Johnny Unitas went to our church, north of Baltimore, after he retired from football. He would come in late and leave early, to avoid being a distraction. Sitting there, by himself, hunched over, head bowed - you would never know he is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history from a time when quarterbacks called their own plays and had few rules to protect them from being brutalized.
Hello Tom, thank you for your comment. It must have been something else to have a personal connection to a legend such as Johnny. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching.
@@jimegan6848 St. John the Evangelist Church in Hydes, MD - near his house in Baldwin, MD off Patterson Road. His son went to Calvert Hall with my son in the mid-90's.
@@jimegan6848 My son's friend had an old Corvette. They were standing in line at Palmisano's in Baldwin buying food. A guy turned around and said, "nice Corvette" to his friend, " I used to have one, a while back"... (he DID NOT add) for the MVP Award for 1958 NFL World Championship (the greatest game ever played up to that point).
Unitas talents were long gone in the late 60's. Truly an all time great. It's strange watching him in another uniform. I have been a Colts fan all my life and he's still my idol!
This is the summary of the season I wrote up for an upload of the NFL Films "highlights" video: "The 1973 Chargers were a very interesting team. Coach Harland Svare decided to go the George Allen route and had loaded up with a lot of big-name veteran players. On paper, the roster had a lot of things going for it: Hall of Famers like QB Johnny Unitas, TE John Mackey, and DE Deacon Jones; Pro Bowlers such as DE Coy Bacon, OG Walt Sweeney, and WR Gary Garrison; and a solid offensive line headed by OT Russ Washington, C Carl Mauck, and OG Doug Wilkerson in addition to Sweeney; a 1-2 running game punch in RB Mike Garrett and FB Cid Edwards (plus RB/FB Robert Holmes and the possibility of RB Duane Thomas, who'd been traded for); and a veteran LB and secondary group. They'd also drafted that year's Heisman Trophy winner in WR/PR/KR Johnny Rodgers, as well as QB Dan Fouts out of Oregon. In theory, this could have been a dangerous team if everything came together. See the '72 highlights for some idea what the expectation levels were. In reality, the whole thing fell apart disastrously. Unitas and Jones and Mackey were at the end of the line, in Unitas' case meaning that Fouts had to start a good part of the year; despite some definite flashes of talent, Fouts was simply overmatched as a rookie QB on a bad team. Mackey was cut in camp; 1st round pick Rodgers signed with the CFL; D. Thomas never reported; and injuries ravaged the team, as did widespread drug abuse. Svare was fired halfway through the season, and the team finished 2-11-1. "
And Fouts would then be the quarterback two years later for the Chargers against the Giants at Shea Stadium on Saturday, November 1, 1975 in the last NFL game not to be televised at all (while it was a sellout and the Giants could have televised it, the Giants likely didn't want to upset many high schools in New Jersey that played on Saturday afternoon rather than Friday night and Rutgers, Yale, Columbia and other universities likely would also have objected to it while for the Chargers, it was a 10:00 AM local start and they likely didn't want to send a TV crew cross-country to televise that game, 1975 was the year the Yanlees.Mets, Jets and Giants all played home games at Shea). Of course, Fouts would then lead the Chargers to the postseason once Don Coryell replaced Tommy Prothro as HC midway through the 1978 season, including what for many years was the greatest game in NFL history, the "Epic in Miami" (1981 AFC Division Playoff played January 2, 1982) when the Chargers won 41-38.
I didn’t know much about Unitas’ time in San Diego either, but after putting out this video I think I know too much. Thank you for your kind words. God Bless
Hello, thank you for your comment. You are correct. I read differently on another source, but that source was wrong. I guess history can get fumbled around as years pass on. Thanks for watching.
Johnny Rodgers.....signed with Montral in the CFL rather than the Chargers. Had a great career but got injured and joined the Chargers later as a shell of the player he once was.
Hello, thank you for your comment. Rodgers made a very wise decision to play for the CFL instead of the disastrous Charger Organization, a detail I did leave out. My apologies. I hope you enjoyed the video otherwise. Thank you for watching, God Bless.
Player agent Mike Trope wrote a book called Necessary Roughness. A great book. His first agent was Johnny Rodgers. That signing put him on the map. He was a super agent in the 70s and 80s. There’s also great stories about Chuck Muncie and Lawrence Taylor in the biok
Unitas never playing Pitt till 73 impossible colts and steelers in the nfl only 12 teams up until 1960 and 16 in 67 and played 14 game schedules. He would have had to be injured every time they were scheduled to play in the old nfl.
Very sad that Johnny U went out that way. He deserved better. Kinda cool though that John & Dan played together. BTW, I know my football history, but never heard about the drug issue on this team. Thank you for the informative video!
@@PJLeo-sp4gnYou can edit your own comments on UA-cam by clicking on the three dots on the upper right. You should be able to just change that H to a U.
Dan Fouts in the 3rd round was a gem. I remember Unitas going to the Chargers, but heard little of his efforts there. Probably because there were few highlights to show. I probably watched the Steelers game, but I have no recollection of it.
Charger fan since the old AFL days. I remember Unitas couldn’t even drop back fast enough, because of his knees, before he was pressured or sacked. Awful.
Gene Klein eventually sold the team and really dove deep into the horse racing game where he owned many champions and won the 1988 ky deby with the filly Winning Colors. He once said that his horses didn’t hold out or want to renegotiate their contracts.
Ill always remember that shootout between Fouts and K. Anderseon. What a game! Loved watching the Chargers mid 70s, I think it was. Hard to think he didnt learn a little from #19.
@@antoniodelrio1292 Check out my video on Ken Anderson. I went over his career, but also went into detail on the 81 season, where he beat Fouts in the AFC Championship. Thanks for watching.
I had a book my mom bought me. It was called “ First Down and a Billion “about Charger owner Gene Klein. It was on the Kmart discount rack. Klein is responsible for raising ticket prices in movie theaters, adding salt to the popcorn so ppl could buy more beverages. He was a serial entrepreneur and a master of making money. He thought that owning a football team would be fun. He alluded to the 1972 drug scandal in his book, he was a hands off owner. Coach Harland Svare was trying to copy George Allen by trading for older players. The strategy backfired as he traded away future draft picks for washed up former stars. Then you add the NFLs first drug scandal on top of all the losing. Every team used uppers, downers, painkillers, and steroids back then because guys played with pain back then, it’s not like today. It was up to Tommy Prothro from 1975-78 to clean up the mess Svare created. As for Klein, he hated being an owner, he clashed with Al Davis; he was Davis’s enemy number 1. He hated constantly renegotiating player’s contracts and he was called cheap. I think he bought the Chargers for 5 mil in 1966 and sold it for 80 million in 1986. Klein died in 1990. Fans lament that had he paid John Jefferson and Fred Dean, maybe they win a SB or two in the early 80s
I was incensed when Fred Dean left the Chargers! He was a quality player and deserved fair compensation for his talents. Instead he leaves the Chargers and the D slides back into mediocrity. Imo, because of the porous D of the post Fred Dean era (D was unable to stop comebacks), Fouts had to work OT for the Bolts to rack up enough points to hopefully outlast their opponents by game's end.
The Chargers have been my team since 1979, but may fandom was planted before that....I used to collect sports cards as a kid, but never followed a team, just the sport. A distant Uncle owned a deli here in New Jersey, and I remember he had one of those gumball machines with the old football helmets in it......probably around this time. Needless to say, in popped a nickel, out popped a nice white helmet with a lightning bolt. I went home, started sorting my cards out by team, and separated all the Chargers.....Walt Sweeney, Tom Matte, Cid Edwards, Carl Mauck, Deacon Jones.....still have those cards framed, including a few autographed. I actually looked up Walt Sweeney for the hell of it, and he was listed! Called him up, talked a bit.....this must have been 1998 or so. He was living in a boat out in San Diego with his wife. He, along with Ron Mix, was very appreciative of me still being a fan and familiar with their playing history.....and yes, I am well aware Mix was not on that team.......but I was on a roll. Good or bad, bolts for life....love the team, love the history......and those books, 'first down and a billion', the 'nightmare season'.....all quick reads for me. great books, great video.
Hello Mike, thank you for your kind words. While kids from New Jersey might root for the Giants or Jets, you went your own way and stood by it. I enjoyed reading your comment, thank you. God Bless.
