RIP Cliff Branch

[Chickenman Testa]

SIAP

The great deep threat Cliff Branch passed away on Saturday, but I haven’t seen much news of it.

I am an Eagles (and bandwagon 70s -80s Steelers) fan and well remember those great Raiders teams with Stabler, Casper, Van Eeghen, Branch, Shell, Upshaw, Lester Hayes, Hendricks, etc. Branch was a key cog in Al Davis’ preferred deep strike offense. This is as good a place as any for one of my favorite old school NFL clips

 

[psuro]

If I recall, and without looking it up, Cliff Branch played indoor football with the original Arena League - after he had been out of the NFL for a while.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

If I recall, and without looking it up, Cliff Branch played indoor football with the original Arena League - after he had been out of the NFL for a while.

Looks like it from his wiki.

I found it interesting that Mark Davis pissed Al off by being Branch’s agent. Sounds like they were best friends.

 

[RandyL]

iirc..Branch should be remembered for running back a kickoff td that helped end our non-losing streak back in 1970.

 

[PSU Soupy]

#21 SPEED KILLS.

Big Steelers fan in the 70s but I always liked Branch and Stabler.

RIP #21.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

#21 SPEED KILLS.

Big Steelers fan in the 70s but I always liked Branch and Stabler.

RIP #21.

As a lefty, I loved the Snake and his cut off sleeves

 

[psuro]

As a lefty, I loved the Snake and his cut off sleeves

I remember the game vs. the Dolphins in....1974 (?).....he was falling to the ground and threw one to Casper in the EZ for a TD. It looked like his knee was down.

Still hurts to this day.

 

[PSU Soupy]

As a lefty, I loved the Snake and his cut off sleeves

I was lefty too.....liked him for that reason. Why is it that Leftys look like the throw is softer.....Stabler, Zorn etc....... versus right handed throwers.

Why no left handed QBs in major College or in the NFL????

 

[loosey goosey]

I was lefty too.....liked him for that reason. Why is it that Leftys look like the throw is softer.....Stabler, Zorn etc....... versus right handed throwers.

Why no left handed QBs in major College or in the NFL????

The hefty lefty and Vick,reverse spin.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

I was lefty too.....liked him for that reason. Why is it that Leftys look like the throw is softer.....Stabler, Zorn etc....... versus right handed throwers.

Why no left handed QBs in major College or in the NFL????

Almost every lefty I see throws 3/4. I know I do. You do have those exceptions like John Franco, but still.

Throwing with another lefty is always strange, but we do look smoother. Smoother at the plate, too. Think of Will Clark, Mark Grace, etc

 

[PSU Soupy]

As a left handed pitcher, I threw a natural screw ball.....moved away from right handed hitters....good for baseball, my football throw also floated to the left.....bad for football.

Left handed hitters look much more natural than right handed swingers......Will Clark, Al Oliver both with as pretty a swing as you can imagine......

 

[Chickenman Testa]

As a left handed pitcher, I threw a natural screw ball.....moved away from right handed hitters....good for baseball, my football throw also floated to the left.....bad for football.

Left handed hitters look much more natural than right handed swingers......Will Clark, Al Oliver both with as pretty a swing as you can imagine......

I throw a natural screwball as well - killer pitch in wiffleball too.

I think part of the batting smoothness has to be that you are naturally swinging in the direction you need to run

 

[artsandletters]

Villanova’s Mike Siani started opposite Biletnikoff until the Raiders drafted Branch. Bye bye Mike and he was s very good receiver but without Branch’s great speed.

 

[Op2]

Here's a lefty that could play some QB back in the day. ETA: I just looked up his dad and he turns 80 tomorrow. I've read elsewhere that he has dementia now.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Here's a lefty that could play some QB back in the day. ETA: I just looked up his dad and he turns 80 tomorrow. I've read elsewhere that he has dementia now.

