Canadian end zones are 20 yards deep, but the goal posts are located on the goal line. In American gridiron, the depth of the end zone is included in the length of the kick because the posts are in the back of the end zone, as is the spot of the kick from behind the line of scrimmage.
If Canadians do not count the spot of the kick, McCallum’s kick may have been longer than any official American rules kick. If they do, it’s still a phenomenal boot.
Washington had a punter and backup kicker by the name of Steve Cox who reputedly could kick 70-yard field goals in practice. I remember that in the closing seconds of one great game Joe Gibbs had Cox attempt a 67 yarder, which Cox missed.
The New Orleans Superdome wasn’t built until 1975.
In the link given by mouthbreather (if that is indeed a shot of the same FG), you can clearly see that it was outdoors. I do remember seeing clips long ago, and it was definitely an outdoor game. I don’t have a cite, though.
Forgot to mention. I’m pretty darn sure that Dempsey’s FG was made on Astro-turf. Both Detroit and (IIRC) New Orleans had turf fields. (That’s why Superdome stuck in my head.) Mouthbreather’s link, while providing an excellent picture of Dempsey’s foot clearly shows a grass field. Again, I may be wrong about the turf in NO in 1970, but I’m pretty sure the kick was done on artificial turf.
Although I have no cite, I am pretty sure the Canadians measure field goals from the spot of the kick (unlike punts which are measured from the line of scrimmage). Regardless, 62 yards is an impressive kick.
High school kickers will get more attempts at long distances because missed field goals are always brought back to the 20, so there isn’t much of a penalty for a miss. Of course, high schools have bigger problems with snapping and holding and getting the kicks blocked.
I’ve seen a 67-yard attempt in high school and the guy came up just a yard short. The longest successful field goal I’ve seen in the 11 years I’ve covered high school games is only 54 yards.
I think that the Saints played their home games in the early '70’s in Tulane Stadium, but I’m still searching for cites on that.
As for the playing surface, here is a photo that CNN claims is a shot of the actual record-setting kick (in the accompanying article), and the field surface certainly appears to be grass. While it’s possible that the photo is mis-labeled, the opposing team does appear to be the Detroit Lions.
The Saints did play in Tulane Stadium before the construction of the Louisiana Superdome. The Superdome was supposed to be open in time for Superbowl IX, when the Steelers and Vikings hooked up, but it wasn’t and the two teams played in pretty poor weather and the game was a rather dull 16-6 affair.
Tulane now plays its football games at the Superdome also.
IIRC Dempsey’s field goal was on grass, but I think they put in an artificial surface toward the end of the stadium’s existence.
Okay, this is a difference between the American and Canadian games that I’d not appreciated before this thread. Since the defending team in the Canadian game has to run out a missed field goal, a long-shot attempt isn’t nearly as risky - it’s more like a punt, in fact. (Which brings me back to ski’s comment on my OP - that’s what I meant, really… )
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