Thanks brother, I love this era. Seeing the great Joe Namath entering his final chapter. He just couldn't move anymore. Seeing him at Alabama and this video are of sharp contrast. I will always be a Broadway Joe fan. Bronco connection, Godwyn Turk. Winston Hills Barbecue Denver - real deal. Thanks, you're appreciated. bd
@@markgardner9460 Who knows how many painkilling needle shots he took before, during and after games to get him through, plus a few cocktails afterwards.
Those first few clips ..of "O.J. Simpson"..took me back.. the "Jets" had a lot of.."As the World Turns" drama going on ..coupled with the fact .. that "Joe's".. knees were bad.."!! Great back story on many of the players in this compilation"!!
As the World Turns is right - back-up QB Al Woodall was injured and did not play all season. I think the same thing happened with Safety Steve Tannen, so injuries certainly added to the drama in NYC.
Just subbed. I really like the topics you choose. Maybe a video on the Lou Holtz 76 season. I’m 56 and started watching games around 1975. Lot of memories. Thanks for what you do.
Super Bowl winner in 1968 and very good in 69 but the Namath injuries and age caught up to them!I didn't realize (or forgot about the Chicago Winds offer!)
23:11: The Patriots had similarities to the Jets in 1975 was they were also 7-7 in 1974 and were looking to be on the upswing. But they also crashed and burned at 3-11. 1975 pretty much confirmed Jim Plunkett as a first round bust and they benched him for Steve Grogan. They had some decent players on offense in Sam Cunningham, Darryl Stingley, Randy Vataha and rookie tight end Russ Francis but their defense was right there with the Jets in God Awfulness.
When the Jets signed Joe Namath in 1965, the doctor who did his physical exam told him he could possibly play three or four seasons in the NFL, and Namath was thrilled. In the event, Namath and the Jets won the Super Bowl in his fourth year, 1968. After that, the Jets did make the playoffs in 1969, but it was downhill from there. Joe Namath, like Vince Lombardi and The Beatles, is a 1960s phenomenon, all gifting us moments of greatness and joy that are etched in our minds for a lifetime and recorded to posterity forever. Joe Namath is in the Hall of Fame because he won the Super Bowl, sure, but he is also in the Hall of Fame because he was a significant actor in bringing the AFL, another 1960s phenomenon, into the NFL. The work that he and men like Lamar Hunt, Hank Stram, and Al Davis did in the 1960s shaped the NFL of the 1970s and what later in the 1980s and until this day has become America's Game. That's how I wish to remember Joe Namath.
Namath is responsible for the AFL's financial success. He packed stadiums across the league which set attendance records and fans tuned in to watch his games on tv. He is primarily responsible for the AFL/NFL merger and, if nothing else, would have been good enough reason for his Hall of Fame induction.
Yes, Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN also had an end zone with a gravel warning track. In fact, Pat Summerall mentions that in my video of the '77 Cowboys/Vikings game. It's amazing that guys didn't get totally chewed up! Thank you for bringing this up - appreciate it.
Can you imagine the numbers that a healthy Namath would put up in today’s game? I bet Namath would shatter the record books. Namath had great feet lightning quick release, and he threw the deep ball and intermediate routes as well as anyone who has ever played. How about Kenny Stabler? I bet Snake would complete over 80% of his passes playing with today’s rules.
It would be crazy to see what Joe could have done working out of the pistol and shotgun formations with legalized holding and being able to audible multiple times during any given play......not to mention he could get rid of the ball just by getting outside the tackles by throw the ball away in order to avoid all those hits. Same thing with Snake. Those guys would just pick defenses apart with ease.
@@edpinkerton7947 Almost every QB back then threw a lot of interceptions. The DBs used to be able to bump and hit the WRs all the way down field until the ball was in the air. The QBs used to get hit and get hit hard after they threw the ball. The rushers had a 2 step grace period to hit high or low after the QB threw the ball. Namath and Stabler would absolutely tear it up in today’s game as would Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, and even Jim Zorn,
@@edpinkerton7947 Most of the QBs today worldn’t last 10 years in the NFL if they play in the 70s. When a QB was 35 in the 70s he was considered over the hill
Guys like Len Dawson, Bart Starr and Ken Anderson had much better td to int ratios, but then again, they were more conservative for the most part, although Anderson threw deep a lot to Isaac Curtis.
Nice video Mark! Namath had problems in 1975 - and was only 32 - but 1976 was way worse for him 4TD, 16 Int and unheard of in that era 9.6 yards per completion…
@@markgardner9460 that year Elton John had a hit with a really weepy ballad Sorry Seems to be the hardest word. Somehow I link Joe’s season with that song - It’s sad, so sad (playing for Lou Holtz in the pros). Ram gig was a little bit better, but the knees were gone.
The Jets actually led undefeated ( at the time) Minnesota 21-20 in the 4th quarter but Joe Blahak blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety,and Foreman ( who had the monster game that you alluded to) finished off the Jets with his 3rd touchdown the 4 yard run.
Those last years of Namath's career I don't know how he survived those beatings plus the usual hazardous field conditions of Shea Stadium or some of those Astroturf cement fields, I grew up a Giants fan/old NFL and wasn't into his white shoes and mink coat style and attitude and rooted against the Jets like most Giants fans.
@@markgardner9460 When he was at Bachelors 3 in Fort Lauderdale in the early 70's I played a gig there and sometimes visited and could tell you a many stories, it was a hot, fun club.
