Part Six of the Ten Greatest Super Bowls of All-time

1. Super Bowl III
Date: January 12th, 1969
Location: Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

"WE'RE GONNA WIN THE GAME, I GUARANTEE IT!"
The New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts, 16-7.

Super Bowl III was hardly a great game, but the reason it's number one on my list is because of its historical significance. At the time of the game, the AFL and the NFL were separate entities with their agreed upon merger still two seasons away. The NFL was viewed as the superior league, and very few could make a case for the AFL being on par. The first two Super Bowls were lopsided affairs in favor of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. The Colts only loss in the 1968 season was to the Cleveland Browns and they avenged that loss by pounding the Browns, 34-0, in Cleveland for the NFL championship. The Jets were 11-3 in '68 and they narrowly defeated the Oakland Raiders for the AFL crown. The Colts were installed as 18-point favorites and it wasn't expected to be much of a contest. But led by charismatic quarterback Joe Namath, the Jets used an effective ball-control offense to build an early 7-0 lead on running back Matt Snell's 4-yard touchdown run. Baltimore still had plenty of chances to control this game but turned the ball over 5 times, including 4 interceptions deep in Jets' territory. The most damaging of those interceptions was at the end of the first half. The Colts tried a flea-flicker play that completely fooled New York and left Baltimore receiver, Jimmy Orr, wide open near the end zone. Colts' quarterback, Earl Morrall, didn't see Orr and tried to complete the pass to a different receiver only to be intercepted as time expired. The Jets continued to control things in the second half, using three Jim Turner field goals to take a 16-0 lead into the 4th quarter. Colts' head coach Don Shula decided to replace the struggling Morrall with legendary quarterback, Johnny Unitas. Unitas didn't have much better luck, although he did lead Baltimore to a late touchdown, but all that did was make the score look more respectable. The Jets had pulled off the miracle upset and Joe Namath was named mvp. Namath's famous quote, "We're gonna win the game, I guarantee it!" is arguably the most famous pre-game quote in sports history and, even more than the dramatic upset, is what Super Bowl III is remembered for. The win by the Jets did so much for the AFL and showed everyone that the league was finally on the same ground as the NFL. I believe Super Bowl III is the reason why the event has become so popular. It became the spectacle it is today when Joe Namath issued that famous guarantee and followed through with the upset win.

Oh well, this concludes my list of the Ten Greatest Super Bowls of All-time. I hope you enjoyed it.