im going to be 35 this year...so i missed the jet superbowl and i missed joe namath...now obviously there is much love for joe amongst the fans and we're always waiting for the next joe willie....my question,which was inspired by a convo i had with winston in another thread is this.....ive heard at weddings and cocktail parties and the such,that joe was overrated...not all the time but ive certainly heard this a decent amount of times.....now i know this isnt a very timely post but im kinda sick of draft talk...so...was the man overrated?did he carry the jets on his back??was it more of a team effort??was it more his intangibles or his actual production that made him great???gimme the real deal once and for all on the namath....
I know he looked great in panyhose and a fur coat haha. I know that before he threw one pass in the NFL he was heavily recruited by the "NFC" but his decision to opt for big money from the "AFC" stunned the F-Ball world and put the "AFC" on the map. The rest is history.
The NFC and AFC did not exist until 1970. What you are talking about is the NFL and AFL. The Cardinals and Jets drafted him, and he followed the money.
Namath was voted AP All-AFL in 1967 and 1968. He was voted AP All-Pro in 1972. His intangibles and production were both what made him great. He threw many picks, but most QBs did in that era due to rules that were in place at the time. He was the first QB to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season. He could not run, but Namath had great footwork. Bill Walsh said him and Joe Montana were the best two all time in that department, which is a major aspect of proper quarterbacking. Namath threw a pass in the 1968 AFL title game which was one of the two or three greatest passes in history. He threw the ball into a brutal wind like a javelin. You should also look for ESPN or NFL Network to air the 49ers at Jets 1971 Game of the Week film. Namath came off the bench in that November 28 game, which was his first appearance all season. The Jets were trailing 0-17 (I believe) when he came into the game. He threw three touchdown passes. The final score was SF 24, Jets 21, but it showed how important he was to the team. On a final note, the Jets had a winning record when Namath started. When Namath did not play or came off the bench, the Jets had a miserable record.
The thing that made Joe great was that he was a rebel. His stats were not that good but he always came up with the big play when needed much of the time. He and the rest of the Jets put the AFL on the same page as the NFL by beating the Colts. Joe was a river boat gambler on and off the field. But no player earned more respect from other players then Joe did during his time. He played thru so much pain. Much more then most players could. Broken jaw, concussions, knees, you can go on and on. Joe will always be the face of this organization and a big part of why the NFL is so great today.
Joe Namath has been the best QB in Jets' history. That sums it up. Jets' have never had a a more reliable & accountable QB since. He was a weapon from the QB position & a very unselfish player. He also brought a fun & bravado to the game of football. He also had a gun for an arm.
Nice summary Cakes, one note for those that didn't know, at Alabama Namath was an awesome running threat and an all around great athlete. It wasn't until a serious knee injury in his senior year that he became the statue we all know and love. Johnnyd if you are really interested this question has been asked and argued over many times on this site, do some searches and you'll probably pull up even more great info....
Boozer was a non-factor in the game. 10 rushes for 19 yards. Snell was 30 for 121..terrific game. But Snell was in the game so much because Namath CHOSE to use him. You might have forgotten that game was played in an era when QBs called all ther own plays. So Namath executed a brilliant plan that held the ball for over 36 minutes and frustrated a great defense and kept the ball away from what had been, up until that game, a lethal offense. Namath was 17-28..206 not great..but in terms of game management it was a stellar performance.
If Joe had never hurt his knees who knows how great he would have been. Check some of his pictures while throwing a jump pass. Check his height off the ground. Was a great athlete. In High School he used to dunk basketballs like Dr J.
Thats right, could you imagine todays QBS if they took away there headsets in there helmets. They would be lost.
if namath indeed called his own plays which i dint realize than that would be another huge bullet in his chamber
yeah i know...read my post about stats....clips are just as useless..it doesnt give you a feel for exactly what he was...i know he was great and he is the best jet qb ever...im looking for extra stuff
thats what im looking for! thank you..also to lebo...again stats are stats but if you didnt watch him every week you dont get a true feel for what the man was
Also add the fact that when Namath played, receivers could be bumped up until the time the QB threw..none of that 5 yard crap. It was a different time.
to paraphrase john madden during his "best players ever" tv special i saw a couple of years ago , ,,madden said: "i was coaching the raiders at the time and we were bitter rivals with the jets.we were involved in a back and forth offensive assault with the jets and joe was magnificent. the jets won a hardfought battle.in my years as a coach i never knocked at an opposing teams' locker room door after a game. the only time i did that in my carreer was afterr that game." i asked to see joe willie ------ i told him "joe, you're the greatest!" that story always brings tears to my eyes when i tell it to people for a couple of reasons ..1)the way madden told the story and 2)....because it's true...he was the greatest!...... p.s. i watched the 69 superbowl....i was 12
You must check out some old film Joe. Especially against the Raiders for the AFl CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. The winning drive was classic Namath against that wind and finding Maynard in the end zone for the winning TD. PRICELESS
