54 Years Ago Today, Joe Namath's Guarantee Comes True After Jets Shock Colts in Super Bowl III

     

🏈🏈🏈🏈

 

New York Jets

Ah, yes. Today is the anniversary of what is, far and away, the greatest accomplishment in the now relatively long history of the New York Jets franchise. It was on this day in 1969 that the upstart Jets of the American Football league (AFL) - which was widely deemed the inferior of the two major football leagues -  major underdogs in the Super Bowl, managed to pull off what still ranks as the greatest upset in Super Bowl history, defeating the mighty Baltimore Colts. The Colts had entered the game as prohibitive favorites, sporting a 13-1 record, and having just crushed the Cleveland Browns 34-0 in the NFL Championship Game. Cleveland was the one team that the Colts had lost to all season, and Baltimore had obviously enjoyed a statement kind of blowout win. It seemed a mere formality that the Colts would push the Jets around en route to an easy crowing, and a likely status as the "greatest team in NFL history."

Yet, there was considerable anticipation for this game. This was in large part due to the fact that Jets quarterback Joe Namath had made major headlines in the days leading up to the game, claiming that several AFL quarterbacks were better than Earl Morrall. Furthermore, Namath declared, the Jets were going to beat the Colts on Super Bowl Sunday. Namath admitted that it was an off-the-cuff remark, largely inspired by similar guarantees by legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. Famously, Namath doubled-down on this, saying:

"I guarantee it!"

A number of Jets players, and especially Jets head coach Weeb Ewbank,. were annoyed with Namath for making such a bold prediction that was bound to make all sorts of headlines. Why give the Colts extra motivation to win? Why add more pressure on the Jets, who had their work cut out for them in trying to upset such a high quality team as the Colts? 

How good were the Colts? They had scored 402 points that season, while allowing only 144 points. That means that they averaged over 28 points per game while allowing just over 10 points, on average. In other words, their average margin of victory was 18 points, which is how much they were favored to beat the Jets by. They started off 5-0 that season before losing their one and only regular season game to Cleveland, 30-20. After that, they went on a tear, winning ten straight, including the two postseason games that earned them the right to play in Super Bowl III. Only two of their 15 wins were by less than double-digits. In the playoffs, they beat the Minnesota Vikings, 24-14, in the divisional round. Then, they exacted a very strong measure of revenge on the Browns, crushing them, 34-0, in the NFL Championship Game. In short, they absolutely appeared to be, by far, the best team in the NFL. And remember, the NFL was considered far and away the better of the two football leagues. It sure seemed like they were going to easily dispatch with the Jets, and be remembered as the most dominant team in history.

But they missed numerous one opportunity after another. They committed five turnovers, and kicker Lou Michaels, who had a run-in with Joe Namath that almost led to a physical fight between the two men days before the game, missed two field goal attempts in the game. Meanwhile, the Jets were well-prepared, having noticed that the Colts defense was predictable, and using that against them, particularly with running back Matt Snell. The Jets managed to score the game's first touchdown, and shut out the stunned Colts in the first half, taking a 7-0 lead into the lock rooms. They added two field goals in the third quarter and another in the fourth quarter, building up a 16-0 lead in the fourth and final quarter, before Baltimore finally got on the scoreboard, but only after Earl Morrall was benched and replaced by Johnny Unitas. But it was not enough, and the Jets produced one of the most shocking and memorable upsets in sports history.

My grandfather, who got me into football to begin with, became a fan of the Jets as a result of that game, as I understand it. And while I somehow gravitated to the Giants as my favorite team (the Jets are my second favorite team), my brother also came to pull for the Jets as his favorite NFL team. For a number of years, before the Giants won that first Super Bowl in January of 1987, I felt jealous of the Jets, who had actually gone to a Super Bowl and won it, which Big Blue had yet to do at that time. Also, the Jets had reached the AFC Championship Game in the 1982-83 season, so they had come fairly close to reaching another one. At the time, I was a bit envious, and wondering if I had backed the wrong horse.

Obviously, the Jets organization has fallen on hard times. Currently, they have the longest active playoff drought of any team in the league, have last qualified in the 2010-11 season. That means that this was the 12th straight season for Gang Green failing to qualify for the postseason. They also now hold the longest active drought of any team that has won the Super Bowl. They were only the second franchise to win a Super Bowl, after the Green Bay Packers won the first two. But the Packers have won a couple of Super Bowls since then. More recently,, the Chiefs ended a 50-year Super Bowl title drought when they won Super Bowl LIV. But for the Jets, it is 54 years now, and counting. To be fair, there are other teams in the NFL who have gone longer, but that predates the Super Bowl. Specifically, the Cardinals, Lions, and Browns all have won championships, but last did so before the Super Bowl era. And let us not forget that there are still a good number of teams that have yet to win a Super Bowl. Those include the three franchises I just mentioned, as well as the Falcons, Bengals, Bills, Vikings, Jaguars, Titans, Texans, Chargers, and Panthers.

