SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL GAME 2020 Long Island EFL Indianapolis Colts (3-0) vs. Chicago Bears (2-1)

[Long island EFL]

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 ELECTRIC FOOTBALL PATRIOT DAY MEMORIAL  GAME

PATRIOTDAY: The countdown to this Long Island game has built up such intensity not just for the game of electric football, but because of the memories we all hold dear to our hearts.  We all felt the earth crumble on September 11th, 2001, as we here who reside in the New York Metropolitan area went to work early that morning only to learn that the World Trade Center had been attacked. Anyone living in this vicinity, just 32 miles from downtown Manhattan knows someone who died in the towers. Some of us could smell the smoke, some could smell the bodies, some picked them up, wrapped the American flag around them, paused and prayed.

Commissioner of the LIEFL and Professor of Communication at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood, NY, and former news reporter William O'Connell said, "We all here in New York felt so close to this tragic event. My neighbor was just 32 years-old. I saw her on September 9th, playing on a trampoline with the kids in the neighborhood on the side of another neighbor's house. She was beautiful in every way. Her smile was infectious. She brought cookies to my house when my child had cancer. She left two very young daughters, and her wonderful husband behind. Her name is Debra Manetta." 

Professor O'Connell continued, "Times were fogged in this country for quite some time, and it gave many of us a numb feeling, some filled with rage, so we had to find a way to reel those bad thoughts in and do something positive. We did fundraisers and anything we could to help the families of the fallen souls of September 11th. One of my students years later shared a piece of steel with the class that represented what was left of both his father and brother who he lost that day. We all touched it, it was cold, almost cold as ice, and it had a brown colored tint to it. We all cried for him.  People seemed to unite in such horrific times. It didn't seem to matter who you were, people became colorless and human beings for that one day. We felt like we were brothers and sisters. We are Americans. Not a single one of us would be here today, if Adolf Hitler had his way. Heroes saved America.  Some don't care, but we have to because it is those heroes who gave us the air we breath, the security we have, our dignity, and the pride of who we are." 

Long Island Electric Football sponsor and Founder of Bridge Capital Solutions, Pan Am Games Gold Medalist and Two-time World Champion USA Swimmer Greg Jagenberg said, "Today is a day of deep reflection. It is a day that the spirits rise within us to commemorate the lives of 2,977 people who were killed that day, and thousands thereafter from all kinds of diseases. That day, from the Robert Moses Bridge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, we could see the smoke billowing in the clear blue sky. We lost too many friends. It is hard to fathom."

Another huge fan and friend of our league is the great Ray Negron, movie producer and New York Yankees Special Advisor and Community Service liaison to the late George M. Steinbrenner,III. Ray has worked with the Yankees for nearly 50 years. Negron said, "The event of September 11th was so horrible that it brought strangers together. The losses we suffered I will never forget. New York is my home. It has given me a life people dream about, and it is a place that gives us that feeling that we all own a part of the Big Apple. When Professor O'Connell asked me to take a look at electric football, what amazed me is not only the sportsmanship and competitiveness, but the care you all have for people. It is really wonderful."

Long Island Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Andrew Slawson of Slawson's Corner said, "It was particularly hard because Professor O'Connell's child was battling cancer at the time and it seemed like our world was becoming hopeless, but reflecting back I think it changed us all. It made us appreciate what we have."

As everyone grouped around and held hands like brothers, O'Connell ended by saying, "I always ask Mother Earth to find her spirit again, to make love to the world, and to bring back the unification we seemed to have had that day as a nation, and we pray for those who those souls we lost as well as those so filled with misguided hate that they unleashed it on innocent people, so that we can make our world a better place for the sake of our children. Please refrain from judgement and embrace the haters of the world so that we can understand them on a meta-cognitive level."

THE COUNTDOWN: The Chicago Bears Nation reflects with the country in prayer for those who perished on September 11th as we play a game dedicated to the human spirit and since none of us are immortal, we bring out immortality in the plastic player figures that plan to outlive us all. Electric Football has been there many times for us. We couldn't think of a more passionate way to live this day then to include something that makes us happy, rather than focus on sadness.

Sooner or later the Bears will have to amp-up their running game, but WOW, the excitement is trembling for this anticipated match-up between Paddy Brannigan's Bears (2-1), and Coach Billy O'C's undefeated Indianapolis Colts (3-0)! The Bears have beaten some teams. In Week#1 Chicago played a historic opening game to begin the 2020 season, losing to division rival Detroit 34-28 in overtime! The Bears put up a fierce battle! There were nine touchdowns and 900 yards in the game!

What they showed that day in Detroit was the transformation from a team rebuilding foe two seasons, to an offensive powerhouse. Any team that can hang with Detroit at that level opens eyes. In Week#2, Chicago came right back to fight the war by beating the New York Giants 16-10, in overtime, and last week in Week#3 they beat the undefeated Atlanta Falcons on the road 21-14 in overtime on the "Dirty-Birds" home field! To say they are a contender is not going to far.  Billy O'C's Indianapolis Colts are supercharged. This is a different Colts team this year, and running back Joseph Addai having a comparable season to Bears superstar,  Willie Gault. Two stars in the league, playing in the same game seems to be the standard in the LIEFL.

