Official Joe Namath Movie Thread

I just heard about it today on espn, but they didn't give any details. What's-his-face seems like a pretty solid actor from what i've seen, so i'm looking forward to it.

 

That sounds like it will be good, probably fashioned after his latest autobiography. I'm sure we won't see any of the "real" Joe from the old days. I've read almost everything ever written about him and true to his name he had quite the wild life.

Also saw this, never knew he was on the Simpsons :lol:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mu...etes.appeared.on.the.simpsons/content.23.html

 

Other than the fact that he made a prediction re The Superbowl and tried to kiss a reporter on the field, what else about his life is remotely interesting?

 

Oh Koz you need to read his book. Very interesting. He came up from a poor working class family (not sure if his parents imigrated or if it was his grandparents?)

I really enjoyed the chapters about him in Alababa. Also how he was a small town hick trying to fit into the fast paced life of New York City.

 

Holy crap, they're getting Donnie Darko to play Joe Willie?!

 

In the words of John McEnroe.......You CANNOT be serious! Namath was the biggest star athlete in the country. He changed the way athletes were covered in the press. Plus, for a time he was banging the hottest actress in Hollywood. He was the Beckham of his day, kinda. People that cared nothing about football cared about Joe Willy.

 

Ok Ok maybe I'll pick up the book. Perhaps it's just ignorance on my part!

 

its not on IMDB for jake gyllenhaal and until it is, i wont believe it. tons of movies get scrapped before they even get the green light.

 

I will second that. A co-worker got that book for me this past Christmas and it was a great read. How and where he came from was a great story as well as how he got to the top of the NFL. Having only been born in 70 it was a great glimpse at the man who I only see on highlight reels.

 

KOZ...I wasn't even born when SBIII was won by the JETS, but I do know a film about a New York athlete in a time when this country was chaotic and interesting to look back on would be interesting to see. He was the highest paid player when the JETS brought him in and he changed the face of this franchise and ultimately the NFL. It was a sense of joy throughout the AFL because it was their proof (much to Kansans City's approval of course) they belonged to play against Green Bay and the other boys; Baltimore, Dallas etc.

If it's written well and has the write people, which it sounds like it could, it could be a success.

 

write people = right people

Damn it

 

I know I'm beating a dead horse but Namath by Mark Kriegal is an excellent book. Any real fan of the Jets would want to read about the greatest face of the Jets entire history. Very interesting story about him, very well written. Just pick it up already!

 

Wow. This just seems odd. I can't picture Jake as Joe. This sounds like a disaster, but I'll see it.

 

I agree. I'm about 300 pages in right now (the Jets have just won the SB), and there's no question that the story of how JWN grew up, became a big star at Alabama, and became the toast of NYC would make a great movie (and all of that was BEFORE the Super Bowl, and ignores the tremendous effect he had on pro football as a whole).

 

I hope you realize that few athletes have had as much impact on their sport as Namath had on professional football. He was the very first "bonus baby" in pro football. With his star presence and rocket-like arm, Namath was the face of the AFL in the 1960?s. He led the New York Jets to victory in Super Bowl III, the most important football game of all time. In doing so, he caused the older established National Football League to recognize the quality of the football in the AFL and forced a merger between the two leagues. Namath?s accomplishments off the field were as important as those on the field. Namath had tremendous charisma and popularity. He was the first athlete to become a star and public icon during the television era, making numerous commercials, hosting the Tonight Show as well as his own show, and appearing (without coincidence) in the very first Monday Night Football game.

 

Joe Willie was big pimpin before any rap star was even thought of. There's probably going to be some nice T & A in the movie.

 

I heartily concur regarding the importance of Namath to pro football, but it is not in fact the case that Super Bowl III forced the merger between the two leagues. The merger was agreed to on June 8, 1966, and the two leagues were always going to become one league in 1970. Namath certainly had something to do with the merger, as his contract was the start of the bidding war for college players between the AFL and NFL (and his flamboyance and presence in New York attracted lots of attention for the AFL), but the two major factors in the merger were the NBC $36 million contract with the AFL to broadcast games (ensuring the league's survival), and (ironically enough, given how they hated Sonny Werblin for giving Namath the big bucks) the decision by the Giants to sign Pete Gogolak, who was already under contract with the Bills (technically he had played out his option). When the Giants did that, the AFL signed Mike Ditka, John Brodie, and Roman Gabriel (among others) to contracts, and the NFL knew that they had to settle. Of all the NFL teams, the two that did the best were the Giants and the 49ers, as they got indemnity payments totalling $18 million for "allowing" teams into their territory (and the Giants got to keep Gogolak).

 

Can Jake get the accent down? thats my question.

 

Boy, Jake can play a wide arrange of characters. Hes played a gay cowboy and now hes gonna play a jock who got alot of vagina.