NFL Old School Game of the Week: Broncos Defense and Snow Too Much For Packers

Broncos running back Sammy Winder(23) carries the ball during the famous 1984 "Broncos Blizzard" game on Monday Night Football.

Anytime you play a football game in Denver in the months November of December , there is a chance of having to deal with snow, but not usually in the middle of October.

But that’s what happened on the Monday night of October 15, 1984 when the Broncos hosted the Green Bay Packers in a driving snowstorm that became known as the “Broncos Blizzard”.

The Broncos entered the game on a roll having their last four games and entering the game with a 5-1 record.

Denver was led by head coach Dan Reeves, who was in his fourth season as the Broncos’ coach, and second-year quarterback John Elway, the man Denver had traded offensive lineman Chris Hinton, quarterback Mark Herrmann, and their 1st-round pick in the 1984 draft, one year earlier.

Despite flashes of brilliance, Elway was not quite the gunslinger that he would go on to be, so the Broncos relied on their defense which was under the control of defensive coordinator Joe Collier, who had held that position since 1972 and was the coordinator of the famous “Orange Crush” defense that led Denver to Super Bowl XII.

While Denver came into the game confident, the Packers were trying to snap a five-game losing streak after winning their season opener.

Green Bay was under first-year head coach Forrest Gregg, a Hall-of-Fame offensive tackle that was part of the Packers’ dynasty in the 1960 which won five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowls.

Gregg had been successful as a head coach as he directed the Cincinnati Bengals to the 1981 AFC Championship and a trip to Super Bowl XVI, which they lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Packers were hoping to mesh Gregg’s toughness with the finesse of their offense, which was led by quarterback Lynn Dickey, who threw for 4,458 yards the year before.

But up to this point, the experiment was not working was Green Bay was 1-5 and at one point scored only 20 points over a course of three games.

If the Packers hoped to get Dickey and the offense on track, they would have to do it in on a 30 degree day, 30 degrees below average for the time of the year in Denver and winds that gust up to 55 miles per hour with the snow become more intense as the night went on.

Denver won the toss but deferred so Green Bay got the ball to start the game.

After a 25-yard return by Del Rodgers, the Packers’ offense were set to start at their own 28-yard-line.

On the first play from scrimmage, Dickey handed it off to Gerry Ellis who tried to go off tackle only to be met by Broncos linebacker Tom Jackson knocking the ball loose.

Safety Steve Foley picked up the loose ball and ran 22 yards through the snow for the game’s first touchdown, giving Denver a 7-0 lead just 16 seconds into the game.

The Packers would get a second chance to start the game right after Denver kicked it off back to Green Bay, who took over at their own 22 after a 21-yard return by Rodgers.

Again, Dickey handed off the ball on the first play, this time to Jessie Clark, who picked up five yards until he was stripped of the ball by linebacker Steve Busick, leading to cornerback Louis Wright picking it up and running 27 yards for another Bronco touchdown.

Just 36 seconds into the game, the Broncos had built a 14-0 lead without their offense touching the football.

Louis Wright(20) picks up the fumble and scores the Broncos' 2nd touchdown of the game on the first two plays of the game.

Green Bay would get the ball for a third time and got great field position when Rodgers returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Broncos’ 46-yard-line.

After having two fumbles on two runs on the first two plays from scrimmage, Dickey and the Packers decided to go to the air on the first play of the drive and got a 1st down when Dickey hit tight end Paul Coffman for 10 yards.

The Packers would drive to the Broncos’ 11-yard-line when they faced a 4th-and-7.

Gregg decided to go for the field goal despite the conditions and called on Eddie Garcia to attempt a 29-yard field goal.

But Garcia’s attempt sailed wide left and the score remained 14-0 as Elway finally got a chance to get his hands on the ball as the Denver offense took over at their own 20.

The Broncos drove into Packers territory an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty killed the drive, forcing Denver to punt the back to the Packers, who took over at their own 31.

Green Bay drove to the Denver 44-yard-line where they faced a 4th-and-1.

Gregg decided to go for the 1st down but once again the Broncos defense rose up and stopped the Packers as Busick held Clark for no gain, giving Denver the ball back.

Taking over at his own 44, Elway would guide the Broncos to the Packers’ 14 yard-line, thanks to two big pass completions, a 16-yarder to Steve Watson and an 18-yarder to Sammy Winder.

But on 3rd-and-5, Elway’s pass for Watson fell incomplete, forcing Reeves to decide to go for the 1st down or try for the field goal.

Reeves opted to go for the field goal and sent his barefoot kicker, Rich Karlis, for a 30-yard attempt, which was at the same end of the field that Garcia had missed from earlier.

But Karlis’ kick sailed through the uprights to increase the Denver lead to 17-0, 50 seconds into the second quarter.

After both teams punted on their next possessions, the Packers took over at their own 28-yard-line with 6:51 left before halftime.

