This is a companion piece to another fan fiction project I have been writing for a while now on another forum. I felt like it would be very interesting to spin that project around and examine what this alternate universe would have looked like from this perspective of the NFL. You won’t really need to know about the other project to enjoy or understand this, in fact I feel like you would be better off not knowing about the other project since it would be a major spoiler for this one and how it plays out. But it’s out there and I’m sure most of you probably know about it anyways. But just a disclaimer I plan on posting this almost exclusively from my IPhone so it won’t be as in depth as I would like for it to be.

This whole alternate history begins in the immediate aftermath of Super Bowl III in January 1969 but before we get to that let’s take a look at the events that led up to that game and the context surrounding it. The NFL was formed in 1920 and had very humble beginnings as like a ragtag renegade sports league that didn’t have anywhere near the respect or credibility of Major League Baseball, Boxing, or even horse racing. College football was a far bigger deal and the idea of washed up old dudes playing football for money for some reason just didn’t have the same prestige. But due to some major college football stars like Red Grange and Ernie Nevers going pro with the NFL it eventually grew in spectacle to become a much bigger deal. The NFL got strong enough to survive the Great Depression of the 1930’s, World War II in the 1940’s, and even took on another rival startup league in the All American Football Conference, which went head to head with the NFL from 1946 until it was bought out after the 1949 season. The NFL put the AAFC away and absorbed its best teams, the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers in 1950. By the end of the 1950’s the NFL exploded on television and everything changed, pro football became an American obsession.

Due to the success of the NFL on TV in the end of the 1950’s and the strong demand for more football on television this led to the launch of a new rival league, the American Football League. The AFL took off In 1960 with the original 8 teams being the Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Titans, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Boston Patriots, and Dallas Texans. The AFL struggled at first but by 1963 they built a distinct identity that was different enough from the NFL that they were able to carve their own niche in the sports world. The AFL became a serious threat to the NFL when they signed a $36 million dollar deal with NBC in 1964 and this really kicked the war between the two rival leagues into overdrive. The leagues battled over veteran talent and rookies coming out of college. Raiders owner Al Davis was appointed as new commissioner of the AFL and Davis wanted to take on the NFL head on. Under Al Davis leadership as AFL commissioner the league made aggressive moves to raid the NFL of their star players. While Davis had ambitious plans for the AFL to make a move on the NFL there was a series of secret meetings going on behind his back in 1965, meetings that eventually laid the groundwork for a merger between the two leagues. Al Davis was furious when the announcement was made that the NFL and AFL would merge in 1970, with a common college draft and an annual NFL vs AFL World Championship to take place starting in 1966.

The story goes that Al Davis resigned as AFL commissioner in the aftermath of the merger announcement. Davis was furious about the terms of the merger, the AFL had to give back all the star players they had raided from the NFL and AFL teams had to pay millions of dollars in damages “reparations” to the NFL over a 20 year period. Al Davis felt like the AFL gave up all their momentum and had the NFL right where they wanted them going into 1966. As it stands the NFL dominated the AFL in the first 2 Super Bowls, the NFL’s Packers beat up the AFL’s Chiefs 35-10 in Super Bowl I following the 1966 seasons and then they manhandled the AFL’s Raiders 33-14 in Super Bowl II following the 1967 seasons. Going into Super Bow III nobody gave the AFL’s New York Jets a chance against the NFL Champion Baltimore Colts. The Colts went 13-1 and dismantled the only team to beat them all year 34-0 in the NFL Championship Game. The New York Jets were 18 point underdogs going into Super Bowl III. This alternate history begins with that game and takes a look at what if Al Davis didn’t give up his fight for control of the AFL….

January 12th, 1969

In a shocking upset the AFL’s 1968 Champion New York Jets took down the NFL’s 1968 Champion Baltimore Colts, the team many considered the greatest team in NFL history. The Jets superstar quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed victory in the build up to the game but the Jets were expected to fold the same way the AFL’s Chiefs and Raiders did against the NFL in the first 2 Super Bowls. New York was 18 point underdogs going into the game and many experts believed the AFL was several years away from being able to be competitive against the NFL. The Jets stunned the Colts with a 16-7 victory at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida in what will go down as the greatest upset in sports history.

Just as shocking as what happened on the field on Sunday was what unfolded in the post game press conference after the game. Super Bowl III MVP and the AFL’s biggest star Joe Namath threw down the Super Bowl trophy and turned the pro football world on its head when he announced that the AFL was officially backing out of the merger with the NFL. Namath listed off NFL legends Jim Thorpe, Red Grange, George Halas, Sammy Baugh, Bronko Nagurski, Don Hutson, and Vince Lombardi and stated “They can all kiss my ass”. Namath derided the NFL as an old, racist, boring, outdated league before raising the AFL Championship trophy and proclaiming it as the true World Championship of pro football.

The shocking events that happened on that fateful Sunday made National headline news. Just 48 hours later the AFL hosted an official press conference to announce that they had indeed decided to back out of the planned merger with the NFL that was scheduled to happen in 1970. A flurry of lawsuits ensued and the entire American public became enamored in the day to day soap opera that built up between the 2 leagues going into their respective 1969 seasons.

In this alternate history Al Davis does not step down as AFL commissioner, he holds his position through the 1968 season. During his time he manages to pull off a coup, winning over a majority of AFL owners that back him and build momentum to forcefully take over total control of the AFL in the build up to Super Bowl III. With the AFL’s upset over the NFL in Super Bowl III they carry that momentum and seize their moment to make a bold move to back out of the merger in a way that generates a whirlwind of controversy and publicity. This sets the stage for the 1969 AFL and NFL seasons, which play out on the fields identical to what happened in real life. Both leagues attempt to back out of Super Bowl IV but the TV networks threaten massive lawsuits on both leagues, forcing the game to happen. Super Bowl IV still happens but only this time it’s the final ever NFL vs AFL game to ever be played and the highest stakes game of pro football ever played….

This already feels as great as if not even more epic than your old UFC rebook.

Joe Namath as Shane Douglas is perfect booking.

But it also ensures I'll be Team NFL because Broadway Joe can go kick rocks. Overrated hack who I was taught to hate from a young age. Older folks around here still held a grudge against Namath when I was growing up in the 80s & 90s. Come to think of it, my mom STILL gets angry when she sees his old ass in commercials shilling....arthritis medicine(?)  :lol:  And I reckon my dad would have an even stronger negative reaction. #ColtsShouldHaveWon

I thought about what if the Raiders beat the Jets in the 68 AFL Championship Game and then went on to upset the Colts in Super Bowl III, this would have made Al Davis even more powerful and made this a bit more realistic. The Raiders were leading the Jets in that game in the 4th quarter but Namath came through with the clutch touchdown pass to take out the Raiders. I wonder if Oakland had stopped him how they would have done in Super Bowl III against Baltimore. The Colts dominated Oakland in the 1970 AFC Championship but that was 2 years later I think it would have been different had they played in Super Bowl III. I think that was just the AFL’s year, no matter if it was the Jets, or the Raiders, or the Chiefs that Colts team would have choked against either of those teams I think. What do you think?