Hopefully some day we'll join forces and I can hear about 'em! Joe was ready to retire when Rozelle made him sell Bachelors III, but then thought better of it.
Tough year for the Jets in ‘75, with a lot of teams blowing them out. I had forgotten about the Anthony Davis pick. They took a chance on him. They had other more pressing needs, but went for the marquee name and lost out.
They had pressing needs almost everywhere except at Tight End and Wide Receiver with Jerome Barkum and Rich Caster.........oh, and at Kicker with Pat Leahy.
@@markgardner9460 And they didn’t really need another RB - they had Riggins. But they knew Riggins was moving on (to bigger and better things as it turned out).
I think they were hoping that Davis' college notoriety would drum up fan support something like Namath's signing did 10 years earlier. However, this time they wouldn't pony up the necessary dollars.
Excellent video! One correction, though. This was seven years after the Super Bowl season. They won the Super Bowl in January of 1969, but it was the '68 season, seven years before 1975. Nonetheless, this was an awesome video!
I guess spiking the ball into the ground on every single play vs. Miami would have been a better option. How busy was Shea Stadium in 1975? Besides the Mets and the Jets, didn't the Yankees AND the Giants play there too?!? I guess the grounds crew never bothered to sod the baseball infield at all.
15:52 A caveat with this play...on plays like this, I have seen holding called on numerous occasions (where the blocker ends up taking down the defender while falling).
The Chicago Winds in 1975 were the Chicago Fire 🔥 in 1974 , the Winds made their uniforms to look exactly like the Jets in anticipation of Namath coming, he didn't and folded on September 2, the rest of the league on October 22
Joe probably would’ve boosted the WFL into another year or two of survival, plus could a couple of years of WFL been worse than Joe’s last two years in the NFL? And, the WFL tv rights were almost nothing.
Even if they had the rule whereby the QB can throw the ball away without penalty if he's outside of the Tackles wouldn't have helped Joe........cuz he just couldn't move.
This was a great highlight show of the great teams and their talent , show their stuff against the 1975 Jets. Seems they all had their turn. Every teams goes through that kind of season. The next season the Jets tried Lou Holtz as HC. That didn't go so well either.
Maybe he did what Tarkenton did a few times - decline the Pro Bowl offer. I remember one time the tv announcer said that Tarkenton had business to tend to, so he couldn't make it. Lame. I think he didn't want to risk injury, which would have been his right if that was the case.
I never considered Super Bowl lll to be rigged, but now I think maybe it was. And, it didn't speak well of the franchise that they couldn't do squat whenever one man was out of the lineup. They should have drafted, or brought in, an experienced quarterback before Namath ever got hurt. I guess things like that can just happen. When Mike Vick got hurt, early 2000s, and out for the year, the competitive Falcons went into the garbage. They had Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich as backups.
@@markgardner9460 Just thought Jets not nearly as talented. Not nearly as big, or as fast. Colts indicated in the first half how they could have easily smoked them, just knocked them around, ran on them. And, Morrall not throwing to Jimmy Orr. They'd used that play a couple of times that season successfully, though against Atlanta, I think Unitas was quarterback. Obviously, Orr was the primary receiver. Everybody on the Colts knew this, yet Morrall never even looked for him. Jets didn't have the athletes, IMO, that the Raiders, or Chiefs had and I think the Vikings - or Rams - could have easily beaten the Jets. That 1968 Baltimore team was maybe the best of that decade, though you'd get a half-dozen different opinions on that, of course.
@@3243_ Have had years to think on it, and years of highlight films of both teams in action that season and, of course, the Super Bowl, itself. To me - no way the Jets were any real match for Baltimore. That thing had to have been thrown. The 12-2 Cowboys would have killed the Jets in 1968.
Broadway Joe...The greatest QB in NY Jets history...If he had the protections in place that QBs have in the NFL today...Broadway Joe would have been able to play at least five more years...
Disagree. He came into the league with damaged knees. Doctor that did the initial surgery told Sonny Werblin he has 4 years left. Certainly with today’s surgery and treatment he would have faired better but he was still damaged goods
I recall the 74 season and the Jets got hot down the stretch, even beat the 2 time defending SB champion Dolphins. Big things were expected in 75 and they came crashing down to earth. Fired the coach, then hired Lou Holtz and he quit. The Jets can’t shake doing Jet things.
Namath was at times a polarizing player if you look at his stats alone 173 touchdown passes and 220 interceptions and a completion percentage of 50.1 that is definitely not HOF worthy,but him being the first quarterback to have 4,000 yards in a season ( 1967) having his charisma guaranteed a Super Bowl 3 victory which probably helped to insure that the NFL and AFL merger well that definitely helped him to get inducted into the HOF..He was definitely not boring!
@@markgardner9460 Mark, in my opinion he is not HOF worthy. If Joe played in Cleveland or Cincinnati no way he makes into the HOF. ( see Ken Anderson) Namath was a product of the New York media.
Disregarding his stats, he was the primary reason for the AFL/NFL merger. Due to his popularity, he filled every stadium in the AFL along with setting a lot of attendance records. Call him a Special Contributor if you will, but to me there needs to be a bust in Canton for him. If Jimmy Jones can make it in...
There is no doubt that Namath benefited from the big city media. It took Tarkenton 3 years to get into the Hall of Fame just like Namath...and Tarkenton was more deserving. Tarkenton played 5 years in NY, but it wasn't nearly the same as Namath's tenure there.