That is when Dickey caught fire as he completed four straight passes for 60 yards, putting the Packers at the Denver 19 with a chance to get some points on the board.

But just as soon he got hot, Dickey got cold as he threw three straight incomplete passes leading to another field goal attempt from Garcia, this time from 37 yards out.

Once again, Garcia could not get the Packers on the board as his 37-yard kick came up short, giving the ball back to Denver at their own 20.

Rich Karlis' bare right foot that he used to kick a 30-yard field goal in the snow.

However, the Broncos would go three-and-out on thier next drive, forcing them to punt the back to the Packers, who took over at their own 39 with 2:58 left in the half.

Dickey again drove the Packers down the field with his arm until a 3rd-and-13 at the Denver 22 when he was picked off by Foley after his primary target John Jefferson fell down in the slippery snow.

The Broncos would run out the clock after Foley’s interception to take a 17-0 into the halftime break.

Having deferred the coin toss to the 2nd half and having a 17-point lead which seemed insurmountable in the driving snow, the Broncos decided to kick off to start the second half, hoping for some of the magic that happened to start the game.

Instead, Dickey drove the Packers back down the field as he connected with his favorite target, James Lofton, three times in a row for a total of 50 yards that had the Packers at the Broncos’ 13-yard-line with a 1st-and-10.

Dickey would hit Coffman for a six-yard gain on 1st down, but the tight end fumbled the ball, only to have Packers right guard Ron Hallstrom recovered it for Green Bay.

But the Packers weren’t so lucky on the next play when Dickey fumbled the snap, which was recovered by Broncos linebacker Jim Ryan, ending another scoring opportunity for Green Bay.

After the Broncos went three-and-out, the Packers got the ball at the Broncos’ 46-yard-line and got down to the Denver 25 when Dickey was sacked by defensive end Barney Chavious for a nine-yard-loss on 3rd-and-15, forcing the Packers to punt and marking the seventh time Green Bay had been in Denver territory and come away with zero points.

After an exchange of punts, the Broncos had the ball at their own 15-yard-line when Elway made his first mistake of the game as he was intercepted by Packers safety Mark Murphy, who returned it 8 yards to the Denver 14.

Three plays netted nine yards forcing the Packers to go for it on 4th-and-1 at the five-yard-line.

The Packers got more than the 1st down as Ellis punched it in for a 5-yard touchdown that finally got Green Bay on the scoreboard and cut the lead to 17-7 with 1:15 left in the third quarter.

Following the touchdown, the Broncos put together their best drive of the second half as they drove from their 39-yard-line to Green Bay 38, until Elway threw two straight incomplete passes, leading to a punt that ended up in the end zone for a touchback.

Once again, Dickey’s arm led the Packers into Broncos territory until two straight incomplete passes on 3rd and 4th down at the Denver 39-yard-line ended the drive.

The Packers would force another punt, getting the ball back at their own 46-yard-line when on the first play from scrimmage Dickey lofted a pass for Lofton, who made the catch at the Broncos’ 34 and ran the rest of the way untouched for a 54-yard touchdown that brought Green Bay to within three points at 17-14 with 7:29 to play in the fourth quarter.

Riding the momentum of Lofton’s touchdown, the Packers defense forced another three-and-out, leading to a 29-yard punt that gave Green Bay the ball at their own 43-yard-line with 6:14 to go in regulation.

Unable to run the ball, the Packers went back to Dickey who connected with three straight passes for 37 yards, that gave Green Bay a 1st-and-10 at the Broncos’ 20-yard-line.

After a one-yard run by Clark, Dickey dropped back to pass on 2nd-and-9, only to be sacked by defensive end Rulon Jones, forcing a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Karl Mecklenburg at the 28-yard-line for the Packers’ fifth turnover of the game.

However, there was 3:08 left on the clock and the Packers had all three timeouts in their pocket, so there was still a chance for Green Bay, especially the Broncos offense had been unable to move the ball the entire second half.

Lynn Dickey would throw for 371 yards but could not overcome the Packers' five turnovers.

After two runs by Winder gained zero yards, Denver was faced with a 3rd-and-10 wit 2:53 and the Packers with one timeout.

That is when Elway decided to go with a shovel pass to Gerald Wilhite, who picked it up 16 yards on the play and the 1st down.

Despite the big play, the game was still not over as the Broncos were faced with another 3rd-and-10 after two straight running plays.

On the third down, Elway gambled and put the ball up in the air, that was caught by rookie tight end Clearance Kay for 11 yards and a 1st down that put the game away.

Elway would take a knee to run out the clock and the Broncos had come away with a 17-14 win for their fifth straight win and handing the Packers their sixth straight loss.

The Packers would lose again the following week before winning seven of their last eight games to finish the season with a respectable 8-8 record.

