Greatest Names In Bama Football History-Joe Namath
Today we take a look at Joseph William Namath as our next former Bama great. He was known as Joe Willie to many, and Broadway Joe to others, but will forever be known by the Alabama faithful as one of the most revered and controversial players ever to don the Crimson and White.
Namath was born on May 31, 1943 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He played as a quarterback for the University of Alabama in college, and then the New York Jets and the Los Angeles Rams professionally.
Namath played his college ball at the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from 1962 to 1964. He led Bama to a National Championship in 1964, and was 29-4 as Alabama's quarterback. Bryant called Namath "the greatest athlete I ever coached." Namath returned Bryant's praise, often referring to him as "not only the smartest coach I ever knew, but the man who taught me the meaning of integrity." Namath was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, and broke down during his induction speech when mentioning Bryant who had died of a heart attack in 1983.
Though suffering a serious knee injury during his senior season at Alabama, Namath was drafted by both the National Football League and the new American Football League. The two competing leagues held their respective drafts on the same day, November 28, 1964.
Namath was selected 12th overall in the NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. The New York Jets of the AFL selected him with the first overall pick. He elected to sign with the Jets, who were under the direction of Hall of Fame owner Sonny Werblin, for a salary of more than $400,000 (a pro football record at the time).
Namath was the American Football League Rookie of the year in 1965 and became the first professional quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a single season (1967), a feat which remained a record for the 14-game seasons that were played back at that time. He was a four-time American Football League All-Star, although he was plagued with knee injuries through much of his career. Later in life, long after he left football, he had to have knee replacement surgery on both legs.
In his 13-year career as a professional, Namath had a record of 77 wins, 108 losses, and 3 ties. In the AFL and NFL he played on three division champions, the 1968 and 1969 AFL East Champion New York Jets, and the 1977 NFC West Champion Rams. He and his team earned one league championship in 1968 winning the AFL Championship with the New York Jets, then on to win one Superbowl, Super Bowl III, withe the same team.
Namath threw three touchdown passes to lead New York to a 27-23 win over the defending American Football League Champion Oakland Raiders in the 1968 title game. His performance in the 1968 season earned him the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year. Namath was an AFL All-Star four times, in 1965, 1967, 1968, and 1969. He was a AFC-NFC Pro Bowler in 1972. Besides having the Hall of Fame distinction, he is a member of the Jets' all-time team and the American Football League All-Time Team.
The game for which Namath will always be remembered was his performance in the Jets' January 1969 win over the Baltimore Colts in the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, now referred to as the Super Bowl. The Colts were being billed as "the greatest football team in history". There was a lot of animosity between the upstart AFL and the established NFL. Former NFL star and coach Norm Van Brocklin ridiculed the AFL before the game, saying "This will be Namath's first professional football game." Writers from NFL cities insisted it would take the AFL several more years to be truly competitive with the NFL. Much of the hype surrounding the game was related to how it would either prove or disprove the proposition that the AFL teams were truly worthy of being allowed to merge with the NFL; the first two such games had resulted in blowout victories for the NFL champion in the two previous years, the Green Bay Packers, and the Colts were even more favored by media figures and handicappers than the Packers had been.
Then came the famous prediction, or promise, as it may be. Three days before the game, Namath responded to a heckler with the now-famous line: "We'll win the game. I guarantee you." His words eventually made headlines across the country, but were dismissed as mere bravado by most observers.
But Broadway Joe backed up his boast inn the game. He proved that his success against tough American Football League competition had more than prepared him to take on the NFL. The Colts' vaunted defense was unable to contain the Jets' running or passing game, while their ineffective offense gave up four interceptions to the Jets. Namath was named the game's Most Valuable Player, completing eight passes to George Sauer alone, for 133 yards. Namath acquired legendary status for American Football League fans as the symbol of their league's legitimacy.
It wasn't long after this that Namath grew his famous Fu Manchu moustache, which contrasted him even more with his clean-shaven peers. In probably the most touted act in the history of shaving, Namath shaved his mustache off in a television commercial for Remington electric razors for a fee of $10,000.
