Would you make a deal with the Devil to win your team a Super Bowl, but to never win another one again? Well Joe Namath did in 1968 and well, the Devil is holding up his end of the bargain.
The 1968 Super Bowl was one of the most lopsided Super Bowls on paper. The Baltimore Colts were 19.5 point favorites against the New York Jets. The Colts had the MVP that year in Earl Morrall at quarterback and a 13-1 record in the regular season. Legendary coach Don Shula was the head coach and the Colts had the best defense and the 2nd best offense in the entire league. In the NFC Championship game the Colts beat the Browns 34-0 in an absolute shit pumping. Confidence for the Baltimore Colts could not be any higher.
The Jets on the other hand did not have as good of a defense, but had just about the same offense in terms of scoring. The Jets pretty much just had Joe Namath as he was in his 4th year and was a 3 time pro bowler at this point in his career. Broadway Joe had also won the 1965 Rookie of the Year, and the 1968 AFC Player of the year. Namath was also the 2nd overall pick in 1965 so this was expected out of him. The reason why the Colts were such heavy favorite? Well idk I was not alive in 1968 and neither were my parents. But if I had to guess, I would say that the Colts only beat the Raiders by one score in the AFC Championship game.
Now what's this with the deal with the Devil. Well a few days before the Super Bowl, the NFL had it's award show and like usual, the press was all over Broadway Joe. When asked about if he is going to win the big game, Joe responded with "The Jets will win this Sunday, I guarantee it". This is not the crazy part that is the deal with the Devil. This is just a semi-douchy QB in New York responding to a question. The deal with the Devil comes right before the game when a reporter asked Joe if he would win a Super Bowl now and never be competitive again. "Give me the Super Bowl and the hell with the entire world to come". Maybe a little excessive with the entire world to come part, but Joe would double down and say that if the Jets won Super Bowl 3, then they didn't need to win another one until he died.
The Jets would go on and pull off one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history winning 16-7 and Joe Namath would win the MVP of the game. What came after would be what some would call the curse of Joe Namath. Joe Namath would have a string of injuries after the big game and he would never return to the great quarterback that he once was. The Jets have yet to win a Super Bowl since then. They have not even made a Super Bowl since then. And along with their lack of success, some pretty crazy shit has happened when the Jets play football since.
For example most recently with the signing of Aaron Rodgers. The 4 time MVP signed with the Jets and on his 4th play of the season, tore his achilles. Before that, the game that Drew Bledsoe got injured that allowed Tom Brady to get his start in the NFL, the Patriots played the Jets that day. Before that there was the time when Bill Belichick signed to be the Jets Head Coach and quit the next day. Before that, Dan Marino did a fake spike on the Jets to complete a 24-6 second half comeback. Throw in the butt fumble, Geno Smith getting punched in the face by his own teammate, and about 50 years of complete mediocrity.
The Jets will always be the Jets. Their legacy has gone from a tragedy, to a comedy and with this past season being yet another in the long line of disappointments, one can only ask, why did Broadway Joe Namath have to make a deal with the Devil? Like and share with a friend, or a suffering Jets fan.
And that is todays Tea, with T
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