However, that would be the best record under Gregg as he resigned after the 1987 season, finishing with a 21-37-1 record in his four seasons as the Packers’ head coach.

As for the Broncos, the win in the snow was part of their 10-game winning streak as they finished the season with a 13-3 record and AFC West title, primarily due to their defense which allowed the 2nd fewest points in the league with 241 and forced 55 turnovers, also second in the league.

But in the Divisional Playoffs, the Broncos were upset at home by the 9-7 Pittsburgh Steelers 24-17 when a Elway interception late in the game led to the Steelers scoring the game-winning touchdown.

Elway, who threw for only 2,598 yards in 1984, would improve dramatically over the next few years and put the Broncos on his back as he led Denver to three AFC championships in four years(1986,87,89).

As for the snowstorm, there were four inches on the ground when the game ended, but ultimately 9 to 15 inches fell in the Denver metropolitan area and with winds gusting to 50 miles per a hour, Interstate 25 from Denver to Colorado Springs was shut down as well as classes at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

It is not even close to the record of snowfall in a October storm (22.7 inches in 1906) but the 1984 blizzard in Denver is remembered because of the Monday Night game.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Birth of the Cardiac Cats

Jake Delhomme(17) celebrates after throwing the go-ahead touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 16 seconds left.

 When any NFL season begins, the fanbases of all 32 teams have high hopes for their favorite team and some dream that maybe that their team will reach the Super Bowl.

However, they do not expect an omen or a turning point in their season on opening day, but that was the case for the 2003 Carolina Panthers.

Still, Brunell would get the start as the Jaguars traveled to Carolina to face the Panthers on the first Sunday of the 2003 season.

Carolina entered the season with hopes of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1996 as they were coming off a 7-9 season, a major improvement over their 1-15 season in 2001.

The Panthers were under the control of second-year head coach John Fox, the former defensive coordinator for the New York Giants during their Super Bowl run in 2000.

Fox helped turned around the defense as they went from next-to-last in 2001 to second best in 2002, but in order for Carolina to take the next step, the offense needed to improve as it ranked 31st in 2001.

So in the offseason, the Panthers signed running back Stephen Davis from the Redskins, wide receiver Ricky Proehl from the St. Louis Rams, and quarterback Jake Delhomme, who had been serving as a backup for the New Orleans Saints.

Delhomme hoped to win the starting job from incumbent Rodney Peete, but Fox named Peete the starter for the season opener.

While the Panthers were looking toward the playoffs, the Jacksonville Jaguars were looking at rebuilding their franchise after firing the only head coach the team ever had, Tom Coughlin, in the offseason after three straight losing seasons.

He was replaced by Jack Del Rio, who ironically had been the Panthers’ defensive coordinator the year before.

Another sign of the rebuilding movement was the drafting of quarterback Byron Leftwich in the first round of the draft, meaning that Mark Brunell, who had been with the team since its inception in 1995, days were numbered in Jacksonville.

The Panthers got the ball first and on the first play, Davis sprinted for 20 yards on a 1st down. That would be the only 1st down Carolina would have the entire 1st half as the Panthers gained only 36 yards during the 1st 30 minutes.

Jacksonville did not fare much better in the opening quarter as they gained only one 1st down and 38 yards on their first 4 possessions of the game.

However in the 2nd quarter, the Jacksonville offense finally got going as Brunell hit JJ Stokes for a 22-yard pass play which was followed by a 15-yard face mask penalty on Carolina defensive end Al Wallace putting the Jaguars at the Panthers’ 42-yard-line.

Back-to-back completions to tight end Kyle Brady for a combined 26 yards help led to fullback Marc Edwards punching it in from the two-yard-line to complete a 10-play, 80-yard drive and give the Jaguars a 7-0 lead with 4:52 to play in the first half.The Jaguars went three-and-out on their next drive, but got the ball back at their own 47-yard-line with 26 seconds left and a chance to add more points.

After completing three passes for a total of 25 yards, Brunell and the Jaguars had 3rd-and-8 at the Carolina 33-yard-line with eight seconds left.

Mark Brunell(8) would complete 23 of 27 passes, including 13 in a row in the 24-23 loss.

Figuring he was in field goal range, Brunell took a shot toward the end zone and when he found Matthew Hatchette in the end zone, the sixth-year wide receiver made a stunning 33-yard touchdown catch as time expired to give Jacksonville a 14-0 halftime lead.

The Jaguars kept the momentum from their last second touchdown into their opening drive of the 2nd half as they drove 49 yards in nine plays to set up a 40-yard field goal by Seth Marler to increase the Jacksonville lead to 17-0 midway through the third quarter.

With his team down 17 points and offense sprutting, Fox put in Delhomme as Carolina began their first drive of the 2nd half at their own 36-yard-line.

Delhomme handed it off to Davis for the first three plays which gained 24 yards before he fired his first pass of the game intended for Steve Smith, which was incomplete, but drew a 27-yard pass interference penalty on the Jaguars’ Jason Craft giving Carolina a 1st down at the Jacksonville 13-yard-line.

