Singular greatest moment in NFL history

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74_75_78_79_
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by 74_75_78_79_ »

When Ameche ran it in, the timeglass flipped over and Baseball - the #1 sport - would have until the top-half would empty. That very top-half would, indeed, empty the moment Broadway Joe ran off the Orange Bowl ten years later, waving up his finger (Football now #1). Those events IMO are the top-two.

Standing together on the second shelf just below - Starr runs it in to win the 'Ice Bowl', 12/23/72**, and 'The Catch'.


** - And that just doesn't refer to the much-more-heralded first game of that day, but the following contest as well! The '70s would further solidify the NFL's status as the top-sport, the decade is still heavily revered to this day, and the two miracle-winners of the day (albeit, yes, both getting eliminated the following week), would just so happen to go on being the top-two teams as well as definers of that Historic decade.
Last edited by 74_75_78_79_ on Sun Jun 04, 2023 10:28 am, edited 3 times in total.
Brian wolf
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by Brian wolf »

Like I have said many times, especially on PFJ blogsite, NFL history seems to go through certain coaches like Halas, Shula, Lombardi, Brown, etc but mostly through Weeb Ewbank. If its a big moment, Weeb is usually involved ...

*1949 - 1953 Offensive line coach during dominant Cleveland Browns era

*1956 ... won a dramatic win over the Redskins as HC of the Baltimore Colts that was not only the last regular season game of the season and on television but saved his job and established the career of QB John Unitas ...

*1958 ... Won the first overtime game in NFL history, and championship in what was considered the "Greatest Game Of All Time" ...

*1959 ... Became the third HC of the 1950's to win back-to-back championships ...

*1963 ... Struggled in his first year as HC in the AFL but gave Jets fans new hope for opening Shea Stadium in 1964. Watched as opposing Buffalo Bills runner, Cookie Gilchrist set a pro football rushing record with 243 yards against his Jets

*1965 ... Signed Joe Namath out of college to the richest contract in pro football history that let the NFL know that the AFL would spend money to land the best college talent. The NFL had to agree to a merger or face potential, financial capitulation just a year later ...

*1967 ... Won final regular season game as Namath became first QB in NFL history to throw for 4000 yards in a season ...

*1968 ... Lost the Heidi Bowl game which forced networks to slide their coverage of pro football games going into prime time programming ...

*1968/69 ... First HC to win NFL and AFL championships, then the world championship for the AFL going 4-0 in those games ... Though Jets and AFL fans know better, SB III is still considered by many as the greatest upset in football history, though I would choose Patriots over Rams in 2001/02 SB.

*1970 ... Lost first ever official MNF game that was packaged for the ABC network ...

*1972 ... Won dramatic shootout against Colts that set offensive and passing yardage records(disputed)

*1973 ... Watched as opposing runner OJ Simpson became first runner to cross 2000 yards in a season ...
Last edited by Brian wolf on Sun Jun 04, 2023 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SixtiesFan
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by SixtiesFan »

Speaking of Joe Namath, a few days ago he turned 80 years old.
RichardBak
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by RichardBak »

SixtiesFan wrote:Speaking of Joe Namath, a few days ago he turned 80 years old.
Holy crap.
Crazy Packers Fan
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by Crazy Packers Fan »

It depends on what you mean by "moment," a single play or a single game. I think the answer ultimately comes down to either the 1958 title game or Super Bowl III. There wasn't really any fantastic play in Super Bowl III, but make no mistake that it was the most important reason the NFL-AFL merger worked. However, I'd probably join everyone else here by choosing the 1958 championship game. There's a reason there are a million books about it. It completely put the NFL on the map and lit the flame that led to the sixties. So, if it's a single play, I'll say Alan Ameche's 1-yard touchdown run in that game.
sheajets
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by sheajets »

RichardBak wrote:
SixtiesFan wrote:Speaking of Joe Namath, a few days ago he turned 80 years old.
Holy crap.
Knock on wood, I'm impressed with how long he's lived and how good he still seems to be cognitively...after 13 years of pro football and substance abuse issues.

The next time I cry will be the day he leaves this earth
SixtiesFan
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by SixtiesFan »

sheajets wrote:
RichardBak wrote:
SixtiesFan wrote:Speaking of Joe Namath, a few days ago he turned 80 years old.
Holy crap.
Knock on wood, I'm impressed with how long he's lived and how good he still seems to be cognitively...after 13 years of pro football and substance abuse issues.

The next time I cry will be the day he leaves this earth
About 20 years ago Joe Namath quit drinking. He says he would be gone by now if he hadn't done so.
Lee Elder
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by Lee Elder »

Cali_Eagle wrote:
JuggernautJ wrote:An early "singular moment" would be the signing of Red Grange, I would think.

If you're talking about on-field or captured on film it might be difficult to separate out a single instance (imo).
Signing of Joe Namath was another huge moment in terms of National publicity. It may have been on a par with the critically important signing of Red Grange, which I agree was a huge deal. I know he (Namath ... & Grange too now that I think about it) played on bad knees, and I think he is more of a HOVG QB rather than a HOF-er, but the January 1969 Super Bowl ensured his future HOF status forever.