The 70s were brutal for us San Diegans. If I was frustrated watching the Padres, id go to a Chargers game to feel better. It turned around once we got Fouts and Air Coryell so it was almost worth it. Even the Clippers seemed exciting when we got them. We were on the up!!
They'd also change the uniform the next year. I always liked those 1966-1973 unis the best, though. I read that the early 80s Saints experienced the same abuse problems. Saints were a stout team in '79 - then a collapse to a 1-15 record the next year.
I remember that the Chargers had problems in the early 1970s. I believe that John Hadl was gone from the team when Johnny Unitas joined the team. I also remember Johnny Rogers. He was a great player for the university of Nebraska. Unfortunate that his NFL career was not very successful. Great video, thank you.
Hello Micheal, thank you for your kind words. Hadl was indeed gone from the team when Unitas joined, almost as if an aging Unitas was his replacement. I’m not sure how that decision came to pass, but it did. Thanks for watching.
Hadl was traded to the Rams prior to the 1973 draft. He had his best season that season, leading the Rams to a 12-2 record. I believe he won the MVP that season as well.
love your approach to narration - reminds me of a nature documentary for sports. it is a breath of fresh air amidst the constant barrage of crash zooms, half wit comedy, disruptive music, and memes. subscribed. look forward to more content.
music can be great. all things in moderation. the era you cover in these videos is not typically represented on youtube. it's great to learn new things. cant sleep, just binge watched all your stuff. thanks again pal.@@beauboone5332
Very good! I was born and raised near Buffalo, and remember the Johnny U Chargers trashing my Bills. What's sad, is that was the OJ 2003 yard season and that loss kept them from the playoffs.
Hello Bill, thank you for your comment. I am glad you enjoyed the video. The Chargers were unable to work the magic they had against the Bills which was unfortunate. It would have been nice if Johnny had success in his final season of what was a historic career. God Bless.
You wanna know something? Johnny unitas was drafted by the steelers. The pittsburgh native was cut before the 1956 nfl season, and signed with the colts
@@robertbeattie6003, It may be apocryphal, but I remember seeing/hearing how they made one 1st round pick of a quarterback, largely based on how athletic he looked on magazine covers!!!
Riverfront was Cincinnati. Three Rivers is Pitt Easy mistake, my dads a Reds fan, does it all the time. Deacon Jones was on the Chargers as well. If you haven't yet, I recommend checking out Full Color Football. The history of the AFL. Nice vid man, keep going. ✌
A Pirates standout of the '70's (maybe Richie Hebner) once said something like, "When I stand at home plate at Three Rivers, Riverfront, Veterans or Busch stadium, I can't tell where I am. They all look alike."
Regarding the drug thesis: I have always wondered to what extent cocaine use affected the Chargers during the Air Coryell years, which began 5 (seemingly long) years later. In addition to the well-cited defensive struggles of those teams from the late 70s to mid 80s, the Chargers were characterized by undisciplined and untimely offensive miscues and turnovers despite the offense’s legendary and innovative status in NFL history. Chuck Muncie’s struggles are well documented, and Miles MacPhearson, a cornerback, marginal player, current evangelical pastor in San Diego, and admitted former cocaine addict, has preached at length on how he “learned his bad habits” as a member of those early-80s Chargers, but he never names any names. After choking in the 79 playoffs, the Chargers had some of the highest odds to win the Super Bowl between 1980 and 1984, yet, in the words of Harry Kalas, would always “find a way to lose the big one.” Again, just a thought. Great video.
I appreciate your kind words and have no doubt about prolific drug use within the Charger organization. That’s how sports was back then, especially in football. Thanks for watching.
Unitas felt sorry for Fouts and privately tutored him in the face of head coach Svare and offensive coordinator Bob Schnelker ordering Fouts NOT to listen to Unitas. Fouts reported that he went ahead and listened to Unitas. Fouts said if he walked onto a football field today, he'd read the defense the way Unitas taught him. That is according to Fouts in the authoritative 2007 Unitas biography by Tom Callahan. I'm now an old man but when I was a boy I saw the 1958 NFL title game, the 1st overtime game, won by Unitas. When the signal went out, my dad thought it was our TV set. He called the TV repairman, who was just around the corner. Dad had to pay the TV repairman even though the problem was with the NBC signal, which was soon repaired. Yes, the Chargers had a bad drug problem, but most of the teams in that era had key players who used steroids and whatever drugs they thought would help. The Chargers were one of the worst of a league-wide problem. In Callahan's biography he quotes Unitas as saying the Chargers problem was "too much rope." In the vernacular of that time and place, he meant too much drug use by the players. Unitas, of course, stuck to beer.
Hello, thank you for your comment. I read that Unitas coming to San Diego was much for his knowledge than his physical ability, but that is just what I read as I was not alive to witness it. I hope you had many great memories watching football with your father. Thanks for watching, god bless.
@@beauboone5332 I don't know where you read that, but I read the 1987 book by then Chargers owner Gene Klein FIRST DOWN AND A BILLION (where Klein explains why he brought Unitas and Deacon Jones in), and the referenced 2009 Callahan book (where Unitas explains why he accepted the Chargers offer and what happened when he went to San Diego). Klein brought in Unitas and Deacon Jones, old players nearing the end of their careers, hoping their fame would put fans in the seats. Unitas unsentimentally said he went because Klein paid him much more than he'd ever before been paid. In Callahan's book Unitas and Fouts are quoted. Svare and Schnelker ordered Fouts not to talk to Unitas and Unitas not to talk to Fouts. Offensive coordinator Schnelker taught a completely different way of reading defenses, which Fouts said he ignored. He and Unitas talked in Unitas' room in the evenings because the coaches did not want them talking during practice. I appreciate your effort, though. I've always thought this a fascinating item in pro football history.
@@robertbeattie2274 Thank you for the insight, Robert. I guess as the years go on history can get fumbled around. I appreciate your extensive response.
Hello, thank you for your comment. You are absolutely correct, my apologies. The next clip was in Pittsburgh, I must have gotten confused. Thanks for watching.
I grew up in the 70's living in the neighborhood (Mission Village) right above SD Stadium, I remember pretty well Unitas coming to the team because my dad came home from work one day with Unitas' autograph, made out to me, I was probably 8 at the time but I could tell even then that the autograph was really for my dad, my dad's hero kinda thing. Anyways, I carried that autograph in my wallet till I was in high school, lost the wallet one day. Was really pretty neat living that close to the stadium, especially then, with all the future hall of famers that would come to play the Chargers or the Padres.
In college at Louisville, Unitas led his team in passing. No surprise, as he was their quarterback. He also led his team in interceptions, which was no surprise as he was their starting safety. He also led Louisville in tackles on kickoffs. Shouldn't be a surprise as he did their kickoffs, then gunned down to make most of the tackles. Unitas was a fantastic athlete and a 60-minute football player in college.
I was 10 in 73 and remember my dad telling me how great mister U was so I was always him playing pick up ball after school...I've watched alot of the old footage of him throwing touch downs in those black high tops...champion
The Good News for the 1973 Chargers: they had TWO Hall Of Fame quarterbacks on their roster. The Bad News for the 1973 Chargers: one was at the end of his career, while the other was just a rookie.
Al davis learned the vertical game from sid gillman at the citadel .that early afl was a sight to behold during the nfl 3 yards and a cloud of dust era
Hello, thank you for your comment. The Chargers had some rough years in the 70s, but they did start to figure it out towards the end of the decade. God Bless.
@beauboone5332 I'd love to see more of these nightmare seasons because this video is good. If you want another nightmare, look at the 1961 redskins, the last pro football team to not integrate. A disaster on and off the field. I recommend looking more into it
@@Fireyninjadog Thank you for your kind words. I might consider making these disastrous seasons into a series, similar to how I want to do a a forgotten legends series. Thanks for the suggestion, I will have to look into the 61 Redskins.