On the very next play, Delhomme went to the air and connected with Mushin Muhammad for a 13-yard touchdown to cut the Jaguars’ lead to 17-7 with 6:42 left in the third quarter.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Panthers got the ball back at their 48-yard-line and were able to keep the momentum from the touchdown onto this drive as they drove to the Jacksonville 20 when Delhomme found Muhammad again for a 19-yard gain setting up a 1st-and-goal, only to have the play nullified by an offensive pass interference call on Muhammad pushing the Panthers back 10 yards.

The Panthers were unable to gain only more yardage on the drive but got a 48-yard field goal by John Kasay on the first play of the 4th quarter to make a one possession game as they trailed 17-10.

Despite that, the Panthers kept the momentum as the defense did not allow a 1st down on the Jaguars’ next drive setting up a 4th-and-12 from the Jacksonville 17.

That is when Rod Smart, aka “He Hate Me” from the infamous NFL, blocked the punt of Chris Hanson who proceeded to kick the loose ball into the back of the end zone for an intentional safety, thus not allowing Carolina to have the ball inside the Jaguars’ 20-yard-line.

Still, Carolina got two points to trim the deficit to 17-12 and would get the ball back after a free kick by Hanson at the Jacksonville 20.

Smith returned the free kick 38 yards to the Panthers’ 48-yard-line after three straight running plays that gained 23 yards, Carolina was at the Jacksonville 29 and poised to take their first lead of the game.

But two plays later, Delhomme was intercepted by Rashean Mathis on a deep pass intended for Smith, giving the ball back to Jacksonville at their own 7-yard-line with over 10 minutes to play.

The Panthers defense forced another three-and-out to get the ball back at their 48, when Delhomme found Kris Mangum for a 13-yard gain on the drive’s first play, then hit Smith for nine yards on a 3rd-and-6 to put Carolina at the Jaguars’ 26-yard-line.

That is when Delhomme connected with Muhmmad for an apparent 26-yard touchdown, only to have it overturned by instant replay negating the Panthers’ first lead of the game.

However, the Panthers would get the lead when Delhomme found Smith for a 24-yard touchdown that gave Carolina their first lead of the game at 18-17 with 6:10 remaining.Carolina would go for two points but failed when Delhomme’s pass for Proehl fell incomplete.

However, the Panthers’ lead would last only 56 seconds as Brunell hit Jermaine Lewis for a 65-yard touchdown that put Jacksonville back on top 23-18(the Jaguars failed on their two-point attempt).

On the Panthers ensuing possession, Delhomme was picked off by linebacker Akin Ayodele who returned it to the Jacksonville 47-yard-line with a chance to ice the game with 4:43 to play.

But once again the Carolina defense stiffened to force a three-and-out, and after a 36-yard punt return by Smith, the Panthers had the ball at their own 46-yard-line with 3:34 left and two timeouts.

Carolina started the drive conservatively as Davis ran the ball twice for nine yards, followed by one-yard-run by Delhomme to give the Panthers a 1st down at the Jaguars’ 44.

That is when the Panthers went back to the air as Delhomme connected with Smith for a 11-yard gain, then with running back DeShaun Foster for eight more yards before calling timeout with 1:16 left.

After an incomplete pass, Davis ran for four yards on a 3rd-and-2, which was followed by a 10-yard pass from Delhomme to Magnum giving Carolina a 1st-and-10 at the Jaguars’ 11.

But that is when disaster nearly struck as Delhomme was sacked on 1st down by Tony Brackens, forcing a fumble which was recovered by Carolina tackle Todd Steussie, keeping the ball with the Panthers and preserving their chance to win the game.

Then, Delhomme connected with Nick Goings for four yards, who stepped out of bounds at the seven-yard-line with 25 seconds left.

But after a false start on Muhammad and an incomplete pass, Carolina was faced with a 4th-and 11 at the Jaguars 12.

Ricky Proehl makes the game-winning touchdown catch to complete the Panthers' comeback from a 17-point deficit.

With the Jaguars oncoming pass rush in his face, Delhomme lofted a pass toward the left corner of the end zone that was caught by Proehl, giving Carolina a 24-23 lead with just 16 seconds to go.

The Panthers attempted another two-point conversion but once again failed, giving the Jaguars a glimmer of hope that they could still win the game.

That glimmer of hope grew with a 25-yard kick return by LaBrandon Toefield to the Jacksonville 37-yard-line and back-to-back completions by Brunell for 26 yards to give Marler a chance to win the game with a 55-yard-field goal with one second left.

But the Jaguars’ chances of pulling out a miracle were dashed when safety Mike Minter blocked the field goal to preserve the Panthers’ 24-23 victory.

