10 Games That Changed the Way Football is Played
By:
D.J. Boyer
7/29/04
It has been a while since I last completed one of my top ten lists
with an article to accompany it. Today I will be counting down 10
games that changed the way the National Football League is played.
These are not necessarily the ten greatest games, these games had a
twist to them or offered something that altered football forever.
Lets get the countdown started!
10. New York Giants 30 Chicago Bears 13, December 9, 1934
The “Sneakers” Game
This was a very important game in NFL history because it was the
first time any type of equipment altered the outcome of a football
game. The Chicago Bears had won NFL Championships in 1932 and 1933
and were going for a three-peat. In fact the Bears had recorded 33
consecutive games without a defeat until the Giants beat them on
this cold December day.
The game time temperature was 9 degrees and there was a sheet of ice
covering the field. The Bears held a 10-3 advantage at the half when
the Giants sent an equipment man to nearby Manhattan College to
borrow some basketball shoes for the game. The basketball shoes made
all the difference in the world as the Giants reeled off four
touchdowns in the second half and defeated the mighty Bears. In the
1930’s the game of football was primarily about running the football
with power. The outcome of this game showed being a tactician in the
NFL could work and sometimes your equipment can make the difference.
9. Oakland Raiders 43 New York Jets 32, November 17, 1968
The “Heidi” Game
No diehard football fan or historian of the sport will ever forget
this game and the impact it had on televised sporting events. The
New York Jets had just taken a 32-29 lead on a field goal by Jim
Turner with :50 seconds remaining in the game and everything looked
to be well in hand. The Jets kicked off and the Raiders took
possession at their own 22-yard line. After a 20-yard pass and
10-yard facemask penalty put the Raiders on the Jets 43-yard line,
the unforeseen happened.
NBC launched immediately into their next scheduled program, the
movie Heidi. The game was already over three hours old and in the
late 60’s that was very long. A total of 19 penalties, 31 incomplete
passes and 75 total points were the biggest contributing factors to
the length of the game. With the audience seeing what the Raiders
had done, the NBC switchboards lit up. It wasn’t until 20 minutes
later that the viewing audience of NBC found out what happened in
the conclusion of the game.
Daryle Lamonica hit Charlie Smith with a 43-yard touchdown pass to
give the Raiders a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in the final
minute. The Jets then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Raiders
recovered the ball in the endzone for another touchdown to seal the
win. Once the final score was finally displayed at the bottom of the
screen well into the Heidi movie, even more calls poured in. The
switchboard at NBC headquarters in New York City actually crashed
due to the volume of irate callers and the networks learned a
valuable lesson…never interrupt a football game before completion.
So if you are a person waiting to watch a show on Sundays at 7:00 PM
and the local NFL affiliate won’t switch over to the regularly
scheduled program, you know why. This game is still talked about in
football lure over 30 years later and it will probably be a game
that when recalled will endure the test of time.
8. Brooklyn Dodgers 23 Philadelphia Eagles 14, October 22, 1939
First Televised Game
By looking at the name of the team winning this game, one would
think you were watching a high scoring baseball game late in a
pennant stretch in September. But in 1939 the Brooklyn Dodgers was
the name of an NFL franchise. Although the score correctly indicates
that this wasn’t one of the most memorable games of all-time, nobody
can argue its importance on the sport.
This was the first game to ever be televised on National Television.
Football of course wouldn’t have enjoyed the popularity it had in
its formative years had it not been for television. The live
telecasts of sporting events has given
us thousands of memorable moments over the years, and it all started
in the heart of New York over 60 years ago.
7. Chicago Bears 10 Milwaukee Badgers 7, September 19, 1926
Red Grange Arrives
The early years of the National Football League were immensely
successful. Football was thought of as a manly sport and it was an
honor to go see a football game in person. Without television to
broadcast games nationally in the 1920’s, word of mouth and the
newspapers were the only ways to break results to those not
fortunate enough to watch a game in person.
The Chicago Bears turned the NFL upside-down when they signed a
college phenomenon out of Illinois named Red Grange, known by many
as “The Galloping Ghost”. Grange got his nickname due to his elusive
running style and electrifying form of play. While at Illinois,
crowds would flock to see the small running back in person and the
Bears wanted him badly when he left college for the professional
ranks.
In Grange’s rookie year of 1926, games involving the Chicago Bears
would draw nearly 3 times as many fans as those games played without
them. The reason was simple, the NFL found out that star power could
be very rewarding and Red Grange paved the way as the NFL’s first
star. With tales of his runs spreading around the country, the Bears
drew over 350,000 fans in that season and shattered attendance
records on every football field they played. Red Grange brought the
“M” word to the NFL…marketing. His first game against the Milwaukee
Badgers was just a sign of things to come.
6. Cleveland Browns 35 Philadelphia Eagles 10, September 15, 1950
The Aerial Assault Begins
This game was very important as a few teams from the AAFC
(All-American Football Conference) merged with the NFL. When the
merger became official for the 1950 season, Commissioner Bert Bell
scheduled the defending AAFC champion Cleveland Browns to play the
two-time defending NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles. There was a lot
of hype surrounding the game but Cleveland came into the contest as
a huge underdog.
Cleveland may have been underdogs but they controlled the game
winning easily 35-10. Cleveland did more than win the game they won
the NFL title later that season as well. Cleveland had an attack
based on a short precision passing game, much like The West Coast
Offense of today. Cleveland was criticized in the press, people said
they didn’t play “real” football. Innovative coach Paul Brown showed
them all later in the season when the Browns and Eagles had a
rematch. Cleveland won the game 13-7 but the Browns didn’t throw a
pass in the entire game, proving that Brown and his team could win
in more ways than one.