From what I understand, Jet coach Charley Winner, who got fired during the season, allowed the Jets' locker room dissension to get out of control, same as he was accused of earlier during his time in St. Louis.
@@markgardner9460 In the case of the Cardinals, it was racial dissension, which especially became public knowledge late in the 1967 season, and which Sports Illustrated's Jack Olsen covered in an article in 1968.
@@markgardner9460 Plus another publication, I think it was The Sporting News, had an article in 1975 or '76 saying that Winner had allowed the same thing to fester on the Jets.
15:32 Looks like Joe sacked himself at least four times against the Colts. You can’t blame him for not wanting to take any hits to his banged-up body, and he obviously wasn’t mobile like Bert Jones, so he had pretty much no choice but to intentionally go down.😕
I counted the same - he tried hanging in there until the last second in order to find an open receiver. You're right - he had no choice but to go down with the ship.
I remember watching Namath back in the 60-70s. He was a great talent, but didn't put up the numbers to make him worthy of HOF. One could blame it on injuries (which certainly were a factor), but HOF should be based on results, not what-ifs.
Joe certainly produced fine results besudes the Super Bowl win: AFL Rookie of the Year, 1968 AFL Player of the Year, 5X Pro Bowl, 1X All-Pro, 1974 Comeback Player of the Year, 3X passing yardage leader, first QB to pass for 4,000 yards in one season and he is the main reason for the success of the AFL and the eventual merger with the NFL due to his popularity which lead to huge attendance marks across the league.
Even though it was only seven years prior the 1968 Jets seemed like an ancient memory by 1975. Joe Willie looked pathetic. It was sad to see him. Had medical technology been available in the 1960s and 1970s Namath would have had a better and even longer career.
In today's game, Randy White would serve prison time for this hit (0:01) and Namath's high-priced liar (excuse me, I mean lawyer) would make sure of it. Randy White's attorney would blame the hit on Chuck Howley. Does anyone get that 54 joke?
@@markgardner9460 The Cowboys don't retire numbers, which is likely a good thing. The answer to the 54 joke now takes the form of a question: If the Cowboys retired numbers, which Cowboy is more deserving of 54 Randy White or Chuck Howley?
@@markgardner9460 You could never do that with The Mick #7. What Namath was to NYC football fans The Mick was to baseball fans there and more. Believe it or not: Mickey Mantle was first assigned #6. The #6 would be retired - not to a Yankees player, but to the NL MVP of 1971.
I wonder if Riggins did what Fran Tarkenton did a few times, which was to decline offers to play in Pro Bowl games, so as to not risk injury. Tarkenton would come up with excuses like he had business to tend to (yeah, right).
I was very upset with the Rams and how they treated Joe his last year in the NFL. He actually had one foot on a banana peel and one out the door(Physically)..but he had that Howitzer for a arm..sad how his career ended..
An NFL from a time when men were men. Now they have to pay these spoiled brats so much money they have to circulate rules that make a game safer than a ballet class. Money steals away the integrity that use to exist. Players played hard, hit hard, and had the sportmanship and integrity not to take short cuts. Now with all that money at stake, the greed, they would spit, eye gouge, pull hair, grab balls (not the football), anything to take a short cut including deliberately hurt their opponents, especially their best player(s). Too many thugs who love the money and could care less about the game. RIP to Dick Butkus. He played hard, hit hard, did everything full speed, and just LOVED playing pro football. Now cowards want to call Soccer "Football" in other countries because they are too wimpy to play an actual contact sport. They want you to watch 90 plus minutes of most guys on the field standing around watching someone drag a ball with then kick it with their foot. Complete boredom. Then when or even if somebody scores some announcer yells "GOAL" for five minutes. They won't play Rugby either. Soccer gets so boring the crowd starts singing in unison to entertain themselves and pass the time, whether drunk or sober.
Although I seem to recall a lot of questionable tactics used by players back then too, especially considering how little the officiating crews (and the league itself) policed it.
Great video! Ironically you skipped over the game that actually got Winner fired. Nov 2 at Shea v Buffalo w the Jets leading 23-17 late in the 4th Q, Jets had a 4th and 1 from inside the Buf 25. Rather then kick a FG to go up 2 scores, Winner decided to go for it. Riggins got stuffed at the LOS, Buf took over and 3 plays later Ferguson hit OJ over the middle and he galloped 64 yards for a TD. Jets lost 24-23. Word has it that was the nail in Winners coffin.
@@markgardner9460 you did a fantastic job on this! Can you do a similar one for 1976 and totally bury me as a Jets fan? IMO that was the worst season in the history of the franchise.
@@markgardner9460 thats great thanks! 1977 is actually a season I find fascinating also. First year post Namath, great influx of youth talent, and even though they went 3-11 they easily could have had 5 or 6 wins and it was a building block season to the success of the 80s.
