Smith drilled the kick and the Patriots won the game by a final score of 3-0. Central U.S. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In 1982, the “Snowplow Game” kickstarted a long history of cheating in New England and changed the NFL’s rules. Come on Don, man up and admit you lost fair and square, instead of resorting to the same childish tactics that you wrongly accuse the Patriots of. The Patriots are still proud of their cheating. With less than five minutes to go in the game, the Patriots ran onto the snowy field to attempt a 33-yard field goal. Spot Request There is a reason a John Deere tractor hangs from the New England Patriots Hall of Fame, and it’s because it reminds fans of one of the most unforgettable moments in team history. Most recently, the team was investigated for illegally filming the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2019 season. El Nino and La Nina Patriots guard and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah had his own viewpoint on the impact of Henderson’s sweep. A 33-Yard Field Goal Game Changer Controversy. Dolphins head coach Don Shula, angry with the move and believing it to be against the league rules, pointed out that the league's unfair act clause allowed the league to overturn the game result. Henderson’s picture was flashed on the scoreboard as he was celebrated as a local hero. Louisville, KY6201 Theiler LaneLouisville, KY 40229-1476502-969-8842Comments? He later apologized. The team gave the snowplow operator the game ball. The referees didn’t throw a flag or even say a word about it because there was no illegal wrongdoing. The Patriots coach originally said quarterback Steve Grogan was the one who told Henderson to commit the act. The team and fans had fun with it. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. Mainly for the clearing of field and yard marker lines. In fact, the Dolphins were even offered use of the snow plow by the officials at a point later in the game in which Miami could have attempted a game tying field goal of their own. Local Climate Pages On the following drive by the Miami Dolphins, linebacker Don Blackmon picked off Dolphins quarterback David Woodley. It was ugly and points were hard to come by. That would have made the kick more difficult and would have put the Patriots back onto a snowy surface. When asked about how he felt about his participation in the controversial call, Henderson (formerly convicted on burglary charges) was quoted saying, “What are they going to do, throw me in jail?”. The field conditions began to deteriorate the night before the event as heavy rains soaked the Astroturf and temperatures dropped below freezing. Scandals like these have cast a dark cloud on Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s six-Super Bowl championship dynasty in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Patriots guard and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah had his own viewpoint on the impact of Henderson’s sweep. Temperatures dropped to below freezing. Myth: During a game versus the Dolphins in the middle of a blizzard back in December of 1982, the Patriots cheated their way to victory. [6], "NFL Top 10: Bad Weather Games", produced by NFL Network, "Today in Pro Football History: 1982: Patriots Beat Dolphins in "Snowplow Game, "Brush with immortality Tractor driver cleared his way into history", "Top Ten Bad Weather Games: #7 The Snow Bowl", "Happy anniversary to NFL's 'Snowplow Game, Snowplow driver won Patriots' fans hearts, Brush with immortality: Tractor driver cleared his way into history, "Only Wanna Be with You" (Hootie & the Blowfish song), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snowplow_Game&oldid=962985408, December 1982 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 June 2020, at 03:42. The snow plow, a John Deere 314, still hangs in the Patriots Hall of Fame to this day. Don Shula (the Dolphins coach at the time) nearly blew a gasket when he saw the snow plow driver clear a spot for the kick. The snow plow driver was being used throughout the game to clear off sections of the field for different purposes. The December 12, 1982 Snow Plow Game between the New England Patriots (2-3-0) and Miami Dolphins (4-1-0) took place in Foxboro, Massachusetts at Schaefer Stadium (renamed “Foxboro Stadium” in 1983). Cam Newton's devastating fumble big blow to Patriots' playoff hopes, Jets contain Le'Veon Bell but get bell rung in sadly familiar loss, Inside story on why QB-needy Jets passed on drafting Patrick Mahomes. At the time, it wasn’t illegal. “If I thought it was illegal or immoral at the time, I never would have done it. 6y Mike Reiss. The field froze over, and conditions were made significantly worse as a snowstorm hit during the game. He said that the Patriots stooped to a new low by doing such a thing. The temperature at game time was 26 degrees with winds at 16 mph. Rozelle said since no rule was already in place regarding clearing snow for a field goal that the win had to count. Fresh