@@Fireyninjadog NO! Despite the segregation, Washington produced future NFL coaches Abe Gibron and Ted Marchibroda. in addition, they also produced the legendary Tom Osborne of Nebraska
@howardcosell2022 1-12-1, outscored 392-174, worst offense, 2nd worst defense, and botching the draft so horribly, they missed out on SEVEN hall of famers, for guys who didn't do anything in pro football. Also, racism. The last team to not integrate
It involves a “love triangle” between a coach and a player. Resulting in that player not being on the field in a critical play. The Alex Smith broke leg play. That’s probably the headline. There was a bunch of other stuff. But rumors yanno.
3:47 That game against the Bengals was in San Diego, NOT Cincinnati. I should know, I was there. The highlights are clearly from The Murph in San Diego.
One difference between yesterday and today's game. 4:34 Johhny Unitas gets roughed up by the Steelers d-line. He doesn't get up and start looking at the ref for a roughing flag.
Beau ! Could you consider doing one on the 81 Patriots ? My first Patriots game as an 8 year old they lost to Buffalo on a hail Mary pass. They lost close game after close game and were 10 and 6 in 1980. I remember as a kid people saying the Patriots had all this talent but couldnt do anything with it. I remember being like what 2-14 team has a lot of talent ?? My Patriots fandem has been 20 years without and 20 years with. Ive definitely seem the good and like in 81 the bad !!
Incredibly unfair to call a player like Unitas “washed up”. A forty year old QB in that era was subject to so much more punishment than today’s players. Hopefully, nobody will ever say that about your career.
This video neglects to mention that Johnny Rodgers initially spurned the Chargers, whose offer he regarded as inadequate, to sign with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, where he was a big star from 1973-1976. Injuries ruined his career in San Diego, which the video also neglects to mention.
Hello Orbyfan, you are 100 % correct. His decision to play for the CFL instead of the Chargers shows how dysfunctional the organization was. I didn’t mention it, my apologies. Thank you for watching, God Bless.
Also, he slips in video clips of another player, insinuating that those clips were Rodgers playing that year. Instead he took the bigger paycheck and played in Canada, where he was one of the CFL's brightest stars. In 1977, Rodgers joined the Chargers, but injuries ruined his NFL debut a full four years after 1973.
Sadly, I was way too young to appreciate the SD Chargers early successes in the AFL. I didn't really get into watching pro football until the late 60s, I believe. Our pop Warner FB team went to a Chargers game in 1972 (?) vs Denver (Broncos RB Floyd Little reached 1000 yds that game). The Chargers won that game decisively but Denver made easy for them as they had a terrible team at the time. They placed last. Harland Svare was HC and Hadl was QB, his last season in SD, I believe. At this time the Bolts were barely average and regularly placed 3rd, ahead of last placed Denver and behind Oakland and KC in the AFC West division. I remember very well when the Bolts signed on Johnny U. He was pretty was much washed by then up due to injuries but he was a baller, nevertheless. Too bad his fortunes with the Chargers weren't as good as he had with the Colts. Imagine how he might've done if the Bolts had a better O line? Anyway, Johnny U mentored HOFer Dan Fouts. So that was a plus. Yeah, Svare was highly disliked in SD. Imo, they shouldn't have fired Sid Gilman. Gene Klein just needed to spend a bit more to get the better players Gilman needed but Klein was too cheap, imo. As a result, we lost many solid players to FA. We wouldn't have a good head coach until Bobby Ross came along in 1992. By then cheapskate Gene Klein had sold the team to the asshats known as the Spanos family. Sadly, Ross too would be gone after a brief stint due to conflicts with GM Bobby Bethard over player acquisition. Hell, Ross coached the team to it's only SB appearance and he got nothing but big disrespect from the GM! After that the Bolts slid hard into mediocrappy and stayed there on the coaching carousel until Marty Schottenheimer was hired as HC and the Bolts' fortunes finally turned around. Then Marty got tossed due to a BS conflict with GM AJ Smith (again over player acquisition issues just like the Ross vs Bethard fiasco years earlier). Since Marty's firing, it's been frustrating to watch the Chargers erratic fortunes. They flirt with success getting our hopes up then they flop face down with poor play and or poorly timed mental mistakes. Then asshat Spanos decides to move the team up to LA. Then the team continues with a new round on the coaching carousel with one hopeful HC hired and fired after another..Norv, McCoy, Lynn and now Staley. Let's see how this season pans out. As they say, hope springs eternal...we'll know soon enough.
The drugs. That's how Jack Youngblood kept playing with a broken leg bone. It seems like that was later on, though. Remember Lyle Alzado? That was a genuine tragedy.
The comments about Johnny Rodgers are inaccurate. Out of Nebraska, he signed with the Montreal Alouettes for more money than Chargers offered. Rodgers won the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in 1973. In his four years with the Alouettes, Rodgers won the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy twice (Eastern division MVP and CFL runner-up), was either a CFL or Eastern all-star each season, and helped lead his team to a Grey Cup championship in 1974. By the time he got to the Chargers he did not have much tread on the tire. Nonethess, if San Diego had used him as slot receiver exclusively, he probably would have been productive. Also, the players shown stumbling around are not Johnny, who wore number 20 - a disservice to this player.
He did nothing for the Chargers or for the NFL, so much to the point where I couldn’t even find highlight footage of him playing in San Diego. I could give a damn about the CFL.
@@beauboone5332 Nonetheless, you inaccurately disparaged a Heisman winner who had a pretty good pro career, and you did so in slothful production displaying others bumbling around. The title says "1973." Johnny did not join the San Diego Chargers until 1977. Also, you betray an ignorance of the CFL which until the AFL in 1960, was almost on a par with the NFL - they played interleague exhibition games. It is an indication of the CFL's strength that Johnny had a viable, successful option in Montreal in 1973. I submit that if Don Coryell would have had Johnny as a rookie, he would have been off-the-charts good.
@@ARIZJOE Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Rodgers was a great college athlete, I never said he wasn’t. However, I could care less about how he performed in an irrelevant league 50 years ago. The CFL never was nor will touch the NFL. Keep dreaming.
If you thought an over the hill Unitas had a rough season with the Chargers, check out what a disaster a washed up Joe Namath was with the Rams in 1977.
The 1970s. Man this is classic. Between the Chargers and Padres what a circus. What can we learn ? Let's ask Dr Mandel. A 1970s Dr Phil ? The guy narrating is great
The world had sadly changed fast by the time Johnny was with the Chargers. He didn't fit in with the amphetamines, pain killers and other drugs used by the baby boom players.
In the aforementioned Unitas bio, there is a story where Unitas walked into a room where numerous Charger players were smoking a joint and Unitas asked why all of them smoking just one cigarette. He ended up just walking out
Johnny U. did NOT participate in any of the drugs that season - according to the book, he wanted nothing to do with that crap and thats one of many reasons that he was one of the alltime best.
Harland Svare tried to duplicate what George Allen was doing with the Redskins by trading and signing seasoned players. Unfortunately Svare acquired players that were truly over the hill and had personal issues. If Im remembering correctly not only Unitas but John Mackey, Deacon Jones, Lionel Aldridge, Dave Costa, Tim Rossovich all called it quits at the end of the season. Duane Thomas was also on that team and quit and walked off in the middle if one game.
Hello, thank you for your comment. Unitas and Aldridge did call it quits after the season ended. The rest would play again for different teams. Mackey retired after 72. Thanks for watching.
The problem with the Chargers in 1973 was drug related but more really, they lacked a quality QB. Further they lacked a quality receiver. Finally they had runners who couldn't hold onto the ball.,
@Dunathon-xt2nl, Well, certainly for the first three years. Then, they deteriorated to being godawful. An unexpected rebound in '67 (though routed in the title game), only to decline to mediocrity again, on the way to winning 1 game over the span of the '72 and '73 seasons.
Read the book by Dr. Arnold J. Mandell , a Psychiatrist hired by then owner ( another boffo ) Gene Kline to try and figure out why the Chargers had 5 consecutive losing seasons. I know why, when you have an owner that pays more attention to his race horses at Del Mar ( Where the turf meets the surf ) then his football team....Well, that's why. BTW the book, published in 1976 is titled " The Nightmare Season "....Aloha
Read this book.ihave read this book as well as the Unitas book,Klein's book and many other books and articles regarding this team as well as the NFL of this era.you have to read between the lines to get pretty good idea of all the issues going on with the 73 chargers.1st mandells idea in presc. The drugs was to ween the players of off them slot of these guys were getting them of the street and down in Mexico .mandells idea was to give small doses of pharmaceutical quality drugs as opposed to God knows what .2nd this was a veteran team and it appears a case of the inmates running the asylum. Scare was a weak coach.gene Klein I think panicked and ended up throwing every one under the bus .the impression I got was that evk said it was mandells fault .he denied knowing that mandells was prescribing the player's the drugs .horsepoop!mandells had a program in place.also Rozelle had known how widespread drugs were being used to keep these guys going in the NFL.more Rozelle hypocrisy.enough read and form own opinion on this whole sordid affair. Mandells went in with good intentions but was naive to the backstabbing nature of the NFL and NFL owners cya culture.
