History of the NFL's exhibition basketball teams

[fgoodwin]

When the Oilers and Cowboys met on the basketball court — really
By J.R. Gonzales on December 20, 2012 at 12:14 PM

[Evan]

This is great stuff everyone, thanks so much for taking the time to research and respond. Mark, it looks like your article next March will be well-received!

I tried to attached a typical blurb about the 1963 Vikings basketball team. Looked like they had a pretty exciting game against the "Austin 5". The article was from Jan. 20, 1963, not too far after the football season ended, and only nine days after another article announced that Tarkenton "a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in business administration ... has joined the Holden Printing Co., Minneapolis, in a public relations and sales capacity."

Ah yes, simpler times.

[Rupert Patrick]

This is great stuff everyone, thanks so much for taking the time to research and respond. Mark, it looks like your article next March will be well-received!

I tried to attached a typical blurb about the 1963 Vikings basketball team. Looked like they had a pretty exciting game against the "Austin 5". The article was from Jan. 20, 1963, not too far after the football season ended, and only nine days after another article announced that Tarkenton "a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in business administration ... has joined the Holden Printing Co., Minneapolis, in a public relations and sales capacity."

Ah yes, simpler times.

Tarkenton occasionally does local radio ads for his business investment company. One of the guys who works for Tarkenton and hosts a local investment radio show used to be a TV weatherman here and I knew him pretty well from my days as a local radio DJ. Tark often appears on his show to talk investing.

[Moran]

Came across this program

[Mark L. Ford]

This is great stuff everyone, thanks so much for taking the time to research and respond. Mark, it looks like your article next March will be well-received!

I tried to attached a typical blurb about the 1963 Vikings basketball team. Looked like they had a pretty exciting game against the "Austin 5". The article was from Jan. 20, 1963, not too far after the football season ended, and only nine days after another article announced that Tarkenton "a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in business administration ... has joined the Holden Printing Co., Minneapolis, in a public relations and sales capacity."

Ah yes, simpler times.

Thanks, Evan-- I'm glad you started this conversational thread, and that I got to see other folks' findings.

[nicefellow31]

Fun bit of trivia. The Baltimore Colts and Philadelphia Eagles basketball teams played a game on 2 March 1962 in Hershey, Pennsylvnia. Gino Marchetti, Tim Brown, and Sonny Jurgensen were among the select few to witness Wilt Chamberlin's 100 point game.

Some N.F.L. players were there. The Baltimore Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles had played a preliminary basketball game to help draw fans. Gino Marchetti of the Colts left at the start of the fourth quarter for a local bar. But the Eagles' Tim Brown and Sonny Jurgensen saw every minute of the Warriors' 169-147 victory.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/sport ... ey-pa.html

[Evan]

And in a great bit of symmetry, a June 23, 1964 story quoted Hank Stram's thoughts about Wilt playing WR. I presume if he did, the Chiefs would if nothing else be the clear and ultimate winner of the best basketball-playing football team ever.

Star_Tribune_Tue__Jun_23__1964_ (2).jpg (25.3 KiB) Viewed 15542 times

[BD Sullivan]

And in a great bit of symmetry, a June 23, 1964 story quoted Hank Stram's thoughts about Wilt playing WR. I presume if he did, the Chiefs would if nothing else be the clear and ultimate winner of the best basketball-playing football team ever.

Star_Tribune_Tue__Jun_23__1964_ (2).jpg

He ended up having to settle for Morris Stroud.

[fgoodwin]

I found a picture of the 1959 Packers basketball team:

http://vintagesportspictures.tumblr.com ... -team-1959

[fgoodwin]

Here's a picture of the Chicago Bears basketball team (undated) but you might have to be a member of Facebook to see it:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater