1976 Play-by-Play

After five years of play, the Game had seen four straight victories by Dr. Death and one, the most recent, by Binky Brown. The young co-founders had done well, but would there ever be room at the top for anyone else?

January 8th, 24 gamesters scored three or better on China's Chou En-lai. Going Wild and taking the lead at five points were J. Smoke, and rookies D. Heath and N. Percia... Jan. 12th, J. Smoke took the lead at seven with two points on Agatha Christie. Ten more scored the deuce, and many were locked in a wild battle for second place at five points from the Agatha-Chou combo.

February 27th, J. Basal scored the year's first solo with a four-pointer on faith healer Kathryn Kuhlman.

March 14th, rookie L. Blauvelt, Mr. Clete and D. Perriman Sr. tapped down the crystal staircase with Busby Berkeley for two over-produced points. The hit moved Mr. Clete two points ahead of Binky Brown, whose fear of the Dark Dog was apparent even then. Stung by what he perceived as an insult, Binky Brown soloed for two on Viscount Montgomery on March 24th and pulled alongside the Furry Rocket once again. And still J. Smoke held all of Gamedom in his thrall at seven points but the pressure was building with 10 in second place at five.

April 5th, legendary millionaire Howard Hughes became even more reclusive and willed 12 gamesters three points each; five gamesters flew past J. Smoke into the lead at eight points: T. Curran, B. Hamilton (sibling and sponsor of the soon to be legendary M. Hamilton), D. Heath, L. Conway (a.k.a. Luce the Moose, sibling of Binky Brown) and A. Zimney, and there they hung for more than a month.

May 9th, Binky Brown took sole possession of the lead at nine points with a four-point solo on Otto Kerner. Was this to be a repeat of 1975? Would the founders own the Top Spot?... No. On May 31st, Binky was trampled and left coughing in the dust as 14 gamesters tallied five big ones on loose-lipped Martha Mitchell, including the five former leaders above, who became the five leaders again, at 13 points.

June 6th, 20 gamesters tallied two well-moneyed points on J. Paul Getty, including B. Hamilton, D. Heath and A. Zimney, who trimmed the leading corps down to three gamesters at 15 points. It was also hit #5 for Hamilton and Zimney giving them the Silver Bobcat. (Unfortunately, both ran out of gas almost immediately and disappeared from the Game radar by year's end.)... On June 9th, T. Curran rejoined the leaders as he tallied two on famed politician James A. Farley. Also at the rally, L. Lantz (The Godfather-in-Law to D. Beach, W. Dockum and D. Perriman Jr.) and D. Perriman Sr. Such are the ways of the Game: On May 30th, Binky Brown had been in the lead, and on June 10th, he wasn't even in the Top Ten anymore. And perhaps distracted by the drubbing Binky was taking, few heard the onrushing footsteps of D. Perriman Sr., the Silver Warrior, who on June 10th went Wild on film giant Adolph Zukor and moved to 16 points and sole possession of the lead! Also Wild Carding, L. Blauvelt. Picking up another point and hit: Mr. Clete and L. Conant... June 24th, D. Hillmann soloed stylishly on Imogene Cunningham... June 25th, D. Perriman Sr. really turned on the speed with a solo on Johnny Mercer for four more points, moving him to 20 and stretching his lead to five points.

July 12th, gifted amateurs J. Corrigan, S. Silino and Skul scored three on Ted Mack... July 29th, D. Beach soloed for four points on boxer/mobster Mickey Cohen.

August was a month of style and solos. On the 2nd, Mr. Goodvibes soloed on famed director Fritz Lang for two points... On Aug. 9th, gangster John Roselli bobbed to the surface of Biscayne Bay in an oil drum and who should be there for the points but talented newcomer J. Schinto... Aug. 19th, B. Beasom, the Game Sergeant at Arms, scored three on actor Alistair Sim... Aug. 26th, Mr. Clete soloed for two on German soprano Lotte Lehmann. The hit qualified him for a QPA, one of the lowest in Game history. Quoted in the Game Gazette's Labor Day Issue of 1976, he noted, "I wanted a place in the record books. I'm moving through life seven times faster than everybody else, and I find this little piece of immortality reassuring"... And then on Aug. 28th, KABOOM. Rookie N. Percia, a seeming non-factor at 12 points, scored the Game's first-ever 10-point solo, on Altagracia Rodriguez, a Siamese twin who survived separation surgery but later choked to death on a bean (Editor's Note: This hit now falls under the Medical Marvel ruling, prompted by this and other similar hits, and would no longer qualify.), and vaulted into the lead at 22 points.

September 9th, Mao Tse Tung became a Top Pop Pick as 35 gamesters -- 85% of those playing -- raised their little red books in approval. N. Percia added two to her score to lead at 24 points. J. Basal and S. Greenstein scored their Wild Cards.

October 14th, D. Perriman Sr. scored a two-point solo on Dame Edith Evans and moved to 22 points, just two off the leader. The next day, B. Beasom soloed for three on mobster Carlo Gambino.

November 11th, S. Donovan scored a three-point solo on American abstract sculptor Alexander Calder... Nov. 24th, an earthquake the weighed in at 7.9 on the Richter scale shook Turkey and threatened to shake the standings even farther. Waiting for their 10 points, should the toll top 5,000 deaths, were J. Corrigan and N. Percia... Nov. 28th, D. Beach and D. Perriman Jr. tallied four each on actress Rosalind Russell. The hit tied Beach with D. Perriman Sr. at 22 points.

December 2nd, G. Conway and J. Smoke waved from the dugout steps to acknowledge their five points on Pittsburgh Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh... Dec. 20th, 16 gamesters voted for Mayor Richard J. Daley and were paid with three points at the side door. Leading the way was N. Percia, moving to 27 points... Dec. 26th, Binky Brown soloed for four on Senator Phil Hart, but it was too little too late. The earthquake toll had now leveled off at an estimated 5,000 deaths, and the points were awarded, lifting Percia to 37 points and a commanding lead... But there was still room for style: at the wire on December 31st, Mr. Clete and D. Perriman Jr. raised a mournful two-point duet to singer Roland Hayes; both had dropped Hayes from their 1977 lists; what confidence. The hit gave Perriman Sr. sole possession of second place, and a strong finish to a great year.

N. Percia became the first to win both the Gran Prix and Rookie of the Year. D. Perriman Sr. was awarded Class List and the Perriman Pennant for his eight hits.

Let's look at the Top Ten for 1976.

Take me on to 1977.

Take me back to Play-by-Play.