Columnist Sal DeFelippo: Flutie hits paydirt on field, keeps bettors from payday

Sal DeFelippo

Friday, Dec. 5, 2003 | 10:07 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4076.

Doug Flutie is one of those guys you're supposed to want to see do well.

He's undersized, plays with a tremendous heart, struggled in the NFL out of college but proved his mettle in his eight years in the Canadian Football League, where he won six MVPs, before returning for another NFL run that continues today at age 41.

He's the father of an autistic child and created the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. He has a cereal named after him (Flutie Flakes). He played in the USFL before some current NFL stars were born.

Flutie also threw one of the most memorable passes in college football history, a 1984 desperation heave to lift his Boston College squad against defending national champion Miami on the game's final play.

If you don't remember the play, watch ESPN Classic for 15 minutes. You'll see it. Probably twice.

He restructured his contract last year to save the Chargers $3 million on their salary cap. He probably kisses babies, walks senior citizens across the street and gives blood, too.

So why can't I root for this guy?

It all started five years ago. Oct. 18, 1998, to be precise.

I'm six parts good on a seven-team parlay, needing only Jacksonville, minus 3, against Flutie's Buffalo Bills for a lucrative, and rare, payday. The Jags, 5-0 at the time, led 16-10 in the final minute before the dimunitive one throws a 38-yard pass to Eric Moulds, putting Buffalo at the Jacksonville 1.

The Jaguars stopped Buffalo three times, and on fourth-and-goal with 13 seconds remaining, Flutie attempted a pitch to Thurman Thomas in the backfield.

Thomas, however, blew the play call, leaving Flutie to improvise. A quick spin and Flutie outraced everyone to the left corner pylon for a 17-16 win.

Sure, it would be wrong for me to hold that against Flutie as some form of vendetta. Although on the replay, I could swear he was looking at me, laughing, as he crossed the goal line.

But time heals wounds, and I had completely gotten over "The Bootleg." So much so, in fact, that I began to appreciate Flutie's ability to remain productive so late in his career.

Besides, I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Would I?

Anyone who knows me also knows that answer. After all, my idea of cutting back on betting is to just wait for the halftime line.

Flutie struck again on Sunday, in the waning moments of the Chiefs-Chargers game. Kansas City was comfortably ahead, 28-17, unless of course you had the Chiefs minus 7 points as I did.

Flutie's Chargers mounted a final drive, with 1:08 remaining and no timeouts, from their 16. A 33-yard completion and a 21-yard pass play moved the ball deep into Kansas City territory, and when LaDainian Tomlinson ran out of bounds for a modest gain with four seconds remaining, Flutie had one shot for a (cough) meaningless touchdown from the 18.

The spread wasn't the only wager in the balance -- the over/under line of 48 also could be affected by a late score.

Of course, you know the result -- Flutie took the snap, circled around in the backfield twice, and fired a touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in the back of the end zone. Game, set, cover. And over, too.

I'm sure in another five years I'll be able to look back at this and laugh. Unless, of course, Flutie is still playing.

I wouldn't bet against that, either.