-------------------

As an aside: I still recall what Frank Ryan said about Namath ("If he is worth $400,000, I am worth a million") And I tend to agree with him. Frank Ryan was a vastly underrated QB and if not for arm injuries, he might have been a HOF-er himself. It didn't help his cause starting out with the Rams, who started Billy Wade Ryan's first 3 years and then played Zeke Bratkowski more than Ryan in 1961. (Unless I am missing something huge, I think Ryan should have been the starter all along for LA.)

EDIT: Just checked the HOVG and didn't see Frank Ryan as being in there. IMO he richly deserves to be a member. I am not eligible to nominate, but if I was, he would be on my short list.
Any PFRA member can suggest the HoVG Committee consider a player.

As for Dr. Ryan, he went 57-27-3 as a starter. He threw 149 scoring passes and had 111 intercepted. He completed 51 percent of his passes, which was not bad for his era. He was on some pretty poor Rams teams early in his career, as you pointed out. And, of course, he won a championship.

A few years back, I wrote a piece for the Coffin Corner about the former Rams QBs who eventually won championships. You mentioned some of them. Norm Van Brocklin was another that left the Rams in the late 50s and won a title elsewhere. I even mentioned John Unitas, who played for a sandlot team named the Bloomington Rams.
Cali_Eagle
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Re: Singular greatest moment in NFL history

Post by Cali_Eagle »

Lee Elder wrote:
Cali_Eagle wrote:
JuggernautJ wrote:An early "singular moment" would be the signing of Red Grange, I would think.

If you're talking about on-field or captured on film it might be difficult to separate out a single instance (imo).
Signing of Joe Namath was another huge moment in terms of National publicity. It may have been on a par with the critically important signing of Red Grange, which I agree was a huge deal. I know he (Namath ... & Grange too now that I think about it) played on bad knees, and I think he is more of a HOVG QB rather than a HOF-er, but the January 1969 Super Bowl ensured his future HOF status forever.

-------------------

As an aside: I still recall what Frank Ryan said about Namath ("If he is worth $400,000, I am worth a million") And I tend to agree with him. Frank Ryan was a vastly underrated QB and if not for arm injuries, he might have been a HOF-er himself. It didn't help his cause starting out with the Rams, who started Billy Wade Ryan's first 3 years and then played Zeke Bratkowski more than Ryan in 1961. (Unless I am missing something huge, I think Ryan should have been the starter all along for LA.)

EDIT: Just checked the HOVG and didn't see Frank Ryan as being in there. IMO he richly deserves to be a member. I am not eligible to nominate, but if I was, he would be on my short list.
Any PFRA member can suggest the HoVG Committee consider a player.

As for Dr. Ryan, he went 57-27-3 as a starter. He threw 149 scoring passes and had 111 intercepted. He completed 51 percent of his passes, which was not bad for his era. He was on some pretty poor Rams teams early in his career, as you pointed out. And, of course, he won a championship.

A few years back, I wrote a piece for the Coffin Corner about the former Rams QBs who eventually won championships. You mentioned some of them. Norm Van Brocklin was another that left the Rams in the late 50s and won a title elsewhere. I even mentioned John Unitas, who played for a sandlot team named the Bloomington Rams.
I am not a member of the PFRA so I can't nominate. I enjoy reading about the history of football, college, pro (not just NFL) and even HS football (mainly Ohio). I don't do any original research of my own, but every now and then, I find a tidbit that I don't think anyone else knows and I mention it.

I once posted here - going by memory now - that Jerry Tarr of 1962 Denver Broncos caught 8 career passes, but one was a 97-yard TD from George Shaw, which was the 2nd longest pass completion in AFL history. The Buffalo Bills defeated the New York Jets in 1968 37-35. This was a victory by the team that got the #1 draft choice over the eventual Super Bowl Champions. It was Buffalo's only victory of the year and might qualify as the greatest upset in AFL-NFL history. (Esp when looked at in retrospect.) One thing I noticed recently was that of Bob Hoernschmeyer's last 11 completed passes in his career, 10 went for touchdowns.

Some of that may be old news to most of you, maybe even all of you. IDK. I found those little factoids interesting.

Re: Frank Ryan, I think he would be OK as a borderline HOF-er. He certainly wouldn't damage the reputation or quality of the Hall as there are far worse players than him already enshrined in Canton. I know he will never get in, but I surely feel he deserves to be in the HOVG and was very surprised that he wasn't already in there. He had a lot of arm trouble late in his stint as the Cleveland Browns starter yet still turned in some very fine seasons. Bill Nelsen, a very good QB himself, eventually was acquired to replace Ryan, but had Ryan had a healthy arm, he might have played long enough to get into Canton. Would've, Should've. Could've, I guess. One could say that about a thousand different players...

I believe the semi-pro team Unitas played for was called the Bloomfield Rams. but that's strictly from probably faulty memory reading Unitas's autobiography many years ago. I no longer have a copy to double check.
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