Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing 1st and Ten, which aired in syndication from 1984 to 1991. The entire series is streaming on Tubi.

This week, the playoffs continue.

Episode 2.9 “A Family Affair”

(Dir by Burt Brinckerhoff, originally aired on January 13th, 1987)

A playoff game against Denver is approaching.  Denver is coached by a former protegee of Denardo’s and Denardo is obsessed with winning.  He’s so obsessed that he alienates the players and Coach Grier (Stan Kamber).  Grier is tempted to take a job as Houston’s head coach.  Denardo says he doesn’t care until Diane reveals that Grier has turned down several other jobs out of loyalty to Denardo.

As for the other assistant coach, T.D. Parker (OJ Simpson) has problems of his own.  His youngest son is acting out and the only thing that’s kept him out of juvenile detention is the fact that the cops are all fans of T.D. and the Bulls.  T.D. tells his son that he’s not allowed to leave the house.  When T.D.’s wife says that she thinks T.D. is being too strict, T.D. tells her to back off.  T.D. gets really mad in this episode but none of it is convincing because OJ Simpson was too amiable an actor to really come across as being threatening.  That’s something that would prove helpful to OJ in the years to come.

Meanwhile, the players all invest in the stock market.  The stock doesn’t do well.  The player who recommended the stock is chased out onto the field before the start of the big game against Denver.  Ha ha, those players are all broke now.  Good luck dealing with life after the game.

This show, I never know what to make of it.  Is it a comedy?  Is it a drama?  Why is it so oddly edited?  How many scenes were cut for syndication?  Why do storylines start and then just disappear?  For that matter, why do characters suddenly vanish?  Dr. Death was a huge part of the show during the first half of the second season but I haven’t seen him during the second half.  Did he get traded?  Did he get injured?  Seriously, what’s going on with this show?

I have no idea.  Football’s a confusing sport.