I'll never forget watching Wesley Walker as a rookie in The Hall of Fame Game. The Monday Night Football crew was doing the game and that was the year that Frank Gifford was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
at this time this was the worst jets team ever. its still one of the worst in their history including the 76 jets that were just as bad though improvements were coming. everyone knew riggins was leaving after 1975. he had been unhappy for a few seasons when weeb wouldnt pay him. while thered be big plays on offense with joe willie they became less and less frequent as the season went on. painfully at that. that 6 game winning streak to end the 74 season fooled people into thinking the jets were a playoff team coming into 1975. riggins got his 1000 yds. in the final game against dallas. namath kept giving him the ball till he agonizingly got it. clint longley played for dallas. they mustve been resting players thats why the jets had an early lead. the jets defense could stop no one even the few games they won. at this time the AFC was strong with the pats. bills and colts all making the postseason beating up on the jets. the jets decided to bring namath back for the next season. he said in an interview he didnt know why since he was at the end of his career and the jets were rebuilding. as a jets fan this was a tough team to deal with as a fan.
Rebuilding is brutal for a fan to endure - it's difficult to watch, that's for sure. Riggins had contract issues at Washington, too. He sat out an entire year. Thanks for watching and commenting!
when joe was healthy wich we know was not often he was the best in 9 years 1960-1968 joe is the only quarterback to win a state championship win a national title and win a superbowl , only one joe
Thanks brother, I love this era. Seeing the great Joe Namath entering his final chapter. He just couldn't move anymore. Seeing him at Alabama and this video are of sharp contrast. I will always be a Broadway Joe fan. Bronco connection, Godwyn Turk. Winston Hills Barbecue Denver - real deal. Thanks, you're appreciated. bd
What part of town is Winstin Hill's Barbecue? I wanna check it out.
@@markgardner9460 It was down in University Hills, off Colorado Blvd. (Well south of Alameda)
OK. Cool - thanks!
As always i am so impressed as you give the players that are less remembered a name thanks again for these great memories
Thank you, Harry. I think everybody needs some recognition.
The Jets have been in turmoil since 1969.
aint it the truth? When can they get back to the Super Bowl? No time soon, in my estimation.
Thanks! Another good video. Great subject.
I'm glad that you enjoyed it - thank you for watching!
I actually felt badly for Namath in the clip where he runs to the right against Miami! He is obviously laboring 😢
Yeah, you can see that his knees are absolutely killing him!
@@markgardner9460 Who knows how many painkilling needle shots he took before, during and after games to get him through, plus a few cocktails afterwards.
Those first few clips ..of "O.J. Simpson"..took me back.. the "Jets" had a lot of.."As the World Turns" drama going on ..coupled with the fact .. that "Joe's".. knees were bad.."!! Great back story on many of the players in this compilation"!!
As the World Turns is right - back-up QB Al Woodall was injured and did not play all season. I think the same thing happened with Safety Steve Tannen, so injuries certainly added to the drama in NYC.
@@markgardner9460
" I Agree".. "Appreciate the Reply"!!
Im 50 so Im just old enough to remember the early 80s John Riggins. A younger, faster version must have been something
He could really move!
Imagine if the Jets had had a better offensive line when it came to both run-blocking and pass protection.
They had Dave Herman and Winston Hill, but they were getting old and there wasn't much else that panned out.
Riggins had a great year in 75. Over 1000 yrds.
Yes, he was finally healthy for all 14 games for the first time since his '71 rookie year.
@@markgardner9460 held out in 73 and messed up the whole season.
He was always bellyaching about money.
Just subbed. I really like the topics you choose. Maybe a video on the Lou Holtz 76 season. I’m 56 and started watching games around 1975. Lot of memories. Thanks for what you do.
Thank you - I really appreciate that! I will add your request to the viewer list that I have been creating - thanks for the suggestion!
7:05 RIP Russ Francis
I couldn't believe it when I heard. Excellent Tight End.
May Russ Francis rest in peace. And may his family and friends be healed and comforted.
Same ol' Jets
They're overdue...for some time now
Super Bowl winner in 1968 and very good in 69 but the Namath injuries and age caught up to them!I didn't realize (or forgot about the Chicago Winds offer!)
600K back then was unheard of $$$
@@markgardner9460Absolutely unreal!
...and a $2M annuity
Namath sure would’ve benefited from the shotgun formation!
Great point!
3:46: The Kansas City Chiefs had some BIG bodies on that defense. 86 Buck Buchanon 87 John Lohmeyer 51 Jim Lynch.
Stram believed "bigger is better"
The Redwood Forest.
John Ebersole played LB for the Jets number 55. A Penn stater and the pride of Altoona, PA
it seems the jets are always rebuilding:(
23:11: The Patriots had similarities to the Jets in 1975 was they were also 7-7 in 1974 and were looking to be on the upswing. But they also crashed and burned at 3-11. 1975 pretty much confirmed Jim Plunkett as a first round bust and they benched him for Steve Grogan. They had some decent players on offense in Sam Cunningham, Darryl Stingley, Randy Vataha and rookie tight end Russ Francis but their defense was right there with the Jets in God Awfulness.
It was amazing to see Plunkett regress instead of steadily getting better. That normally doesn't happen.
Namath had that release...
Super quick like Marino
If you take out Super Bowl 3 I don't think Namath is in the Hall of Fame.
He's the primary reason for the AFL/NFL merger, as he put a lot of fannies in the seats in every AFL city.
It was a different game back then.
Hi Marc - putting on my Namath white jersey - u r wearing the green one I see
I should get the white one, too - full length sleeves?
When the Jets signed Joe Namath in 1965, the doctor who did his physical exam told him he could possibly play three or four seasons in the NFL, and Namath was thrilled. In the event, Namath and the Jets won the Super Bowl in his fourth year, 1968. After that, the Jets did make the playoffs in 1969, but it was downhill from there.
