Epic Tug or War in 1978: KC Royals vs. Dallas Cowboys

[DanT]

Back in the 1970's, when there were only the three major networks, ABC had a sports competition pitting great athletes from various sports against one another in athletic feats. There were individual as well as team formats. The 1978 SuperTeams competition took place in February and came down to an epic tug of war between the Royals and the Cowboys. Here are a couple of links for us old-timers to reminisce and for the young'uns to see some history.

Webpage with results:
http://www.thesuperstars.org/comp/78team.html


Two videos (Parts 1 and 2) showing the broadcast of the tug or war segment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdgV_vCLMxQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwwTADRwi0Y

[DanT]

For the tug of war, the Royals had 8 players, weighing a total of 1,482 pounds (George Brett, Fred Patek, Hal McRae, Tom Poquette, Amos Otis, Frank White, Dennis Leonard, Darrell Porter). The team captain was Paul Splittorff.

The Cowboys had 7 players in the tug of war, weighing a total of 1,500 pounds (Randy White, Charlie Waters, Cliff Harris, Robert Newhouse, Ralph Neely, Drew Pearson, Harvey Martin). The team captain was Roger Staubach.
The month before, Randy White and Harvey Martin were co-MVPs in the Cowboys win over Denver in Super Bowl XII.

Keith Jackson was the announcer and O.J. Simpson was the reporter in the trenches.

[Deberg_1990]

I remember these. thanks for posting!

[Rain Man]

I used to love those events. I wish they still did them.

Here's the running event. If you want to make any argument about baseball players being as athletic as football players, watch the first two legs where Cowboys defensive linemen outrace the Royal' infielders.

[RippedmyFlesh]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I used to love those events. I wish they still did them.

thanks for the vid

If Brett had a 300million contract I don't think you would have seen him on these types shows.

[DanT]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I used to love those events. I wish they still did them.

Here's the running event. If you want to make any argument about baseball players being as athletic as football players, watch the first two legs where Cowboys defensive linemen outrace the Royal' infielders.

Interesting. Fred Patek was the reigning American League Stolen Base leader and Harvey Martin handed off about the same time as Patek, and then Randy White burned Frank White. Says a lot about that pair of linemen.

[RippedmyFlesh]

Originally Posted by DanT

Interesting. Fred Patek was the reigning American League Stolen Base leader and Harvey Martin handed off about the same time as Patek, and then Randy White burned Frank White. Says a lot about that pair of linemen.

Speed just wasnt valued in baseball like today. There are so many good baseball players from that era that would never get a look today because they aren't "athletic" enough.

[DanT]

Originally Posted by RippedmyFlesh

Speed just wasnt valued in baseball like today. There are so many good baseball players from that era that would never get a look today because they aren't "athletic" enough.

A couple months after the competition, Sports Illustrated published a tantalising piece on the Royals rookie Willie Wilson, whom the great Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler called the best prospect in America in the 1974 high school class. https://www.si.com/vault/1978/04/24/...steal-70-bases

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by DanT

Interesting. Fred Patek was the reigning American League Stolen Base leader and Harvey Martin handed off about the same time as Patek, and then Randy White burned Frank White. Says a lot about that pair of linemen.

I've never heard of Patek, but I was looking at him and thinking, "This guy was a pro athlete"? Nothing about him looked athletic or even graceful.

I thought it was funny that the Cowboys' nose tackle and defensive end were faster than the Royals' second baseman and short stop. In fairness, though, the linemen in those days were smaller than today's linebackers. I was surprised when they listed the weights of White and Martin as 245 and 238, because I always thought of them as being bigger guys, especially Randy White. He was a monster run stopper.

[DanT]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I've never heard of Patek, but I was looking at him and thinking, "This guy was a pro athlete"? Nothing about him looked athletic or even graceful.

I thought it was funny that the Cowboys' nose tackle and defensive end were faster than the Royals' second baseman and short stop. In fairness, though, the linemen in those days were smaller than today's linebackers. I was surprised when they listed the weights of White and Martin as 245 and 238, because I always thought of them as being bigger guys, especially Randy White. He was a monster run stopper.

Freddie Patek was a very popular player and is in the Royals Hall of Fame. He was the shortest guy in the majors and, when asked about how that felt, would say it was better than being the tallest guy in the minors. One of the images seered into longtime Royals fans' memories is of Patek, dejected and alone, after the Royals great 1977 season ended so shockingly http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/ne...ure-id93044780

[Demonpenz]

Cards vs royals family fued

[siberian khatru]

I remember that.

I loved Superstars.

[Deberg_1990]

Used to love the old 'Battle of the Network Stars' too. With Howard Cosell

[RippedmyFlesh]

The 70's was the cheesiest decade in history is what I think when I remember these shows being on.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by RippedmyFlesh

The 70's was the cheesiest decade in history is what I think when I remember these shows being on.

Whats interesting is that this kinda stuff would never get made anymore. Players make too much money and fear getting hurt.