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Post by rizzuto on Mar 7, 2023 20:38:02 GMT -5
One place I never went to was the Dragway, and I don’t know how that came to be. I had nothing against it. My older brothers used to go, and you might have thought they’d drag me along, but no… we weren’t close like that. Curious now. If your uncle by any chance might have had a Chevy dealership, I bought one of those Chevy Lumina vans when they first came out. I still see some on the roads.And I bought mine in Bel Air… Oops, forgot to answer your question -- just to close the loop -- no my Uncle had a Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge dealership in Bel Air. I think he sold it around 1970. No doubt run out of town by an outraged citizenry. I know he still had it in 1969 because I remember watching the Jets and Colts in Super Bowl III -- the first one that was actually called "The Super Bowl" -- at his house in MD and he had a big party where 95 percent of the people were intense Colts fans and boy were they upset. The Colts were huge favorites as you no doubt recall. They were blistering Don Shula, who had not yet become a legend, for leaving Earl Morrall in so long before turning to an aged and banged-up Johnny Unitas. Man did they hate Joe Willie Namath. They questioned his ability, his intelligence, his masculinity, his parentage, anything you could possibly question, but he made his insane prediction of victory stand up. Hope the Lumina turned out okay for you. My Uncle would have tried to sell you a Charger SS or a Barracuda. "You'd look perfect in one of these, and the girls will be impressed." He's in his late 80s now and could still sell filet mignon to a vegan. I'd love to have a 1969 Dodge Charger. Joe Namath was a heck of an athlete, having offers from five MLB teams out of high school, including the Yankees. Namath was also a star basketball player in high school who regularly dunked during games at a time when it was not common. Unfortunately, pro football would never see the real Joe Namath, as he tore up his knee during his senior year at Alabama. His athleticism was never the same. Bear Bryant called Namath the best athlete he ever coached. In an interview with one of Namath's high school friends, it was noted that the easy-going Namath was also quite the brawler when provoked, saying that no one ever got the best of Joe in a fight, and he often discouraged others from challenging Namath. The friend said that despite the warnings, someone always had to find out for themselves, which the friend said they inevitably did and quickly. |
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Post by inger on Mar 7, 2023 23:18:00 GMT -5
One place I never went to was the Dragway, and I don’t know how that came to be. I had nothing against it. My older brothers used to go, and you might have thought they’d drag me along, but no… we weren’t close like that. Curious now. If your uncle by any chance might have had a Chevy dealership, I bought one of those Chevy Lumina vans when they first came out. I still see some on the roads.And I bought mine in Bel Air… Oops, forgot to answer your question -- just to close the loop -- no my Uncle had a Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge dealership in Bel Air. I think he sold it around 1970. No doubt run out of town by an outraged citizenry. I know he still had it in 1969 because I remember watching the Jets and Colts in Super Bowl III -- the first one that was actually called "The Super Bowl" -- at his house in MD and he had a big party where 95 percent of the people were intense Colts fans and boy were they upset. The Colts were huge favorites as you no doubt recall. They were blistering Don Shula, who had not yet become a legend, for leaving Earl Morrall in so long before turning to an aged and banged-up Johnny Unitas. Man did they hate Joe Willie Namath. They questioned his ability, his intelligence, his masculinity, his parentage, anything you could possibly question, but he made his insane prediction of victory stand up. Hope the Lumina turned out okay for you. My Uncle would have tried to sell you a Charger SS or a Barracuda. "You'd look perfect in one of these, and the girls will be impressed." He's in his late 80s now and could still sell filet mignon to a vegan. That Lumina did indeed do pretty well. One of the signs of my ex-wife’s weird passion for hoarding things came when we bought our next vehicle and she insisted on keeping the Lumina because “It had been good to us.” We eventually did sell it when we were leaving Kentucky… |
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Post by inger on Mar 7, 2023 23:28:03 GMT -5
The only pitcher since 1930 to win at least 12 gams in his first 9 seasons is Andy Pettite…