View embedded media

Well, then there’s Steve Young of course

 

[GulfCoastLion]

Branch and Freddie Biletnikoff were an outstanding WR duo for Kenny Stabler in the 70’s, along with Dave Casper at tight end. Big Steeler fan here, but had to respect the Raiders back in the John Madden era. Without question the two best teams in the AFC for the decade (Dolphins early in the decade too) and would have often nasty wars on the field to determine who would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. As good as the Steeler and Raider offenses were, it was the defensive intensity and big hitting that often determined the winner.

 

[RU31trap]

I didn’t know he had 3 SB rings.

RIP Cliff Branch

 

[Carl Spackler]

Steelers fan here too but always admired Cliff Branch, his speed, grace and how often he seemed alone when catching the ball. He was F A S T. A great player, sorry to hear of his passing.

 

[auxgym]

SIAP

The great deep threat Cliff Branch passed away on Saturday, but I haven’t seen much news of it.

I am an Eagles (and bandwagon 70s -80s Steelers) fan and well remember those great Raiders teams with Stabler, Casper, Van Eeghen, Branch, Shell, Upshaw, Lester Hayes, Hendricks, etc. Branch was a key cog in Al Davis’ preferred deep strike offense. This is as good a place as any for one of my favorite old school NFL clips

View embedded media

Love em or hate em......those Raider teams were one of the most must watch teams in NFL history. They had every thing you could ever love or hate in a team. Dirty, violence, talent, brash, controversy, flexibility in ways to beat you on both sides of the ball, as well as the will to win. They were more than a football team ......they were a show. They weren't better than the Steelers though......and I'm not a Steeler fan......

 

[PSU20]

I remember the game vs. the Dolphins in....1974 (?).....he was falling to the ground and threw one to Casper in the EZ for a TD. It looked like his knee was down.

Still hurts to this day.

Yes, watched the game also, Vern DenHerder (sp) the Dolphins DE had Stabler around the legs, but wasn't the TD throw to Davis, the RB?

 

[TangSoo]

Lefty Steeler fan here. Jimmy Zorn was my guy! Couldn't bring myself to be a Stabler fan though. Kind of feared the guy. The Steelers usually came out on top, but Stabler was a winner. Loved Cliff Branch though. RIP.

 

[GulfCoastLion]

Here's a lefty that could play some QB back in the day. ETA: I just looked up his dad and he turns 80 tomorrow. I've read elsewhere that he has dementia now.

View embedded media

The guy finally appears to have turned himself around. Really an incredible story of a troubled soul who had immense talent, but was overcome with personal issues and imposed expectations he couldn’t achieve.

 

[psuro]

Well, then there’s Steve Young of course

Tarkenton? Was he lefty?

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Lefty Steeler fan here. Jimmy Zorn was my guy! Couldn't bring myself to be a Stabler fan though. Kind of feared the guy. The Steelers usually came out on top, but Stabler was a winner. Loved Cliff Branch though. RIP.

If you work with engineers, you’ll see plenty of lefties around the conference room table.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Thanks for posting the video Ned.

The voice of John Facenda will never be equaled in NFL Films. He was remarkable.

 

[Waste Management Consultant]

Steelers fan, but closet Raiders fan because of those guys. Kenny Stabler, Cliff Branch, Lester Hayes (can’t use his nickname in today’s pc world), Marcus Allen, Howie Long. The Ken Stabler football life was fantastic. Talks about how he and some teammates were out partying the night before a road game. No curfews by Madden. Only rule was be there on game day at 7am. So they were out, on the road, partying someone looks at their watch, it’s like 2 or 3 am, says, Cliff Branch says oh $hit, we need to get some sleep, Stabler said something along the lines, of I go to sleep, I’m not going make it on time to the stadium, so we might as well keep going. A few hours later with no sleep and a long night of drinking. Kenny Stabler has his best day as a pro passing for something like 325 yards and 3 TD’s 0 ints, back in the 70’s when 300 yards passing was a big deal.

 

[step.eng69]

I was lefty too.....liked him for that reason. Why is it that Leftys look like the throw is softer.....Stabler, Zorn etc....... versus right handed throwers.

Why no left handed QBs in major College or in the NFL????

I thought our guy Mills was a lefty.