NFL 100 Game of the Week

[sport historian]

The NFL Network in celebrating the 100th anniversary is apparently showing some old games. Tonight (Saturday) they show the first ever Monday Night Football game on September 21, 1970. It featured Joe Namath's Jets against the Cleveland Browns. It is on at 8 pm ET, repeating at 1 am ET on the NFL Network.

 

[Don Wassall]

I've watched some of it (it's now halftime as I write this). Strong fundamentals, few penalties, all the players have non-stop motors not just the White ones. Even the pace of play is faster as far as getting in and out of the huddle and then calling and executing the plays. During a commercial break I switched to the Clemson-Syracuse game and it was in the midst of an interminable coach's challenge. Slow play, endless stoppages and ridiculous amounts of commercials are only some of the factors that have contributed to the decline of college ball and the NFL, not just the Caste System.

The Jets are predominantly White on both sides of the ball while the Browns are on offense with their defense being majority White or close to it. Most of the receivers and tight ends are White while the running backs and fullbacks are black. All the players look like they could hold their own in today's NFL.

Saw a couple crowd shots and not only were they overwhelmingly White and dressed much better than today's infantilized DWF slobs (but not as well as fans traditionally dressed until the late '60s), very few were obese.

The broadcast itself isn't as primitive as I thought it would be. Minimal graphics and replays, but there's nothing wrong with that. Keith Jackson, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell were in the booth for this first MNF game.

 

[sport historian]

Several years ago I saw the TV broadcast of a 1970 game and was struck how the play seemed as fast as today. When Ed and Steve Sabol started NFL Films in the 60's, they decided to film heavily in slow motion, especially in the playoff games. This makes the game of the 60's-70's seem "slow," which it was not.

There were a lot of penalties in the second half of this game. The Jets had 454 yards total compared to 221 for the Browns. Joe Namath was 18-31-298, 1 TD, 3 interceptions. The Jets gave up a kickoff return TD to Homer Jones, who was washed up as a receiver, and a late game TD interception which sealed the Browns victory. The Jets had four turnovers, the Browns none, which made the difference.

George Sauer Jr. (which he was usually called when he played) caught 10 passes for 172 yards, 1 TD for the Jets. Sauer tailed off to 31 catches for the 1970 season and "retired" calling pro football "dehumanizing." a fad of the time. Several white players bought into this, Sauer the most prominent. He said the players are "treated like children. etc." Sauer claimed he was going to be a writer, but never published a thing. He died in 2013, age 69, allegedly with dementia.

His father, George Sauer Sr., was a player and the personnel man for the Jets and other teams. Sauer Jr. was kind of a legacy. I wonder if late in life, Sauer Jr. considered he might well not be "allowed" to play in the current game? Would he think that "dehumanizing?"

BTW, though Sauer said he "hated football," he came back in 1974 and played in the WFL. Not a few white football players of the 70's were mixed up for various reasons.

The 1970 Browns-Jets MNF game can be seen on youtube.

 

[Extra Point]

Several years ago I saw the TV broadcast of a 1970 game and was struck how the play seemed as fast as today. When Ed and Steve Sabol started NFL Films in the 60's, they decided to film heavily in slow motion, especially in the playoff games. This makes the game of the 60's-70's seem "slow," which it was not.

There were a lot of penalties in the second half of this game. The Jets had 454 yards total compared to 221 for the Browns. Joe Namath was 18-31-298, 1 TD, 3 interceptions. The Jets gave up a kickoff return TD to Homer Jones, who was washed up as a receiver, and a late game TD interception which sealed the Browns victory. The Jets had four turnovers, the Browns none, which made the difference.

George Sauer Jr. (which he was usually called when he played) caught 10 passes for 172 yards, 1 TD for the Jets. Sauer tailed off to 31 catches for the 1970 season and "retired" calling pro football "dehumanizing." a fad of the time. Several white players bought into this, Sauer the most prominent. He said the players are "treated like children. etc." Sauer claimed he was going to be a writer, but never published a thing. He died in 2013, age 69, allegedly with dementia.

His father, George Sauer Sr., was a player and the personnel man for the Jets and other teams. Sauer Jr. was kind of a legacy. I wonder if late in life, Sauer Jr. considered he might well not be "allowed" to play in the current game? Would he think that "dehumanizing?"

BTW, though Sauer said he "hated football," he came back in 1974 and played in the WFL. Not a few white football players of the 70's were mixed up for various reasons.

The 1970 Browns-Jets MNF game can be seen on youtube.

I saw some of those anti-football football players in interviews on YouTube. I had to laugh because some of them complained about football but continued to play.

 

[sport historian]

This Saturday night the NFL Network features the January 2, 1982 Charger-Dolphin playoff game which went into overtime, with the Chargers winning 41-38 behind Dan Fouts' passing. Don Strock came in to lead the Dolphin comeback. The program consists of an NFL Films production plus a "Missing Rings" episode. Speaking of Drama Queens, this is the one where Kellen Winslow Sr. had to be helped off the field, much to the scorn of Dolphin OL Bob Kuechenberg.

 

[sport historian]

The NFL Network is showing the 1970 Monday Night Browns-Jets game again on Wednesday at 4 pm ET.