My first game was with my dad in '77 vs. Pittsburgh, probably the best team in the NFL. Cold day. (Jets hung tough and lost a close one. Lou Piccone had a punt return for a TD called back on an illegal block, otherwise the Jets might've beaten them.) What stood out to me was the clinking sounds of all the glass fifth bottles strewn about in the stands, sheathed in flimsy paper bags. You couldn't help but step on or kick them to get out of your seat. The brandy drinking was a standard thing back in those days. Being patted down or frisked to get into the stadium, was never a thing at Shea. Practically everyone brought a small bottle in. The cleanup crew had their work cut out for them.
Shea was a dump for sure but what was worst was the annual Jets-Giants preseason game played at the Yale Bowl in Connecticut. Walking around the outside of the stadium you could see that Jets locker room up close no guards and that is where I went blind seeing Joe Namath and Winston Hill half naked lol.
It was ….. was curious the scoreboard in the background helped. And Grogan was in one of your pictures ….0-0 in second quarter but that turned out to be Namath’s last great day as a pro the Jets won 36-7 and then tailspun into an 8 game losing streak …