The loss helped accelerate the Jaguars’ rebuilding movement as Brunell was benched in the third game of the season by Leftwich, who would remain the Jacksonville quarterback for the rest of the season as they finished with a 5-11 record.

But Jacksonville would finish with a 9-7 record the following season and would make the playoffs in 2005 and 2007.

As for the Panthers, Delhomme took over the starting quarterback job and helped lead Carolina to a 11-5 record and a NFC South division title to send the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

The opening day comeback win was the first of many heartstopping victories for the Panthers as they tied the NFL record of winning games by three points of less(7) and playing in five road overtime games with a 4-1 record, including a 29-23 double overtime win over the St. Louis Rams in the divisional playoffs.

Carolina would then go on to shock the Philadelphia Eagles 14-3 in the NFC Championship Game to advance to their first Super Bowl where they lost to the New England Patriots 32-29 on Adam Vinatieri’s 41-yard field goal with four seconds to play.

Still, the 2003 Carolina Panthers are rememberd very fondly in the Carolinas for thier numberous nail-biting victories that are forever known as the "Cardiac Cats."

2000s Battle of the Network Stars Teams

Last week, I wrote an article where I put together teams from the six broadcast networks(ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN) to form an hypothetical Battle of the Network Stars if the show existed in the 1990s.
This week, I have decided to do the same thing except this time the teams are formed from shows that existed in the 2000s.
Once again, I went with the six networks that I mentioned above, even though UPN and WB merged in 2006 to form the CW.
However, there was enough shows and actors that from the time period that UPN was on the air in the 2000s to form a team, so there are six teams on this list.
With that out of the way, here is my vision of a Battle of the Network Stars if the show existed in the 2000s.
ABC
Bradley Cooper, Alias

Before he became one of the biggest leading man in Hollywood, Cooper played newspaper reporter Will Tippin and friend to Jennifer Garner's Sydney Bristow on the spy drama Alias.
But what earns Cooper a spot on this team because he was a member of the men's heavyweight crew rowing team at Georgetown University during his career days, which makes him a perfect choice for the kayak relay.
Eric Dane, Grey's Anatomy

"McSteamy" would be a perfect choice for the swimming competition as Dane played four years on the Sequoia High School varsity water polo team in Redwood City, California.
James Denton, Desperate Housewives

Denton was a basketball star at Goodlettsville High School in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, that it led to a basketball scholarship at a junior college(I couldn't find out the name of it)before James quit and steered toward his career in acting.
However, Denton has maintained his love for basketball and other sports by participating in numerous celebrity All-Star games and is a part-owner of the minor league baseball team the Orange County Flyers in Fullerton, California.
Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy

While "McDreamy"'s passion for sports is laced in auto racing as he has raced in the 24 hours of Daytona and 24 hours of Lemans, Dempsey is an avid cyclist which would make him an ideal choice for the bicycle relay.
Plus, he was a state alpine skiing champion in Maine and even traied out for the US Olympic skiing team.
Matthew Fox(captain), Lost

Fox played wide receiver for Columbia University from 1986-1989 and played in the Lions's 16-13 win over Princeton in 1988 which ended the school's then NCAA record 44-game losing streak.
Jennifer Garner, Alias

Garner was one of the great female asskickers in Sydney Bristow on the spy drama Alias, where she performed many of her own stunts plus took up kickboxing and taekwondo to get in shape for the role.
But before that, Garner spent nine years of her youth taking ballet lessons and was a member of high school swimming team at George Washington High School in Charleston, West Virginia.
Carrie Ann Inaba, Dancing With The Stars

Inaba is best known for being one of the judges on Dancing With the Stars because of she was one of the "Fly Girls" on the FOX 1990s sketch comedy show In Living Color and was a background dancer for Madonna.
That were certainly be enough for Inaba to earn a spot on this team, but Carrie Ann also has a background in martial arts, as she studied taekwondo under Billy Blanks, the man behind TaeBo, and played volleyball before going into dancing.
Evangellie Lilly, Lost

While she has no background in sports or dance, it is said that Lilly was a tomboy growing up and loved to climb trees, which she could use to her advantage on the obstacle course.
Eva Longoria, Desperate Housewives

Longoria was arguably the sexiest actress on television when Desperate Housewives was on the air and I'm sure a lot of male viewers would have love to see get dunked in the baseball throw.
But, Longoria does have some athletic skills as she was a cheerleader at Roy Miller High School in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Charlotte Ross, NYPD Blue

Ross, who played Detective Connie McDowell and eventually became Andy Sipowicz's wife, is very avid when it comes to fitness as she is a licensed Tae-bo instructor, which means she would have be one of the strongest female athletes in the competition.

