Overtime Games

OVERTIME GAMES can drain both players and fans. In a 1984 United States Football League playoff encounter, the Michigan Panthers and the Los Angeles Express played in the longest professional football game ever.

The two teams squared off in the opening round of the now defunct league. The Express trailed 21–13 with 8:57 remaining, but quarterback Steve Young directed Los Angeles to the Michigan 12-yard line with slightly over a minute left.

On third-and-goal, the former Brigham Young signal caller escaped a Panthers rush and ran to the 1. Facing fourth down, Young handed off to Kevin Nelson, who plunged in for the touchdown. Deciding to go for two points and the tie, Young rolled left and slipped into the end zone to knot the score.

In the first overtime, Michigan kicker Novo Bojovic pushed the ball wide left on a 37-yard field goal attempt, and neither team scored. Bojovic muffed another opportunity from 36 yards as the second overtime wound down, and the game moved to a third extra period.

Los Angeles took the kickoff and moved 75 yards. On first down from the Panther 24, Mel Gray took Young’s handoff, darted into the line, cut outside, and headed for the corner. With defensive back Vito McKeever breathing down his neck, the exhausted running back thrust his body into the end zone. Los Angeles took a 27–21 win in the unbelievably long game.

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POINT Players and fans alike thought the game would never end. Sometimes in life, we wish time would speed up. We can hardly wait for the big game, a birthday, Christmas, or another special occasion. Students feel that time crawls at the end of the school year.

At other moments, time flashes by at a whirling pace. We’re not sure where the hours go, and we wish for more minutes in our days. We want the sun to stop in the middle of the sky and delay going down until we get caught up.

God gave all of us the gift of time—1,440 minutes in a day and 365 days in a year. And he knows exactly how long we will live. Treat each moment as a precious present from God . . . even if it feels like time is dragging.

GOAL! Praise God for both his gift of time and his power over time. Commit to making the most of every day.