1964: The Free Kick Game: Vince Lombardi's Packers were the first team to ever invoke the "fair catch free kick" rule. After Elijah Pitts fair caught a punt on the Packers 48 yard line just before halftime, Vince Lombardi informed the referees that they would be trying a free kick. There was confusion among all. Neither team had ever seen it before or practiced it.The Packers lined up on the line of scrimmage with Bart Starr holding the ball. Paul Hornung stepped up and made the 52-yard field goal as the half ended. Everyone was shocked and the Bears were embarrassed as the Packers went on to win 23-12. Lombardi said after the game it was probably a "once in a lifetime" occurrence. He was proven wrong, however, as the Bears would return the favor 4 years later, beating the Packers on the free kick.
Source: Bleacher Report.
I wasn't at that 1964 game, but I was in the stands in Lambeau Field for that 1968 game. I remember I was shocked to see this play call. That Lombardi knew the rule in 1964 doesn't surprise me. That George Halas knew the rule in 1968 doesn't surprise me either, especially after the Packers exploited it against the Bears four years earlier. Great coaches know the rules inside out.
That brings me to the present. The City of Richardson has rules, too, just like the NFL does. And one of them is in the candidate information packet available to everyone seeking elective office in Richardson.
In general, use of the City’s logo, photos and other intellectual property is protected and not available for use without explicit approval from the City’s Communications Department.Source: City of Richardson.
The City of Richardson has a "coach" leading us. "Coach" Bob Dubey is the mayor. You'd like to think that, like Lombardi and Halas, he'd know the rules, too, and follow them. So I was surprised when he updated the cover photo for his campaign Facebook page with what looks to me like an official City photo and didn't include any "used with permission" language to avoid any suspicions (by people like yours truly) that he might very well be breaking a rule that the City guards in most situations.
Is this a big deal? No. Unless it's a sign of carelessness with bigger rules as well. All in all, I'd rather have a mayor who knows the rules and follows them, big and small.
P.S. There are still a couple of details the Mayor has never corrected in his personal campaign finance reports. It's beginning to look like his inability to understand and/or follow the rules is a bad habit. One he shows no desire to break.
"Coach Bob leads the way.
Lombardi and Halas knew,
Rules should guide our path."
—h/t ChatGPT
You'd think that, with our city's past experience with elected officials who didn't follow the rules, we'd have someone on the city payroll whose responsibilities would include looking for "slippage" in the rule-following arena.
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