The addition of so-called "luxury boxes" changed everything. I love Lambeau Field because most of the seating is still the old bench style. But they've ruined it by putting in a partial upper deck.
Good try by Dave Williams to block the field goal at the end of the video but he was on the wrong side of the goalposts!And as far as stadium nuances, I remember Ahmad Rashad talking about the pitcher's mound and the Met in the end zone was still slightly elevated and he could on occasion,use that to his advantage!
@denisceballos9745 I had footage of "Andrew Reid" in the punt, pass and kick competition. He was one big kid and I think that he was wearing a Rams helmet.
Those old mud games and snow games were awesome. After watching those games we( street kids) went out and play in whatever condition. We had so much fun. The kids nowadays do know what they are missing. That's a big difference from today and back then. This electronic age has given the child less experiences than we had.
In 1967 I was 13, and the NFL was bigger than life. Loved the Fearsome Foursome, Purple People Eaters, Green Bay Packers, Doomsday Defense, Deacon Jones
Also, for those who remember, the four divisions were the Capitol, Century, Central and Coastal. Baltimore Colts and L.A. Rams were together in the Coastal. True, but weird
Thank you for bringing that up. San Francisco was also in that Coastal division. I guess they had to be placed with someone since L A. And S.F. weren't close to any other NFL cities.
@@markgardner9460"Antiseptic" is a valid descriptor for the current state of both pro football and the 52 teams in "Power Five" college football conferences. I can't claim American football was meant to be played in natural conditions, with the impacts of weather on earthy surfaces sometimes creating a "cohesive sediment," better known as mud. Today's fans may catch the occasional grass stain on a football uniform, but wet dirt is just too messy for a product packaged for visual consumption. Before cable TV became widespread in the 1980s, the radio audiences for pro and college football were huge and obviously less concerned with appearances. Every game in those Power Five conferences is now televised. Purchasing NFL's Sunday Ticket provides access to every game here on TH-cam (for $244 a season as of 2023). Gotta look sharp if fans are going to pony up that much. There are sanitary reasons to maintain clean conditions on the sidelines, to prevent infections in cuts and scrapes. But I MISS MUD! Remember NFL field lines laid over baseball diamonds in September (and sometimes October), Mark? Don't miss that abomination one bit.
I was going to make this comment but you already did it. Antiseptic is the word. It's all too perfect. These old players got paid nothing in comparison to today where a 6th round pick who sits on the bench makes a minimum of $500,000
@@fredgarv79 While it wouldn't be my term of choice, I understand why the term "antiseptic" would apply to the NFL of the last three decades or so. The combination of domed stadiums and artificial turf placed the game in an unnatural setting. While climate-controlled pleasure palaces may sell more concessions, those of us who recall the strictly outdoor football (besides the Astrodome) of the 1960s and 1970s feel cheated. Too many spotless uniforms today, no mud and few grass stains, plus no effect of the weather on the playing conditions makes for a rather sterile environment. What I don't get is your objection to player compensation. Per the 2020 CBA, players in the sixth round receive a minimum $750,000. The revenue split is 52% for the owners and league operations, and 48% for the guys the fans pay to see. Do you really believe the game was better in the past because the NFL performers received whatever the owners felt like paying? They were banged up even worse back then, with marginal equipment, shitty fields (remember yard lines laid over baseball diamonds), archaic medical procedures, and a piddling pension plan. Our family was friendly with the Robbies in the 1970s, original owners of the Miami Dolphins. Their boys played with my younger brothers, my mother played bridge and drank martinis with mother Liz, and I dated daughter Debbie for a very brief time. The boys let on that a few of the star players on those Super Bowl teams were so pissed about their salaries, they could defect to the WFL, a short-lived NFL competitor. This is Csonka's take on how it went down: larrycsonka.com/faqs-on-wfl/ It would require almost 20 years to have free agency in the NFL, when Plan B was forced upon the owners by a District Court decision: www.patriots.com/news/the-history-of-nfl-free-agency I'd much rather see money in the hands of players than billionaires adding to their already considerable wealth. A man like Fred Garvin, well known in the Quad Cities as an accomplished gigolo, wouldn't have to be so concerned about finances with the fan base he built, particularly for his series of trusses and braces. ;)
Bears in this era wore helmets made by Wilson. Different shape and notable white face masks. Wilson was a Chicago based company and also made White Sox uniforms during this era. Bears played in Wrigley Field, field went home plate to left field. Frequent sight was receivers crashing into first baseline brick walls near first base dugout. Dick Butkus is #51 in the Bears’ segments. Team was defense oriented. Gale Sayers was the entire offense. Often running two plays and acting as a receiver in a third. Games totally sold out and deposition of season tickets often a source of friction in Wills. Great video.