off a loss to the Chicago Bears, the Patriots couldn’t afford to drop another game to the first-place Dolphins. Outreach Henderson was later presented with the game ball from Meyer. Dolphins fans never forgot the Patriots’ shady use of the snow plow. A recent Gator grad, Patrick currently resides in Gainesville, Florida. Certainly before Roger Goodell was commissioner. Regardless, the Dolphins beat the Patriots in the playoffs later that season and went to the Super Bowl. Fire Weather “It was interpreted as being illegal and an unfair competitive act. Tom Brady was just five years old at the time. Mainly for the clearing of field and yard marker lines. He met with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle several days later concerning his protest, and although Rozelle agreed with Shula that the use of the plow gave the Patriots an unfair advantage, he said that he had never reversed the result of a game and was not going to start doing so for any reason. pic.twitter.com/ts8aD8kL7s, — Ken Gelman (@kengfunk) February 21, 2020. Game over. Do you disagree? Don Shula (the Dolphins coach at the time) nearly blew a gasket when he saw the snow plow driver clear a spot for the kick. Submit a Storm Report ( Log Out /  A convict on a work release made the difference in a 3-0 NE win. The snow plow driver was being used throughout the game to clear off sections of the field for different purposes. Instead, the Dolphins went for it on 4th down and failed. When was the last time fans got paid to attend a game? Coaches threw playbooks, clipboards, helmets and anything else they could get their hands on. Wilmington, Current Conditions I kind of knew what he was trying to say, so I got on the tractor and drove onto the field." Hannah said when the team traveled to Florida in the coming years, the Dolphins sold plastic snowballs to fans, who then pelted Patriots players as they ran onto the field. Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe masterfully recreated the moment in a 2010 story, noting that a heavy storm had dumped so much snow on the region that the club offered a free ticket and $10 to anyone who would help shovel out seats before the game. The game ball was awarded to all-pro linebacker Steve Nelson, who subsequently donated it to his alma mater, North Dakota State University. If so, leave a reply in the comments section below. In the next two days, we’ll feature: Adam Vinatieri's game-winning 48-yard field goal to beat Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI and Vinatieri's kick to tie the AFC divisional-round playoff "Tuck Rule" game against the Raiders during the 2001 postseason. Hazardous Weather Outlook 1-Stop Winter Forecast Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa gets first start against a surging Rams team, Josh Allen, Bills determined to end drought against rival Patriots, How Dolphins can keep Aaron Donald from wrecking Tua Tagovailoa's debut, Patriots have been historically bad during three-game losing skid. The “Snowplow Game” Kickstarted the Patriots’ Cheating Ways, Nobody Rocks a Mustache Quite Like Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins Jersey is Already a Best-Seller, Herb Adderley, Hall of Fame CB with 6 NFL Titles, Dead at 81, The Most Electrifying Kick Return in History Came at 313 Pounds. There isn’t a single coach or player on the team at that time that is still there. The Patriots brought Henderson back to celebrate the final regular-season game … SKYWARN. The final score would prove to be a cause for controversy as a snow plow was brought in to  clear a spot for the Patriots kicker John Smith. Even Patriots owner Robert Kraft has had his fair share of bad publicity (to say the least). Once again, this sounds to me more like a case of sour grapes than a reasonable argument. “I believe the day we played this game was the coldest I had ever been in my life,” former Patriots offensive lineman John Hannah said in his book Offensive Conduct: My Life On The Line. About Our Office The 1982 "Snow Plow" Game between #FinsUp & #GoPats was a strange affair. Weather Safety Rules Weather Stories The game officials created an “emergency ground rule” that allowed referees to call a time out to have snow plows remove snow covering markers on the field. “That was nothing intentional against Don Shula or anyone else,” Meyer told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Hannah said when the team traveled to Florida in the coming years, the Dolphins sold plastic snowballs to fans, who then pelted Patriots players as they ran onto the field. A look back from @TheHall: pic.twitter.com/PQmY9EmdTU, — New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 12, 2017. Please try another search. Just before placeholder Matt Cavanaugh and placekicker John Smith had the chance to clear some snow with their hands, snow plow driver Mark Henderson veered from the 20-yard line to the 23-yard line and cleared a clean spot for the kicker.

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