Addai has 39 carries for 785 total yards with five touchdowns, and Gault has lit it up in the NFC with 12 carries for 660 yards and four touchdowns. The Bears need a running threat. Walter Payton only has 76 yards rushing. Then the Bears have Mike Ditka who has become a huge threat as the #1 receiver in the LIEFL. Ditka has only three catches, but the damage he has done in the open field has posed a threat to defenses this season. Ditka has three touchdowns. 

THE PLAY-BY-PLAY: Indianapolis Colts (3-0) vs. Chicago Bears (2-1)

The moments were heating with emotional coaches on Patriot Day. We'd like to think that in those little player figures that seem to have their own set of emotions who we've coddled for years, it's almost as though they are talking to us at times, but in reality we bring them to life. With some Bruce Springsteen music in the background the opening kickoff came from Chicago's Willie Gault, who's having a sensational year.

Chicago Coach Paddy Brannigan was wearing his Chicago Bears dark jersey with Richard Dent's number 95. Coach Billy O'C wore his American flag bandanna and a black Adidas shirt. In the room he has a Cuban flag hanging, which represents the country that his Olympic International volleyball player mother came from.

On the opening kickoff Willie Gault took it back 55 yards to the Colts 45-yard line! The Colts defense kicked in hard as they stopped Bears running back Walter Payton on the first two runs that he attempted. On third down, Mike Ditka got the extra step on Indianapolis linebacker Robert Mathis, and Ditka ran 47-yards into the end-zone on a Jim McMahon touchdown pass 7-0 Chicago, with 10:38 left to go in the half!

You could hear the burst of energy come from a full house on hand as lunch was ordered!

 

The Colts didn't waste any time at all as running back Joseph Addai took back the kick-return 40-yards! Addai and the Indianapolis offense with Elmer Collett in the middle opened the trenches for 5-yard run on first down. Then on second down, Addai blasted through a hole and took it 55-yards on a scorching run into the end-zone to tie the score 7-7, with 5:51 remaining in the half in a spectacular game!

 

On the Bears second possession, Gault returned the football 45-yards at the Bears own forty-five yard line. Walter Payton and the front line of the Bears started to move the ball with Number One Draft pick Don Hampton at center as we watched Payton run for a first down to the 44-yard line with 1:37 left to go in the half. This was a heck of a defensive football game between these two outstanding teams and coaches as Indianapolis rose to the occasion on Chicago's home field. Payton picked-up four more yards on second down as the second half got underway. Payton was just getting warmed up. We haven't seen him highlighted in the first three games because Willie Gault and Mike Ditka have provided more than enough offensive firepower. On the next play, Payton exploded around the right side of his front line for a 20-yard run for the first down. One play later Payton followed up with another bruising 20-yard run for a touchdown to make the score 14-7, Chicago gained the lead with 13:40 left to go in the game! Another WOW performance!

 

Coach Billy O'C was calm as the Chicago Bears threatened his undefeated Colts. O'C had 13 minutes to undo the damage He said out loud, "Great play" when Payton scored the touchdown, showing some true sportsmanship.

 

On the ensuing kick-return Colts back Joseph Addai ran the ball out of bounds at the Colts 23-yard line as we attempt to guess and follow the coach's strategy.  That out-of-bounds run might have been altered on purpose to play games with the clock. Billy O'C may have a trick or two up his sleeve. Unbelievable! On first down Addai was stopped from the left side by Ditka, and then on second down, Gault came in from the opposite side of the field and slammed Addai to the turf for a short gain of two-yards, forcing a third down for the Indianapolis. The Bears played absolutely great defense on behalf of Paddy Brannigan! On a tremendous explosive play through the middle on third-down, Colts receiver Marvin Harrison reeled in a great pass over the middle of the field from Peyton Manning. Harrison marched the ball 75-yards into the end-zone with blazing speed for the score to tie the game at 14-14, with 7:08 left to go in the game! What a tremendous explosive run for Harrison!

 

On the kickoff Willie Gault took a beautiful 57-yard kick return back to set up the Bears next running attack with 5:29 left to go in the game as the intensity grew! On an amazing end around play, one play later, Walter Payton scampered 39-yards for the score to give Chicago the lead 21-14, with 2:58 left to go in the game with time running out and ticking down!

 

After a 45 yard kick return by Addai, the Colts had one play left as they looked for the magic. Quarterback Peyton Manning threw a dart to receiver Raymond Barry who took the  ball 31-yards up-field, but the Colts were forced out of bounds at the Chicago Bears 29-yard line as they ran out a time. The Colts managed to kick a field-goal to make the score Chicago 21-Indianapolis 17!  What a stunner! What a game!

 

The Chicago Bears (3-1), beat the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (3-1), in an incredible finish in a game that came right  down to the last second! What a game! The Bears head to play division rival Green Bay next week in what will be a war for the division title, and Indianapolis heads home to play the Tennessee Titans. Chicago's Walter Payton rushed for 97 yards on nine carries with two-touchdowns. Willie gault returned the ball three times for 157 yards! Indianapolis Colts star Joseph Addai had 7 carries for a total 170 yards with a 55- yard touchdown, and we can't forget Ditka or Harrison who made this a game to NEVER FORGET ON 911!