Jul 25, 2021 20:39:57 GMT 🤯 said:

This already feels as great as if not even more epic than your old UFC rebook.

Man that was a great time I hate that that project disappeared into the black hole of old PW 

Jul 26, 2021 1:45:25 GMT Neo Zeed said:

Jul 25, 2021 20:39:57 GMT 🤯 said:

This already feels as great as if not even more epic than your old UFC rebook.

Man that was a great time I hate that that project disappeared into the black hole of old PW 

Tyson vs. Shamrock, man. The stuff dreams are made of!

Jul 26, 2021 1:44:07 GMT Neo Zeed said:

The Colts dominated Oakland in the 1970 AFC Championship but that was 2 years later I think it would have been different had they played in Super Bowl III. I think that was just the AFL’s year, no matter if it was the Jets, or the Raiders, or the Chiefs that Colts team would have choked against either of those teams I think. What do you think?

This is the story I choose to believe... www.ibtimes.com/bubba-smith-always-alleged-69-super-bowl-was-fixed-823441

As if I am going to doubt the legendary Spare Tire Dixon.

How else to explain Earl Morrall's sudden transformation from NFL MVP into Kyle Boller? What other explanation is there for Morrall missing a wide open Jimmy Orr in the end zone? I mean, you'd NEVER see a superstar QB like Patrick Mahomes lay an egg in the biggest game of the year nowadays, amirite?  :suspic:

Jul 26, 2021 3:10:38 GMT Baker said:

Jul 26, 2021 1:44:07 GMT Neo Zeed said:

The Colts dominated Oakland in the 1970 AFC Championship but that was 2 years later I think it would have been different had they played in Super Bowl III. I think that was just the AFL’s year, no matter if it was the Jets, or the Raiders, or the Chiefs that Colts team would have choked against either of those teams I think. What do you think?

This is the story I choose to believe... www.ibtimes.com/bubba-smith-always-alleged-69-super-bowl-was-fixed-823441

As if I am going to doubt the legendary Spare Tire Dixon.

How else to explain Earl Morrall's sudden transformation from NFL MVP into Kyle Boller? What other explanation is there for Morrall missing a wide open Jimmy Orr in the end zone? I mean, you'd NEVER see a superstar QB like Patrick Mahomes lay an egg in the biggest game of the year nowadays, amirite?  :suspic:

Wow never heard that before. My uncle always swore that the Bills vs Oilers 92 comeback was fixed/thrown gambling conspiracy. I forgot you were a Baltimore guy. In the highlight film Earl Morrall looks so weird like he shit his pants or something, some of the faces he was making were not natural.

But look closer and Don Shula was one of the biggest choke artists in football history, the 64 Colts getting hammered by Cleveland in the NFL Championship was really a nice preview of Super Bowl III. The 67 loss to the Rams that eliminated the 11-1-2 Colts from the playoffs was another big one. Then he wins 2 Super Bowls with the Dolphins but look at his track record after that, one huge monumental choke job after another, the Sea Of Hands in 74, the losses to Houston in 78-79, the 81 Chargers playoff game, Super Bowl XVII and XIX, the 85 AFC Championship, missing the playoffs 4 years in a row 86-89 with the best QB in the league, the 92 AFC Championship loss at home to an injured beat up Bills team, the 94 collapse in San Diego giving up a 21-6 lead. I think that Colts team was just destined to choke in Super Bowl III no matter who they played, that game was a trap. Their NFL Championship revenge win over Cleveland was an emotional dump for that team so Super Bowl III I don’t think was as big a deal, the way the Packers rolled over better AFL teams in the first 2 Super Bowls made it look easy. I think that Colts team went into Super Bowl III like it was a bonus All Star Game that didn’t really matter too much. Meanwhile the AFL reached a new level by 68 the top teams had really gotten very good.

I was mostly joking about the conspiracy theory stuff. Hence that little Patrick Mahomes bit at the end.

Biggest sports conspiracy theorist I ever knew was my friend Matt The IRS Fan. He was convinced the NBA was rigged in the 90s. Likely because us Knicks fans had to come up with some way to justify our team always failing in the playoffs.

Jul 26, 2021 10:49:51 GMT Neo Zeed said:

I think that Colts team went into Super Bowl III like it was a bonus All Star Game that didn’t really matter too much. 

This is the only part of your well-researched post I strongly disagree with. In the beginning, sure. I can buy it. But it was on after Namath made the guarantee. If anything, the Colts would have went overboard in practice leaving them exhausted for the big game. Surely a fellow Super Sunday fan such as yourself remembers Bill Curry talking about how "Shula had to call off the dogs" in the greatest football documentary ever made...



I see the No Fun League is being a bunch of petty bastards so just click the "Watch On Youtube" link and skip ahead to 11:40.

Jul 26, 2021 18:39:34 GMT Baker said:

I was mostly joking about the conspiracy theory stuff. Hence that little Patrick Mahomes bit at the end.

Biggest sports conspiracy theorist I ever knew was my friend Matt The IRS Fan. He was convinced the NBA was rigged in the 90s. Likely because us Knicks fans had to come up with some way to justify our team always failing in the playoffs.

Jul 26, 2021 10:49:51 GMT Neo Zeed said:

I think that Colts team went into Super Bowl III like it was a bonus All Star Game that didn’t really matter too much. 

This is the only part of your well-researched post I strongly disagree with. In the beginning, sure. I can buy it. But it was on after Namath made the guarantee. If anything, the Colts would have went overboard in practice leaving them exhausted for the big game. Surely a fellow Super Sunday fan such as yourself remembers Bill Curry talking about how "Shula had to call off the dogs" in the greatest football documentary ever made...



I see the No Fun League is being a bunch of petty bastards so just click the "Watch On Youtube" link and skip ahead to 11:40.

Do you think that Colts team would have lost to Daryl Lamonica, Ben Davidson and that 68 Raiders team?

Jul 27, 2021 14:05:02 GMT Neo Zeed said:

Jul 26, 2021 18:39:34 GMT Baker said:

Do you think that Colts team would have lost to Daryl Lamonica, Ben Davidson and that 68 Raiders team?

Looking over the AFL team stats real quick, and considering the Jets beat the Colts, I'd have to say "yes" since the Raiders were a better team than the Jets on paper. 