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 8, 2023 8:24:13 GMT -5
Oops, forgot to answer your question -- just to close the loop -- no my Uncle had a Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge dealership in Bel Air. I think he sold it around 1970. No doubt run out of town by an outraged citizenry. I know he still had it in 1969 because I remember watching the Jets and Colts in Super Bowl III -- the first one that was actually called "The Super Bowl" -- at his house in MD and he had a big party where 95 percent of the people were intense Colts fans and boy were they upset. The Colts were huge favorites as you no doubt recall. They were blistering Don Shula, who had not yet become a legend, for leaving Earl Morrall in so long before turning to an aged and banged-up Johnny Unitas. Man did they hate Joe Willie Namath. They questioned his ability, his intelligence, his masculinity, his parentage, anything you could possibly question, but he made his insane prediction of victory stand up. Hope the Lumina turned out okay for you. My Uncle would have tried to sell you a Charger SS or a Barracuda. "You'd look perfect in one of these, and the girls will be impressed." He's in his late 80s now and could still sell filet mignon to a vegan. I'd love to have a 1969 Dodge Charger. Joe Namath was a heck of an athlete, having offers from five MLB teams out of high school, including the Yankees. Namath was also a star basketball player in high school who regularly dunked during games at a time when it was not common. Unfortunately, pro football would never see the real Joe Namath, as he tore up his knee during his senior year at Alabama. His athleticism was never the same. Bear Bryant called Namath the best athlete he ever coached. In an interview with one of Namath's high school friends, it was noted that the easy-going Namath was also quite the brawler when provoked, saying that no one ever got the best of Joe in a fight, and he often discouraged others from challenging Namath. The friend said that despite the warnings, someone always had to find out for themselves, which the friend said they inevitably did and quickly. Joe Namath was well on his way to legendary status even in college. It was big sports news when Bear Bryant suspended him for breaking training rules (drinking and curfew) just as Alabama was closing in on a national title in 1963. Joe acknowledged that Bryant had done the right thing -- he was more mischievous than actually a bad dude -- Bama won the title anyway behind a guy named Steve Sloan. Namath had led his Beaver Falls High School team to a PA state championship and was supposed to go to the University of Maryland, but his SAT scores were too low for admission -- has that ever happened since then? -- and the Crimson Tide was there to help. Before he tore up his knee, Namath was actually quite fast and very mobile. Not Jalen Hurts-level, but not the wobbly-knee guy most people remember. John Madden said that Namath had the best drop and release of any quarterback he ever saw. People who look at his stats and say he has no business being in Canton never saw him play and do not understand how different the game was in his day. Especially the way receivers could legitimately be mugged by defenders and the lack of protection for QBs. It was the bidding war for Namath between the Jets of the AFL and the Cardinals of the NFL that directly led to the two leagues deciding to merge. The NFL owners could see they weren't going to just outspend the AFL owners like Sonny Werblin and Lamar Hunt, so they reluctantly offered peace. When Namath made his guarantee that the Jets would beat the Colts in Super Bowl III, it was considered ludicrous. The NFL, behind the Packers, had easily won the first two Super Bowls and Vince Lombardi had dismissed the AFL champs as being no better than .500 teams had they played in the NFL. The Colts that year had gone 13-1 and had slaughtered the Browns 34-0 in the NFL Championship game, which most people then considered the real test. But the Jets dominated that game, and even the broadcasters (Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis) seemed stunned. It really was an upset at the level of the Miracle on Ice in 1980 or Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson. Colts' supporters in 1969 aside, most fans enjoyed Namath's antics and tended to view him as a likeable rogue. He definitely had alcohol issues for years, which he seems to have overcome. He has that strange accent that sounds more like something from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne than Western PA. And of course there are those horribly annoying commercials he does. But he's always been a compelling figure to me. One thing he did that I always liked. When he left Alabama in 1965, he was 30 credit-hours short of qualifying for a degree. But he earned his BA 42 years later, belatedly keeping a promise he had made to his mother. |