Yes. I never said Rodgers played in 73. I said he had a terrible NFL career, which he did. The Chargers still drafted him in 73, which was a waste because he went to the CFL. I have received many comments related to this. Thanks for watching.
@beauboone5332 Almost forgot Rodgers had short but decent CFL career and won championships there. Kind of sad watching those clips of Unitas. Didn't know Fouts came in for Unitas like that, or the Chargers drug problems. Always thought Fouts was as good as Marino, lightning quick release, shame he didn't get to the Super Bowl.
@@Luther-1968 I wish Unitas’ time in San Diego went differently too, but being a 40 year old quarterback in 1973 was nothing like being a 40 year old in today’s game. He was simply worn down. As far as Fouts goes, he did have a terrific career, and his 1982 season was fascinating. Thanks for the comment.
@@beauboone5332 nice overreaction. I wasn’t questioning you, I was questioning Johnny Rodgers relevance. And the NFL draft showed what the teams thought of Rodgers, who may have played have wide receiver and running back for a team that was rolling over everyone else in college but he wasn’t an NFL wide receiver or running back which was where the Al Bundy comment came from. Rodgers is one of the most overhyped players ever. The guy breaks a few tackles in a punt return against Oklahoma and he gets all that love. Do whatever you want with your videos but try to understand that comments aren’t always being unkind to you
@@williamgullett5911 Well we agree that he was overhyped then. I wish that I never put him into the video. I honestly could care less about how he did in the CFL. Thanks for watching.
@@kendallevans4079 Beg to differ. Historians will remember Rodgers days in San Diego, but will they remember 'the rockets' most productive years and who he played for without looking up his career.....NO!
@@howardcosell2022 Historians won't even KNOW who Rodgers is/was without looking him up! Ismail had a productive career both in Canada and then the Raiders. Rodgers is a drinking game trivia question !
Riverfront was in Cincinnati, Three Rivers was in Pittsburgh. My apologies.
Johnny Unitas went to our church, north of Baltimore, after he retired from football. He would come in late and leave early, to avoid being a distraction. Sitting there, by himself, hunched over, head bowed - you would never know he is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history from a time when quarterbacks called their own plays and had few rules to protect them from being brutalized.
Hello Tom, thank you for your comment. It must have been something else to have a personal connection to a legend such as Johnny. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching.
Immaculate Conception or St Joe?
@@jimegan6848 St. John the Evangelist Church in Hydes, MD - near his house in Baldwin, MD off Patterson Road. His son went to Calvert Hall with my son in the mid-90's.
@@jimegan6848 My son's friend had an old Corvette. They were standing in line at Palmisano's in Baldwin buying food. A guy turned around and said, "nice Corvette" to his friend, " I used to have one, a while back"... (he DID NOT add)
for the MVP Award for 1958 NFL World Championship (the greatest game ever played up to that point).
@@tomf429 I'd read that he opted out of the Vette to buy a station wagon for his family. Cool story either way.
Unitas talents were long gone in the late 60's. Truly an all time great. It's strange watching him in another uniform. I have been a Colts fan all my life and he's still my idol!
This is the summary of the season I wrote up for an upload of the NFL Films "highlights" video: "The 1973 Chargers were a very interesting team. Coach Harland Svare decided to go the George Allen route and had loaded up with a lot of big-name veteran players. On paper, the roster had a lot of things going for it: Hall of Famers like QB Johnny Unitas, TE John Mackey, and DE Deacon Jones; Pro Bowlers such as DE Coy Bacon, OG Walt Sweeney, and WR Gary Garrison; and a solid offensive line headed by OT Russ Washington, C Carl Mauck, and OG Doug Wilkerson in addition to Sweeney; a 1-2 running game punch in RB Mike Garrett and FB Cid Edwards (plus RB/FB Robert Holmes and the possibility of RB Duane Thomas, who'd been traded for); and a veteran LB and secondary group. They'd also drafted that year's Heisman Trophy winner in WR/PR/KR Johnny Rodgers, as well as QB Dan Fouts out of Oregon. In theory, this could have been a dangerous team if everything came together. See the '72 highlights for some idea what the expectation levels were.
In reality, the whole thing fell apart disastrously. Unitas and Jones and Mackey were at the end of the line, in Unitas' case meaning that Fouts had to start a good part of the year; despite some definite flashes of talent, Fouts was simply overmatched as a rookie QB on a bad team. Mackey was cut in camp; 1st round pick Rodgers signed with the CFL; D. Thomas never reported; and injuries ravaged the team, as did widespread drug abuse. Svare was fired halfway through the season, and the team finished 2-11-1. "
Very nice write up, Tom. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
And Fouts would then be the quarterback two years later for the Chargers against the Giants at Shea Stadium on Saturday, November 1, 1975 in the last NFL game not to be televised at all (while it was a sellout and the Giants could have televised it, the Giants likely didn't want to upset many high schools in New Jersey that played on Saturday afternoon rather than Friday night and Rutgers, Yale, Columbia and other universities likely would also have objected to it while for the Chargers, it was a 10:00 AM local start and they likely didn't want to send a TV crew cross-country to televise that game, 1975 was the year the Yanlees.Mets, Jets and Giants all played home games at Shea).
Of course, Fouts would then lead the Chargers to the postseason once Don Coryell replaced Tommy Prothro as HC midway through the 1978 season, including what for many years was the greatest game in NFL history, the "Epic in Miami" (1981 AFC Division Playoff played January 2, 1982) when the Chargers won 41-38.
I forgot all about Unitas' time in San Diego, guess there wasn't much to remember. Well done, Beau.
I didn’t know much about Unitas’ time in San Diego either, but after putting out this video I think I know too much. Thank you for your kind words. God Bless
Watching him in a San Diego Uniform is a little weird. But Those Powder Blue Jerseys are to die for.
@@oscarl.ramirez7355 I agree with you Oscar, I love those uniforms too. Thank you for watching. God Bless.
Do you remember Namath with the Rams?
@@tomtalley2192 Yes, but as a Jets fan it’s wrong to see him in anything but green and white.
Unitas played against the Steelers in Pittsburgh in 1957, throwing a 5 yard TD pass to Raymond Berry.
Hello, thank you for your comment. You are correct. I read differently on another source, but that source was wrong. I guess history can get fumbled around as years pass on. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the fine video.
Johnny Rodgers.....signed with Montral in the CFL rather than the Chargers. Had a great career but got injured and joined the Chargers later as a shell of the player he once was.
Hello, thank you for your comment. Rodgers made a very wise decision to play for the CFL instead of the disastrous Charger Organization, a detail I did leave out. My apologies. I hope you enjoyed the video otherwise. Thank you for watching, God Bless.
Player agent Mike Trope wrote a book called Necessary Roughness. A great book. His first agent was Johnny Rodgers. That signing put him on the map. He was a super agent in the 70s and 80s. There’s also great stories about Chuck Muncie and Lawrence Taylor in the biok
I remember Johnny Rodgers in Montreal in ‘73-76, he was the CFLs most exciting player in those years and great to watch him play
2:22 you feature Rich Glover, a teammate of Rodgers at Nebraska and also the Outland and Lombardi award winner in ‘72
Unitas never playing Pitt till 73 impossible colts and steelers in the nfl only 12 teams up until 1960 and 16 in 67 and played 14 game schedules. He would have had to be injured every time they were scheduled to play in the old nfl.
Dan Fouts stated playing with Unitas my rookie season helped him tremendously and loved learning from him.
Your rookie season? Who did you play for? Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
Very sad that Johnny U went out that way. He deserved better. Kinda cool though that John & Dan played together.
