A Commitment to Expiration

Former Oakland Raiders placekicker and quarterback George Blanda, who retired more often than Brett Favre, has died at the age of 83, thwarting his planned comeback to dig the Raiders out of their current 2-4 hole. Blanda played 26 years– the longest career in pro football history. Starting his career at left bench with George Halas’ Chicago Bears in 1949, Blanda did not get along with the coaching legend. In one game with the Bears getting stomped, fans in the stands starting chanting “We want Blanda.” Halas told Blanda to come off the bench. After putting on his helmet and running to the sideline, Halas motioned to the stands and told him, “Get up there. They’re calling for you.” Tiring of being relegated to kicking, he retired after the 1958 season, but a year later, the American Football League came calling, and he led the Houston Oilers to the league’s first two championships, winning player of the year honors in 1961, before the Oilers decided he should retire in 1967. Instead, he went to the Raiders and played 9 more seasons. Though not known for his arm strength, passing accuracy, agility or foot speed, he nonetheless had a knack for clutch performances - in one 5-game stretch in 1970 replacing the Raiders injured quarterback, the 43-year-old Blanda guided the team to 5 4th quarter comebacks with his passing and kicking. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981, he was the first QB with 7 TD passes in a game, set the record for TDs in a season with 36 that stood for 23 seasons, still holds the record for interceptions in a season with 42, held the record for career interceptions until Brett Favre surpassed him, and finally retired in 1976 with more points scored and games played than anyone in pro football history.