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Post by inger on Mar 8, 2023 8:51:40 GMT -5
I'd love to have a 1969 Dodge Charger. Joe Namath was a heck of an athlete, having offers from five MLB teams out of high school, including the Yankees. Namath was also a star basketball player in high school who regularly dunked during games at a time when it was not common. Unfortunately, pro football would never see the real Joe Namath, as he tore up his knee during his senior year at Alabama. His athleticism was never the same. Bear Bryant called Namath the best athlete he ever coached. In an interview with one of Namath's high school friends, it was noted that the easy-going Namath was also quite the brawler when provoked, saying that no one ever got the best of Joe in a fight, and he often discouraged others from challenging Namath. The friend said that despite the warnings, someone always had to find out for themselves, which the friend said they inevitably did and quickly. Joe Namath was well on his way to legendary status even in college. It was big sports news when Bear Bryant suspended him for breaking training rules (drinking and curfew) just as Alabama was closing in on a national title in 1963. Joe acknowledged that Bryant had done the right thing -- he was more mischievous than actually a bad dude -- Bama won the title anyway behind a guy named Steve Sloan. Namath had led his Beaver Falls High School team to a PA state championship and was supposed to go to the University of Maryland, but his SAT scores were too low for admission -- has that ever happened since then? -- and the Crimson Tide was there to help. Before he tore up his knee, Namath was actually quite fast and very mobile. Not Jalen Hurts-level, but not the wobbly-knee guy most people remember. John Madden said that Namath had the best drop and release of any quarterback he ever saw. People who look at his stats and say he has no business being in Canton never saw him play and do not understand how different the game was in his day. Especially the way receivers could legitimately be mugged by defenders and the lack of protection for QBs. It was the bidding war for Namath between the Jets of the AFL and the Cardinals of the NFL that directly led to the two leagues deciding to merge. The NFL owners could see they weren't going to just outspend the AFL owners like Sonny Werblin and Lamar Hunt, so they reluctantly offered peace. When Namath made his guarantee that the Jets would beat the Colts in Super Bowl III, it was considered ludicrous. The NFL, behind the Packers, had easily won the first two Super Bowls and Vince Lombardi had dismissed the AFL champs as being no better than .500 teams had they played in the NFL. The Colts that year had gone 13-1 and had slaughtered the Browns 34-0 in the NFL Championship game, which most people then considered the real test. But the Jets dominated that game, and even the broadcasters (Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis) seemed stunned. It really was an upset at the level of the Miracle on Ice in 1980 or Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson. Colts' supporters in 1969 aside, most fans enjoyed Namath's antics and tended to view him as a likeable rogue. He definitely had alcohol issues for years, which he seems to have overcome. He has that strange accent that sounds more like something from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne than Western PA. And of course there are those horribly annoying commercials he does. But he's always been a compelling figure to me. One thing he did that I always liked. When he left Alabama in 1965, he was 30 credit-hours short of qualifying for a degree. But he earned his BA 42 years later, belatedly keeping a promise he had made to his mother. The quarterbacks and certain running backs were what kept me coming back for more every week in the football season in that era. Namath. Johnny U. Lenny Dawson. Pastorini, Tarkenton… hell, even Craig Morton. I watched all the teams back then, even the dreadful Lions on Thanksgiving Day… with Milt Plum… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 8, 2023 12:07:15 GMT -5