Still, 54 years is a long time. But at least the Jets enjoyed such a moment in their history. It was before I was born, before my brother was born. The world was a very different place. Yet, it is part of legend now. To me, it felt like football's biggest contribution to the iconic, unstable sixties. Having happened before I was born, Namath's "guarantee" (they were not nearly as commonplace in those days as they have since become) accompanied those of Muhammad Ali, who Namath took his own inspiration to make the guarantee from. It feels like it was part of that whole era, along with Ali and Woodstock and Vietnam and the Moon landing. This was the NFL's most iconic moment of the sixties, which in turn, was one of the NFL's most iconic moments, period. 

And it happened on this day exactly 54 years ago!

Super Bowl III  Colts 7 - 16 Jets,  January 12, 1969 Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida:

https://www.lines.com/nfl/history-of-super-bowls/III

Super Bowl Rings:

Image courtesy of Ryan Schreiber Flickr page - Super Bowl rings: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanschreiber/2966914635/in/photolist-9fhtR7-mTUuPg-7BfrrT-8VABVJ-71329o-dkVSiW-713aji-716t8C-6ZY2fn-aaJzti-bSQYxn-8qJEPk-caGaTw-7s88nt-4qr4K5-gvvHpq-bZ7QUG-5wbdmB-qJWkZK-9TA5tc-712koy-679ZUN-hkLnBw-712XU1-716sLj-712Zih-712YYw-6ZY1P4-712Ys5-6ZXY5z-7131DJ-713g7L-6ZYeHM-6ZYdeF-6ZYdPe-6ZYgjz-6ZYedK-7139TJ-7124Do-9fE3N7-a3dxxG-716YLQ-6ZYbrr-6ZYfMi-6ZYcBx-7138ew-713aSy-dBNXDK-713ehv-46Wiar

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Super Bowl III - January 12, 1969 played in the Orange Bowl, Miami. MVP Joe Namath, Favorite Colts by 18, National anthem Anita Bryant, Halftime show "America Thanks" with Florida A&M University, Attendance 75,389, Network NBC, Announcers Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis and Kyle Rote, Nielsen ratings 36.0 est. 41.66 million viewers, Cost of 30-second commercial US$55,000. Matt Snell 30 121 1, Emerson Boozer 10 19, Tom Matte 11 116, Joe Namath 17 28 206 0 0, Johnny Unitas 11 24 110 0 1, Earl Morrall 6 17 71 0 3, George Sauer 8 133, Jimmy Orr 3 42, John Mackey 3 35. 

The game was played on January 12, 1969 and was preceded by star Jets quarterback Joe Namath famously guaranteeing victory just days before the big game. That was saying something for a few reasons. Firstly, the American Football league (AFL) was considered an inferior league, and the convincing victories by the Green Bay Packers in the first two Super Bowls reinforced this sense of superiority. Secondly, the Baltimore Colts that year were one of the most dominant teams in NFL history to that point. Finally, this had come at a time when making guarantees in sports was not the flavor of the moment, like it has become since. To make matters seemingly worse for Jets coaches hoping for a quiet week, Namath suggested that five AFL quarterbacks were better than Earl Morrall of the Colts. So, when Namath said those things, it really made news.        

No personal memories to share from this game, although as a fan of local NFL football, the game figured prominently in local sports lore. My grandfather was a fan, and plenty of people that I have known, both family and friends alike, remember this game well. As for what was going on in the world? Well, 1968 was over, and it had been a pretty tumultuous year. In that sense, this game fit the times, as the upstart Jets managed to get the best of the more established NFL, and went some ways towards getting out of the shadow of the Giants. Later in the year, the New York Mets would shock many by winning the World Series. But the Vietnam War had intensified greatly by 1969, as had anti-war protests and resistance within American borders. Richard Nixon was the new president, having promised peace with honor. Later in the year, man would walk on the moon. One month after that came Woodstock, the most famous and brilliant concert of all. The Beatles were coming close to ending their tenure atop the music world, as the break up was well on it's way, although the band had released the White Album very late in 1968, which meant that it was still quite new by the time Super Bowl III was being played.

This is the original television broadcast in full color and solid audio of one of the most memorable and historic games in the history of the NFL, and the very first championship game named "Super Bowl"! The Jets, representing the American Football League, versus the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts from the National Football League in the Orange Bowl in Miami. It is known as one the biggest upsets in the history of sports, and is credited with making the Super Bowl a must see for it's unpredictability. The Colts were prohibitive favorites (the line was 18 points), but almost got shut out in the game instead!