It’s been called the most important Super Bowl. Ever.
Hard to argue with that.
Super Bowl III. The Orange Bowl in Miami. Jan. 12, 1969. New York Jets versus Baltimore Colts.
Joe Namath versus The Establishment. The upstart Jets of the equally upstart AFL versus the supposedly superior and longtime standard bearer of U.S. professional gridiron, the NFL.
Around since the 1920s, the NFL had clobbered the representatives of the AFL — formed as a rival league in 1960 — in both previous Super Bowl finals. Big time.
And it was expected to happen again. Namath, the swinging bachelor quarterback of the Jets, a.k.a., Broadway Joe, and his teammates, had other ideas. In fact, Namath, who during Super Week quickly tired of being told repeatedly that his New York squad was about to get blasted by big, bad Baltimore — previous home of the Indianapolis Colts — had reacted by issuing an outlandish guarantee of a Jets victory.
A bold prediction. Many called it laughable. After all, the powerhouse Colts were favoured by almost three touchdowns. Some called them unstoppable.
Wrong.
Growing weary of the expensive bidding war for players sparked by the formation of the AFL, NFL owners had proposed a merger. It was pending.
That said, many smug NFL backers — a lot of them, in fact — believed the AFL teams would become instant doormats in the senior league. And, the AFL’s first two stabs at the Super Bowl had done little to convince them otherwise.
The AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders had lost back-to-back in 1967 and 1968 in Super Bowl I and II, respectively, by a combined score of 68-24, both times to the NFL juggernaut Green Bay Packers under legendary head coach Vince Lombardi.
The Jets were supposed to be next on the chopping block. And the Colts were eager to oblige.
Long story short, Namath garnered MVP honours by guiding New York to the AFL’s first Super Bowl title. Final score: Jets 16, Colts 7.
NFL supporters were shocked. AFL supporters were euphoric. It stands today as still one of the greatest upsets in modern sports.
Most importantly, the Jets victory instantly legitimized the young league on the eve of the merger. They would not only be able to hack life in the NFL, but they could thrive.
Once the merger took place, New York’s triumph ensured that any talk of weak links being inherited by the NFL was silenced. Forever.
Since that day in Miami in 1969, the Super Bowl has become one of the most lavish and lucrative sports spectacles on the planet. And the NFL is one of the most successful and powerful sports organizations in the world.
Super Bowl III is a big reason why.
NEED TO KNOW: The most expensive ticket at Super Bowl III went for $12. The cost of a 30-second TV spot was $55,000. This year, a VIP seat for Super Bowl LX goes for almost $60,000 while 30 seconds worth of TV commercial time costs around $8 million.
SUPER BOWL PREDICTION
This former newspaper reporter was perfect in picking the winners in the Wild Card round, then it went rapidly south from there.
Like a lot of other NFL observers in these parts, I had the Buffalo Bills to go all the way. And win.
Now, with Seattle and New England poised to kick off Super Bowl LX on Sunday, I can’t see the Seahawks not defeating the Patriots by less than a converted touchdown.
Sure, former Pats linebacker Mike Vrabel has done a masterful job bringing New England back to prominence in a relatively short period of time. And young quarterback Drake Maye appears to be the real deal.
But the Patriots were spoon-fed with a soft schedule in the NFL this season and facing a Denver Broncos squad that had lost its own youthful star QB, Bo Nix, the New Englanders barely won the AFC Final.
By the time Seattle met the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Final, it was clear they were the two best teams in the league. Had the Rams beaten the Hawks, I would be picking them to manhandle the Patriots in much the same way I expect Seattle to.
A Super Bowl victory for this edition of the Seahawks would be a nice feel-good story too for veteran pivot Sam Darnold. He starred for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2024 regular campaign, then got thrown under the bus when he — and his teammates — wet the bed in the playoffs.
Darnold has been darn-near perfect for Seattle this season and gets a lot of help from a staunch defence that will spell trouble for the youngster Maye.
Final score: Seattle 31, New England 19.
NEED TO KNOW: Forty years ago, the Chicago Bears demolished New England 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Led by perhaps the greatest D ever assembled in the NFL, Chicago terrorized Patriots QB Tony Eason and allowed only a TD and a field goal. Bears D co-ordinator Buddy Ryan was famous for saying: “It might be time for them to open up a new can of quarterback.”