BTW, I know my football history, but never heard about the drug issue on this team. Thank you for the informative video!
@@PJLeo-sp4gn Thank you for your kind words. I too didn’t know that Johnny and Dan were on the same team. God Bless.
@@PJLeo-sp4gnYou can edit your own comments on UA-cam by clicking on the three dots on the upper right. You should be able to just change that H to a U.
@@jeremycrandall2899 Thank You!
@@PJLeo-sp4gn no problem
Johnny u was treated bad by the colts. He gave the colts his heart and championship and when he was all beat up they give him the boot.
Dan Fouts in the 3rd round was a gem. I remember Unitas going to the Chargers, but heard little of his efforts there. Probably because there were few highlights to show. I probably watched the Steelers game, but I have no recollection of it.
Fouts sure was a steal of a third rounder! Thanks for commenting and thank you for watching.
Charger fan since the old AFL days. I remember Unitas couldn’t even drop back fast enough, because of his knees, before he was pressured or sacked. Awful.
@@canamrider07 What was the best Charger team since you started watching, in your opinion?
Fouts later credited Unitas for teaching him some of the finer points of the game.
Gene Klein eventually sold the team and really dove deep into the horse racing game where he owned many champions and won the 1988 ky deby with the filly Winning Colors. He once said that his horses didn’t hold out or want to renegotiate their contracts.
Very interesting Ron, and a very clever comment by Gene. Thanks for watching.
Ill always remember that shootout between Fouts and K. Anderseon. What a game! Loved watching the Chargers mid 70s, I think it was. Hard to think he didnt learn a little from #19.
@@antoniodelrio1292 Check out my video on Ken Anderson. I went over his career, but also went into detail on the 81 season, where he beat Fouts in the AFC Championship. Thanks for watching.
I had a book my mom bought me. It was called “ First Down and a Billion “about Charger owner Gene Klein. It was on the Kmart discount rack. Klein is responsible for raising ticket prices in movie theaters, adding salt to the popcorn so ppl could buy more beverages. He was a serial entrepreneur and a master of making money. He thought that owning a football team would be fun. He alluded to the 1972 drug scandal in his book, he was a hands off owner. Coach Harland Svare was trying to copy George Allen by trading for older players. The strategy backfired as he traded away future draft picks for washed up former stars. Then you add the NFLs first drug scandal on top of all the losing. Every team used uppers, downers, painkillers, and steroids back then because guys played with pain back then, it’s not like today. It was up to Tommy Prothro from 1975-78 to clean up the mess Svare created. As for Klein, he hated being an owner, he clashed with Al Davis; he was Davis’s enemy number 1. He hated constantly renegotiating player’s contracts and he was called cheap. I think he bought the Chargers for 5 mil in 1966 and sold it for 80 million in 1986. Klein died in 1990. Fans lament that had he paid John Jefferson and Fred Dean, maybe they win a SB or two in the early 80s
Very interesting. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
It was in 1984 when Gene Klein sold the Chargers.
I was incensed when Fred Dean left the Chargers! He was a quality player and deserved fair compensation for his talents. Instead he leaves the Chargers and the D slides back into mediocrity. Imo, because of the porous D of the post Fred Dean era (D was unable to stop comebacks), Fouts had to work OT for the Bolts to rack up enough points to hopefully outlast their opponents by game's end.
Johnny U on the Chargers! Great video
Most only remember him as a Colt! Thanks for tuning in again zhammer, I appreciate your support. God Bless.
Great video. Thank you for posting.
Thank you for your kind words. Thanks for watching.
The Chargers have been my team since 1979, but may fandom was planted before that....I used to collect sports cards as a kid, but never followed a team, just the sport. A distant Uncle owned a deli here in New Jersey, and I remember he had one of those gumball machines with the old football helmets in it......probably around this time. Needless to say, in popped a nickel, out popped a nice white helmet with a lightning bolt. I went home, started sorting my cards out by team, and separated all the Chargers.....Walt Sweeney, Tom Matte, Cid Edwards, Carl Mauck, Deacon Jones.....still have those cards framed, including a few autographed. I actually looked up Walt Sweeney for the hell of it, and he was listed! Called him up, talked a bit.....this must have been 1998 or so. He was living in a boat out in San Diego with his wife. He, along with Ron Mix, was very appreciative of me still being a fan and familiar with their playing history.....and yes, I am well aware Mix was not on that team.......but I was on a roll. Good or bad, bolts for life....love the team, love the history......and those books, 'first down and a billion', the 'nightmare season'.....all quick reads for me. great books, great video.
Hello Mike, thank you for your kind words. While kids from New Jersey might root for the Giants or Jets, you went your own way and stood by it. I enjoyed reading your comment, thank you. God Bless.
The 70s were brutal for us San Diegans. If I was frustrated watching the Padres, id go to a Chargers game to feel better. It turned around once we got Fouts and Air Coryell so it was almost worth it. Even the Clippers seemed exciting when we got them. We were on the up!!
San Diego will win one, eventually. How do you feel about the Chargers move to LA?
@@beauboone5332 they are dead to me . Can’t root for La chargers yuck
They'd also change the uniform the next year. I always liked those 1966-1973 unis the best, though. I read that the early 80s Saints experienced the same abuse problems. Saints were a stout team in '79 - then a collapse to a 1-15 record the next year.
Hello Tommy, thank you for your comment. I didn’t know that the Saints suffered from drug problems. Thanks for watching.
I think Don Reese spilled the story a few years later.
The greatest there ever was…….Heaven 19, Baltimore 0…..RIP John.
I remember that the Chargers had problems in the early 1970s. I believe that John Hadl was gone from the team when Johnny Unitas joined the team. I also remember Johnny Rogers. He was a great player for the university of Nebraska. Unfortunate that his NFL career was not very successful. Great video, thank you.
Hello Micheal, thank you for your kind words. Hadl was indeed gone from the team when Unitas joined, almost as if an aging Unitas was his replacement. I’m not sure how that decision came to pass, but it did. Thanks for watching.
Hadl was traded to the Rams prior to the 1973 draft. He had his best season that season, leading the Rams to a 12-2 record. I believe he won the MVP that season as well.
love your approach to narration - reminds me of a nature documentary for sports. it is a breath of fresh air amidst the constant barrage of crash zooms, half wit comedy, disruptive music, and memes. subscribed. look forward to more content.
Thank you, in my newest video I included background music, but I think I may go back to doing strictly vocals. Thanks for watching.
music can be great. all things in moderation. the era you cover in these videos is not typically represented on youtube. it's great to learn new things. cant sleep, just binge watched all your stuff. thanks again pal.@@beauboone5332
I agree completely, Scotty. It’s completely engaging without the obnoxious and distracting elements too many people believe make a video exciting.
Very good! I was born and raised near Buffalo, and remember the Johnny U Chargers trashing my Bills.
What's sad, is that was the OJ 2003 yard season and that loss kept them from the playoffs.
Hello Bill, thank you for your comment. I am glad you enjoyed the video. The Chargers were unable to work the magic they had against the Bills which was unfortunate. It would have been nice if Johnny had success in his final season of what was a historic career. God Bless.
@@beauboone5332 I agree KenAnderson should be in the Hall of Fame.
Ken Riley HOF? He made one pro bowl while Ken made 4!
@@BillMorganChannel It makes no sense. I don’t understand how they can let it in some and not others.
You wanna know something? Johnny unitas was drafted by the steelers. The pittsburgh native was cut before the 1956 nfl season, and signed with the colts
Yup. Steelers decisions of that era were baffling.
@@robertbeattie6003, It may be apocryphal, but I remember seeing/hearing how they made one 1st round pick of a quarterback, largely based on how athletic he looked on magazine covers!!!
Riverfront was Cincinnati.
Three Rivers is Pitt
Easy mistake, my dads a Reds fan, does it all the time.
Deacon Jones was on the Chargers as well.
If you haven't yet, I recommend checking out Full Color Football. The history of the AFL.
Nice vid man, keep going.
✌
Thank you for your kind words. Thanks for watching.
A Pirates standout of the '70's (maybe Richie Hebner) once said something like, "When I stand at home plate at Three Rivers, Riverfront, Veterans or Busch stadium, I can't tell where I am. They all look alike."