Thank you for bringing up the Wilson helmet variances - that's good to know. The action had to have been so close for those fans around the home plate, 1B and 3B areas. I would have loved to have watched a game there!
@@markgardner9460 I went to a Giants Cubs game in 2011, flying in from San Jose, California. First thing I did after entering the stadium, before going to my seat well down the left field line lower deck grandstand, was to walk over to near the Cubs dugout so I could spot, more or less, somewhere between third base and second base, where Kermit Alexander of the 49ers took out Gale Sayers knee.
I love the way at 16:39 Bill Brown makes a really great touchdown catch in the end zone and while laying on his back nonchalantly flips the ball to the ref. If football was still like that I would still be watching. Great video. Thanks for the memories
Some absolutely awesome footage here! I was constantly LMAO and as I write I can’t get the smile off my face! I noticed that one of the vehicles in the sideline “Car Lot” was a Corvair. I had an elementary school principal who drove one. I started cracking up upon recalling that it always had a four foot ladder on the roof! Lastly the caricature wearing a Saints helmet emblazoned in a corner of the end resembled an animated character from the “Rocky and Bullwinkle Show!”. Thanks again Rick and the best from John from Calgary Alberta.
As a kid living in South Florida many years ago, my Dad would take me to the Miami Dolphins games in the old Orange Bowl. And back then they had a raised pool behind the goalposts and Flipper the dolphin was inside of it swimming around. After a field goal or extra points if it landed in the water he would flip it back to a player or the referee. Fun memories back then RIP Orange Bowl 🍊🏈🐬
frank, that is a good story, seems like I remember hearing about flipper the dolphin , I am 54 and started following my home team the Falcons back in 1977.
Yes, the Orange Bowl was old and ricketty, but when the Dolphins and Canes moved out, those two teams changed forever. The experience is dull -- safer but dull; cleaner but dull. A shopping mall stadium in the middle of nowhere, miles from the culture of Miami, has not made things better, only much more sterile. What if the Red Sox moved out of Fenway into a modern stadium in Foxborough? Well, I think it's safe to say the Red Sox would be no more and something quite different in their place. That's what actually did happen to the Miami Dolphins and the UM Hurricanes.
@@carltonreese4854 Yeah I totally agree with you, the old Orange Bowl had character to it even though it was broken down and water was leaking under the seats. You could definitely feel the fan support at those games. When the Dolphins moved to Joe Robbie Stadium it didn't have the same feeling to it. I always hated that on TV they would show Miami beach and the stadium was miles away from that area, as Floridians we knew better.
2:37 Lenny Moore " the Reading Rocket " from Reading PA and Penn State University. He was probably was the only player I've ever seen to tape his ankles on the outside of his shoes thus giving him the nickname " Spats". Thanks for another great video to share with my coffee on a snowy morning here in Pennsylvania.
Can you imagine Lenny Moore playing in today's game? I think he would be unstoppable just like he was when he actually played. He was absolutely incredible.
I'm a Tom Landry-era Dallas Cowboys fan, watching in earnest since 1963. I remember watching pro football on TV in the late 1950s with my Dad and uncles, but I was a little young to know what was going on. Eddie Lebaron was the first quarterback for the Cowboys, retiring after the '63 season making way for future league MVP Don Meredith. Thanks so much for posting these great films and videos. The late 1960s is my very favorite era of the NFL. Loved watching the AFL too. God bless our pro football heroes from a by-gone era 🏈
Thank you for bringing up the players who helped to lay the ground work for today's NFL popularity. They sacrificed a lot. The story of Eddie Lebaron is fascinating! I do not have much, if any footage of him. Otherwise he would make for a highly interesting video subject. My Dad stated that he thought the '50's was the best NFL decade. Who's to argue? I just wished that there was much more full game footage available. Thank you for watching and commenting!
