I never thought I would pay to read a Sports paper but the writers are so much better then any NY paper its worth every cent. Connor Hughes, who wrote this article, is the Jets beat writer and is just great. I hope you enjoy. https://theathletic.com/710933/2018...rs-that-propelled-the-jets-to-super-bowl-iii/
I love this stuff...but I was a Namath fanboy from day one. While I vaguely remember the team before Joe, he made me a Jets fan for life. How do the younger guys view the early days? Do they realize what a seismic shift the NY Jets caused in the NFL? Thanks for putting this up.
Thanks! Nice Christmas present for Jets fans, especially the guys too young to have witnessed this stuff. It's clear as night and day how differently the Jets were coached and run back then compared to now. One thing that stands out tome though is how much control the QB had, and how much he relied on what was happening in the game as reported to him by his teammates and his own senses. I will never believe that it was progress to allow coaches more control over play calling. Anyway, it was a great read, thanks!
That was great, and it reminded me of a little bit of trivia related to the Super Bowl that I'll bet very few people know (or remember, if you were old enough). The article mentions how the Jets right tackle, rookie Sam Walton, was pulled from the starting lineup before the AFL Championship Game against Oakland. Walton's play had been deteriorating for weeks, and Ike Lassiter destroyed him in the Heidi Game in November. As the story says, Randy Rasmussen changed from LG to RG, Bob Talamini came in to play LG, and Dave Herman moved from RG to RT. That change improved the play of the OL dramatically. Here's the part very few people know. The Gillette Company, which sold Right Guard deodorant, came up with the clever idea to run an ad in Sports Illustrated for Right Guard the week after the Super Bowl that featured drawings of the two right guards who would be playing in the game: Dan Sullivan of the Colts, and Dave Herman of the Jets. I vividly remember seeing that ad and immediately running to my father to show it to him, saying "Hey, Dad, they got it wrong - Herman was at tackle and Rasmussen was at guard!". Obviously they had prepared the ad ahead of time and didn't change it. The interesting thing is that they did add notes identifying the two players as Dan Sullivan of the NFL Champion Colts and Dave Herman of the World Champion Jets, so they knew the ad was sort of wrong when they placed it. That has stuck with me for 50 years! I don't know if anyone else remembers that ad, but the internet is an amazing and miraculous place, because here's the proof that I didn't imagine it:
Well I am a new Jet fan compared to lots of you. But Joe Namath made me a Jets fan as well. I love Joe and his persona. Thanks for posting rhe article.
Wonderful article ..Thanks 314! I don't think you can ever replace a personality, cool character QB like Joe N and that surrounding cast..wow My best take on this was naming Weeb Head Coach and GM in early sixties..is this happening with getting a Harbaugh now?? heheheh
Youtube is our friend. ps mind it still pisses me off that you say "world champs" when you dump the Jags on us then you can say it and mean it lol
Thanks for this @sec314 . Fun nostalgic read. I was one month shy of 5 when the Jets won the SB, but I remember it very, very vividly. People were leaning on their horns all over Flushing, opening their front doors and shouting to neighbors, hugging each other in the street. I don't think my Daddy ever smoked that many Cuban cigars in a row in his life. He also spun me around like a rag doll and flung me on the coach, haha.