Joe Namath, like Vince Lombardi and The Beatles, is a 1960s phenomenon, all gifting us moments of greatness and joy that are etched in our minds for a lifetime and recorded to posterity forever.
Joe Namath is in the Hall of Fame because he won the Super Bowl, sure, but he is also in the Hall of Fame because he was a significant actor in bringing the AFL, another 1960s phenomenon, into the NFL.
The work that he and men like Lamar Hunt, Hank Stram, and Al Davis did in the 1960s shaped the NFL of the 1970s and what later in the 1980s and until this day has become America's Game.
That's how I wish to remember Joe Namath.
Namath is responsible for the AFL's financial success. He packed stadiums across the league which set attendance records and fans tuned in to watch his games on tv. He is primarily responsible for the AFL/NFL merger and, if nothing else, would have been good enough reason for his Hall of Fame induction.
I hope you do one on the 1977 or 1976 Colts!! This was great!!
Thank you! I added your recommendation to my list and I hope to publish a video on one those Colts teams in the near future.
Thank you so much!@@markgardner9460
Ahh, memories of Memorial Stadium...a good bit of the near end zone was on the gravel warning track!
Yes, Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN also had an end zone with a gravel warning track. In fact, Pat Summerall mentions that in my video of the '77 Cowboys/Vikings game. It's amazing that guys didn't get totally chewed up! Thank you for bringing this up - appreciate it.
Can you imagine the numbers that a healthy Namath would put up in today’s game? I bet Namath would shatter the record books. Namath had great feet lightning quick release, and he threw the deep ball and intermediate routes as well as anyone who has ever played. How about Kenny Stabler? I bet Snake would complete over 80% of his passes playing with today’s rules.
It would be crazy to see what Joe could have done working out of the pistol and shotgun formations with legalized holding and being able to audible multiple times during any given play......not to mention he could get rid of the ball just by getting outside the tackles by throw the ball away in order to avoid all those hits. Same thing with Snake. Those guys would just pick defenses apart with ease.
Both of those guys threw a ton of interceptions
@@edpinkerton7947 Almost every QB back then threw a lot of interceptions. The DBs used to be able to bump and hit the WRs all the way down field until the ball was in the air. The QBs used to get hit and get hit hard after they threw the ball. The rushers had a 2 step grace period to hit high or low after the QB threw the ball. Namath and Stabler would absolutely tear it up in today’s game as would Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, and even Jim Zorn,
@@edpinkerton7947 Most of the QBs today worldn’t last 10 years in the NFL if they play in the 70s. When a QB was 35 in the 70s he was considered over the hill
Guys like Len Dawson, Bart Starr and Ken Anderson had much better td to int ratios, but then again, they were more conservative for the most part, although Anderson threw deep a lot to Isaac Curtis.
The Jets hired Lou Holtz in 1976 , call it the Lou Holtz error
Lou, self-admittedly, was not cut out for pro ball.
Nice video Mark! Namath had problems in 1975 - and was only 32 - but 1976 was way worse for him 4TD, 16 Int and unheard of in that era 9.6 yards per completion…
Thank you, David! Yes, he really went downhill. That '76 season of his was definitely not pretty...and the year after that was more of the same.
@@markgardner9460 that year Elton John had a hit with a really weepy ballad Sorry Seems to be the hardest word. Somehow I link Joe’s season with that song - It’s sad, so sad (playing for Lou Holtz in the pros). Ram gig was a little bit better, but the knees were gone.
Joe Namath played his only game in Minnesota in 1975 lost 29-21 to Vikings
He put a scare into the much more talented Vikings.
I find it interesting 11:47 ....a game clearly played at the Met and the goal post pads clearly say Jets . You would never see that these days ?!
That's a great point. Some stadiums would do that for visiting teams, but not many back then.
The Jets actually led undefeated ( at the time) Minnesota 21-20 in the 4th quarter but Joe Blahak blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety,and Foreman ( who had the monster game that you alluded to) finished off the Jets with his 3rd touchdown the 4 yard run.
Jets really played 'em tough on the road!
Those last years of Namath's career I don't know how he survived those beatings plus the usual hazardous field conditions of Shea Stadium or some of those Astroturf cement fields, I grew up a Giants fan/old NFL and wasn't into his white shoes and mink coat style and attitude and rooted against the Jets like most Giants fans.
Perhaps he had some Johnnie Walker to ease the pain?
Didn't he say that he liked his women blonde and his scotch red?
@@markgardner9460 When he was at Bachelors 3 in Fort Lauderdale in the early 70's I played a gig there and sometimes visited and could tell you a many stories, it was a hot, fun club.
Hopefully some day we'll join forces and I can hear about 'em! Joe was ready to retire when Rozelle made him sell Bachelors III, but then thought better of it.
This feels so familiar in 2024. Seems like so many parallels with 1975.
I hear ya. Both teams felt/feel the need to move on from their once stellar Quarterback.
15:32 Notice how Joe was going down before he could be hit? With those knees, I would too!
That was tough to watch. You could see how unstable his knees were. What a gamer to keep going out there and competing.
Riggo n darrell green my 2 fav football players
2 speed burners, although fans don't think of Riggo as one - at Kansas, twice he won the Class B 100 yard dash championship.
Tough year for the Jets in ‘75, with a lot of teams blowing them out. I had forgotten about the Anthony Davis pick. They took a chance on him. They had other more pressing needs, but went for the marquee name and lost out.