CBS

Simon Baker, The Guardian and The Mentalist

Baker would be an asset to the CBS team, especially in the swimming competition as he grew up in Australia surfing and playing water polo.
Catherine Bell, JAG

Bell competed in an episode of the rebooted BOTNS this summer, but I think she would have been better if the show had existed in the 2000s since Bell would have been in her physical prime.
Plus, she said she was a tomboy growing up as she loved to play football and skateboard which then translated into her snowboarding as an adult, where she also decided to take up skiing and kickboxing.
Cote de Pablo, NCIS

While de Pablo, who joined the long running crime drama in 2005, did not play sports before her acting career, she would be one of the better athletes in the competition as she performed all her own stunts as the NCIS agent Ziva David.
David James Elliott, JAG

Elliott would be a perfect choice for the CBS team as he ran in at least 15 marathons include the Boston Marathon, and in several triathlons including the famous Ironman triathlon in Hawaii.
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ghost Whisperer

J. Love would be obvious eye candy, but I think she could succeed in BOTNS with her background in dancing as she learned to tap dance and took ballet lessons when she was just five years old.
Kevin James, The King of Queens

Don't let James' size fool you, but the King of Queens star was quite the athlete in his youth as he wrestled in the 145 lb weight class at Ward Melville High School in Long Island, with one of his teammates being WWE hall-of-famer Mick Foley, then played fullback for the State University of New York at Cortland football team for three years.
James also claims he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds when he was in high school.
Ray Romano(captain), Everybody Loves Raymond

If golf was used in this competition, like it has been used in the rebooted BOTNS and the first battles, Romano would be perfect as he is an avid golfer and has participated times in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Even if golf wasn't used, Romano still gets picked because his show was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 2000s and he could be the 2000s version of Gabe Kaplan when it came to the BOTNS competition.
Roselyn Sanchez, Without A Trace

While many male viewers would hope Sanchez would get dunked in the baseball throw, Sanchez could be a very good athlete on BOTNS as she is a professionally trained salsa dancer and has formed her own triathlon, the Roselyn Sanchez Triathlon For Life in her native Puerto Rico, which she has competed in.
Jason Segel, How I Met Your Mother

Segel would be on of the better performers on BOTNS as he was a member of the Harvard-Westlake School basketball team in San Fernando Valley, California and helped them win back-to-back state championships in 1996 + 97.
During his basketball days, he earned the nickname "Dr. Dunk" as he won the school slam dunk contest.
Cobie Smulders, How I Met Your Mother

Smulders would be one of the most versatile female athletes in the competition as she spent her high school days playing tennis, soccer, and swimming.
She is also a certified scuba diver, which means she would be one of the better swimmers in the swimming relay.
NBC
Tom Cavanaugh, Ed

Though he is best known today for his role as Harrison Wells on CW's The Flash, Cavanaugh first broke out with his role as the title character on Ed.
Anyway, Cavanaugh earns a spot on this team for his background in hockey and basketball as he played both while attending Queens University in Kingston, Ontario.
Josh Duhamel, Las Vegas

Just like Matthew Fox of ABC, Duhamel is a former college football player as he was the starting quarterback for the Minot State Beavers, a NCAA Division II school in North Dakota, for the 1993 season where he threw for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdown passes.
Football wasn't the only sport Duhamel excelled at as he played basketball and ran track in high school and held a summer job as a lifeguard, which means he is in all likelihood a very strong swimmer.
Tina Fey(captain), 30 Rock

While she was crafting her career into comedy, Fey was a member of the tennis team at Upper Darby High School just outside of Philadelphia.
Minka Kelly, Friday Night Lights

Kelly did not partcipate in any sporting activities as a youth, but as an adult she took up scuba diving and wakeboarding which I think would translate well into the swimming and kayak relays.
Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights

While he was not a football player like his character Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights, Kitsch was a hockey player as he played for the Langely Hornets in the British Columbia Hockey League until a devastating knee injury ended his chance of becoming a professional hockey player.
However, Kitsch still likes to play the occasional hockey game, just as he did in the 2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout back in January of this year.
John Krasinski, The Office

Krasinski was a two-sport athlete at Newton High School in Newton, Massachusetts, which is just seven miles west of Boston, as he played basketball and ran cross-country plus played on the same Little League baseball team as his Office co-star B.J. Novak.
Jason Lee, My Name is Earl

Lee does have an athletic background, but not in the traditional sports as he was a professional skateboarder in the late '80s and early '90s before getting into acting.
So it would have been interesting to see if the skills Lee picked up as a skateboarder could have translated onto the sports competed on BOTNS.
Hayden Panettiere, Heroes

Since her acting career began when she was just 11 months old, you think Panettiere wouldn't have the time for sports.
While she never participated on the school level, Panettiere did use her spare time from acting to take up dancing, gymnastics, and swimming.
She ever did her own ice skating for the 2005 Disney figure skating movie Ice Princess.
Molly Sims, Las Vegas

The former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model was a professionally swimmer for nearly a decade before her days as a model, which she would parlay into her acting career, landing the role of James Caan's daughter and Josh Duhamel's love interest on the show Las Vegas, which earns her a spot on the NBC team.
Yvonne Stravhoski, Chuck

Upon earning the role of CIA agent Sarah Walker in the action-comedy Chuck, Starvhoski took up martial arts and became an avid surfer to get in fighting shape in addition to performing many of her own stunts on the show.