Super Bowl IV Final Score:

Kansas City Chiefs 23
Minnesota Vikings 7

The American Football League delivered a crushing blow to the National Football League in Super Bowl IV when the Kansas City Chiefs destroyed the Minnesota Vikings 23-7. Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson was awarded the MVP award and the AFL Championship trophy was hoisted in the air by the Chiefs in the dressing room after the game. The Vikings traditional NFL power style was a weak match for the AFL's advanced offence run by Hank Stram. The AFL over the past decade has been a testing ground for new ideas. The Chiefs ran the table and won a second strait Super Bowl title for the AFL, proving that the AFL was on equal footing with the NFL as the premier league in pro football.

All of the AFL owners were present for the game and delivered a joint press conference afterward stating that they were united against the NFL and that the merger is not going to happen. The AFL vs NFL Championship game was only originally signed up through the 69 season, the future of the Super Bowl is uncertain going forward. As it stands both the AFL and NFL are set to play separate schedules in separate leagues in 1970, there is no merger, nobody knows if there will be another Super Bowl, the war rages on in courts. Welcome to 1970 motherfucker...

Hey man I have been working on a fan fiction project since 2015 called AFL Full Color Football it's an alternate universe where the AFL lives on to modern times the merger with the NFL never happens. This has been a project that I put a lot of work into so it kills me that the forum it has been on for 7 years is about to shut down for good on October 1st. I'm going to try to transfer the whole thing over here to keep it alive. I'm going to work this thread up to a point and carry it over into the AFL's own thread. So heads up if I'm posting a lot of stuff over the next 2 weeks I'm trying to get all this over here before October 1st.

Timeline

March 23rd-29th, 1970


The NFL holds a press conference with commissioner Pete Rozelle announcing that the NFL will continue on with their 1970 season without any relationship with the American Football League after the AFL breached their end of the merger deal and went back on the reparations money they were set to pay the NFL franchises. There will be no Super Bowl or any NFL vs AFL World Championship, instead the NFL Championship Game will be held between the two best NFL teams at the end of the 1970 season. The NFL will maintain the same 4 division format for the 16 teams that they used in 1967, 68, and 69 seasons. 

The AFL responded just six days later with a press conference of their own. AFL commissioner Al Davis along with league founder Lamar Hunt and several other of the original 8 team owners aka "The Foolish Clcub" hosted the press conference. Davis told the press that the AFL had the NFL right where they wanted them and that there was no reason to pay reparations to the NFL teams as originally agreed upon. Al Davis closed his speech saying "There will be no compromise with the NFL, this war is not over". Lamar Hunt took over the press conference and said that the AFL would continue on through the 1970 season and that the AFL Championship at the end of the season will be the true World Championship of professional football, citing that the last two Super Bowl's proved that the AFL was not only on equal footing with the NFL, but the AFL was better than the NFL. Lamar Hunt said that the NFL had grown stale and was stuck in their ways, while the AFL revolutionized the sport and will continue to push it to the next level as they are in negotiations with ABC for a Monday Night primetime weekly game!


April 1st-May 28th 1970


The AFL fired serious shots in their ongoing war with the NFL by stealing some it's best players away, including the AFL's Buffalo Bills signed the 1969 NFL MVP quarterback Roman Gabriel to a huge contract that shook the entire landscape of pro football. Roman won NFL MVP honors in his 8th season with the LA Rams in 1969 by throwing for 24 touchdown passes and going 11-3 as a starter.  The AFL talent raid was deep across the NFL this Spring, with the AFL's Houston Oilers signing arguably the NFL's greatest Tight End in league history Mike Ditka. The Bengals signed away the NFL's all pro safety Larry Wilson from the St. Louis Cardinals. The Miami Dolphins stole away Cleveland Browns receiver Paul Warfield while the Boston Patriots stole away Charley Taylor one of the best receivers in the NFL with their Washington Redskins. These signings come at a crucial time with television contracts being negotiated between ABC network and both leagues. 


May 30th, 1970


ABC announces a shocking move that had been building up all Spring when they revealed the debut of AFL Monday Night Football starting with the 1970 season. The contract was a monumental victory for the AFL over the NFL with ABC set to begin airing primetime games on network television on a weekly basis for the first time. The NFL looks to counter the move by signing a deal to go head to head on Monday Nights with the AFL but Networks scoffed at the idea and negotiations never materialized. The press conference was held in New York with AFL owners and their star acquisition quarterback Roman Gabriel present to celebrate and promote the new deal. 


June 30th, 1970


In perhaps one of the most critical court rulings in the ongoing litigation between the AFL and NFL took place this Summer when federal courts rule in favor of Lamar Hunt and the AFL in their battle for the rights to use the term "Super Bowl" for the AFL Championship game. The courts awarded Hunt and the AFL the rights since it was his idea in the first place. The AFL announced shortly after the victory that the Super Bowl would indeed live on without any NFL involvement, with Super Bowl V being set for the conclusion of the 1970 AFL season between the two AFL Conference Champions. The NFL issued a statement shortly after the loss in courts saying that they will go head to head with the AFL's Super Bowl with their NFL Championship game at the end of the 1970 season. Pete Rozell was famously quoted by the media saying that the AFL's Super Bowl can't compare to the history and lineage of the NFL Championship Game that goes back to 1932.


September 3rd, 1970


The NFL loses one of it's all time legends when Vince Lombardi passes away at the age of 57 after a struggle with cancer. NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced shortly after Lombardi's death that the NFL Championship trophy would be named after him in his honor. Weeks later it was announced that the NFL Championship game would now be called the "Vince Lombardi Memorial NFL Championship". All AFL and NFL games on opening day of their 1970 season held a moment of silence to honor one of the true icons of the sport...

1970 NFL Standings




1970 NFL MVP: John Brodie(Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers) 3,066 yards, 25 tds 11 ints


Capitol Division

Dallas Cowboys 10-4
Washington Redskins 6-8
Philadelphia Eagles 3-10
New Orleans Saints 2-11-1


Century Division

New York Giants 10-4
Cleveland Browns 8-6
St. Louis Cardinals 6-7-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 5-9


Coastal Division

Baltimore Colts 11-2-1
San Francisco 49ers 10-3-1
Los Angeles Rams 7-6-1
Atlanta Falcons 4-8-2


Central Division

Minnesota Vikings 12-2
Detroit Lions 10-4
Green Bay Packers 6-8
Chicago Bears 6-8


NFL Divisional Playoffs
 Dallas Cowboys 17 @ New York Giants 3
 Baltimore Colts 10 @ Minnesota Vikings 3


NFL 1970 Vince Lombardi Memorial Championship Game
The Cotton Bowl(Dallas, TX), January 17th 1971

  vs
Dallas Cowboys 13 vs Baltimore Colts 16

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	F
Cowboys	3	10	0	0	13
Colts	0	6	0	10	16

1970 NFL Season Recap

The NFL seemed to be a snake bitten league in 1970, a once proud professional league seemed on the ropes after the death of the patriarch head coach Vince Lombardi at the start of the regular season. The NFL's most dynamic phenom runner Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears also went down with a potentially career threatening knee injury early in the season. All of this after the NFL was thoroughly defeated in the court rooms, contract negotiations, and television ratings by the upstart rival AFL. The AFL's historic debut on ABC primetime network television on Monday Night Football dwarfed TV ratings for even the biggest NFL games in 1970. Prior to the season the deal between AFL and ABC materialized after an aggressive talent raid that seen the AFL take some of the NFL's biggest stars, including superstar NFL MVP quarterback Roman Gabriel. All of this led to an attendance drop from record highs the league experienced in 1969 on the hype of the merger with the AFL that failed to materialize. 

