1971 Play-by-Play

January 5th, the bell clanged and action got underway with an immediate controversy. Former boxing champ Sonny Liston was discovered dead at home, but the time of his demise was uncertain. Was it before New Year's? Or after? In a gesture of magnanimity that would become the hallmark of their decisions, the Game judges gave J. Basal credit for the K.O. solo and the lead at seven points... The scene shifted to Paris on Jan. 10th, where Dr. Death floated down the runway in a trim two-point solo by Coco Chanel... Jan. 21st, four scored three on Sen. Richard Russell and E. "Weasel" Hourihan tallied the Game's first ever Wild Card.

February 12th, W. C. Basal and G. Lescault shopped for an ace on J. C. Penny.

April 3rd, B. Doyle soloed for four on Joe Valachi, pioneering Mafia songbird... April 6th, Porteus and R. Schooler in tux and tutu celebrated the rites of spring for two points on Igor Stravinsky... April 21st, Haiti's "President for Life" stepped down when J.C. "Hoodoo" Hoffmeier and Ghostwriter met under a full moon to score four apiece on Papa Doc Duvalier.

May 24th, J. Basal and cherubic G. Murphy (college fraternity brother of gamesters Dr. Death, Binky Brown, Ghostwriter. R. Ward and Dupont Fluvius) scored four each on Sen. Thomas Dodd. The hit moved Basal to 11 points as he held the lead.

June 6th, interest in college football burgeoned as five long-horned gamesters scored eight points each on University of Texas back Fred Steinmark. E. Hourihan led the way and took the lead at 13 points!

July 3rd, a bathtub duet with The Door's Jim Morrison brought the Game audience to its feet as Dr. Death and E. Hourihan sang, "When the music's over, turn out the lights" for eight points each. The hit moved Hourihan to 21 points and thrust leather-panted Dr. Death into second place at 18... July 6th, 10 gamesters added a horn chorus to the scoring with three points on Louis Armstrong. Hitting the high note was Dr. Death, moving into a tie for the lead with Hourihan at 21 points... July 12th, Dr. Death downshifted and cried, "Eat my dust!" with a seven-point hit on racing driver Pedro Rodriquez, crashing at Nuremburg. The hit, Doc's fifth, gave him the Silver Bobcat and sole possession of the lead at 28. Also in gear, J. Basal sped ahead to 18 and R. Schooler to 15... July 17th, W. Krug stepped into the spotlight with a gentle three-point solo on Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards.

August 21st, R. Schooler lifted his score by eight points, up to 23 and into second place, with a sudden solo on Soledad Brother George Jackson, shot while trying to escape from San Quentin... Aug. 25th, G. Murphy soloed for two on band leader Ted Lewis... Aug. 27th, G. Doyle and R. Ward dueted for three points on humorist Bennett Cerf.

September 7th, R. Ward was back for a three-point solo on actress Spring Byington... Sept. 11th, the Game welcomed Nikita Khruschev. Of 24 playing, 20 scored on the jovial Soviet, 13 for three and seven for the Wild Card five. The hit moved Dr. Death to 33, where he held the lead... Sept. 25th, three scored two on Judge Hugo Black. Moving to 28 and challenging the Doctor was R. Schooler.

October 25th, Dr. Death slammed the car door on all challengers with a seven-point solo on racing driver Jo Siffert, crashing at Brands Hatch. The hit moved him to 40 points.

December 9th, Crandell and L. Jessup tallied four each on Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche... Dec. 11th, G. Lescault scored a two-point solo on broadcasting pioneer David Sarnoff... Dec. 18th, J. Basal got up with a four-stroke solo on golf legend Bobby Jones.

And so 1971 ended, with victory for Dr. Death at 40 points, and J. Buffalo scoreless at 0 & 0 for her first Buffalo Cup.

Let's have a look at the Top Ten in 1971.

Take me on to 1972.

Take me back to Play-by-Play.