Before that, she grew up in Australia when she spent 13 years as a dancer.

FOX
Jessica Alba, Dark Angel

Alba doesn't get selected for her hotness(though it does help)but for the fact that she would be an asset to the swimming team as she learned to swim before she learned how to walk and also loves to play golf and trained in Tae Bo for her role in the 2003 film Honey.
Rachel Bilson, The OC

While she didn't play the sport in school, Bilson says she is a basketball fanatic and goes to many Los Angeles Lakers games, so it would be curious to see if she had any athletic prowess to show.
Plus, many male viewers would want to see get dunked in the baseball throw.

Adam Brody, The OC

It's ironic that an actor in a show set in Orange County, California would be an avid surfer, but that is the case with Brody as he grew up spending most of his free time surfing in the San Diego area, which I think would make a easy choice for the swimming and kayaking relays.
Eliza Dushku, Tru Calling and Dollhouse

While her two shows, Tru Calling and Dollhouse, lasted only a combined 53 episodes, Dushku earns a spot because she describes herself as a tomboy growing up and is trained in dancing with her specialties being jazz, tap, and ballet.
Mila Kunis, That 70s Show

Much like Rachel Bilson, Kunis gets picked for "eye candy" as she has no background in athletics or dancing.
Ashton Kutcher, That 70s Show

Kutcher was a two-sport star at Clark-Creek Amana High School in Tiffin, Iowa, as he was a wide receiver for the football team and also was a member of the wrestling team until an injury caused him to quit during his senior year.

Hugh Laurie, House

Dr. House gets picked just because he would dominate the kayak relay as Laurie had dreams of being an Olympic rower for his home country of England, as he would train eight hours a day in his quest to acheive his dream.
The work paid off as he and his partner won the British national championship in coxes pair rowing in 1977, earning a spot at the World Junior Championships where he came in 4th place, and finished runner-up in the coxed pair competition of the 1980 Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup at the Hensley Royal Regatta in Thames.
But a bout with mononucleosis ended his rowing career and Laurie went into acting.
Laurie Prepon, That 70s Show

Out of all the female stars on the FOX team, Prepon would easily be the best athlete out of that bunch as she spent her teenage years ballet dancing as well as playing soccer, tennis, ice skating, and gymnastics.
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

This may be a surprise to many of you reading this, but Seacrest is a former high school football player, playing defensive back for Dunwoody High School, just outside of Atlanta, and helping his school win the 1993 state football championship.
So, the American Idol host would probably excel in the 3-on-3 football competition.
Kiefer Sutherland(captain), 24

How could you not have Jack Bauer, perhaps the toughest guy and biggest asskicker of the 2000s on BOTNS?
In addition to performing many of his own stunts on 24, Sutherland also loved to play hockey in his spare time and was a part of the rodeo circuit in the late 1990s, meaning that Kiefer would be in great shape for the competition.
CW
Tyra Banks, America's Next Top Model

Banks has no background in sport or dancing, but it would be still interesting to see the two-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model on BOTNS, just to see if she could handle the rigorous competition and if she got dunked in the baseball throw.
Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl

Crawford was a two-sport star at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, Texas, which is around the Dallas area, as he played football and golf.
Plus, his sister, Candace, is married to former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, so I'm sure Crawford has been able to improve his football skills if he has played the occassional football game with Romo.
Nina Dobrev, The Vampire Diaries

Out of all the female athletes in this hypothetical competition, Dobrev would be the most versatile and probably best female athlete with her diverse athletic background.
Not only did Dobrev represent her country Canada in the Aestethic Group Gymnastic World Championships in 2005, but Nina is a very good tap and ballet dancer, plus has a passion for being in the water as she enjoys swimming, wakeboarding, windsurfing, and scuba diving.
If that weren't enough, Dobrev also likes to play volleyball and soccer.
Erica Durance, Smallville

While she has no background in sport or dancing, Durance earns a spot on this team for the fact that she was the best and sexiest Lois Lane ever with her portrayal of the famous character on Smallville.
Kristin Kreuk, Smallville

Though she played the sweet Lana Lang, Clark Kent's high school crush in Smallville, Kruek is a badass in real life as she holds a purple belt in karate plus loves to swim and perform gymnastics, making her a natural for BOTNS.

James Lafferty, One Tree Hill

Just like his character Nathan Scott, Lafferty was a high school basketball player as he was named Most Valuable Player of the Helmet High School Baksetball Team in Helmet, California, thanks to his 15-foot jump shot.
Lafferty also holds a black belt taekwondo and is enjoys snowboarding, skiing, and snorkeling.
Blake Lively, Gossip Girl

Lively would be more than just an eye candy selection as she was a cheerleader during her time at Burbank High School in Burbank, California.