Nevertheless the NFL soldiered on through it's 51st season in 1970 and it was a fiercely competitive season fought out until the bitter end. The league's MVP was 49ers veteran quarterback John Brodie, who proved to be the best passer in either league. The Minnesota Vikings failed to defend their NFL title with new quarterback Gary Cuazzo, but still the "Purple People Eaters" defensive line swallowed up ball carriers across the league en route to a 12-2 record. The Vikings offense fell short in the playoffs and the league's best team in the regular season lost at home to the Baltimore Colts in the Divisional round.

The Giants sensational scrambling quarterback Fran Tarkenton led New York to a division title but he was completely shut down in the playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys Doomsday Defense. John Brodie and receiver Gene Washington were the most lethal offensive duo in the league in 1970 but they failed to get the 49ers past the mighty defense of the division foe Baltimore Colts, settling for 2nd place.

The Dallas Cowboys have earned the reputation as the NFL's perpetual bridesmaids and the team that cant win the big one after falling short in back to back NFL Championship Games in 1966 and 1967, followed by crushing playoff losses in 1968 and 1969. It seemed as if Tom Landry's squad was poised to finally break through in 1970, their defense led by Bob Lilly dominated the league and crushed the Giants to earn a trip to the NFL Championship Game. Dallas would fall short once again in heartbreaking fashion in the 1970 NFL title game when they were iced on the final play by a game winning field goal that gave the Colts the 16-13 victory.

For the Baltimore Colts, their 1970 NFL Championship winning season was bittersweet. The entire state of the NFL today can be traced back to the Colts loss to the AFL's Jets in Super Bowl III just 2 years ago. From there it's been a snowball effect for the NFL, the AFL is now seen as equal to the NFL and has become a major threat. The Colts were able to dominate the NFL in the 1970 regular season with strong defense and veteran leadership from the old master Johnny Unitas back in the starting role. The Colts win over Dallas to capture the 1970 NFL title just wasn't enough to erase their bitter disappointment in Super Bowl III. The NFL Championship game itself went head to head on network television with the AFL's Super Bowl V and was a major crushing blow to the NFL. The NFL's Championship Game between Baltimore and Dallas was one of the sloppiest and most mistake and penalty ridden games in Championship history, and television ratings dropped in favor of the AFL's more entertaining Super Bowl V as the NFL's "Blunder Bowl" progressed.

1970 AFL Standings




1970 AFL MVP: Daryle Lamonica(Quarterback, Oakland Raiders) 2,716 yards, 24 tds 13 ints


Eastern Division
Miami Dolphins 11-3
New York Jets 6-8
Houston Oilers 5-9
Buffalo Bills 4-10
Boston Patriots 4-10

Western Division
Cincinnati Bengals 10-4
Oakland Raiders 9-5
Kansas City Chiefs 8-5-1
San Diego Chargers 5-8-1
Denver Broncos 5-9


AFL Divisional Playoffs
NY Jets 0 @ Cincinnati Bengals 21
Oakland Raiders 21 @ Miami Dolphins 14



vs
Cincinnati Bengals vs Oakland Raiders 

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	F
Bengals	3	10	0	0	13
Raiders	14	3	7	14	38

Super Bowl V MVP:
Daryle Lamonica(406 passing yards, 4 TD passes)

1970 AFL Season Recap

The AFL made huge strides in their war against the NFL in the 1970 season, the biggest blow being the launch of AFL Monday Night Football on ABC, which proved to be a massive ratings success unequaled by the NFL. AFL became the talk of the pro football world with a more colorful, wide open style of football, with more action and more personality compared to the NFL. The NFL would go head to head with the AFL Super Bowl with the 1970 NFL Championship game but it turned out to be a disaster as the Cowboys and Colts played a very sloppy game that was riddled with turnovers and mistakes. Sports writers penned the NFL Championship game as "The Blunder Bowl" even though it came down to a dramatic field goal finish, the AFL Champion Raiders were praised for being a better overall team than the NFL's Colts, winning their AFL Championship game in much more convincing fashion, washing away their bitter defeat to the NFL's Packers in Super Bowl II back 3 years ago. Raiders MVP quarterback Daryle Lamonica, AKA "The Mad Bomber" became a national sports hero on January 17th as his aerial passing attack stole ratings away from the NFL Championship Game through the night. Lamonica's performance was hailed as the greatest passing performance by far in each of the 5 Super Bowl games played so far. 

1971 Pro Football Offseason News & Notes

NFL's all time greatest Jim Brown leads Hall of Fame induction class of '71

Just as the NFL seemed down and out the league had a proud moment this Summer with the induction of Jim Brown into the NFL Hall Of Fame. Jim Brown is generally regarded to be the greatest all around player in NFL history and set all new career and single season records throughout his historic career. Jim Brown walked away from the sport in 1966 in his prime at the age of 30 after 9 years in the NFL.


AFL's Houston Oilers steal NFL MVP John Brodie from NFL

The Houston Oilers pulled off the most shocking move early in the offseason when they stole away the NFL's MVP and arguably the best all around quarterback in either league when they inked San Francisco 49ers passer John Brodie to a 5 year contract this February. The move was considered a major coup for the AFL and a sign that the league is gaining momentum at a shocking pace in their ongoing war with the NFL.


AFL wins bidding war for top draft picks of '71

The war for top draft picks in the 1971 draft was won by the AFL as the Denver Broncos outbid the New Orleans Saints to sign star quarterback Archie Manning out of Mississippi. The Cincinnati Bengals signed away power running back John Brockington while he was negotiating to sign with the NFL's Green Bay Packers. The Boston Patriots signed quarterback Jim Plunkett after drafting him 1st overall in the AFL draft.

1971 Pro Football Offseason News & Notes

NFL Legend Jim Brown Comes Out Of Retirement To Sign With AFL's Oakland Raiders

In one of the craziest twists in the ongoing war between the rival NFL and AFL the all time leader in NFL rushing yards Jim Brown has come out of retirement to sign with the AFL's Oakland Raiders just 5 days after being inducted and honored by the NFL's Hall Of Fame. Raiders owner Al Davis pulled off the shocking signing and held a press conference just 48 hours later in southern California with the legendary runner that is widely considered the greatest player at any position in NFL history. Even though Jim Brown at 35 years old has been retired for 5 years he retired in peak physical shape and never missed a game in his 9 year career in the NFL.