It must've really hurt san diego knowing their former franchise qb, john hadl, had an all pro seaaon that same year, just a few miles up north
Must have felt good for Hadl!
@@beauboone5332 and chuck knox
That was a crazy season. I was a Charger season ticket holder but lived in L.A. and went to see Hadl several times in L.A. Sweet and sour.
@@gregrush3024 Too bad they didn’t play that well. Cool that you were able to see legends play.
They wasted his years there.
Sid Gillman was ill. That's the reason he left midway through 1969
The Bengals home stadium in 1973 was Riverfront Stadium, not Three Rivers Stadium.
I caught that to.
Johnny Unitas was one of the greatest to play the game. He was treated awful by the colts at the end of his career.
I agree, thanks for watching.
Definitely top 10 all time
As was Coach McCafferty who was fired by Joe Thomas for NOT benching Johnny U……
Great video on my Chargers! Thank you!
Thanks you watching, I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
Good stuff Beau. Would like to see a baseball video next!
Thanks for your comment and suggestion, I will keep them in mind. Thanks for watching.
Regarding the drug thesis: I have always wondered to what extent cocaine use affected the Chargers during the Air Coryell years, which began 5 (seemingly long) years later. In addition to the well-cited defensive struggles of those teams from the late 70s to mid 80s, the Chargers were characterized by undisciplined and untimely offensive miscues and turnovers despite the offense’s legendary and innovative status in NFL history. Chuck Muncie’s struggles are well documented, and Miles MacPhearson, a cornerback, marginal player, current evangelical pastor in San Diego, and admitted former cocaine addict, has preached at length on how he “learned his bad habits” as a member of those early-80s Chargers, but he never names any names. After choking in the 79 playoffs, the Chargers had some of the highest odds to win the Super Bowl between 1980 and 1984, yet, in the words of Harry Kalas, would always “find a way to lose the big one.” Again, just a thought. Great video.
I appreciate your kind words and have no doubt about prolific drug use within the Charger organization. That’s how sports was back then, especially in football. Thanks for watching.
Unitas felt sorry for Fouts and privately tutored him in the face of head coach Svare and offensive coordinator Bob Schnelker ordering Fouts NOT to listen to Unitas. Fouts reported that he went ahead and listened to Unitas. Fouts said if he walked onto a football field today, he'd read the defense the way Unitas taught him. That is according to Fouts in the authoritative 2007 Unitas biography by Tom Callahan. I'm now an old man but when I was a boy I saw the 1958 NFL title game, the 1st overtime game, won by Unitas. When the signal went out, my dad thought it was our TV set. He called the TV repairman, who was just around the corner. Dad had to pay the TV repairman even though the problem was with the NBC signal, which was soon repaired. Yes, the Chargers had a bad drug problem, but most of the teams in that era had key players who used steroids and whatever drugs they thought would help. The Chargers were one of the worst of a league-wide problem. In Callahan's biography he quotes Unitas as saying the Chargers problem was "too much rope." In the vernacular of that time and place, he meant too much drug use by the players. Unitas, of course, stuck to beer.
Hello, thank you for your comment. I read that Unitas coming to San Diego was much for his knowledge than his physical ability, but that is just what I read as I was not alive to witness it. I hope you had many great memories watching football with your father. Thanks for watching, god bless.
@@beauboone5332 I don't know where you read that, but I read the 1987 book by then Chargers owner Gene Klein FIRST DOWN AND A BILLION (where Klein explains why he brought Unitas and Deacon Jones in), and the referenced 2009 Callahan book (where Unitas explains why he accepted the Chargers offer and what happened when he went to San Diego). Klein brought in Unitas and Deacon Jones, old players nearing the end of their careers, hoping their fame would put fans in the seats. Unitas unsentimentally said he went because Klein paid him much more than he'd ever before been paid. In Callahan's book Unitas and Fouts are quoted. Svare and Schnelker ordered Fouts not to talk to Unitas and Unitas not to talk to Fouts. Offensive coordinator Schnelker taught a completely different way of reading defenses, which Fouts said he ignored. He and Unitas talked in Unitas' room in the evenings because the coaches did not want them talking during practice. I appreciate your effort, though. I've always thought this a fascinating item in pro football history.
@@robertbeattie2274 Thank you for the insight, Robert. I guess as the years go on history can get fumbled around. I appreciate your extensive response.
@@robertbeattie2274, I'm not sure who else wanted Unitas' services by that point. Perhaps, that's addressed in the biography you mentioned.
3:59 Riverfront Stadium was in Cincinnati 3 Rivers was in Pittsburgh
Hello, thank you for your comment. You are absolutely correct, my apologies. The next clip was in Pittsburgh, I must have gotten confused. Thanks for watching.
I grew up in the 70's living in the neighborhood (Mission Village) right above SD Stadium, I remember pretty well Unitas coming to the team because my dad came home from work one day with Unitas' autograph, made out to me, I was probably 8 at the time but I could tell even then that the autograph was really for my dad, my dad's hero kinda thing. Anyways, I carried that autograph in my wallet till I was in high school, lost the wallet one day. Was really pretty neat living that close to the stadium, especially then, with all the future hall of famers that would come to play the Chargers or the Padres.
Very interesting, tunnleking. Too bad the wallet was lost. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching.
IM 65 YEARS OLD BORN AND RAISED IN BROOKLYN NEW YORK CITY IM BEEN A CHARGERS FAN SINCE 1978 DAN FOUTS IS THE GREATEST EVER AND CHARLIE JOINER
Jeff, thank you for your comment. I hope I did your chargers justice. Thanks for watching.
That whole team is a nightmare to this very day
Yes they are! Thanks for watching
JOHNNY UNITAS (19) ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUARTERBACKS OF ALL TIME ☝️🏉🏉🏉
Johnny U what an athlete back in the day
Johnny sure was an athlete. It would have been something to see him do well with the Chargers at 40 years old. Thanks for watching.
In college at Louisville, Unitas led his team in passing. No surprise, as he was their quarterback. He also led his team in interceptions, which was no surprise as he was their starting safety. He also led Louisville in tackles on kickoffs. Shouldn't be a surprise as he did their kickoffs, then gunned down to make most of the tackles. Unitas was a fantastic athlete and a 60-minute football player in college.
I was 10 in 73 and remember my dad telling me how great mister U was so I was always him playing pick up ball after school...I've watched alot of the old footage of him throwing touch downs in those black high tops...champion
Johnny said in an interview that the chargers were so bad because his receivers couldn't catch a ball, they were too busy smoking rope. (Pot)
Johnny was probably right! Thanks for watching
The Good News for the 1973 Chargers: they had TWO Hall Of Fame quarterbacks on their roster.
The Bad News for the 1973 Chargers: one was at the end of his career, while the other was just a rookie.
Unfortunate, but true. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
Just like the 2000 redskins. All of their legends were old
It’s well known that the reason the ‘73 Chargers struggled was because their uniforms numbers weren’t quite large enough.
Unitas was a legend here in Maryland
Seeing Unitas in anything other than a Colt jersey is wrong
I think so too! I do love these uniforms, however. Thanks for watching.
Almost as bad as seeing Colts helmets in Indianapolis insteD of Baltimore.
Seeing a Chargers jersey with number 19 being worn by someone other than Bambi Alworth was just as wrong.
To this very day that horseshoe on the Indy Colts helmets is not a horseshoe…it’s a U for UNITAS !!!!!
Al davis learned the vertical game from sid gillman at the citadel .that early afl was a sight to behold during the nfl 3 yards and a cloud of dust era
You thought the 73 chargers were bad. The 75 team was a complete meltdown. 0-11, before 2 wins in their last 3 games. They were just disgustingly bad
Hello, thank you for your comment. The Chargers had some rough years in the 70s, but they did start to figure it out towards the end of the decade. God Bless.
@beauboone5332 I'd love to see more of these nightmare seasons because this video is good. If you want another nightmare, look at the 1961 redskins, the last pro football team to not integrate. A disaster on and off the field. I recommend looking more into it
@@Fireyninjadog Thank you for your kind words. I might consider making these disastrous seasons into a series, similar to how I want to do a a forgotten legends series. Thanks for the suggestion, I will have to look into the 61 Redskins.
