After a surprising season in 2018, the Indianapolis Colts have high aspirations of being favorites for Super Bowl LIV in Miami. On the road to 2020, we’re looking back at Super Bowl III from none other than Miami, where the Colts took on the New York Jets.
The “Super Bowl” Is Born
Once again taking place in Super Bowl LIV host Miami, Florida on January 12, 1969, the third-edition of the NFL-AFL Championship was the first to sport the ‘Super Bowl’ moniker, dubbed Super Bowl III. More than 75,000 fans would once again descend upon the legendary Orange Bowl Stadium, which would stand as the largest Super Bowl attendance numbers in the three-year history of the game.
A low-scoring affair, Super Bowl III became infamous for rumors that Jets quarterback “Broadway Joe,” Joe Namath, had guaranteed a victory just days before the game, something that’s become all-too-common in today’s day and age. Namath would, however, go on to make good on his promise, delivering a 16-7 victory over the Colts, the first AFL victory over an NFL team, and receiving Super Bowl MVP honors after completing 17 of his 28 attempts for 206 yards.
For halftime, Super Bowl III brought some entertainment for the first time that didn’t consist of just a college or university marching band. Famous comedic icon Bob Hope led a program that honored the Apollo Astronauts, accompanied by the Florida A&M University marching band. Unfortunately, the Jets and the Colts would not go on to meet again in a Super Bowl as formatting changes as a result of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 would pit both teams in the same conference.
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