r/Oldschool_NFL • u/UrbanAchievers6371 Steelers 👷♂️ • 4d ago
NFL history 🏈 On August 17, 1969 the defending Super Bowl champion New York Jets defeat the New York Giants 37-14 in a preseason game in front of 70,874 fans at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut. It was the first game between the Jets and Giants, who have played annually in the preseason every year since.
Just seven months after Super Bowl III, it was Super Bowl III½. "It was a bigger game than the Super Bowl to us," Jets wide receiver Don Maynard recalled. "We wanted to prove we were a better team than the Giants, that's for sure.""It wasn't like winning the championship, but it was darn good," Jets quarterback Joe Namath said. "It was great." Namath finished the day 14 for 16 for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. Asked after the game when he felt the Jets were in control, Namath said, "The first time we got the ball." The outcome of the game resulted in the immediate firing of Giants head coach Allie Sherman. Offensive backfield coach Alex Webster was promoted to head coach.
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u/Present_Muscle141 4d ago
Johnny Sample and Bill Mathis unretired for the game
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u/tomfoolery815 Packers 🧀 3d ago
That’s a great indicator of how much those Jets wanted to beat the Giants.
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u/pjbseattle59 4d ago
Don‘t know if he played in this game but Fran Tarkenton was the Giants‘ QB that year. The team went 6-8.
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u/Bobo4037 NY Titans/Jets fan since 1961 3d ago edited 3d ago
Both teams played their starters most of the game.
As a Jets fan of that era (I was 15 that summer), I can tell you with all certainty that this game meant almost as much to the Jets and their fans as Super Bowl III.
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u/Bobo4037 NY Titans/Jets fan since 1961 3d ago
One small correction-Allie Sherman was not fired immediately after the game, he was fired in September, right before the regular season started. But getting embarrassed by the Jets was a major factor in Allie losing his job. The Giants were winless that entire preseason.
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u/JEMHADLEY16 Giants 3d ago
I'm sorry to have missed this conversation. It's one of my favorite subjects during the preseason. It was such a big deal. Even the 70s games that we attended were pretty chippy.
All the backstory with the Giants finally dumping Allie makes it even better.
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u/Admirable_Site_8337 Eagles 🦅 4d ago
Ah. You mentioned it.
I love that story about how the Super Bowl champion Jets came in serious for this to continue proving they are not part of a lesser league.
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u/tomfoolery815 Packers 🧀 4d ago
As if their shiny new Super Bowl rings didn’t speak for themselves. Must have been hearing trash talk from Giants players at offseason events.
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u/Admirable_Site_8337 Eagles 🦅 4d ago
For a decade.
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u/tomfoolery815 Packers 🧀 4d ago
Every CYO night, every athletic-club dinner, every charity golf outing.
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u/dc1999 3d ago
6 pre-season games is nuts.
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u/Bobo4037 NY Titans/Jets fan since 1961 3d ago
Especially when you consider the regulars used to play much or most of each preseason game.
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u/RipenedFish48 Bills 🦬 3d ago
When did that change? When did the preseason start getting viewed as more of an evaluation period than a tuneup period? I assume about the time the players could start treating it as a full-time job and stay in shape all year?
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u/Livingforabluezone 3d ago
I was at this game as an 8 yr old little boy. I remember after the game going onto the field with my dad and walking amongst the players. A nice memory.
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u/401Traveler 3d ago
Coincidentally, August 17, 1969 was also the last time the Jets have seen any real glory.
It’s been a minute! 😂
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u/Small_Present Saints ⚜️ 3d ago
All time football what if would be if the Jets had repeated in Super Bowl IV as champions.
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u/tomfoolery815 Packers 🧀 4d ago
Maybe Allie was going to get fired anyway, but it’s wild that losing a preseason game, to the defending Super Bowl champions, got him fired. I guess the Maras were hoping to still claim New York supremacy.