@@Fireyninjadog NO! Despite the segregation, Washington produced future NFL coaches Abe Gibron and Ted Marchibroda. in addition, they also produced the legendary Tom Osborne of Nebraska
@howardcosell2022 1-12-1, outscored 392-174, worst offense, 2nd worst defense, and botching the draft so horribly, they missed out on SEVEN hall of famers, for guys who didn't do anything in pro football. Also, racism. The last team to not integrate
My Dad used to get mistaken for Johnny Unitas everywhere we went when I was a kid!!!
You should do a video on the 2018 Washington Redskins. The rumors I heard were ridiculous
I’ll have to look into the team more as I don’t know too much about them off the top of my head. Thanks for the suggestion and thank you for watching.
It involves a “love triangle” between a coach and a player. Resulting in that player not being on the field in a critical play. The Alex Smith broke leg play. That’s probably the headline. There was a bunch of other stuff. But rumors yanno.
3:47 That game against the Bengals was in San Diego, NOT Cincinnati. I should know, I was there. The highlights are clearly from The Murph in San Diego.
You got me!
Bengals played at Riverfront and not Three Rivers (Pittsburgh)
Amazing beau! Maybe you can do a video on the 2015 cowboys!
Maybe!
What a nightmare season indeed.
That Fouts-mentored-by-Unitas scheme worked like a charm, though.
It sure did! Thanks for watching.
I’m sure I’m not the only one that said “WAIT WHAT?!” at 6:28
When I read it I thought it was crazy too! Gene Klein wanted to get rid of the drug problem anyway he could. Thanks for watching.
@@beauboone5332 Imagine being the drone in the Charger front-office charged with coordinating that.
@@dr.hookyeah2883 It sure would have been interesting!
Chargers still better than Saints in the 70's
At least the Saints have a Super Bowl!
One difference between yesterday and today's game. 4:34 Johhny Unitas gets roughed up by the Steelers d-line. He doesn't get up and start looking at the ref for a roughing flag.
Beau ! Could you consider doing one on the 81 Patriots ? My first Patriots game as an 8 year old they lost to Buffalo on a hail Mary pass. They lost close game after close game and were 10 and 6 in 1980. I remember as a kid people saying the Patriots had all this talent but couldnt do anything with it. I remember being like what 2-14 team has a lot of talent ?? My Patriots fandem has been 20 years without and 20 years with. Ive definitely seem the good and like in 81 the bad !!
20 with TB12 of course
I will take a look at them, though I am working on another video as we speak! Thanks for the suggestion and thank you for watching.
Incredibly unfair to call a player like Unitas “washed up”. A forty year old QB in that era was subject to so much more punishment than today’s players. Hopefully, nobody will ever say that about your career.
Johnny was nowhere near the player he used to be when he was in San Diego. By my standard, that means he was washed up.
Johnny U ! Havent thought of him in years .
This video neglects to mention that Johnny Rodgers initially spurned the Chargers, whose offer he regarded as inadequate, to sign with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, where he was a big star from 1973-1976. Injuries ruined his career in San Diego, which the video also neglects to mention.
Hello Orbyfan, you are 100 % correct. His decision to play for the CFL instead of the Chargers shows how dysfunctional the organization was. I didn’t mention it, my apologies. Thank you for watching, God Bless.
Also, he slips in video clips of another player, insinuating that those clips were Rodgers playing that year. Instead he took the bigger paycheck and played in Canada, where he was one of the CFL's brightest stars. In 1977, Rodgers joined the Chargers, but injuries ruined his NFL debut a full four years after 1973.
@@greggmoeller6307 When you find clips of Rodgers playing in San Diego, let me know.
I miss the red stripes on the AFL officials.
It was a nice touch! Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
Good documentary and story, however in week 3 SD played Cindy in San Diego, not 3 Rivers Stadium which happens to be the Steelers home field.
Writer Larry Felser called the '73 Chargers the "Hodge Podge Lodge of professional football".
🎶 San Diego ..CHARGERS !! 🎶
Hell they weren't even the worst team in the AFC that season. That was the 1-13 Houston Oilers.
Sadly, I was way too young to appreciate the SD Chargers early successes in the AFL. I didn't really get into watching pro football until the late 60s, I believe. Our pop Warner FB team went to a Chargers game in 1972 (?) vs Denver (Broncos RB Floyd Little reached 1000 yds that game). The Chargers won that game decisively but Denver made easy for them as they had a terrible team at the time. They placed last. Harland Svare was HC and Hadl was QB, his last season in SD, I believe. At this time the Bolts were barely average and regularly placed 3rd, ahead of last placed Denver and behind Oakland and KC in the AFC West division.
I remember very well when the Bolts signed on Johnny U. He was pretty was much washed by then up due to injuries but he was a baller, nevertheless. Too bad his fortunes with the Chargers weren't as good as he had with the Colts. Imagine how he might've done if the Bolts had a better O line? Anyway, Johnny U mentored HOFer Dan Fouts. So that was a plus. Yeah, Svare was highly disliked in SD. Imo, they shouldn't have fired Sid Gilman. Gene Klein just needed to spend a bit more to get the better players Gilman needed but Klein was too cheap, imo. As a result, we lost many solid players to FA.
We wouldn't have a good head coach until Bobby Ross came along in 1992. By then cheapskate Gene Klein had sold the team to the asshats known as the Spanos family. Sadly, Ross too would be gone after a brief stint due to conflicts with GM Bobby Bethard over player acquisition. Hell, Ross coached the team to it's only SB appearance and he got nothing but big disrespect from the GM! After that the Bolts slid hard into mediocrappy and stayed there on the coaching carousel until Marty Schottenheimer was hired as HC and the Bolts' fortunes finally turned around. Then Marty got tossed due to a BS conflict with GM AJ Smith (again over player acquisition issues just like the Ross vs Bethard fiasco years earlier).
Since Marty's firing, it's been frustrating to watch the Chargers erratic fortunes. They flirt with success getting our hopes up then they flop face down with poor play and or poorly timed mental mistakes. Then asshat Spanos decides to move the team up to LA. Then the team continues with a new round on the coaching carousel with one hopeful HC hired and fired after another..Norv, McCoy, Lynn and now Staley. Let's see how this season pans out. As they say, hope springs eternal...we'll know soon enough.
Pittsburgh played in the old NFL with Baltimore during Unitas' career
Unitas must have played against them many times
The drugs. That's how Jack Youngblood kept playing with a broken leg bone. It seems like that was later on, though. Remember Lyle Alzado? That was a genuine tragedy.
3:45 Riverfront Stadium. Three Rivers was in Pittsburgh.
Never knew the Chargers played the Bengals at Three Rivers Stadium. Guess it happened, the narrator said so
It was a mistake that has already been addressed. Thanks for watching.
My takeaway from this- Dan Fouts had a hell of an arm.
That was a bomb; thought the same thing when I first saw the clip. Thanks for watching.
It always amazes me how shitty the fields were back in the day .
They all looked like a battleground. Teams used to go to war back in the day. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
"1973 was the worst team in Chargers history." 2000 Chargers: "Hold my beer".
In '69 the Chargers were in the AFL the merfer hadn't taken full effect yet.
Nightmare Seasons: The Story of the 1960-2023 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
The 2023 season has yet to begin! Don’t lose hope. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
Unitas had never played Steelers or never in Pittsburg? Can't believe Unitas never played Steelers in all his 17 years with Colts
It is wild. Thank you for watching.
Yet Unitas was with the Steelers as a rookie.
Unitas played against the Steelers twice and played in Pittsburgh in his last season with San Diego
All teams were handed out speed and painkillers back in the day. - Brian
The comments about Johnny Rodgers are inaccurate. Out of Nebraska, he signed with the Montreal Alouettes for more money than Chargers offered. Rodgers won the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in 1973. In his four years with the Alouettes, Rodgers won the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy twice (Eastern division MVP and CFL runner-up), was either a CFL or Eastern all-star each season, and helped lead his team to a Grey Cup championship in 1974. By the time he got to the Chargers he did not have much tread on the tire. Nonethess, if San Diego had used him as slot receiver exclusively, he probably would have been productive. Also, the players shown stumbling around are not Johnny, who wore number 20 - a disservice to this player.