Joe Namath was well on his way to legendary status even in college. It was big sports news when Bear Bryant suspended him for breaking training rules (drinking and curfew) just as Alabama was closing in on a national title in 1963. Joe acknowledged that Bryant had done the right thing -- he was more mischievous than actually a bad dude -- Bama won the title anyway behind a guy named Steve Sloan. Namath had led his Beaver Falls High School team to a PA state championship and was supposed to go to the University of Maryland, but his SAT scores were too low for admission -- has that ever happened since then? -- and the Crimson Tide was there to help. Before he tore up his knee, Namath was actually quite fast and very mobile. Not Jalen Hurts-level, but not the wobbly-knee guy most people remember. John Madden said that Namath had the best drop and release of any quarterback he ever saw. People who look at his stats and say he has no business being in Canton never saw him play and do not understand how different the game was in his day. Especially the way receivers could legitimately be mugged by defenders and the lack of protection for QBs. It was the bidding war for Namath between the Jets of the AFL and the Cardinals of the NFL that directly led to the two leagues deciding to merge. The NFL owners could see they weren't going to just outspend the AFL owners like Sonny Werblin and Lamar Hunt, so they reluctantly offered peace. When Namath made his guarantee that the Jets would beat the Colts in Super Bowl III, it was considered ludicrous. The NFL, behind the Packers, had easily won the first two Super Bowls and Vince Lombardi had dismissed the AFL champs as being no better than .500 teams had they played in the NFL. The Colts that year had gone 13-1 and had slaughtered the Browns 34-0 in the NFL Championship game, which most people then considered the real test. But the Jets dominated that game, and even the broadcasters (Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis) seemed stunned. It really was an upset at the level of the Miracle on Ice in 1980 or Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson. Colts' supporters in 1969 aside, most fans enjoyed Namath's antics and tended to view him as a likeable rogue. He definitely had alcohol issues for years, which he seems to have overcome. He has that strange accent that sounds more like something from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne than Western PA. And of course there are those horribly annoying commercials he does. But he's always been a compelling figure to me. One thing he did that I always liked. When he left Alabama in 1965, he was 30 credit-hours short of qualifying for a degree. But he earned his BA 42 years later, belatedly keeping a promise he had made to his mother. The quarterbacks and certain running backs were what kept me coming back for more every week in the football season in that era. Namath. Johnny U. Lenny Dawson. Pastorini, Tarkenton… hell, even Craig Morton. I watched all the teams back then, even the dreadful Lions on Thanksgiving Day… with Milt Plum… Milt Plum was my second-favorite player -- after Jim Brown -- when I started following the NFL in 1957. Brown and Plum had been the Browns' first two draft picks that year. Plum had some pretty good years -- my favorite Plum stat is that he led the NFL in QBR in 1960 at 110.4. Nobody surpassed this rating until 1989, when none other than Joe Montana managed a 112.4. Of course there was no such statistic as QBR in 1960, so all of this was unknown until well after the fact. Plum also had the lowest INT rate three straight years while playing for the Browns. He was traded to the Lions after the 1961 season largely for his public criticizing of coach Paul Brown for not allowing his QBs more flexibility in calling plays. Paul Brown did not react well to complaints from his players. When the team is named for you, you have a lot of say-so in how things are run. Like you, I loved the NFL back in the day, and also like you I began losing interest at some point in the past. It used to be you only had games on Sunday, at 1 and 4, plus Thanksgiving and then when the college season ended they would have a few Saturday games in December -- it seemed like such a treat. Then in 1970 came Monday Night Football, but still that's all there was until much later. Some other QBs from the era you were discussing -- Billy Kilmer (last QB to wear the single-bar face mask) and Jim Hart and John Brodie and Joe Kapp (he used to hurdle tacklers until they outlawed it) and Roman Gabriel and Norm Snead and Bill Nelsen. Further down the scale were Gary Cuozzo (you might recall from Baltimore) and Karl Sweetan and Jefferson Street Joe Gilliam. Even Kent Nix. For awhile the Browns had the unfortunately-named Dick Shiner, who I'll bet you remember. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 8, 2023 12:09:17 GMT -5
Since you brought up his name, I looked him up and discovered that Milt Plum is still living and recently turned 88.