"This is "classic"on many levels..."I really liked the "retro redskins"... " headgear" with "spear"..." SportstatsNGab" you went in " very deep" in the way...of "trivia" and what was ....many "unknown"facts" to myself..this "comp" left me "astonished";!!!
I have a lot of notes that have been compiled throughout the years and I need to find footage that will reasonably accompany said material. Hopefully, I will be able to put forth similar efforts in the future. I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
Great clips. Nice to see touchdowns without choreographed dances and celebrations. Actually saw a receiver score and simply hand the ball to the ref. Amazing
I was a "mudder". My best game in college was against the best QB and receivers in the B1G, on a rain-soaked field in Evanston. We won 52-43. The second half I was assigned man to man against the B1G first teammer who had caught 9 passes and scored two TDs in the first half. After the game a famous sportswriter interviewed me: "So--- what happened?" My response: "They threw the ball!" No passes or runs were completed against me. Those that were got intercepted or broken up. Artificial turf is one reason I chose not to play in the NFL. The other was how clueless sportswriters were when it came to smart coverage. The world was changing, and speed was the main criteria --- rather than those old values you show in this video. I was the fastest man on our squad in a game situation.
I love the time and dates of these places..Civilian Conservation Corps money(1930's)..to build some Sporting venues..Great Bernie Casey highlights(Actor)..Nice Job..Again..My favorite TH-cam channel..
I truly and thoroughly enjoyed warching that video !! I was 5 years old back in 1967 and 6 years old back in 1968 so I never got to experience pro football firsthand because I was too young to really comprehend the game. These kinds of video's are sports history lessons that I ltuly love and enjoy learning about. Thank you so very much for posting this video and preserving a part of pro football history.
I always thought those goal posts on the goal line was the dumbest thing in the NFL. I was so happy when they moved them back. Mud games were great. Fun to watch and play in.
@markgardner9460 Makes sense. I was told it was because the owners argued the goal line is the place you score across. Therefore, the goal posts stay on the goal line.
Great trivia with the Vikings punters in 1968. King Hill was also a backup QB. Him and Billy Martin played just one year with the Vikings . In 1969, it was Kent Kramer wearing # 89, also at TE. ** Ron Vanderkellen at QB# 15. Played the first few games of 1967 in spite of the Vikings intra league trade to bring in Kapp to the Vikings 8:07. ** Running around, on the field, the last no masked player was in fact McDonald. However , while subbibg for Mike Clark, Tony Fristch appared in one game for the Cowboys in 1971 without a mask. **Officially, the last player to" play " without a facemask was Lions safety Wayne Rassmussen. throughout the 1971 season. He wore 2 helmtes, while holding for Errol Mann, that helmet had no facemask, then while on defense he wore a two bar,. Although he did play in 1972, the holding duties were taken over by Greg Landry that year. I am not sure if Rassmusse held at all in 1972.
Thank you for bringing up Fritsch, as another viewer had also noted his lack of a facemask. I have also seen a picture of Rasmussen with Garo Yepremian and both of them are not wearing facemasks. That picture appears to be from a training camp, although I could be wrong. Thank you so much for providing this information - much appreciated!
You're welcome. I love your presentation and the fans commentary here. There are actually 2 pictures of Fritsch, at least one is at Busch Stadium. Yes, seen that Garo Y. pic. You may have seen some of these, but other notable no maskers include: * Jess Richardson, Eagles and Patriots, this guy was playing DT with NO mask. Maybe as far as 1964 , his last year with the Boston Patriots. * Lou Michaels , while with the Steelers also wore 2 helmets. The kicking helmet was Bobby Laynes' . Theres a good picture of him wearing it. * Dick Hoak, did the same as Rassmussen with the 2 helmets. No face mask for holding and 2 bar as RB. His last year was 1970. ** If you type " 1971, 12 -11 Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions you can see just a glimpse of Rassmussen without the mask, I left a message for you atop the thread,@@markgardner9460
Awesome as usual Mark. A couple years ago I tore my meniscus and was having a surgeon look at it at the University of Penn. Old Franklin field was right behind the doctor’s office. Beautiful old brick stadium. Very impressive
I remember reading those NFL library books as a kid and being in awe of Franklin Field. It had a certain aura about it and the time clock was one of a kind!
