I was too young to remember when the Jets beat the Colts in the Superbowl (yes, Shula was the head coach of the Colts). For me, it was the Mud-Bowl in 1983, when the tarp was not put down for a rainstorm at Dolphins stadium several days before the AFC Championship game. The field was soaked and the Jets high-powered offense never got going and was suffocated by the Dolphins D. I was so bitter about that game, that I always referred to Shula as the "Cheater" after that.
Mud Bowl tops the list. The fake spike game which happened right in front of my section (sec 125) corner of the endzone. A positive memory was 1981 when Todd led a drive that capped a 16-15 win at Shea. That TD was also in front of my section.
Shoe'la was the head of the NFL Officiating committee and the Fins were the least penalized team in the NFL for 27 years
I met Don Shula when I lived in South Florida I was flying to Orlando for work and Don was on the plane. What I recall is that was the Tampa Bay/Jets game when the flash-lite out-shown the star. My wife was watching the game and giving me updates and Don was asking me and then telling everyone he sources said the Jets won. I was the source and told him and the people asking for updates that. I get his family his hurting right now but the man was egotistical and a cheater that bent the rules look no further then the mud bowl. I feel for the family but will never forgive him and the nfl for allowing them to cheat
I was also at the game in 1986 when the Jets beat the Dolphins (and Shula and Marino) 51-45. AMAZING game!
I was there too. Most amazing part of the game, besides the passing for both teams, was that Shula, who rarely left you shaking your head, totally mismanaged the end of that game, allowing the Jets to pull out the win. The Fish had the ball with under two minutes and he had Marino passing, and missing, stopping the clock and giving the Jets the time they needed to tie the game and send it to overtime That said, the Mud Bowl is the first thing that comes to mind with Shula and the Jets. I remember the SB but that was Colts vs Jets to me, not Shula vs Weeb. Second to the Mud Bowl was the Fake Spike game. Ugh,
I always found it amusing that a franchise like the NFL that makes its living on competition has current team coaches on rules and competition committees. Talk about a conflict of interest...
That and the Seattle game in 86, the game Toon caught that TD pass in his knees. OB went 27 of 33, 439 yards, 4TDs and no picks. When he was on, he was something to watch
The Mud Bowl for his cheating. But my favorite memory is the one you cited. Seeing the smile wiped off that arrogant cheater's face was something I enjoyed for a long time.
Do you remember Michael Harper fumbling the kickoff in OT and the Jets running up to the LOS to snap the ball before the Dolphins could challenge? That was the old system....I'm surprised that is hardly mentioned when this game is discussed.....
He wasn't happy after the Barkum TD in 1981 I remember the NBC cameras showing his scowl.....a book I read ( It may have been Nose to Nose about Joe Fields and Joe Klecko ) where Fields claimed Shula was screaming at Todd from the sideline during that final drive trying to rattle him calling him a SOB and a fake hero.....
That drive against the Phins was one of my favorite Jet moments. It felt like a coming age moment for that jets team. I also fondly recall going to the opening day game against the Phins in 78 where we just dominated them all game long. I thought that was another big Moment for that jets era coming off 3 straight 3 and 11 seasons. Of course there is the mud bowl and the 51-45 game. But the opener in 78 and the win in 81 set the tone for the Jets in the 80s that they were a real contender on the rise.
My memory is Super Bowl III. Shula really gave the Jets a gift by keeping Earl Morrall in until almost the end of the third quarter. If he had pulled Morrall at halftime, that game might have come out differently. When Unitas finally came in, I've read, Namath got really nervous on the sideline, muttering "Fuckin' Johnny U." over and over.
