'Battle of the Network Stars'
November 1976
If you're a Baby Boomer, you likely remember the series 'Battle of the Network Stars', which aired periodically from 1976 to 1988. The three major networks - CBS, NBC, and ABC - supplied actors and actresses who engaged in a daylong, multi-sports competition, with each team accruing points based on their performance in each event. At the very end of the competition, the two leading teams would determine the victor through a tug-of-war.
For the inaugural episode (November 1976) Robert Conrad - then starring in the series Baa Baa Black Sheep - was the captain for the NBC team, while Gabe Kaplan (Welcome Back Kotter) was the captain for ABC.
During the relay race, Conrad collided with team mate Joanna Pettet (Captains and the Kings) and dropped the baton; Pettet picked it up and gamely took off running, but the blunder had set back the NBC team by a significant margin. Ben Murphy (Gemini Man) grabbed the baton from Pettet well outside the passing zone, and sprinted to place NBC 1st, with ABC 2nd and CBS 3rd.
There was immediate controversy, and Howard Katz, the 'Director of Competition', gave NBC a two-second penalty and moved them to 2nd place behind ABC. Conrad was furious (despite the show's intent that it be a good-natured, noncompetitive Family Fun event) and after much arguing, which included as referee 1976 Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner (as he was then known), engineered a 100 yard dash 'race off' between himself and Kaplan to determine the winner.
The race saw Conrad grab the early lead, but then Kaplan blew by him and won comfortably, giving ABC an uncontested victory.
Pure 70s goodness (and despite his antics, Conrad came back to compete in the 1977 iteration).
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