American Football · 1969 · Miami, USA
Namath's Guarantee
Three days after publicly guaranteeing victory over a Baltimore Colts side favoured by 18 points, a brash young quarterback delivers, and the NFL has to start taking the American Football League seriously.
Jets 16-7 Colts
Result
Colts favoured by 18
Pre-game spread
206, 0 INT
Namath passing yards
The New York Jets of the American Football League went into Super Bowl III as 18-point underdogs to the NFL's Baltimore Colts, a spread that reflected how comfortably the older league had taken the first two Super Bowls. At a Miami Touchdown Club dinner days beforehand, a heckling Colts fan drew a reply from the Jets quarterback Joe Namath: 'We're going to win the game. I guarantee it.'
On 12 January 1969 he completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards without throwing a single interception, working the Colts defence methodically while Matt Snell's rushing touchdown and three Jim Turner field goals did the scoring. The Jets defence intercepted Baltimore's passers four times.
New York won 16-7 and Namath was named the game's MVP. The result changed how the two leagues were regarded almost overnight, helped push the full AFL-NFL merger through the following season, and left a guarantee that gets quoted at every Super Bowl since.
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