An undrafted free agent pickup after being released by the Los Angeles Rams, Jim Bakken signed with St. Louis in 1962 and proceeded to anchor the franchise's kicking game for 17 seasons. His arrival coincided with a rapid evolution in special teams tactics, turning a former Wisconsin defensive back into one of the sport's pioneering full-time placekicking specialists.

Operating with a traditional, straight-on kicking style, Bakken was renowned for his mental composure, trajectory control, and execution in heavy crosswinds. Beyond his scoring, his endurance was exceptional: between 1963 and 1978, he appeared in 234 consecutive regular-season games for the Cardinals, establishing an ironclad attendance record at the position.

Bakken's early peak included an iconic performance on September 24, 1967, against Pittsburgh. Playing through gusting winds at Pitt Stadium, Bakken converted 7 field goals in a single game, setting an NFL record that stood untouched for four decades. That historic afternoon propelled him to the 1967 NFL scoring title with 117 points while earning his second career Pro Bowl invitation.

He sustained an elite competitive level straight into the mid-1970s as the high-scoring "Air Coryell" offenses provided constant field-position scoring opportunities. Bakken turned in back-to-back dominant years in 1975 and 1976, earning consensus First-Team All-Pro honors and Pro Bowl nods in both campaigns. His consistency across two distinct decades earned him selections to both the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team and the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team.

By the time he hung up his cleats following the 1978 season, Bakken had accumulated 1,380 total points, converting 282 field goals and 534 extra points. That total ranked second in NFL history at the time of his retirement and remains an untouched Cardinals franchise scoring record.

Drafted in the 14th round of the 1960 NFL Draft from Dayton, Bob DeMarco arrived in St. Louis with modest expectations but soon became a key part of the team. After playing a few games as a rookie guard in 1961, he took over as the starting center in 1962 and kept that role for the rest of the decade.

DeMarco was a resilient and technically skilled interior blocker, thriving in an era focused on physical, ground-and-pound football. Renowned for his sharp pre-snap line calls and quick snap-and-step execution, he consistently managed tough head-up nose tackles while creating running lanes for backs like John David Crow and Johnny Roland. His durability at the pivot offered essential continuity for an offense that frequently changed backfield setups during the 1960s.

DeMarco earned his first national recognition during the 1963 campaign, garnering his first Pro Bowl selection and AP Second-Team All-Pro honors. He maintained a high standard of play at center, securing a second Pro Bowl invitation in 1965.

His career peaked in the 1967 season, when his dominant play in the trenches earned him consensus First-Team All-Pro honors and his third Pro Bowl selection. He continued to build on his reputation with a Second-Team All-Pro selection in 1968, cementing his status as one of the NFC's top interior linemen. From 1962 to 1969, DeMarco started 103 of 107 games at center for St. Louis, anchoring the offensive line during the height of his career.

Following nine seasons in St. Louis, DeMarco departed after the 1969 campaign. He went on to play six more seasons across stints with Miami, Cleveland, and Los Angeles before retiring in 1975 with 185 total games played.

1949 PRELIMINARY RESULTS:

Thank you for all of you who have participated in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, and if you are unaware of what that is, simply, we acted as if the PFHOF had their first class in January of 1946?

We have completed the first two years, where a Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final vote for the 1946 Class, which inducted two full classes

For “1949” a Preliminary Vote with 130 players whose playing career ended by 1943. We are also following the structure in that players have 20 years of eligibility, and if they do not make it into the Hall, they are relegated to the Senior Pool.

Last week, each voter was asked to select 25 names from the preliminary list, with the top 25 vote getters named as Semi-Finalists.

This week, the voters were asked to pick 15 names from the 25 Semi-Finalists, and next week, they will pick five from the remaining 15. We will continue this process weekly until we catch up to the current year.

29 Votes took place

This is for the “Modern Era”

Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

This is for the “Senior Era”

*Bold indicates they advanced to the Finals:

Next Saturday, we will be posting the results of the 1949 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project.

Thank you to all who contributed, and if you want to be a part of this project, please let us know!

From ancient civilizations to modern societies, card games have served as both entertainment and a challenge to our cognitive abilities. While the thrill and joy of these games are undeniable, they also unfold a mesmerizing dance of numbers, patterns, and probabilities. For those who stop to observe, card games can be an intuitive lesson in mathematics, offering insights into concepts that, at first glance, seem confined to dusty textbooks.

The Foundations of Probability

The idea of probability is intertwined with the essence of card games. Each draw from a deck, each shuffle, and each hand dealt brings with it a specific mathematical likelihood of occurrence. Understanding these odds can offer players an edge, while also shining a light on the foundational principles of probability theory.

Take, for example, a standard deck of 52 cards. If one were to draw a card at random, the chance of it being an Ace would be 4 out of 52, or roughly 7.7%. But as gameplay progresses and cards are revealed, these probabilities change, offering players dynamic situations to analyze and adapt to.

Elegance in Simplicity: Baccarat's Mathematical Charm

Among the myriad card games that dot the global landscape, baccarat stands out for its elegant simplicity and deep ties to probability. Rooted in its historical origins, the game revolves around achieving a hand total closest to nine. But beneath this straightforward objective lies a realm of mathematical intricacies.

In baccarat, understanding the likelihood of achieving certain hand totals or predicting the banker's or player's success can significantly influence one's approach. This predictive aspect, relying on a mix of intuition and mathematics, is perhaps what makes baccarat so universally appealing. For those looking to delve into the game's digital evolution, platforms offering mobile baccarat serve as an excellent gateway, allowing enthusiasts to explore the beauty of numbers in play, anytime and anywhere.

Strategizing with Combinatorics

Combinatorics, the study of counting and combinations, is another branch of mathematics that card players, knowingly or unknowingly, grapple with. When contemplating how many possible ways a set of cards can be arranged or how many combinations can result in a winning hand, players are diving headfirst into combinatoric calculations.

Poker players, for instance, often calculate the "outs" or specific cards that would enhance their hand. By determining the number of desirable cards left in the unseen deck and weighing that against the total number of unseen cards, players can make more informed decisions about betting, holding, or folding.

Statistics and the Long Game

While individual rounds of card games are subject to the whims of chance, long-term gameplay trends can be analyzed using statistics. Skilled players often keep track of their wins, losses, and other game metrics to identify patterns, ascertain strategies, and refine their gameplay. This statistical approach, beyond enhancing one's game, also offers a practical application of data analysis and interpretation, skills highly prized in numerous professional domains.

Game Theory: The Interplay of Decision and Outcome

Beyond pure mathematics, card games also wade into the waters of game theory, which studies strategic interactions among rational decision-makers. Every move in a card game, especially in competitive setups, is not just about the cards in play but also about predicting opponents' reactions and adapting one's strategy accordingly.

In Conclusion

Card games, in their essence, are a celebration of mathematics. They serve as a bridge between abstract numerical concepts and tangible real-world applications. Whether it's the dynamic probabilities of poker, the combinatoric challenges of rummy, or the elegant predictability in baccarat, these games invite players to not just engage with numbers but to appreciate their profound beauty. In an age where the digital realm offers platforms like mobile baccarat, the confluence of tradition, strategy, and mathematics has never been more accessible, ensuring that the beauty of numbers in play continues to enthral generations.