Scott Patterson, Gilmore Girls

Patterson didn't get into acting until his late 20s because he spent most of the 1980s as a minor league pitcher, pitching for seven different teams, but was so good that he played in four minor league All-Star Games.
His best stretch of pitching came in 1981 when he won 13 straight games pitching for the famous Durham Bulls and Savannah Braves.
Ian Somerholder, The Vampire Diaries

Somerhalder could have been on the ABC team was he a member of the show Lost until his character's death in the twentieth episode of the first season, but makes here it on the CW team.
And Somerhalder would be a stud on BOTNS as he played soccer and baseball for Mandeville High School in Mandeville, Louisiana, which is a subreb of New Orleans, and list swimming as one of his hobbies.
Tom Welling(captain), Smallville

TV's Superman of the 2000s would probably be a superstar(pardon the pun) on BOTNS as Welling was a three-sport athlete during his time at Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan as he was the goalkeeper for the soccer team, played shortstop and pitched for the baseball team, and was a member of the basketball team.
UPN
Flex Alexander, One on One

The star of one of the few hits UPN had(One on One lasted for five seasons and aired 113 episodes), Alexander gets selected for his dancing background as he was a backup dancer for the rap group Salt & Pepa and was a dance choreographer for Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah.
Scott Bakula, Star Trek: Enterprise(captain)

Bakula could have been selected for the NBC team in my hypothetical 1990s BOTNS for his role as Dr. Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap, but I found out that during his time as Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise, Bakula stayed in great shape as he ran the 2005 Los Angeles Marathon in 4 hours, 10 minutes, and 41 seconds.
Plus with his history at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri(which is just outside of St. Louis) where Bakula was a member of the baseball, tennis, soccer, and swimming teams, I think Scott would do just fine on this BOTNS despite being in his late 40s.
Jolene Blalock, Star Trek: Enterprise

Blalock played the Vulcan first officer T'Pol on Star Trek: Enterprise which earns her selection on the UPN team where she would be an asset in the swimming and kayaking relays as she has been an avid surfer since childhood.
Also, Blalock enjoys to snowboard and partake in Thai boxing, which means she would be one of the fittest athletes in the competition.
Golden Brooks, Girlfriends

Like many of the female stars in this article, Brooks is a classically trained dancer with her specialties being in jazz and ballet.
But Brooks was competed in figure skating as a kid and won several competitions, which helps her earn a spot on the UPN team.
Dan Cortese, Rock Me Baby

Cortese is best remembered for being the host of MTV Sports during the 1990s, but that gig helped earn roles on NBC's Veronica's Closet in the late '90s and then the lead role as a Denver radio host on the short-lived sitcom Rock Me Baby, which lasted for only one season.

Anyway, Cortese gets selected not just because he hosted MTV Sports but because he was the backup quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 1986 season.
Shannon Elizabeth, Cuts

Following her breakout role in the American Pie franchise, Elizabeth went into television in the sitcom Cuts, which took place in a barber shop and lasted for only 31 episodes.
But that is long enough for Elizabeth to earn a spot on the UPN team as Elizabeth would be one of the better female athletes as she was a former tap and ballet dancer, plus was a high school cheerleader as well as a tennis player, even considering a career in tennis before going into modeling which lead her into acting.
Jason George, Eve

While he is best known today for his role as Dr. Ben Warren on Grey's Anatomy, George played J.T. Hunter the love interest of Eve on her self-titled sitcom.
George gets picked because of his background in martial arts as he is trained in stage combat and fight choreography, plus enjoys running track and playing football.
Ali Landry, Eve

While being best known for being the Doritos girl in the famous Super Bowl commercial, Landry became an actress, earning a supporting role as one of Eve's friends on the aforementioned sitcom.

But Landry does not get picked for being eye candy, but for the fact that she is a good athlete as she is a trained dancer in ballet, tap, and jazz as well as being a cheerleader for Cecilia High School in Cecilia, Louisiana and lists kickboxing and gymnastics as some of her favorite hobbies.

Alexondra Lee, Special Unit 2

Lee played Chicago police detective Kate Benson on the 19-episode action show Special Unit 2, but earns a spot on the UPN team as she is a former ballet dancer, taking lessons at the age of four and dancing in the Nutcracker with the New York City Ballet at age seven.

Duane Martin, All of Us

What Michael Warren was to the original BOTNS, Martin could be to the 2000s BOTNS because the All of Us star was a former college basketball star, as he played for the New York University(NYU) Violets, a NCAA Division III school, where he averaged over 20 points per game his senior season in 1989 that helped earn him a contract with the New York Knicks as an undrafted free agent later that year.

However, Martin was cut by the Knicks and went into acting.