As part of our Super Bowl preparation on this site, we'll wait until next week before diving into the matchup itself. And we'll certainly leave discussion of what Peyton Manning's brand of toothepaste is, or what Drew Brees' favorite food is, to the mainstream media. We're going to spend this week taking a brief overview of the Super Bowl's rich heritage, with a brief blurb on each game in its 43-year history. Today we start with the early period--the first four games when the AFL & NFL were still entirely separate entities, meeting only in the final championship game. The NFL was considered the vastly superior league, so the game not only was far from its modern popularity, it even lacked a certain legitimacy. Let's watch how it evolved from 1966-69..
1966: Green Bay 35 Kansas City 10: Vince Lombardi's Packers were the heavy favorite as they
represented the NFL before a three-quarters full Los Angeles Coliseum. The Chiefs got some attention in the media where their defensive back, Fred Williamson, began talking trash and calling himself The Hammer. Packer receiver Max McGee got some unexpected news prior to the game--he was going to play, due to an injury to starter Boyd Dowler. Unprepared for this, Max had gotten tanked the night before and was hungover. It didn't stop him from catching the game's first touchdown pass and adding another one. KC hung with the Pack for a half, trailing only 14-10, but the NFL powerhouse pulled away with three second half touchdowns. And the Hammer? Packer backup Donnie Anderson ran him over and knocked him out.
1967: Green Bay 33 Oakland 14: It was Lombardi's swan song, as least temporarily, before he resurfaced with the 'Skins two years later. Once again his team pulled away in the second half from an outmanned AFL opponent. The Packer dynasty was
solidified, but the Super Bowl was no closer to gaining legitimacy. It was just a showcase for the NFL to demonstrate its superiority over the junior league. For now.
1968: It was the upset for the ages. The Baltimore Colts, led by Don Shula were three-touchdown favorites to take out Joe Namath's Jets. Prior to the 1970 merge, Baltimore was an NFL franchise and with the fall of the Packers, were ready to step and become the new power. Don Shula was a rising star at head coach, and Earl Morrall had proven a capable replacement for the oft-ailing Johnny Unitas. But the cocky Namath guaranteed a win. Then he backed up on the field. Calling a conservative, ball-control attack, he orchestrated a 16-7 win.
1969: History often tells us that the Jets' win was what brought the AFL to even par in the public eye. That's only half-true. The younger league needed to prove it wasn't a fluke. That came this year. Kansas City was another two-touchdown
underdog, this time against Bud Grant's Minnesota Vikings. It was assumed Grant's Purple People Eater defense would run roughshod over Len Dawson and the Chiefs. But just as the Jets completely controlled the tempo the previous year, KC controlled Super Bowl IV. It was an easy 23-7 win. The merger would be official next year and AFL purists celebrated pulling even 2-2 in the four Super Bowls of the early era.
1966: Green Bay 35 Kansas City 10: Vince Lombardi's Packers were the heavy favorite as they
represented the NFL before a three-quarters full Los Angeles Coliseum. The Chiefs got some attention in the media where their defensive back, Fred Williamson, began talking trash and calling himself The Hammer. Packer receiver Max McGee got some unexpected news prior to the game--he was going to play, due to an injury to starter Boyd Dowler. Unprepared for this, Max had gotten tanked the night before and was hungover. It didn't stop him from catching the game's first touchdown pass and adding another one. KC hung with the Pack for a half, trailing only 14-10, but the NFL powerhouse pulled away with three second half touchdowns. And the Hammer? Packer backup Donnie Anderson ran him over and knocked him out.
1967: Green Bay 33 Oakland 14: It was Lombardi's swan song, as least temporarily, before he resurfaced with the 'Skins two years later. Once again his team pulled away in the second half from an outmanned AFL opponent. The Packer dynasty was
solidified, but the Super Bowl was no closer to gaining legitimacy. It was just a showcase for the NFL to demonstrate its superiority over the junior league. For now.
1968: It was the upset for the ages. The Baltimore Colts, led by Don Shula were three-touchdown favorites to take out Joe Namath's Jets. Prior to the 1970 merge, Baltimore was an NFL franchise and with the fall of the Packers, were ready to step and become the new power. Don Shula was a rising star at head coach, and Earl Morrall had proven a capable replacement for the oft-ailing Johnny Unitas. But the cocky Namath guaranteed a win. Then he backed up on the field. Calling a conservative, ball-control attack, he orchestrated a 16-7 win.
1969: History often tells us that the Jets' win was what brought the AFL to even par in the public eye. That's only half-true. The younger league needed to prove it wasn't a fluke. That came this year. Kansas City was another two-touchdown
underdog, this time against Bud Grant's Minnesota Vikings. It was assumed Grant's Purple People Eater defense would run roughshod over Len Dawson and the Chiefs. But just as the Jets completely controlled the tempo the previous year, KC controlled Super Bowl IV. It was an easy 23-7 win. The merger would be official next year and AFL purists celebrated pulling even 2-2 in the four Super Bowls of the early era.
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