The Cleveland passing attack opened up the way the NFL was played
and the Browns enjoyed a huge amount of success. During their first
six years in the league from 1950-1955 the Browns made the NFL
Championship game every year and they won the title three times.
5. Detroit Lions 35 Chicago Cardinals 17, September 19, 1943
Helmets Become Mandatory
Although these teams both finished near the bottom of the standings
in 1943, they embarked upon a historic game to open the 1943 season.
This was the first year in which helmets became mandatory equipment
in the league for all players.
Recently we have seen a rise in the number of concussions sustained
during games and even players having to retire because they get
repeated head injuries. It is hard to imagine what would happen if
the players who play in the NFL now played without helmets. Let’s
just say it is quite frightening to think of such a thing. The
equipment in the NFL has become better and better as the years have
passed but the helmet still remains as the most innovative safety
feature the NFL has employed.
4. Cleveland Browns 31 New York Jets 21, September 21, 1970
Monday Night Football is Born
Monday Night Football is a sports institution that is going strong
and will be embarking upon its 34th year when the season opens in
September. Before the programs inception, games had been played
sparingly on Monday nights, but in 1970 ABC took a chance to bring
America football in primetime every week.
ABC took the chance because they were behind NBC and CBS in the
ratings and were looking for new wrinkles and twists to gain viewer
ship. ABC used nearly twice as many resources during a Monday Night
Football game, due to the fact that this would be the only game ABC
would cover each week. CBS and NBC would be responsible for dividing
resources between five or six games so ABC pulled out all the stops.
Monday Night Football used a three-man both and gave the game new
camera angles and views which made the public at home feel closer
and more intimate with the action. Monday Night Football was an
instant success and is one of the most popular shows in television
history. Monday Night Football paved the way for cable networks like
ESPN to bring Sunday night and Thursday night games into primetime
as well. Monday Night Football is a program that has had its share
of highs and lows but it remains a fixture in every NFL season.
3. Baltimore Colts 23 New York Giants 17 OT, December 28, 1958
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Many simply call this the greatest game ever played. It was the
first NFL title game to be decided in overtime and the extra session
caused a change in the way the game is played. The lure surrounding
this game grows more and more every year and it is still talked
about nearly 50 years later.
It was a game that was very sloppy at times but there were a lot of
big plays as well. After holding a 14-3 halftime lead, Baltimore
found themselves trailing 17-14 with 2 minutes remaining. Baltimore
quarterback Johnny Unitas lead the Colts down the field on a drive
that ended with a 20-yard field goal to tie the score at 17-17 with
just :07 seconds left in regulation. After the Giants punted in
overtime, Unitas lead another long Colts drive that ended in Alan
Ameche scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Colts the
title. If you are a football fan you have probably seen the image of
Ameche scoring from 1-yard out, it is thought to be the most
recognizable image in NFL history and is one of the most popular
sports photographs of all-time.
The drama of overtime really helped the NFL and ratings for the 1959
season went through the roof. Many sports historians actually debate
as to whether this was the greatest game ever played, but it was one
of the most important for the league and in came in what many refer
to as the Golden Era of Sports (late 50’s to mid 60’s).
2. Chicago Bears 9 Portsmouth Spartans 0, December 18, 1932
First Championship Game
Again the score would indicate this was a snooze-fest, in fact all 9
points were scored in the fourth quarter. But this game was very
important to the NFL for a number of reasons.
When the NFL was formed in 1920 the champion was determined by who
had the best winning percentage. Teams would sprout up in different
areas every year, there was no set schedule, or now limit to the
minimum or maximum number of games a team could play.
In 1932 the NFL took a new approach, schedules were formed, stable
ownership and cities were targeted to put teams in place for a
number of years and a Championship Game would be played to determine
the winner of the NFL Title. These measures made the general fan
look at the NFL in a whole different light. Up until 1932 football
was popular but it was thought of as a recreational sport. With the
rule changes in 1932 the league had a new level of credibility and
suddenly Major League Baseball had a rival in popularity.
1.New York Jets 16 Baltimore Colts 7, Super Bowl III, January 12,
1969
“The Guarantee” and a New Look for the NFL
When many people think of Super Bowl III a few notable things come
to mind. Joe Namath made his famous “guarantee” that the AFL
Champion New York Jets would defeat the Baltimore Colts. The Colts
were the Champions of the NFL and at 15-1 they were considered to be
one of the best teams ever assembled. The Colts came into the game
as 19-point favorites to win the title.
When the Super Bowl was first started a few seasons earlier it would
pit the NFL Champion against the Champion of the AFL (American
Football League). The AFL was growing in popularity but it wasn’t
considered to be on the same level as the NFL. In the first two
Super Bowls the NFL Champion Green Bay Packers had disposed of the
AFL Champion Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in convincing
fashion. This game wasn’t supposed to be close and it turned out to
be one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
The Jets won the game of course as shock and disbelief came over the
nation. Many thought an AFL team winning the title game was a fluke
but in Super Bowl IV they won again as the Kansas City Chiefs
defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7. Suddenly the AFL wasn’t
inferior and talk of a joint venture was swirling everywhere. In
fact by the time Super Bowl V was played there was no longer an AFL.
The two leagues merged for the 1970 season and the groundwork was
laid for the NFL that you see today. Instead of the AFL playing the
NFL in the Super Bowl, conferences were formed with different
divisions. Now the AFC (American Football Conference) would play the
NFC (National Football Conference) for the title, a format still
used to this day.
What started out as a shocking upset turned out to be a huge triumph
for the NFL as the league expanded from 16 to 28 teams. The
blueprints of this merger can still be seen in the NFL today and
will remain to be seen for years to come.