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Post by inger on Mar 8, 2023 12:33:15 GMT -5
The quarterbacks and certain running backs were what kept me coming back for more every week in the football season in that era. Namath. Johnny U. Lenny Dawson. Pastorini, Tarkenton… hell, even Craig Morton. I watched all the teams back then, even the dreadful Lions on Thanksgiving Day… with Milt Plum… Milt Plum was my second-favorite player -- after Jim Brown -- when I started following the NFL in 1957. Brown and Plum had been the Browns' first two draft picks that year. Plum had some pretty good years -- my favorite Plum stat is that he led the NFL in QBR in 1960 at 110.4. Nobody surpassed this rating until 1989, when none other than Joe Montana managed a 112.4. Of course there was no such statistic as QBR in 1960, so all of this was unknown until well after the fact. Plum also had the lowest INT rate three straight years while playing for the Browns. He was traded to the Lions after the 1961 season largely for his public criticizing of coach Paul Brown for not allowing his QBs more flexibility in calling plays. Paul Brown did not react well to complaints from his players. When the team is named for you, you have a lot of say-so in how things are run. Like you, I loved the NFL back in the day, and also like you I began losing interest at some point in the past. It used to be you only had games on Sunday, at 1 and 4, plus Thanksgiving and then when the college season ended they would have a few Saturday games in December -- it seemed like such a treat. Then in 1970 came Monday Night Football, but still that's all there was until much later. Some other QBs from the era you were discussing -- Billy Kilmer (last QB to wear the single-bar face mask) and Jim Hart and John Brodie and Joe Kapp (he used to hurdle tacklers until they outlawed it) and Roman Gabriel and Norm Snead and Bill Nelsen. Further down the scale were Gary Cuozzo (you might recall from Baltimore) and Karl Sweetan and Jefferson Street Joe Gilliam. Even Kent Nix. For awhile the Browns had the unfortunately-named Dick Shiner, who I'll bet you remember. I’ll see your Cuozzo and raise you a Marty Domres… Recalling the most ridiculous interview question I ever heard: “Joe! Joe Gilliam! How long have you been a black quarterback?”… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 8, 2023 13:12:26 GMT -5
Milt Plum was my second-favorite player -- after Jim Brown -- when I started following the NFL in 1957. Brown and Plum had been the Browns' first two draft picks that year. Plum had some pretty good years -- my favorite Plum stat is that he led the NFL in QBR in 1960 at 110.4. Nobody surpassed this rating until 1989, when none other than Joe Montana managed a 112.4. Of course there was no such statistic as QBR in 1960, so all of this was unknown until well after the fact. Plum also had the lowest INT rate three straight years while playing for the Browns. He was traded to the Lions after the 1961 season largely for his public criticizing of coach Paul Brown for not allowing his QBs more flexibility in calling plays. Paul Brown did not react well to complaints from his players. When the team is named for you, you have a lot of say-so in how things are run. Like you, I loved the NFL back in the day, and also like you I began losing interest at some point in the past. It used to be you only had games on Sunday, at 1 and 4, plus Thanksgiving and then when the college season ended they would have a few Saturday games in December -- it seemed like such a treat. Then in 1970 came Monday Night Football, but still that's all there was until much later. Some other QBs from the era you were discussing -- Billy Kilmer (last QB to wear the single-bar face mask) and Jim Hart and John Brodie and Joe Kapp (he used to hurdle tacklers until they outlawed it) and Roman Gabriel and Norm Snead and Bill Nelsen. Further down the scale were Gary Cuozzo (you might recall from Baltimore) and Karl Sweetan and Jefferson Street Joe Gilliam. Even Kent Nix. For awhile the Browns had the unfortunately-named Dick Shiner, who I'll bet you remember. I’ll see your Cuozzo and raise you a Marty Domres… Recalling the most ridiculous interview question I ever heard: “Joe! Joe Gilliam! How long have you been a black quarterback?”… Hah, Marty Domres from Columbia U if memory serves. Jim Ninowski is another from that time. |