1971 NFL Standings




1971 NFL MVP: Alan Page(DT, Vikings) Leader of defense that led NFL for 3rd season in a row in '71


Capitol Division

Dallas Cowboys 12-2
Washington Redskins 8-5
Philadelphia Eagles 6-7-1
New Orleans Saints 4-8-2


Century Division

Cleveland Browns 9-5
Pittsburgh Steelers 6-8
St. Louis Cardinals 4-9-1
New York Giants 4-10


Coastal Division

Baltimore Colts 12-2
Atlanta Falcons 7-5-1
Los Angeles Rams 7-7
San Francisco 49ers 6-8


Central Division

Minnesota Vikings 12-2
Detroit Lions 8-5-1
Chicago Bears 6-8
Green Bay Packers 4-8-2


NFL Divisional Playoffs
Minnesota Vikings 7 at Baltimore Colts 14
Cleveland Browns 10 at Dallas Cowboys 27

NFL 1971 Vince Lombardi Memorial Championship Game
Baltimore Memorial Stadium(Baltimore, MD), January 16th 1972

  vs
Dallas Cowboys 6 vs Baltimore Colts 0

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	F
Cowboys	3	3	0	0	6
Colts	0	0	0	0	0

1971 NFL Season Recap

The NFL experienced a drop in television ratings and average attendance in 1971 for the second consecutive season as the nation seemingly continues to lose interest in the league. The rival AFL continued to dig into the NFL's market share by stealing away almost all of the top prospects coming out of college prior to the 1971 seasons. The AFL added insult to injury by luring the NFL's all time greatest player Jim Brown out of retirement to play for the Raiders just days after being inducted into the NFL Hall Of Fame. The NFL battled on through the controversy and declining interest to play a remarkable season on the field. 

The 1971 NFL season was all about redemption for the Dallas Cowboys. Head coach Tom Landry finally broke his team through to capture the NFL title that eluded them in heartbreaking losses in the 1966, 1967, and 1970 NFL Championship Games. Landry put his trust in superstar quarterback Roger Staubach, the fastest receiver in pro football Bob Hayes, and his defense led by Bob Lilly, which crushed opponents all season long. After a shaky 1-2 start the Cowboys went all in with Staubach as the starter and rallied to win 11 consecutive games to finish the season tied with an NFL best 12-2 record. The Cowboys easily dispatched the rival Cleveland Browns in the divisional playoff before shutting out the Colts to avenge their loss in last year's NFL title game, and winning their 13th consecutive game in a row. The victory was the crowning of the new kings of the NFL, perhaps the finest NFL Champions since Lombardi's Packers that won Super Bowl II. 

The AFL seems to have swept the momentum away from the NFL with their talent raids of veterans and rookies, but the NFL still has big time play makers and a great collection of young talent to carry the league into the next decade. The stud runners in 1971 were Lions rushing leader Steve Owens, along with Washington's Larry Brown and Cleveland's Leroy Kelly. The NFL's top receiver was San Francisco's Gene Washington, who continued to thrive even with the loss of John Brodie to the AFL prior to the season. On the defensive side the biggest impact player was Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Alan Page. Page led another stifling defensive effort from the Vikings in 1971 with a dominant 12-2 crusade that earned him NFL MVP honors. The Vikings dominated the NFL for the 3rd regular season in a row but once again fell short against the Colts in the playoffs in a bruising defensive stalemate. 

The NFL decided once again to schedule their NFL Championship Game head to head against the AFL's Super Bowl game, and this year's result was even more disastrous and damaging than last year's "Blunder Bowl". This year's rematch of the Colts vs Cowboys ended up being an even sloppier, more boring affair than their Blunder Bowl in last year's NFL Championship Game. Ratings plummeted through the second half as Dallas held onto a 6-0 lead to finally win their first NFL title. Almost all of America switched channels on the boring NFL Championship Game to the double overtime thriller that the AFL's Super Bowl VI turned out to be. 

1971 AFL Standings




1971 AFL MVP: Otis Taylor(WR, Chiefs) 57 receptions, 1,110 yards 7 tds


Eastern Division
Miami Dolphins 11-2-1
Houston Oilers 7-6-1
New England Patriots 6-8
New York Jets 4-10
Buffalo Bills 2-12


Western Division
Kansas City Chiefs 10-3-1
Oakland Raiders 8-5-1
Cincinnati Bengals 6-8
Denver Broncos 5-9
San Diego Chargers 4-10


AFL Playoffs
Houston Oilers 0 @ Kansas City Chiefs 56
Oakland Raiders 17 @ Miami Dolphins 22



January 16th, 1972 Tulane Stadium New Orleans, Louisiana
vs

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	OT2	F
Chiefs	13	0	7	7	0	0	27
Dolphins	0	10	7	10	0	3	30

Super Bowl VI MVP:


Larry Csonka(24 carries, 92 yds, 1 TD)

1971 AFL Season Recap

The turning point in the war between the NFL and AFL came on January 16th 1972 as the AFL's Super Bowl went head to head with the NFL Championship Game. The Chiefs played the Dolphins in the AFL Super Bowl game while the Cowboys took on the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Championship Game in a rematch from "The Blunder Bowl" from last year. The NFL Championship game unfolded as The Blunder Bowl 2, with no offensive touchdowns scored in the entire game. Johnny Unitas threw 3 interceptions as the Colts were shut out 6-0 by the Cowboys, with 2 of Unitas' interceptions being returned to set up Dallas' 2 field goals, their only scores of the game. Ratings dropped as the NFL Championship Game went on because viewers were switching over to the AFL Super Bowl, which turned out to be unquestionably the all time greatest football game in pro football history. The Dolphins and Chiefs battled into double overtime in a long and exciting back and forth affair, with Miami claiming the AFL title on a field goal deep into the 2nd overtime.

Jim Brown's return to pro football with the AFL's Raiders in 1971 generated tremendous hype but Brown was limited to only 6 games due to a hamstring injury. Brown ran the ball only on a limited basis, running the ball 48 times in 6 games for 171 total yards and 2 touchdowns. Outstanding performers in the AFL in 1971 consisted of AFL MVP Otis Taylor, wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs who racked up over 1,000 yards receiving to help the Kansas City Chiefs win their division title. Quarterback John Hadl of the San Diego Chargers threw for 3,075 yards and 21 touchdowns, the best passer in the AFL or NFL. Outstanding young rookie performers included Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett, who took a beating playing behind a busted offensive line but still managed to throw for 19 touchdown passes, second most of any AFL quarterback. Another strong rookie performance came from AFL Rookie of the Year John Brockington, power running back who ran for over 1,300 yards for the Cincinnati Bengals. Floyd Little of the Denver Broncos also ran for over 1,100 rushing yards while outstanding receivers in the AFL included Paul Warfield of Miami and Fred Biletnikof of the Raiders, both catching over 900 receiving yards in 1971.

