Today is the 20 year anniversary of the Leon Lett Snow Game

[Richmond Cowboy]

I remember exactly where I was watching this. In my high school best friend's basement. Man, can't believe it's been 20...
Funny thing is, as I'm re-watching it I'm hoping they miss the second attempt even though I already know what happened.

 

[tyke1doe]

No, but I watched it. That game made me so sicky upset, I went to bed without eating any Thanksgiving Day seconds.

 

[big dog cowboy]

That would be the last game we would lose that year.

I believe that was the last game we lost that season.

 

[KJJ]

Vinko Bogataj. He was asked to appear at the Wide World of Sports 20th Anniversary celebration, where Muhammad Ali asked him for his autograph.

That misfire made him famous.

 

[noshame]

I don't know if is was that game or a year on either side of it, but I bet a guy $5 bucks we'd win and he took the bet just to bet against the boys. On the first play Emmitt busted the lead draw up the gut for 15-20 yds, the dude reached in his pocket and handed me a five. lol great memories.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

I was there with a good friend. It was so cold and the game was so bad that we left at halftime, went to Luby's for a semblance of a Thanksgiving dinner, and watched the end of the game in the warmth of home. No regrets.

 

[tyke1doe]

I was there with a good friend. It was so cold and the game was so bad that we left at halftime, went to Luby's for a semblance of a Thanksgiving dinner, and watched the end of the game in the warmth of home. No regrets.

Your friend was a she or a he?

 

[joseephuss]

I never thought what Lett did at SB27 was a bad thing. The Cowboys were already in celebration mode in a blowout win.

Now what he did on Thanksgiving was a bit different. You don't get a rid of a good player for doing that, but it was extremely stupid. Still it is the kind of thing you get over when the team goes undefeated the rest of the season and wins their second Superbowl in a row.

The only thing that pissed me off about Lett was his drug problem and the games it cost him. That is what truly hurt the team.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Now what he did on Thanksgiving was a bit different. You don't get a rid of a good player for doing that, but it was extremely stupid.

Was it any more stupid than not touching a receiver that went to the ground on his own, .. and then watch him jump up and score?

I'm serious.

 

[joseephuss]

Was it any more stupid than not touching a receiver that went to the ground on his own, .. and then watch him jump up and score?

I'm serious.

Yes, it was more stupid than that and that was bad.

 

[CooterBrown]

Was it any more stupid than not touching a receiver that went to the ground on his own, .. and then watch him jump up and score?

I'm serious.

If the game had been on the line on that play, yes, it would have been as bad. Leon's blunder changed a certain victory into an embarassing defeat.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

Were any of you at the game?

Yes sir! It still hurts to this day. The frozen fingers that is.

 

[03EBZ06]

I watched on TV and only thing I could say at the moment was "oh my god, I can't believe he did that", I was so pissed, I was cussing up the storm. The SB gaffe, I didn't mind it too much because we were going to win big regardless but that snow game, smh. I don't hate Lett though, he was a beast.

 

[mrmojo]

I watched with my sisters and their husbands. Well the husbands are Steeler and Commander fans, so while we were celebrating a supposed win they were yelling "He touched the ball! He touched the ball!" Needless to say the rest of the day was somber for us, but the brother-in-laws sure had a good time Lol!

Leon was heck of a player and was a key figure in oure SB victories over Buffalo with his strip's of Thurman Thomas. He was a beast, he is one of those, along with Hollywood Henderson and Erik Williams, of "what might have been" if he had kept literally his nose clean.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Yes, it was more stupid than that and that was bad.

If the game had been on the line on that play, yes, it would have been as bad. Leon's blunder changed a certain victory into an embarassing defeat.

Not talking about the result of the play, just the lack of football knowledge to understand the situation.

Not everybody knows all of the rules involved after a blocked FG attempt. Like what you can do behind the LOS -vs- what you can do past the LOS, .. Where you can touch it and where you shouldn't, etc.

Everyone on defense should know you have to touch the ball carrier to make sure he is down. Everyone.

To me that was just as dumb if not dumber because it is so basic.

 

[joseephuss]

Not talking about the result of the play, just the lack of football knowledge to understand the situation.

Not everybody knows all of the rules involved after a blocked FG attempt. Like what you can do behind the LOS -vs- what you can do past the LOS, .. Where you can touch it and where you shouldn't, etc.

Everyone on defense should know you have to touch the ball carrier to make sure he is down. Everyone.

To me that was just as dumb if not dumber because it is so basic.

Carter thought the receiver landed out of bounds and therefore was be down. That isn't a lack of football knowledge. It is overthinking the situation instead of just doing his job. He definitely should have touched him down to make sure, but it isn't as if he didn't know the rule on when a player is down.

For Lett it wasn't about knowing the rules, either. First it was a Jimmy Johnson coached team. Everyone knew the rules and situations. Those are the kinds of things Johnson drilled into his teams. Second, Lett was showboating. Everyone was yelling to stay away from the ball and several other Cowboy players who were closer to the ball backed away as you are supposed to do. Lett came out of nowhere and ran past teammates to pounce on the ball. That is why it was dumb. If he just didn't know or understand the rule that would be one thing, but he did it because he was already in celebration rule and it cost the team. Plus most players do know the rules or should know the rules about blocked kicks. I learned that rule in junior high football.

Results do matter as well. Carter's mistake cost the team a TD, but they were still able to win the game. Lett's mistake cost the team a win, but they were still able to go on and win a Superbowl. That is why most still hate Jackie Smith(I don't).

 

[WV Cowboy]

Carter thought the receiver landed out of bounds and therefore was be down.

I don't believe that. I know that is what he said, .. but the guy was not near the sideline. He was just covering for himself.

Second, Lett was showboating.

I never thought that, and have never heard that mentioned once in the 20 years since it happened, .. till now.
I just think that Lett thought that if he could recover that ball that it would help Dallas. That was wrong and thus a dumb decision.

Results do matter as well.

I agree, they do matter overall, .. but not for me when deciding what was a dumb decision. If it was dumb, it was dumb no matter what the outcome.

 

[ohiocowboysfan25]

I was 11 and that was when I just started getting into football. I don't think I knew exactly what was happening while the play was going on but once I did I was really upset. I will probably never forget that day and how evil my cousin was to me when we lost because he was a 49ers fan so he couldn't have been happier. It's funny how certain things in games still with you so much that it doesn't matter how many years go by you still remember how you felt at that exact moment. On a side note, I don't know how surprised I'd be to see any of the current cowboys do that. lol

 

[Don Corleone]

Lett was extremely talented, but had two boneheaded moments in his career with this being one of them. It just goes to show you that stupidity can't be coached out of a player, regardless of the head coach. This was under Jimmy Johnson. Madden made the comment during the game that Jimmy started every practice with special teams. Surely he made this point clear to his players. Weren't some of them waving to stay away from the ball?

This is why I give Garrett a pass when our players display stupidity.

This play had an impact on the league. Now you see players avoiding a blocked FG and waving their teammates off.