|
The New York Giants are 12-point underdogs versus the undefeated Patriots in this year’s Super Bowl — the third largest point spread in the history of the big game.
Most people feel New England will handle the underdog Giants next weekend and Tom Brady will officially stand beside Joe Montana as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
Facts such as those are reason to pay close attention to the point spread. The largest spread in Super Bowl history came in 1968 when the Baltimore Colts were favored to defeat the New York Jets by 18 points.
A point spread is used by gamblers to make the game interesting. With an 18 point spread, it meant the Colts had to defeat the Jets by at least 19 points in order to win money.
It also meant that people could win money betting on the Jets as long as they didn’t lose by 19 points. They didn’t even have to defeat Baltimore for gamblers to win.
Back then, there were two leagues, the NFL and the AFL. The leagues agreed to play each other at seasons end in 1966 and called the contest the “Super Bowl”.
The AFL was always considered to be an inferior league due to the fact that the NFL won the first two Super Bowls in blow-out fashion.
That all changed in 1968 when Jets quarterback Joe Namath pulled off the greatest feat in league history, guaranteeing a victory in Super Bowl III, as an 18-point underdog.
“Broadway” Joe Namath was the Tom Brady of the late 1960s in case you’ve never heard of him.
Namath became the first of a long line of celebrity super star quarterbacks. He was bigger than the game and playing in the biggest media market in the country — New York City — added to his coolness.
He admitted to late-night carousels and was never shy around the ladies. I think Namath carried a persona that any normal guy would want had they been an NFL quarterback. “Broadway” Joe invented the super star quarterback package. You get the money, the power, the glory and the women.
Heading into the game, Baltimore was considered to be the greatest team in NFL history. Coached by Don Shula, they finished the season 13-1 and shutout the Cleveland Browns in the NFL championship game. They certainly liked their chances against a Jets team from the lowly AFL that was led by a quarterback with better statistics with the ladies than on the gridiron.
At a press conference at the Miami Touchdown Club, Namath was asked a question regarding whether or not he thought his Jets could keep the game close and stay within the gigantic spread.
Namath lost his cool and shouted out the greatest line in football history, “We’re gonna’ win the game, I guarantee it.”
He was absolutely right.
His Jets defeated the Colts 16-7 and pulled off the greatest upset in the history of the league. That win eventually forced the NFL to merge with the AFL and become one big league.
Why?
Well the NFL people needed Namath, the country’s most popular and marketable player. In 1970, both leagues became one and the NFL as we now know it.
What’s crazy about large point spreads in the Super Bowl is that they never hold true. In fact, the two largest spreads in the game’s history have resulted in an outright victory for the underdog.
Denver was a 13-point underdog versus Green Bay in 1997 and won the Super Bowl.
Keep that in mind when placing a bet for the Patriots to defeat the Giants this year by more than 12 points.
NFL history has a crazy way of repeating itself. Don’t expect a “Broadway” Joe figure to guarantee anything, though.
That was once in a lifetime.
Listen to the Johnny Ballgame Show each week on KUOI 89.3 FM. Check the schedule for time listings at www.kuoi.org
 Add as favorites (25) | Views: 338
|