They had pressing needs almost everywhere except at Tight End and Wide Receiver with Jerome Barkum and Rich Caster.........oh, and at Kicker with Pat Leahy.
@@markgardner9460 And they didn’t really need another RB - they had Riggins. But they knew Riggins was moving on (to bigger and better things as it turned out).
I think they were hoping that Davis' college notoriety would drum up fan support something like Namath's signing did 10 years earlier. However, this time they wouldn't pony up the necessary dollars.
Anthony Davis seems to me to have been one of the many players who peaked in college and was already on the way down by the time he was drafted.
Excellent video! One correction, though. This was seven years after the Super Bowl season. They won the Super Bowl in January of 1969, but it was the '68 season, seven years before 1975. Nonetheless, this was an awesome video!
Thank you - yeah, I was counting from Jan '69 - I should have noted that.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I guess spiking the ball into the ground on every single play vs. Miami would have been a better option.
How busy was Shea Stadium in 1975? Besides the Mets and the Jets, didn't the Yankees AND the Giants play there too?!? I guess the grounds crew never bothered to sod the baseball infield at all.
Yes, all 4 teams played at Shea. Would have made good money being a beer vendor!
@@markgardner9460Absolutely!
Spending that day in bed or going to the zoo would have been a better option for the Jets that day.
15:52 A caveat with this play...on plays like this, I have seen holding called on numerous occasions (where the blocker ends up taking down the defender while falling).
It should be called holding, in my opinion.
The Chicago Winds in 1975 were the Chicago Fire 🔥 in 1974 , the Winds made their uniforms to look exactly like the Jets in anticipation of Namath coming, he didn't and folded on September 2, the rest of the league on October 22
That's right, they switched the team colors from red to green so that the marketing of Namath's Jets jersey would still be relevant.
I have forgotten about that! Good stuff!
Joe probably would’ve boosted the WFL into another year or two of survival, plus could a couple of years of WFL been worse than Joe’s last two years in the NFL? And, the WFL tv rights were almost nothing.
It's sad seeing Namath basically "hit the deck" every time he knows he's going to get sacked.
At least he had an excuse of having bad knees. When Favre gave it up freely for Strahan, that was unconscionable.
He wasn’t going to run away from anyone
Even if they had the rule whereby the QB can throw the ball away without penalty if he's outside of the Tackles wouldn't have helped Joe........cuz he just couldn't move.
This was a great highlight show of the great teams and their talent , show their stuff against the 1975 Jets. Seems they all had their turn. Every teams goes through that kind of season. The next season the Jets tried Lou Holtz as HC. That didn't go so well either.
Lou was "one 'n done". The NFL was not his cup 'o tea.
For some reason at the time I actually thought Holtz would be a good choice! Err...not so much!
I can only think of George Allen who had success in the pros with that "rah rah" coaching style.
@@markgardner9460 Steve Spurrier failed in the NFL as well.
Ouch. Yes he did.
When the Patriots went on strike in the last preseason game along with the Jets, I thought the whole season was going to be doomed
I vaguely remembered that - I think if it would have occurred earlier, more teams would have joined forces, in my opinion.
Hard to believe that Riggins only made one Pro Bowl!
Lots of good RB's back then and only 4 spots on a team. Just think of the competition when he played in the NFC. Who ya got?
Well in 1976 the first year Riggo was in the NFC the Pro Bowl running backs were Payton , Foreman,McCutcheon and Metcalf!
and later there was Dorsett, Billy Sims, William Andrews, Wilbert Montgomery, George Andrews and Ottis Anderson. Tough to make a Pro Bowl, eh?
@@markgardner9460 Looking back and analyzing it ,it makes sense,but at first when you hear he only made one Pro Bowl it's a bit hard to believe
Maybe he did what Tarkenton did a few times - decline the Pro Bowl offer. I remember one time the tv announcer said that Tarkenton had business to tend to, so he couldn't make it. Lame. I think he didn't want to risk injury, which would have been his right if that was the case.
I never considered Super Bowl lll to be rigged, but now I think maybe it was. And, it didn't speak well of the franchise that they couldn't do squat whenever one man was out of the lineup. They should have drafted, or brought in, an experienced quarterback before Namath ever got hurt. I guess things like that can just happen. When Mike Vick got hurt, early 2000s, and out for the year, the competitive Falcons went into the garbage. They had Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich as backups.
Why do you think it was rigged?
@@markgardner9460 Just thought Jets not nearly as talented. Not nearly as big, or as fast. Colts indicated in the first half how they could have easily smoked them, just knocked them around, ran on them.
And, Morrall not throwing to Jimmy Orr. They'd used that play a couple of times that season successfully, though against Atlanta, I think Unitas was quarterback. Obviously, Orr was the primary receiver. Everybody on the Colts knew this, yet Morrall never even looked for him. Jets didn't have the athletes, IMO, that the Raiders, or Chiefs had and I think the Vikings - or Rams - could have easily beaten the Jets. That 1968 Baltimore team was maybe the best of that decade, though you'd get a half-dozen different opinions on that, of course.
Maybe Morrall was bought off.
Bubba Smith at least once claimed the game had been tampered with.
@@3243_ Have had years to think on it, and years of highlight films of both teams in action that season and, of course, the Super Bowl, itself.
To me - no way the Jets were any real match for Baltimore. That thing had to have been thrown. The 12-2 Cowboys would have killed the Jets in 1968.
Bert Jones hitting Roger Carr with a bomb...a very common occurrence in the mid 70s!
They were a great combo. Nobody was catching Carr from behind.
I think he should be in the HOF but definatly not on his stats alone.
Out of all NFL players who are in the HOF, Namath is the one that draws the most fervent supporters and detractors, in my opinion.
Broadway Joe...The greatest QB in NY Jets history...If he had the protections in place that QBs have in the NFL today...Broadway Joe would have been able to play at least five more years...
That's exactly right!
Disagree. He came into the league with damaged knees. Doctor that did the initial surgery told Sonny Werblin he has 4 years left. Certainly with today’s surgery and treatment he would have faired better but he was still damaged goods
@@edpinkerton7947 Length of years doesn't mean talent of years...ie..Gail Sayers...
Joe Fields was a excellent pick, but Davis ,Scott and Wood? Like you said,"Oops!"
And the rest of the picks never made the team - terrible
I recall the 74 season and the Jets got hot down the stretch, even beat the 2 time defending SB champion Dolphins. Big things were expected in 75 and they came crashing down to earth. Fired the coach, then hired Lou Holtz and he quit. The Jets can’t shake doing Jet things.
Yeah, they won their last 6 games of the '74 season, I think. Joe took Tackle Winston Hill with him to L.A., too.
You narrative mic is hot.
Roll Tide!
Go Joe!
Namath was at times a polarizing player if you look at his stats alone 173 touchdown passes and 220 interceptions and a completion percentage of 50.1 that is definitely not HOF worthy,but him being the first quarterback to have 4,000 yards in a season ( 1967) having his charisma guaranteed a Super Bowl 3 victory which probably helped to insure that the NFL and AFL merger well that definitely helped him to get inducted into the HOF..He was definitely not boring!
Rookie of the Year, MVP, finished 2nd in MVP, finished 3rd in MVP twice, 3X passing td leader. He's a Hall of Famer in my book.
@@markgardner9460 Mark, in my opinion he is not HOF worthy. If Joe played in Cleveland or Cincinnati no way he makes into the HOF. ( see Ken Anderson) Namath was a product of the New York media.
Disregarding his stats, he was the primary reason for the AFL/NFL merger. Due to his popularity, he filled every stadium in the AFL along with setting a lot of attendance records. Call him a Special Contributor if you will, but to me there needs to be a bust in Canton for him. If Jimmy Jones can make it in...
@@markgardner9460 I agreed he filled stadiums but that was a part of the east coast media machines hype.
There is no doubt that Namath benefited from the big city media. It took Tarkenton 3 years to get into the Hall of Fame just like Namath...and Tarkenton was more deserving. Tarkenton played 5 years in NY, but it wasn't nearly the same as Namath's tenure there.
From what I understand, Jet coach Charley Winner, who got fired during the season, allowed the Jets' locker room dissension to get out of control, same as he was accused of earlier during his time in St. Louis.
I had not heard that - thanks for providing. Do you know what the nature of the dissension was?
@@markgardner9460 In the case of the Cardinals, it was racial dissension, which especially became public knowledge late in the 1967 season, and which Sports Illustrated's Jack Olsen covered in an article in 1968.
OK, thank you! I am going to look into reading that article.
@@markgardner9460 Plus another publication, I think it was The Sporting News, had an article in 1975 or '76 saying that Winner had allowed the same thing to fester on the Jets.
Love TSN!
Namath was pretty much physically done after 73. He could barely move here.
Indeed. He was only playing for the $ by then.
15:32 Looks like Joe sacked himself at least four times against the Colts. You can’t blame him for not wanting to take any hits to his banged-up body, and he obviously wasn’t mobile like Bert Jones, so he had pretty much no choice but to intentionally go down.😕
I counted the same - he tried hanging in there until the last second in order to find an open receiver. You're right - he had no choice but to go down with the ship.
One of the very few years Broadway Joe was healthy.
Definitely in the 2nd half of his career. What he could have done with 2 healthy knees!
I remember watching Namath back in the 60-70s. He was a great talent, but didn't put up the numbers to make him worthy of HOF. One could blame it on injuries (which certainly were a factor), but HOF should be based on results, not what-ifs.
Joe certainly produced fine results besudes the Super Bowl win: AFL Rookie of the Year, 1968 AFL Player of the Year, 5X Pro Bowl, 1X All-Pro, 1974 Comeback Player of the Year, 3X passing yardage leader, first QB to pass for 4,000 yards in one season and he is the main reason for the success of the AFL and the eventual merger with the NFL due to his popularity which lead to huge attendance marks across the league.
Even though it was only seven years prior the 1968 Jets seemed like an ancient memory by 1975. Joe Willie looked pathetic. It was sad to see him. Had medical technology been available in the 1960s and 1970s Namath would have had a better and even longer career.
When are the Jets not a team in turmoil?
Let's see.....I'll have to get back to you on that one!
In today's game, Randy White would serve prison time for this hit (0:01) and Namath's high-priced liar (excuse me, I mean lawyer) would make sure of it. Randy White's attorney would blame the hit on Chuck Howley. Does anyone get that 54 joke?
No kidding. Back the, White's play was par for the course.
I don't get the 54 joke.
