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Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl TEAM That Changed Football (w/ Author Bob Lederer)

The Football History Dude
The Football History Dude
Episode • Feb 9, 2022 • 1h 4m

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EPISODE SUMMARY

On January 12, 1969, the New York Jets astonished the nation when they beat the favored Baltimore Colts to win Super Bowl III. The key to the Jets’ success was quarterback Joe Namath, whose superstar talent, revolutionary personality, cockiness, and charm made him an instant celebrity. But Namath didn’t do it alone.

In Beyond Broadway Joe, the members of that legendary team share for the first time their often funny, sometimes poignant, and always perceptive personal stories and memorable anecdotes about the Super Bowl team, its players and coaches, and that legendary win. They reminisce about how they became Jets, their success on the gridiron—ten of them were AFC All Stars that magical year of 1968—and reveal for the first time the tactic Namath used to frustrate the Baltimore Colts’ defense. They speak about their reactions to Namath’s "guarantee" of a Jets' Super Bowl victory, and how the "39 Forgotten" Jets behind him enabled Joe to fulfill that boast. Furthermore, Lederer has interviewed members of the Baltimore team, to provide a 360-degree account of the game that changed it all. Inside, you'll learn:

  • How Joe Namath was able to manipulate the Baltimore Colts defense in Super Bowl III
  • About the player who convinced Joe Namath he was a “hot date” and pranked the playboy quarterback
  • How coach Weeb Ewbank used salaries of players on four other AFL teams to control Jets' player salaries
  • How one Jet, whose play was limited to two games his rookie year, convinced Jets' Coach and General Manager Weeb Ewbank that he would become an all-star
  • Why Jets' star offensive tackle Winston Hill, an eight-time All Pro tackle, was never considered, much less, elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • How Super Bowl III may have saved the existence of several AFL teams scheduled to be part of the AFL-NFL merger
  • And much more!


AUTHOR BIO

I've been a fan of the New York Jets since their first year (1963). I've always had an ability to write and have spent 40 years as a professional business writer and editor. Now, I've had the pleasure of creating the definitive story of the 1968-69 Super Bowl Jets, the only world championship earned by the team in the franchise's checkered history.

I use the word "definitive" advisedly because this book tells the tales of that most memorable Jets team from the perspectives of all 45 players who put on a white and green uniform that year, plus Coach & General Manager Weeb Ewbank, Assistant Coaches Clive RushWalt MichaelsBuddy Ryan & Joe Spencer, and Principal Owner David A. "Sonny" Werblin.

Jets fans and football fans who appreciate or want to learn how Super Bowl III radically changed the National Football League will enjoy Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl Team That Changed Football immensely.

THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUND

The Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

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