@@markgardner9460 Love it….I had the Tudor Electric football, and was able to order most of the teams in the NFL. The Eagles were always the host team at Franklin Field. My Mother grew up a few blocks from Franklin Field. We were close enough to the stadium, we would walk over at halftime and get in without a ticket. I would always pick up a game program. PRO was the title of the program. As an 8-9 year old kid, I never lost sight of the visiting teams and players I was privileged to see back in the mid 60’s. Great memories!
Now that's great stuff! Getting into a game at halftime for free.........unthinkable today. Do you still have some of those game programs? Thanks for sharing!
What a history this is so great thank you so much for your research. I I played rugby in the early 70s. I thought I was a great athlete. Played for a San Francisco team. And then a rugby coach recruited three retired professional football players, and then I learned what it meant to be a true pro.
Every time I see clips of old Metropolitan Stadium, I am reminded of previous videos about metal boxes, the weird drop off area next to said metal box, and the cheap Motel 6 mattresses used for padding along a railing beside the end zone. The montage of old scoreboards was fascinating. Miami's Orange Bowl's Fair Play scoreboard was unchanged except for additional information like time outs until the early 1990's. There is a downloadable font called 60's Scoreboard that is identical to the stadiums who used that Fair Play font (Dodgers, Astros, Dolphins, Cardinals, Raiders). I have to agree about the games in the mud. It added that extra element and challenge with uniforms and yard markings. I will always remember Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium for having a cars parked next to the field. There is a clip of Lynn Swann hurdling over the trunk of a car after an incomplete pass attempt by Terry Bradshaw.
I used to work at nbc with today show and sports. I’ve won three sports Emmy’s with my work on Olympic Games in Sidney, Salt Lake City and Athens. I did show playback and highlight editing. I also worked at the nfl network. I have loads of highlights and colts videos I have collected. I love seeing this old footage. My self proclaimed expertise is 1950s game and players. The African American players during this time were gods!! My personal favs: Lenny Moore, John Henry Johnson and the even more feared Len Ford defensive end Cleveland browns and wr for the LA Dons in aafc. I know too much
That's great to hear - I love it! John Henry Johnson is one of my favorite RB's. He receives little, if any, publicity unfortunately. I sure would like to spend some time discussing your deeds, as well as our mutual admiration for the good old days. Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@joeallenboxing the 53 nfl champs were Detroit Lions; the last all white nfl champion team. Though I believe they had black players on their taxi squad (practice squad lol). They also black players prior to 53; I believe it was just a coincidence they had no black players on the active roster. Each team had at least four black players no more than six and the even number assured the rooming wouldn’t be a problem. Cleveland always had the most black players and Washington had none by design until maybe 62 0r 63 with coming of the great Bobby Mitchell from none other than the browns. The browns supplied NFL teams with top players in 50s n early 60s from their taxi squad: Jim Marshall, Fred cox, Henry Jordan, art donovan, don shula, Bert rechichar, bill pellington just to name a few (black and white players).
John Henry Johnson was considered a thug in the 50’s. Jim brown and art donovan talked about as such in their books. Art’s recollection of him is hilarious as all of his stories.
Thanks for the history lesson, the 60s is a little before my watching NFL days, but I do remember Mel Farr Superstar commercials on the Detroit Airwaves throughout the 70s. I believe he owned a car dealership.
The goalposts on the goal line made for interesting plays! Crafty receivers like Lance Alwotth would run routes basically using the goalposts as a screen, and some receivers would grab them and change direction quickly..A famous play involving the goalposts came in the 1945 NFL Championship Game in very cold Cleveland between the Cleveland Rams, and the Washington Redskins.Sammy Baugh in the first quarter tried to pass out of his end zone, and he hit the upright with the pass, and in 1945 that was a safety, giving Cleveland ( Bob Waterfield at QB) a 2-0 lead, which would prove critical as Cleveland won 15-14
I remember watching the highlights of Super Bowl VII and Redskins QB Billy Kilmer was trying to throw a pass to Jerry Smith who was wide open in the end zone, but the ball never got to him because it hit the goalpost, which was like a 12th defender on the field and I am glad they moved to goalposts to the back of the end zone similar to College Football starting in the 1974 season, one for safety reasons cause a lot of players got hurt running full speed into the goalposts when they were still near the goal line and 2 it removed an obstacle for quarterbacks to better spot the receivers. In Canada, I can understand why they left the goalposts near the goal line cause of the length of the Canadian football field and the length of their end zones.