He did nothing for the Chargers or for the NFL, so much to the point where I couldn’t even find highlight footage of him playing in San Diego. I could give a damn about the CFL.
@@beauboone5332 Nonetheless, you inaccurately disparaged a Heisman winner who had a pretty good pro career, and you did so in slothful production displaying others bumbling around. The title says "1973." Johnny did not join the San Diego Chargers until 1977. Also, you betray an ignorance of the CFL which until the AFL in 1960, was almost on a par with the NFL - they played interleague exhibition games. It is an indication of the CFL's strength that Johnny had a viable, successful option in Montreal in 1973. I submit that if Don Coryell would have had Johnny as a rookie, he would have been off-the-charts good.
@@ARIZJOE Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Rodgers was a great college athlete, I never said he wasn’t. However, I could care less about how he performed in an irrelevant league 50 years ago. The CFL never was nor will touch the NFL. Keep dreaming.
If you thought an over the hill Unitas had a rough season with the Chargers, check out what a disaster a washed up Joe Namath was with the Rams in 1977.
The 1970s. Man this is classic. Between the Chargers and Padres what a circus. What can we learn ? Let's ask Dr Mandel. A 1970s Dr Phil ? The guy narrating is great
Thank you very much.
Johnny U hated playing in San Diego.
I don’t blame him! Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
@@beauboone5332 you’re welcome 😉
But he was paid more in SD, than in Baltimore,
Johnny played when players had part time jobs during the off season . Not like today at all
The owners and GM's have done more harm to this team than any other factor.
The world had sadly changed fast by the time Johnny was with the Chargers. He didn't fit in with the amphetamines, pain killers and other drugs used by the baby boom players.
I wish Johnny had a good run with the Chargers to go along with his exceptional career. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
In the aforementioned Unitas bio, there is a story where Unitas walked into a room where numerous Charger players were smoking a joint and Unitas asked why all of them smoking just one cigarette. He ended up just walking out
1973 the first winning season for the Broncos, guess they said no to meth Charging them up. The drug abuse gives new meaning to the term Chargers.
Johnny U. did NOT participate in any of the drugs that season - according to the book, he wanted nothing to do with that crap and thats one of many reasons that he was one of the alltime best.
Harland Svare tried to duplicate what George Allen was doing with the Redskins by trading and signing seasoned players. Unfortunately Svare acquired players that were truly over the hill and had personal issues. If Im remembering correctly not only Unitas but John Mackey, Deacon Jones, Lionel Aldridge, Dave Costa, Tim Rossovich all called it quits at the end of the season. Duane Thomas was also on that team and quit and walked off in the middle if one game.
Hello, thank you for your comment. Unitas and Aldridge did call it quits after the season ended. The rest would play again for different teams. Mackey retired after 72. Thanks for watching.
@@beauboone5332, Yes, Rossovich, for example, finished as a reserve for the Oilers in '76.
This would be Johnny Unitas last years after the Colts
Terry, it sure was. Too bad it didn’t go well for Unitas. Thanks for watching.
The problem with the Chargers in 1973 was drug related but more really, they lacked a quality QB. Further they lacked a quality receiver. Finally they had runners who couldn't hold onto the ball.,
Well at least they had nice uniforms.
Yes they did! Thanks for watching.
Johnny U never looked right in a Charger uniform.
No he did not. Thanks for watching.
@@beauboone5332 come to think of it, neither did Deacon Jones.
@@dennisgoodnight2029 Nor OJ or Franco
@@howardcosell2022 huh?
The Bengals played at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, not Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh,
OMG... the 60s AFL..
.. when the Oilers)miss ya Blue) wrre relevant
They sure were! Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
@Dunathon-xt2nl, Well, certainly for the first three years. Then, they deteriorated to being godawful. An unexpected rebound in '67 (though routed in the title game), only to decline to mediocrity again, on the way to winning 1 game over the span of the '72 and '73 seasons.
@@mitchellmelkin4078 yeah....the Bum Phillips years ant the era of The House of Pain with Moon were pretty Dang Cool
Unitas was drafted by Pittsburgh; for him to end a career in a game there is ironic.
Now do the Chicago Bears of the 2010s.
Why don't you do it?
@@davidmitchell6873because he lazy
5:55
es Bo Jaksonds !! Mucho pronto !!
The Chargers played the Bengals at Three Rivers Stadium? 😳🤔😖🥴
This has already been addressed. Thanks for watching
Read the book by Dr. Arnold J. Mandell , a Psychiatrist hired by then owner ( another boffo ) Gene Kline to try and figure out why the Chargers had 5 consecutive losing seasons. I know why, when you have an owner that pays more attention to his race horses at Del Mar ( Where the turf meets the surf ) then his football team....Well, that's why. BTW the book, published in 1976 is titled " The Nightmare Season "....Aloha
I mentioned the book and the psychiatrist in the video. Thanks for watching.
Read this book.ihave read this book as well as the Unitas book,Klein's book and many other books and articles regarding this team as well as the NFL of this era.you have to read between the lines to get pretty good idea of all the issues going on with the 73 chargers.1st mandells idea in presc. The drugs was to ween the players of off them slot of these guys were getting them of the street and down in Mexico .mandells idea was to give small doses of pharmaceutical quality drugs as opposed to God knows what .2nd this was a veteran team and it appears a case of the inmates running the asylum. Scare was a weak coach.gene Klein I think panicked and ended up throwing every one under the bus .the impression I got was that evk said it was mandells fault .he denied knowing that mandells was prescribing the player's the drugs .horsepoop!mandells had a program in place.also Rozelle had known how widespread drugs were being used to keep these guys going in the NFL.more Rozelle hypocrisy.enough read and form own opinion on this whole sordid affair. Mandells went in with good intentions but was naive to the backstabbing nature of the NFL and NFL owners cya culture.
Didn't Johnny Rodgers sign with CFL and didn't play for San Diego until 1977, not 1973 ?
Yes. I never said Rodgers played in 73. I said he had a terrible NFL career, which he did. The Chargers still drafted him in 73, which was a waste because he went to the CFL. I have received many comments related to this. Thanks for watching.
@beauboone5332 Almost forgot Rodgers had short but decent CFL career and won championships there. Kind of sad watching those clips of Unitas. Didn't know Fouts came in for Unitas like that, or the Chargers drug problems. Always thought Fouts was as good as Marino, lightning quick release, shame he didn't get to the Super Bowl.
@@Luther-1968 I wish Unitas’ time in San Diego went differently too, but being a 40 year old quarterback in 1973 was nothing like being a 40 year old in today’s game. He was simply worn down. As far as Fouts goes, he did have a terrific career, and his 1982 season was fascinating. Thanks for the comment.
Johnny Rodgers was never anything more than a kick returner
He played running back, wide receiver, and kick returner at Nebraska.
@@beauboone5332 And Al Bundy played running back at Polk High school
@@williamgullett5911 Go make your own video if you don’t like the way I make mine. Have a good day.
@@beauboone5332 nice overreaction. I wasn’t questioning you, I was questioning Johnny Rodgers relevance. And the NFL draft showed what the teams thought of Rodgers, who may have played have wide receiver and running back for a team that was rolling over everyone else in college but he wasn’t an NFL wide receiver or running back which was where the Al Bundy comment came from. Rodgers is one of the most overhyped players ever. The guy breaks a few tackles in a punt return against Oklahoma and he gets all that love. Do whatever you want with your videos but try to understand that comments aren’t always being unkind to you
@@williamgullett5911 Well we agree that he was overhyped then. I wish that I never put him into the video. I honestly could care less about how he did in the CFL. Thanks for watching.
The Chargers are cursed… They need to hire a witch doctor
The chargers had a drug problem, they were getting drug up and down the field every Sunday 😂😂😂
Ha, good one! Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
Somewhat similar to Ragib "rocket" Ismail.
In the fact that he chose the CFL he is similar to Rodgers, though Ismail had a better NFL career. Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching.
@@beauboone5332 Agree!
@@kendallevans4079 Beg to differ. Historians will remember Rodgers days in San Diego, but will they remember 'the rockets' most productive years and who he played for without looking up his career.....NO!
@@howardcosell2022 Historians won't even KNOW who Rodgers is/was without looking him up! Ismail had a productive career both in Canada and then the Raiders. Rodgers is a drinking game trivia question !