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Post by rizzuto on Mar 8, 2023 14:20:38 GMT -5
Joe Namath was well on his way to legendary status even in college. It was big sports news when Bear Bryant suspended him for breaking training rules (drinking and curfew) just as Alabama was closing in on a national title in 1963. Joe acknowledged that Bryant had done the right thing -- he was more mischievous than actually a bad dude -- Bama won the title anyway behind a guy named Steve Sloan. Namath had led his Beaver Falls High School team to a PA state championship and was supposed to go to the University of Maryland, but his SAT scores were too low for admission -- has that ever happened since then? -- and the Crimson Tide was there to help. Before he tore up his knee, Namath was actually quite fast and very mobile. Not Jalen Hurts-level, but not the wobbly-knee guy most people remember. John Madden said that Namath had the best drop and release of any quarterback he ever saw. People who look at his stats and say he has no business being in Canton never saw him play and do not understand how different the game was in his day. Especially the way receivers could legitimately be mugged by defenders and the lack of protection for QBs. It was the bidding war for Namath between the Jets of the AFL and the Cardinals of the NFL that directly led to the two leagues deciding to merge. The NFL owners could see they weren't going to just outspend the AFL owners like Sonny Werblin and Lamar Hunt, so they reluctantly offered peace. When Namath made his guarantee that the Jets would beat the Colts in Super Bowl III, it was considered ludicrous. The NFL, behind the Packers, had easily won the first two Super Bowls and Vince Lombardi had dismissed the AFL champs as being no better than .500 teams had they played in the NFL. The Colts that year had gone 13-1 and had slaughtered the Browns 34-0 in the NFL Championship game, which most people then considered the real test. But the Jets dominated that game, and even the broadcasters (Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis) seemed stunned. It really was an upset at the level of the Miracle on Ice in 1980 or Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson. Colts' supporters in 1969 aside, most fans enjoyed Namath's antics and tended to view him as a likeable rogue. He definitely had alcohol issues for years, which he seems to have overcome. He has that strange accent that sounds more like something from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne than Western PA. And of course there are those horribly annoying commercials he does. But he's always been a compelling figure to me. One thing he did that I always liked. When he left Alabama in 1965, he was 30 credit-hours short of qualifying for a degree. But he earned his BA 42 years later, belatedly keeping a promise he had made to his mother. The quarterbacks and certain running backs were what kept me coming back for more every week in the football season in that era. Namath. Johnny U. Lenny Dawson. Pastorini, Tarkenton… hell, even Craig Morton. I watched all the teams back then, even the dreadful Lions on Thanksgiving Day… with Milt Plum… Inger, isn’t DeRogatis how you’ve kept your hair? |
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Post by domeplease on Mar 8, 2023 15:17:06 GMT -5
Whenever I am having a bad day I think of things like this (I had once a Tape Worm of around 18-24 inches or so); go figure...