Outstanding AFL defenders included Ken Houston of the Oilers who brought down 9 interceptions, most in the AFL. The two best defenses in the AFL and perhaps all of pro football in 1971 belonged to the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs fielded 8 AFL All Pro's on defense in 1971, including stands outs such as Curley Culp, Emmitt Thomas, Willie Lanier, Bobby Bell, and Buck Buchanan. Miami's defense was led by Manny Fernandez, Jake Scott, and Nick Buoniconti.

1972 NFL Standings




1972 NFL MVP: Larry Brown(RB, Redskins) NFL's leading rusher in '72 with 1,266 yards.


Capitol Division

Washington Redskins 11-3
Dallas Cowboys 10-4
Philadelphia Eagles 2-11-1
New Orleans Saints 2-11-1


Century Division

Pittsburgh Steelers 11-3
Cleveland Browns 10-4
New York Giants 7-7
St. Louis Cardinals 4-9-1


Coastal Division

Baltimore Colts 8-6
Los Angeles Rams 6-7-1
San Francisco 49ers 6-8
Atlanta Falcons 5-9

Central Division

Green Bay Packers 10-4
Detroit Lions 8-6
Minnesota Vikings 7-7
Chicago Bears 4-8-2


NFL Divisional Playoffs
Baltimore Colts 7 at Washington Redskins 17
Green Bay Packers 3 at Pittsburgh Steelers 24

NFL 1972 Vince Lombardi Memorial Championship Game
Three Rivers Stadium(Pittsburgh, PA), January 13th 1973

  vs
Pittsburgh Steelers 17 vs Washington Redskins 10

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	F
Steelers	3	0	7	7	17
Redskins	0	3	7	0	10

1972 NFL Season Recap

The NFL fought the AFL with traditional hard hitting defense oriented football in 1972. Teams relied on the running game and the defense and scores were low across the league, resulting in a continued decline in ratings and live game attendance. The 1972 seasons marked a turning point in the AFL vs NFL war as NFL average game attendance dropped to it's lowest since 1966, and the AFL beat the NFL in average attendance for the first time. 

While the NFL was able to fend off the aggressive talent raids of the AFL to keep a majority of it's rosters in tact for 1972, the league did lose 2 of it's brightest and best defensive talents when the AFL's New York Jets signed Claude Humphrey away from the Atlanta Falcons, while the Cincinnati Bengals signed away Jimmy Johnson one of the best NFL defensive backs from the 49ers. The loss of Humphrey seemed especially devastating for the struggling Atlanta Falcons franchise in the NFL which experienced one of the biggest drops in attendance. 

On the field it felt like one of the most interesting and wide open seasons in recent NFL history. It was a runaway season for a Cinderella team that had a reputation as one of the notorious losers in NFL history, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers under head coach Chuck Noll have built one of the most amazing young teams in any league in 1972. The Steelers defense was unstoppable with young linemen Joe Greene, LC Greenwood, and Dwight White earning the nickname "The Steel Curtain". The Steelers popularity in Pittsburgh soared as they excelled to an 11-3 record, with almost every player having his own fan club and every game selling out the Steelers led the league in average attendance. Rookie running back Franco Harris had a breakout season with over 1,000 rushing yards and a heroic performance in the NFL Championship Game running for over 116 yards and the critical game tying touchdown run in the second half, followed by the game winning touchdown catch late in the game. 

The other surprise success story was that of head coach George Allen's rag tag "Over The Hill" gang in Washington, the Redskins. Allen assembled an aging cast of mostly former players that gave everything they had for him when he coached them with the LA Rams in the 1960's. The Redskins offense was built around the explosive runner Larry Brown, who ran away with NFL MVP honors as the best offensive weapon in the league. George Allen's Redskins upset the defending NFL Champion Dallas Cowboys to develop one of the fiercest rivalries in pro football. Washington captured their division and handled the Colts in the playoffs to advance to the NFL Championship where they put up a tough battle against Pittsburgh. At first it seemed like Washington's experience was no match for Pittsburgh's youth, but Pittsburgh's defense and the running of Franco Harris killed Washington's dreams of their first NFL title since the Sammy Baugh days. 

The future of the NFL is beginning to look scary as the league's collapse has come along at a shocking pace. The AFL has seemingly eclipsed the NFL in popularity and the next offseason could shape the future of the NFL going forward. The NFL ended the 1972 season on a high note crowning a new young team as the Champion in Pittsburgh after an exciting title game. The NFL after being embarrassed by the AFL the last 2 years decided to move the 1972 Championship Game to the Saturday before the AFL's Super Bowl. Ratings for the Steelers vs Redskins Championship Game were the lowest for an NFL Championship Game or Super Bowl since the early 1960's. 
 

1972 AFL Standings




1972 AFL MVP: Dick Anderson & Jake Scott(Defensive backs, Dolphins) Co-MVP's, key elements of dominant 13-1 Dolphins defense


Eastern Division
Miami Dolphins 13-1
New York Jets 8-6
Buffalo Bills 5-9
Houston Oilers 4-10
New England Patriots 3-11

Western Division
Oakland Raiders 10-4
Kansas City Chiefs 9-5
Cincinnati Bengals 8-6
Denver Broncos 7-7
San Diego Chargers 2-12


AFL Playoffs
Kansas City Chiefs 0 @ Miami Dolphins 14
New York Jets 10 @ Oakland Raiders 27



January 14th 1973 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California


vs
Miami Dolphins 21 vs Oakland Raiders 7

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	F
Dolphins	7	0	7	7	21
Raiders	0	0	7	0	7

Super Bowl VII MVP:


Jake Scott(1 int, 1 TD)

1972 AFL Season Recap

The tide of the AFL vs NFL war began to turn in the AFL's favor in 1972 as they dominated the NFL in the television ratings and live gate attendance numbers across the board for the first time in the ongoing 12 year war between the 2 leagues. The stamp on the season was the AFL's Miami Dolphins stating their claim as the undisputed best team in professional football with a dominant 15-1 season to capture their 2nd consecutive Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Trophy in a row. The Dolphins were coached by Don Shula and led by backup quarterback Earl Morrall for most of the year. Miami depended on the running of Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris while their defense was one of the best the AFL had ever seen. The Dolphins defense was anchored by defensive backs Dick Anderson and Jake Scott, who both would earn co-MVP honors for the 1972 season for their near perfect play. Miami started the season off with a 13-0 win streak before finishing their season in a rematch against the Chiefs in the season finale in Kansas City. With the Dolphins already having 1st place locked up and the Chiefs fighting for their playoff lives Kansas City was able to take down Miami to end their hopes of the 1st ever perfect undefeated season in AFL history. The following week the Chiefs were shut out in Miami in the 3rd meeting of the season between the two teams in the AFL playoffs. 

