

They did react that way, the same way they have to the Pats since the merger in 1970.

No rules were broken, if Tom Landry did it they'd have called him a genius, Shula is a pissant.

 

[reflexblue]

I saw that game, but don't remember if it was the game winning fg. I also remember shula being really pissed off, and at the time i couldn't understand why. My thinking was if the lolfhins were in a postion to kick a fg or ep he would just ask for the spot to be cleared like the pats did. I know he carried that grudge for thirty years.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I saw that game, but don't remember if it was the game winning fg. I also remember shula being really pissed off, and at the time i couldn't understand why. My thinking was if the lolfhins were in a postion to kick a fg or ep he would just ask for the spot to be cleared like the pats did. I know he carried that grudge for thirty years.

Snowplow Game - Wikipedia

The night before this game, heavy rains had soaked the AstroTurf surface at New England's Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The field froze over, and conditions were made significantly worse as a snowstorm hit during the game. As a result, an emergency ground rule was put into play where the officials could call time-out and allow the ground crew to use a snowplow to clear the yard markers. Despite this rule, the ground crew could not plow often enough to keep the field clear. The two teams remained scoreless late into the fourth quarter. With 4:45 left to go in the game and on-field conditions worsening, Patriots coach Ron Meyer ordered snowplow operator Mark Henderson to clear a spot on the field specifically for placekicker John Smith. According to Meyer, it was quarterback Steve Grogan who suggested asking Henderson to clear the field for the kick. As Henderson recalled years later, "I saw Coach Meyer running to me, shouting and pointing to the field. I kind of knew what he was trying to say, so I got on the tractor and drove onto the field." At first, no one had thought it suspicious, assuming that the plow would go straight across, and allow for a more accurate measurement (which turned out to be 33 yards). Instead, the plow veered left, directly in front of the goal post, giving Smith a clean spot from which to kick. Matt Cavanaugh held for the kick, which was successful.

On the following drive by the Miami Dolphins, linebacker Don Blackmon picked off Dolphins quarterback David Woodley.[1] The Patriots won the game by the final score of 3–0. The game ball was awarded to all-pro linebacker Steve Nelson, who subsequently donated it to his alma mater, North Dakota State University. Henderson also received a game ball from a grateful Meyer after the game.

Dolphins coach Don Shula, angry with the move and believing it to be against the league rules, pointed out that the league's unfair act clause allowed the league to overturn the game result. He met with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle several days later concerning his protest, and although Rozelle agreed with Shula that the use of the plow gave the Patriots an unfair advantage, he said that he had never reversed the result of a game and was not going to start doing so for any reason.


...F*ck Shula, and f*ck Rozelle.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Rozelle was 100% correct. It did give NE an unfair advantage and it wasn’t anything worth reversing the result of a game.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Rozelle was 100% correct. It did give NE an unfair advantage and it wasn’t anything worth reversing the result of a game.

Shula or anyone for that matter could have requested the snowplow clear a space for his kicker, at any time.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Shula or anyone for that matter could have requested the snowplow clear a space for his kicker, at any time.

...and been told that the plow was having engine problems.

 

[italian pat patriot]

It is incredible that this fact is still today one of the most remembered in Pats history...

Am i one of them ? Si si si si si

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Ahhh Yesss! I remember SP Game like it was yesterday......speaking of yesterday, nice beat down on Phins.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I'll remember it because I was at it, freezing my azz off. We almost didn't go because there was a bunch of snow in RI but then were able to catch the Greyhound bus from Providence to the game (and once we crossed the state line into MA the highway was down to pavement. Way to go, RI!).

Also (forgive me Father, for I have sinned...) before NE hit that FG I was very close to wanting someone, anyone to win the game in regulation because I did not want to freeze for an overtime period (that would likely end in a 0-0 tie).

BTW, anyone know what the official attendance was for that game?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Ah -- according to Wikipedia it was 25,761. And - hah! - Griese was one of the TV announcers. He must've totally blown his little walnut of a brain when the snowplow happened.

 

[Joey007]

Do you think it’s possible that plow driver posts on this forum? I bet he’s one of you old timers.

 

[italian pat patriot]

Ah -- according to Wikipedia it was 25,761. And - hah! - Griese was one of the TV announcers. He must've totally blown his little walnut of a brain when the snowplow happened.

How many on this board were one of those 25761 ? I would love to be one of them...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Ah -- according to Wikipedia it was 25,761. And - hah! - Griese was one of the TV announcers. He must've totally blown his little walnut of a brain when the snowplow happened.

Griese suggested Shula wave on the snowplow to clear a space for Uwe von Schamann on the Fins' last drive to try and tie it.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I'll remember it because I was at it, freezing my azz off. We almost didn't go because there was a bunch of snow in RI but then were able to catch the Greyhound bus from Providence to the game (and once we crossed the state line into MA the highway was down to pavement. Way to go, RI!).

Also (forgive me Father, for I have sinned...) before NE hit that FG I was very close to wanting someone, anyone to win the game in regulation because I did not want to freeze for an overtime period (that would likely end in a 0-0 tie).

BTW, anyone know what the official attendance was for that game?

Patriots Hall Of Famer John Hannah: Why The 'Snowplow Game' Is Misunderstood

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Do you think it’s possible that plow driver posts on this forum? I bet he’s one of you old timers.

Snowplow driver won Patriots' fans hearts