Doctors remove 6-foot tapeworm through man’s mouth
Scientists have revived a ‘zombie’ virus that spent 48,500 years frozen in permafrost
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Post by inger on Mar 8, 2023 16:03:08 GMT -5
The quarterbacks and certain running backs were what kept me coming back for more every week in the football season in that era. Namath. Johnny U. Lenny Dawson. Pastorini, Tarkenton… hell, even Craig Morton. I watched all the teams back then, even the dreadful Lions on Thanksgiving Day… with Milt Plum… Inger, isn’t DeRogatis how you’ve kept your hair? Doesn’t everybody? 🤓 |
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Post by inger on Mar 8, 2023 16:17:19 GMT -5
Andy Pettitte is the only pitcher to have at least an 18 year career without a losing season (.500 twice)…
His streak included 5 .700% seasons; 6 .600% years; 5 above .500%; & 2 at .500%…
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Post by rizzuto on Mar 8, 2023 20:22:01 GMT -5
Andy Pettitte is the only pitcher to have at least an 18 year career without a losing season (.500 twice)… His streak included 5 .700% seasons; 6 .600% years; 5 above .500%; & 2 at .500%… Your last two posts on Andy Pettitte are more fodder for his Hall of Fame fortune; alas, for some reason he is undervalued. |
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Post by rizzuto on Mar 8, 2023 20:46:04 GMT -5
I'd love to have a 1969 Dodge Charger. Joe Namath was a heck of an athlete, having offers from five MLB teams out of high school, including the Yankees. Namath was also a star basketball player in high school who regularly dunked during games at a time when it was not common. Unfortunately, pro football would never see the real Joe Namath, as he tore up his knee during his senior year at Alabama. His athleticism was never the same. Bear Bryant called Namath the best athlete he ever coached. In an interview with one of Namath's high school friends, it was noted that the easy-going Namath was also quite the brawler when provoked, saying that no one ever got the best of Joe in a fight, and he often discouraged others from challenging Namath. The friend said that despite the warnings, someone always had to find out for themselves, which the friend said they inevitably did and quickly. Joe Namath was well on his way to legendary status even in college. It was big sports news when Bear Bryant suspended him for breaking training rules (drinking and curfew) just as Alabama was closing in on a national title in 1963. Joe acknowledged that Bryant had done the right thing -- he was more mischievous than actually a bad dude -- Bama won the title anyway behind a guy named Steve Sloan. Namath had led his Beaver Falls High School team to a PA state championship and was supposed to go to the University of Maryland, but his SAT scores were too low for admission -- has that ever happened since then? -- and the Crimson Tide was there to help. Before he tore up his knee, Namath was actually quite fast and very mobile. Not Jalen Hurts-level, but not the wobbly-knee guy most people remember. John Madden said that Namath had the best drop and release of any quarterback he ever saw. People who look at his stats and say he has no business being in Canton never saw him play and do not understand how different the game was in his day. Especially the way receivers could legitimately be mugged by defenders and the lack of protection for QBs. It was the bidding war for Namath between the Jets of the AFL and the Cardinals of the NFL that directly led to the two leagues deciding to merge. The NFL owners could see they weren't going to just outspend the AFL owners like Sonny Werblin and Lamar Hunt, so they reluctantly offered peace. When Namath made his guarantee that the Jets would beat the Colts in Super Bowl III, it was considered ludicrous. The NFL, behind the Packers, had easily won the first two Super Bowls and Vince Lombardi had dismissed the AFL champs as being no better than .500 teams had they played in the NFL. The Colts that year had gone 13-1 and had slaughtered the Browns 34-0 in the NFL Championship game, which most people then considered the real test. But the Jets dominated that game, and even the broadcasters (Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis) seemed stunned. It really was an upset at the level of the Miracle on Ice in 1980 or Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson. Colts' supporters in 1969 aside, most fans enjoyed Namath's antics and tended to view him as a likeable rogue. He definitely had alcohol issues for years, which he seems to have overcome. He has that strange accent that sounds more like something from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne than Western PA. And of course there are those horribly annoying commercials he does. But he's always been a compelling figure to me. One thing he did that I always liked. When he left Alabama in 1965, he was 30 credit-hours short of qualifying for a degree. But he earned his BA 42 years later, belatedly keeping a promise he had made to his mother. There is something about the way Namath pronounces any word with an "a" - very unique. The argument that Namath doesn't belong in the HOF is similar to those "new" Saints fans (Drew Brees era), who look at Archie Manning's stats and decide he was a scrub. Manning was running for his life, and Manning could run and throw from any angle. He was a much better athlete than Peyton or Eli. Archie was drafted by MLB four different times. The two years that Manning had a decent line (Archie's Bunker only allowed 16 sacks in 1978), Archie was named the NFC Player of the Year and went to the Pro Bowl (back when that meant something) both years. With the Saints, Manning was sacked 337 times. And, you are so right about how defenses were allowed to absolutely legally assault offensive players in those days. |
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