The big story in the AFL other than the amazing dominance by the Dolphins was the return of the AFL's biggest star, "Broadway" Joe Namath. Namath suffered a string of injuries that kept him out of action for most of 70 and 71 but he returned to prime form this year, leading all quarterbacks in the AFL and NFL in passing yards with 2,816 and touchdowns with 19. Second year quarterback Archie Manning of the Denver Broncos had a breakout year finishing in second place behind Namath in passing yards with 2,781 and touchdown passes with 18. Archie and running back Floyd Little led a resurgence in Denver, helping the Broncos finish with one of their best seasons yet. OJ Simpson of the Buffalo Bills led the AFL in rushing yards with 1,251 and could be the breakout star of the season. 

1973 Pro Football Offseason News

AFL talent raid assault on NFL continues

The AFL struck the NFL with another round of signings raiding their rosters. The AFL stole the 3rd NFL MVP in the last 4 years when 1972 NFL MVP Larry Brown of the Washington Redskins signed to AFL's New York Jets. One of the NFL's leading receivers Gene Washington from the 49ers was signed by the Denver Broncos. The San Diego Chargers signed two of the all time greats from the NFL in legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas and pass rusher Deacon Jones. This latest round of signings comes on the eve of the 1973 draft which is expected to see the AFL continue to sign away most of the top prospects coming out of college football.

Nationwide Poll Suggests Americans prefer AFL over NFL

As if the gap in television ratings weren't enough evidence, a recent poll found that more than half of the USA prefer the AFL over the NFL when it comes to pro football. Many believe the rise of the AFL to the #1 pro football league is due to their more colorful personalities and a more wide open action packed style of play on the field.

AFL adds overtime to regular season games

The AFL followed through on the announcement that all regular season games in 1973 would get an additional overtime period if the game ends in a tie after 4 quarters of play. Overtime has traditionally been only for post-season games.

1973 NFL Standings




1973 NFL MVP: Roger Staubach(QB, Cowboys) NFL's leading passer, 23 touchdown passes.


Capitol Division

Dallas Cowboys 10-4
Washington Redskins 9-5
Philadelphia Eagles 5-8-1
New Orleans Saints 5-9

Century Division

Pittsburgh Steelers 10-4
Cleveland Browns 7-6-1
St. Louis Cardinals 4-10
New York Giants 2-12

Coastal Division

Los Angeles Rams 7-7
Atlanta Falcons 6-8
San Francisco 49ers 5-9
Baltimore Colts 4-10

Central Division

Minnesota Vikings 12-2
Detroit Lions 7-7
Green Bay Packers 6-8
Chicago Bears 3-11


NFL Divisional Playoffs
Los Angeles Rams 0 at Minnesota Vikings 24
Dallas Cowboys 14 at Pittsburgh Steelers 13

NFL 1973 Vince Lombardi Memorial Championship Game
Texas Stadium(Irving, TX), January 12th 1974

  vs
Dallas Cowboys 17 vs Minnesota Vikings 27

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	F
Cowboys	3	0	7	7	17
Vikings	10	7	7	3	27

1973 NFL Season Recap

The NFL lost it's foothold as the nation's #1 football league in 1972 and seemed irrelevant compared to the much more mainstream AFL, which has become embedded in pop culture at this stage of the decade. Attendance dropped for the NFL for the 4th consecutive year down to an average of 50,922 per game, the lowest it's been since 1966. Television ratings dropped to a new low and the league began to lose advertisers for the first time during the 1973 season. By the end of the 1973 season some NFL teams were really struggling, the Rams, Falcons, Saints, Eagles, and Giants seen staggering drops in attendance and fan support through the course of the season. 

Though things aren't as optimistic for the NFL as they once were a decade ago, the league still enjoys a very loyal fan base that remains die hard for real football. The Steelers have become a phenomenon in Pittsburgh unlike anything the NFL has ever seen before in any city. The loveable losers of the NFL shed their losing ways in 1972 and finally became Champions of the NFL. Though the Steelers failed to capture the hearts of America in '72 their popularity in their hometown of Pittsburgh has made the city an NFL stronghold much like Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, Green Bay, these are NFL towns and that will never change. The Steelers struggled on offense in 1973 and failed to defend their title after a heartbreaking last second loss at home to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. 

The story of the entire 1973 season was the build up to the showdown between the league's two best quarterbacks, Dallas' Roger Staubach, and the Vikings' Fran Tarkenton. The two gunslingers were the class of the NFL in 1973 and both led their teams to the best records in the league. The Cowboys and Vikings clashed in the 1973 NFL Championship Game but Minnesota's defense shut Dallas down at Texas Stadium to capture their second NFL title and ease the bitter pain of their crushing loss in Super Bowl IV four years ago. 

1973 AFL Standings




1973 AFL MVP: OJ Simpson(RB, Bills), set new all time single season rushing record with 2,095 yards and 13 touchdowns.


Eastern Division
Miami Dolphins 14-0
Buffalo Bills 11-3
New England Patriots 3-11
New York Jets 3-11
Houston Oilers 2-12

Western Division
Oakland Raiders 10-4
Cincinnati Bengals 10-4
Denver Broncos 8-6
Kansas City Chiefs 7-7
San Diego Chargers 1-13


AFL Playoffs
Cincinnati Bengals 17 @ Miami Dolphins 21
Buffalo Bills 16 @ Oakland Raiders 28


January 13th, 1974 Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas


vs
Miami Dophins 27 vs Oakland Raiders 14

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	F
Dolphins	7	3	10	7	27
Raiders	0	0	0	14	14

Super Bowl VIII MVP:


Larry Csonka(145 yds 2 tds)

1973 AFL Season Recap

The Miami Dolphins AFL dynasty continued with their 3rd consecutive Super Bowl title and they made a statement by running the table with a perfect undefeated 14-0 run, the first ever in AFL history. The AFL was home to the best pro team in football in 1973 in Miami but it was also home to the all around best player in any league in the unstoppable phenom OJ Simpson. The Bills star runner did the unthinkable in 1973 in running for over 2,000 rushing yards in one single 14 game AFL season. Simpson almost single handedly carried the Bills to an 11-3 record and a trip to the playoffs where they ran out of Juice against the Oakland Raiders.

