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#1. It Gave The AFL Credibility
The AFL hoped the 1969 Super Bowl would be different. The last two Super Bowls were dominated by the NFL and the Green Bay Packers.
Most sports writers believed the AFL to be an inferior league and thought Green Bay saw stiffer competition against other NFL teams they played in the playoffs leading up to the 1967 and 1968 Super Bowls.
The Jets' victory over what was believed to be the superior team gave the AFL a boost in credibility and would eventually lead the two leagues to merge into what is now known to be the NFL with two major conferences.
#2. Joe Namath Made A Guarantee
Right up there with Babe Ruth calling his shot in the 1932 World Series is the Joe Namath guarantee in the 1969 Super Bowl.
The irony of the guarantee is that Namath probably does not make it if he had not been drinking. However, three days prior to the big game, a hammer Joe Namath appeared before the Miami Touchdown Club and said:
We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it
His coach was furious, and the Colts were itching to make him pay for the statement. Now, it's viewed as one of the greatest moments in Super Bowl history.
#3. Joe Namath Was Named MVP Despite Not Scoring A Touchdown
Joe Namath was named MVP despite not participating in a scoring play. He threw for over 200 yards and kept the Colt's defense on the field, and after a touchdown run by Matt Snell and three made field goals, the Jets held a 16 - 0 lead at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Namath became the first player in Super Bowl history to win the MVP without throwing a touchdown or participating in any scoring play.
#4. Johnny Unitas Came Off The Bench To Try And Spark A Comeback
Johnny Unitas had suffered a terrible injury the previous season and never recovered from it. When the 1968 season began, his backup Earl Morrall would start the season and lead the Colts to a 13 - 1 record.
Morrall would also win the NFL MVP that season, but his fortunes would turn in the Super Bowl when he threw three interceptions.
In a desperate move, the Colts turned to Johnny Unitas to provide a miracle comeback. Unitas would come off the bench and score one touchdown, but that would be all, as the Colts would fall to the AFL Jets.
#5. The Jets And Colts Will Never Play In A Super Bowl Again
The New York Jets were part of the upstart AFL, while the Baltimore Colts were part of the older NFL. The two leagues would reorganize the teams, and the Colts and Jets would both end up in the AFC.
This is currently the only Super Bowl that can never see a rematch. The Colts would eventually leave Baltimore and head to Indianapolis.
Baltimore would receive the Ravens, but they, too, would be in the AFC, which meant that the Jets would never play another Baltimore team in the Super Bowl.
#6. Don Shula Coached The Colts
Don Shula's name is synonymous with the Miami Dolphins. He won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins, including the famous undefeated season.
However, his first Super Bowl appearance was not with the Dolphins but with the Baltimore Colts.
He would go on to coach the Colts one more year after the Super Bowl loss and then move on to the Dolphins in 1970.