@@markgardner9460 The Cowboys don't retire numbers, which is likely a good thing. The answer to the 54 joke now takes the form of a question: If the Cowboys retired numbers, which Cowboy is more deserving of 54 Randy White or Chuck Howley?
I didn't think of that. I suppose most people would say White, but Howley has an impressive resume, too.
Just do what the Yankees did with catchers Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra who both wore #8 - make it a mutual type thing.
@@markgardner9460 You could never do that with The Mick #7. What Namath was to NYC football fans The Mick was to baseball fans there and more. Believe it or not: Mickey Mantle was first assigned #6. The #6 would be retired - not to a Yankees player, but to the NL MVP of 1971.
The WFL maybe should’ve agreed to the 15% 😂
You know you're big stuff when you can even ask for something as outrageous as that.
Remember when 200 grand a season was outrageous amount of money?
I sure do! In '75 there may have only been about 5 players earning that amount of dough. The common man was making less than 10 grand.
Ridiculous Riggins only voted to one Pro Bowl and with The Jets not The Redskins which most of us know him from
I wonder if Riggins did what Fran Tarkenton did a few times, which was to decline offers to play in Pro Bowl games, so as to not risk injury. Tarkenton would come up with excuses like he had business to tend to (yeah, right).
Same old Jets
I was very upset with the Rams and how they treated Joe his last year in the NFL. He actually had one foot on a banana peel and one out the door(Physically)..but he had that Howitzer for a arm..sad how his career ended..
His record in 4 starts was 2 and 2. I thought they would have given him more rope considering how much they were paying him.
An NFL from a time when men were men. Now they have to pay these spoiled brats so much money they have to circulate rules that make a game safer than a ballet class. Money steals away the integrity that use to exist. Players played hard, hit hard, and had the sportmanship and integrity not to take short cuts. Now with all that money at stake, the greed, they would spit, eye gouge, pull hair, grab balls (not the football), anything to take a short cut including deliberately hurt their opponents, especially their best player(s). Too many thugs who love the money and could care less about the game. RIP to Dick Butkus. He played hard, hit hard, did everything full speed, and just LOVED playing pro football. Now cowards want to call Soccer "Football" in other countries because they are too wimpy to play an actual contact sport. They want you to watch 90 plus minutes of most guys on the field standing around watching someone drag a ball with then kick it with their foot. Complete boredom. Then when or even if somebody scores some announcer yells "GOAL" for five minutes. They won't play Rugby either. Soccer gets so boring the crowd starts singing in unison to entertain themselves and pass the time, whether drunk or sober.
"game safer than a ballet class"...classic!!!
Although I seem to recall a lot of questionable tactics used by players back then too, especially considering how little the officiating crews (and the league itself) policed it.
1st to comment
Indeed. I hope that you enjoyed the video.
@@markgardner9460You always make excellent videos!
16:39: It is awful watching Namath on this play. He can barely walk, if not run.
I thought the same thing when I watched it. You can tell how painful it must have been.
Great video! Ironically you skipped over the game that actually got Winner fired. Nov 2 at Shea v Buffalo w the Jets leading 23-17 late in the 4th Q, Jets had a 4th and 1 from inside the Buf 25. Rather then kick a FG to go up 2 scores, Winner decided to go for it. Riggins got stuffed at the LOS, Buf took over and 3 plays later Ferguson hit OJ over the middle and he galloped 64 yards for a TD. Jets lost 24-23. Word has it that was the nail in Winners coffin.
Thank you, Mickey. Yeah, I had "issues" with video from that week. Thank you for providing the information!
@@markgardner9460 you did a fantastic job on this! Can you do a similar one for 1976 and totally bury me as a Jets fan? IMO that was the worst season in the history of the franchise.
Sure. I will add it to my list of requests, but this one is getting bumped up cuz I reall like the topic. Thanks!
@@markgardner9460 thats great thanks! 1977 is actually a season I find fascinating also. First year post Namath, great influx of youth talent, and even though they went 3-11 they easily could have had 5 or 6 wins and it was a building block season to the success of the 80s.
I'll never forget watching Wesley Walker as a rookie in The Hall of Fame Game. The Monday Night Football crew was doing the game and that was the year that Frank Gifford was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
at this time this was the worst jets team ever. its still one of the worst in their history including the 76 jets that were just as bad though improvements were coming.
everyone knew riggins was leaving after 1975. he had been unhappy for a few seasons when weeb wouldnt pay him.
while thered be big plays on offense with joe willie they became less and less frequent as the season went on. painfully at that.
that 6 game winning streak to end the 74 season fooled people into thinking the jets were a playoff team coming into 1975.
riggins got his 1000 yds. in the final game against dallas. namath kept giving him the ball till he agonizingly got it. clint longley played for dallas. they mustve been resting players thats why the jets had an early lead.
the jets defense could stop no one even the few games they won.
at this time the AFC was strong with the pats.
bills and colts all making the postseason beating up on the jets.
the jets decided to bring namath back for the next season. he said in an interview he didnt know why since he was at the end of his career and the jets were rebuilding.
as a jets fan this was a tough team to deal with as a fan.
Rebuilding is brutal for a fan to endure - it's difficult to watch, that's for sure.
Riggins had contract issues at Washington, too. He sat out an entire year.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@markgardner9460 im bored,im broke and back. the diesel forgot to add and out of beer.
when joe was healthy wich we know was not often he was the best in 9 years 1960-1968 joe is the only quarterback to win a state championship win a national title and win a superbowl , only one joe