Then a little controversy for Namath, which really wasn't knew for the famous quarterback. After the season, Namath opened a popular Upper East Side bar called "Bachelors III", which quickly became frequented by social undesirables, with plans to open branches in Florida and Boston. To protect the league's reputation, the NFL Commissioner, Pete Rozelle, ordered Namath to divest himself of his interest in the bar. Namath reacted defiantly, retiring from football during a teary news conference. His presence on Sunday afternoons meant millions of dollars in television ad revenue for the NFL, and panic ensued at the NFL offices. Working through intermediaries, a meeting between Namath and Rozelle was arranged and lasted well into the night. A compromise was reached, and it was decided that Namath would sell his share of the New York Bachelors III only. He would retain his shares of the Boston and Miami locations, as well as any that might open in the future. After missing most of training camp, Namath came out of retirement and reported to the Jets.
Namath enjoyed an acting career, appearing in several movies and starring in a brief 1978 television series, The Waverly Wonders. He guest-starred on The Brady Bunch, The Flip Wilson Show, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, The Dean Martin Show, The Simpsons, The A-Team and The John Larroquette Show. He was guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson several times, as well as hosting his own show, the 1969 cult classic The Joe Namath Show (co-hosted by Dick Schaap) with its eclectic guest pairings and open-bar attitude.
For a time Namath was also used as a color commentator on broadcasts of NFL games, including the 1985 season of Monday Night Football, but never seemed to be particularly comfortable in this role and slightly over-critical of then current players.
Namath graduated from the University of Alabama on Decmeber 15, 2007.
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Bama Basketball Adds Oregon To Schedule
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama men's basketball team has added another quality opponent for the 2015 season. Bama head coach Avery Johnson announced Friday that the Crimson Tide round-ballers will face the Oregon Ducks in Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. The scheduled tip-off is Monday, December 21st with the time still to be determined.
Coach Johnson said, "We are looking forward to playing a quality team such as Oregon, but we are even more thrilled for the opportunity to play in front of our fans in Birmingham at Legacy Arena. This is something that will be exciting for the University of Alabama fan base, our players, and our staff. It's been five years since an Alabama men's basketball team has played in Birmingham, so this is something we hope to continue on a yearly basis."
Bama's last game in Birmingham was in 2011 when Oklahoma State came to town. The upcoming event is being sponsored by the Knight-Eady Sports Group.
The contest between Alabama and Oregon will be the first game of a home-and-home series between the two teams. Alabama will travel to Eugene, Oregon during the 2016-17 campaign.
Alabama and Oregon have met only twice before, both of which took place in a neutral location. The Tide and Ducks split those two games. Oregon went 26-10 last season and was a number eight seed in the NCAA tourney, eventually falling to national runner-up Wisconsin in the Round of 32.
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Some Interesting Sports Lists And Information
Sports movies have become a part of Americana. Men and women alike enjoy sports movies, but usually for different reasons. We have below listed movies in various categories according to sport as well inspiration. So, enjoy the lists.
Here is a list of the top 10 football movies according to Audience Choice:
10. The Replacements
9. Varsity Blues
8. We are Marshall
7. Friday Night Lights
6. The Longest Yard (original Burt Reynolds)
5. Rudy
4. The Waterboy
3. The Blind Side
2. Jerry MaGuire
1. Remember The Titans
Here is a list of the top 10 baseball movies according to Baseball America:
10. Major League
9. The Sandlot
8. A League Of Their Own
7. The Natural
6. The Bad News Bears
5. The Pride Of The Yankees
4. Eight Men Out
3. Bang The Drum Slowly
2. Field Of Dreams
1. Bull Durham
Here is a list of the top 10 basketball movies according to BleacherReport.com
10. Celtic Pride
9. Blue Chips
8. Love And Basketball
7. White Men Can't Jump
6. Coach Carter
5. Space Jam
4. Above The Rim
3. Hoop Dreams
2. Hoosiers
1. He Got Game
Here is a list of the top 10 soccer movies according to SportsInMovies.com:
10. Shaolin Soccer
9. Bend It Like Beckham
8. When Saturday Comes
7. Those Glory, Glory Days
6. Victory
5. Merry Christmas
4. Will
3. Goal! The Dream Begins
2. The Damned United
1. United
How many sports movies have won an Oscar for Best Picture?
Only three have won the award. They are: Rocky (1976), Chariots of Fire (1981), and Million Dollar Baby (2004).
How many sports are there in the world?
According to the World Sports Encyclopedia (2003) there are 8,000 indigenous sports and sporting games.
What are the top 10 sports in the world?
10. Golf
9. American Football / Rugby
8. Baseball
7. Table Tennis
6. Volleyball
5. Tennis
4. Hockey
3. Basketball
2. Cricket
1. Soccer (3.3 to 3.5 billion fans worldwide)