For the Raiders and their head coach John Madden they have become tormented the Miami Dolphins. Don Shula's Dolphins squad ended the Raiders' season in 1971 by defeating them in the playoffs and ending their quest to defend their 1970 AFL title. Miami would defeat the Raiders again in Super Bowl VII. Oakland played Miami twice in the regular season in 1973 but lost both games, with their loss in Super Bowl VIII being their 3rd loss to the Dolphins this season. Madden and his Raiders were turned away from the AFL title once again in 1973 and sent back to the drawing board to figure out how to get past the Miami Dolphins, who have ruled the AFL for 3 consecutive seasons and capped their 3-peat with a perfect 16-0 run in 1973.

"The Juice", OJ Simpson's performance in 1973 was one of the all time greatest single season performance of any athlete in the history of any sport, breaking Jim Brown's vaunted NFL single season rushing yard record. Elsewhere in the AFL in 1973 the Patriots Jim Plunkett led the AFL in passing with 2,550 yards. The Denver Broncos continued their ascension with the triple threat offense of Archie Manning, Gene Washington, and Floyd Little along with an improved defense helping the worst team in AFL history to their first winning season.

I'm changing a few things as I copy and paste and all of these NFL posts were not in the original AFL Full Color Football these posts are exclusive to PW. So this isn't just a straight copy/paste job here. But I need to stop and talk about this Miami Dolphins dynasty from 1971 to 1973 on the AFL side. One change I made was that the team does not go undefeated in 1972 and my reason for that is that this is a smaller league that has been taking the lions share of top draft picks and raiding NFL rosters for a few years so I believe this would have been a much tougher league to go undefeated in. With the smaller league and scheduling format I had Miami playing Kansas City twice that year since they were both 1st place teams the year before. I think Miami would have had a tougher time against division opponents and would have been beat up with nothing really on the line there in the rematch in Kansas City against a team that was fighting for a playoff spot.

But I have them going undefeated in 1973 after winning back to back titles. They were even better in 73 and their division in this alternate universe was mostly teams in transition that couldn't compete with them, and they had Buffalo/OJ's number back then. So I think the conditions here would have been best for them to run the table and get that perfect season. Also the smaller league like this would have been ripe for teams to 3-peat, I believe we would have seen that happen maybe more than once. But this Dolphins team from 71-73 goes 37-3-1 and a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs.

Also playing these out in separate leagues really highlights how much better and more interesting things would have been had they worked out the merger to keep the leagues separate. I don't think they did a good job handling the merger in real life, they should have kept the two leagues separate and just had the 2 league champs play in the Super Bowl every year. It had to have been a major buzzkill that set the Super Bowl back a decade when two NFL teams played a shit game in the first Super Bowl after the merger in 1970. It's been a few years since since I checked but Super Bowl V held records for the longest time for most penalties and turnovers. 

1974 Pro Football OffSeason News

AFL Announces New Expansion Team In Seattle For 1976

Lloyd W. Nordstrom was announced to be the new president of the AFL's new team set to begin play in the brand new Seattle Kingdome in 1976. The new Seattle franchise will be the 11th AFL team and will give the league a much needed presence on the west coast. College football has always been massively popular in the Pacific Northwest but it has been an area neglected by pro leagues until now. The AFL has been in strong demand the last few years since exploding in popularity with Monday Night Football on ABC and the Super Bowl becoming a pop culture event that is beginning to transcend sports altogether as more of an entertainment spectacle. Several cities and figures across the country have lobbied for an AFL expansion franchise but the league is hesitant to commit to major expansion beyond the new Seattle team set to launch in 1976. 


NFL Counters AFL Expansion With New Team In Tampa

Just 3 weeks after the AFL announced the new Seattle expansion team set for 1976 the NFL broke the news that they were planning to add a new expansion team of their own the same 1976 season. Hugh Culverhouse of Tampa Bay Florida was announced as the winning bidder for the next NFL expansion team. The move by the NFL seems as a move of desperation and a move to bring in an influx of cash since Culverhouse had to pay a hefty fee for the 17th NFL team. The decision to put the team in Florida also was a strategic move to counter the AFL since the rise of the Miami Dolphins over the last 3 seasons. 

1974 NFL Standings




1974 NFL MVP: Fran Tarkenton(QB, Vikings) NFL's leading passer, 2,898 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 ints


Capitol Division

Washington Redskins 10-4
Dallas Cowboys 9-5
Philadelphia Eagles 6-8
New Orleans Saints 5-9

Century Division

Pittsburgh Steelers 11-2-1
St. Louis Cardinals 10-4
Cleveland Browns 5-8-1
New York Giants 2-12

Coastal Division

Los Angeles Rams 8-6
San Francisco 49ers 6-8
Baltimore Colts 4-10
Atlanta Falcons 4-10

Central Division

Minnesota Vikings 11-3
Detroit Lions 8-6
Green Bay Packers 5-9
Chicago Bears 4-10


NFL Divisional Playoffs
Los Angeles Rams 0 at Pittsburgh Steelers 34
Washington Redskins 10 at Minnesota Vikings 22


NFL 1974 Vince Lombardi Memorial Championship Game
Metropolitan Stadium(Minneapolis, MN), January 11th 1975

  vs
Pittsburgh Steelers 11 vs Minnesota Vikings 5

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	F
Steelers	5	0	3	3	11
Vikings	3	0	2	0	5

1974 NFL Season Recap

The NFL continued to pride itself on proud tradition in 1974 with a finale that seen the game played in some of the roughest conditions seen in a championship game since the Ice Bowl. The two defenses that won the last 2 NFL titles clashed in a battle of wills when the Vikings and Steelers met in the 1974 NFL title game on a freezing muddy field in plummeting temperatures with blistering wind gusts that only got worse through the course of the game. Both defensive units dominate the game in a stand off that was tied at 5-5 at one point after the Vikings blocked a Steelers punt out of the back of the end zone for a safety in the 3rd quarter. Pittsburgh was able to get the closest to the end zone with a 90 yard drive to the 3 yard line on their next possession but the Vikings "Purple People Eater" defense put together a goal line stand to hold the Steelers to a field goal. Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense held on in the fourth quarter to give the Steelers the victory and their 2nd NFL Championship title in the last 3 years. 

For the Vikings many thought it would be their year to repeat at NFL Champions after the stellar play of NFL MVP Fran Tarkenton and another dominant run by the Purple People Eaters. Minnesota would end up being upset at home in the NFL title game falling just short of being the first back to back NFL Champions since the Packers 3-peat run in 1965-1966-1967. 

The state of the NFL continued to decline in 1974 as attendance dropped to an average of 48,416 per game due to some of the weaker teams loading their rosters up with affordable no-name talent. The financial state of the NFL looked bad in 1974 with several teams posting losses. Still the league continues to march on with their trademark power brand of defense oriented football. Several rules changes copying the AFL were shot down in recent league meetings, including the addition of the 2 point conversion, player names on the back of uniforms, and overtime for regular season games. The future holds the debut of a new expansion team in Tampa Bay in 1976.