Great vid definitely brings back memories. I used to go with my dad on Saturdays to Drake University Stadium (Drake relays location). He was faculty so we were admitted free and we would stand on the sidelines. "Watch the ball or you'll be eating through a straw" boy, no kidding. I remember the sounds of the crowd, public address. The old stadiums smelled like cut grass, tobacco, old auto exhaust and cotton candy/hot dogs. Good days and totally American. Thanks brother you're appreciated. ~~bradd~~
I'm glad that you brought up the smells of the old stadiums because that's one of my favorite memories of going to those parks (ie. Brauts 'n kraut). I recall men who used to smoke their pipes, too. That's a very distinct smell.
Love the dirt and the mud and of course, the potential problem with injuries at Milwaukee County Stadium, Wrigley Field and the old Met Stadium! I'm not saying I want anyone to get hurt,but they had unique configurations!
Multi-purpose stadiums definitly had their quirks. Milwaukee County Stadium was like Metropolitan Stadium in that both teams were stationed on the same side of the field.
@@stevenzimmerman4057 That they did. I recall a "weak" effort made to ready a football field out a baseball configuration. Even after, what, four or five months the baseball team would be playing on a damaged field with faded ghost like striping - from football - showing through. Thanks.
@@markgardner9460 Yes and the housewives and girls with the "bee-hive" serious hair doo's with a scarf or hair net - always in front of me on the bleachers it seemed. The men would have tie and jacket and I would have a shirt with collar. No flip-flops, tee shirts or shorts on. To celebrate a TD we were tossing rolls of t.p., how riske. Those smells of the stadiums are lost to history. I think the only smell dominating today's game is money. Thanks.
Bernie undoubtedly experienced a lot less painful occupational hazards in his acting career. Thanks for watching and commenting - I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Thank you for the providing the footage of the vintage NFL stadiums. I believe the L.A. Coliseum is the only one still in use for major college football events, unless you count the years Northwestern plays games at Wrigley Field here in Chicago. It's amazing about the lack of safety and security at these events back-in-the-day. But the fans and autos on the field does add a little charm to each of these stadiums.
It is amazing how close the fans were to the end zone, like at Wrigley. And the end zones in some stadiums were also close to a wall. One reason why there weren't as many touchdown passes back then.
I had a feeling this would be one of your better efforts, once the mention of Mr. Shiner and Mel Farr Superstar appeared. Great background on the various stadiums. I never realized Halas had so many different tenures as coach. Kind of the Connie Mack of the NFL. Nicely done, Mr. Gardner!
When one is an owner, he can hire and fire himself as Manager/Head Coach as he sees fit. Halas was in 'n out as Head Coach for 40 years and Mack was for 50 consecutive years. Amazing. Thank you for the compliment, Evan!
The mud game at 3:34 was the 1968 Thanksgiving Day game when Detroit hosted Philadelphia. I was not quite 7 years old and remember watching this on TV. By the fourth quarter it was nearly impossible to tell the teams apart on my grandma's black & white TV, other than one team had lighter colored helmets.
Those old films also show that the fans were usually dressed up, too. Men in suits, ties, hats, and overcoats and ladies in dresses with hats or scarves. Back then, the fans came to watch the game, not try and be part of it.
You have a lot of amazing videos,Mark! This one strikes a chord! 67-69.is when I cut my teeth on the NFL,so to speak!! The old stadiums grass rain mud they weren't the cookie cutter boring stadiums that would be in vogue in a few years like Three Rivers Stadium, Riverfront Stadium etc! I loved the nuances of the old stadiums the cheerleaders etc! And the changing of the guard.Lombardi and Halas on the way out Paul Brown coming back, Grant taking over,Don Shula and Tom Landry becoming elite Butkus and Sayers doing their thing,the Fearsome Foursome! Purple People Eaters... players like Leroy Kelly, Johnny Unitas, Roman Gabriel, Deacon Jones,Joe Namath, Butkus, Lamonica, Lance Alwotth,Lem Barney, Homer Jones....I could go on for a long time, but the NFL and AFL were very much better at that time!
The was an era when football was enjoyable to watch (IMO). In 67, my senior year in H.S., I played defensive end. At all of 6'1", 185 lbs., I was actually quite good at it. I remember suiting up for the games took a while and by the time I was suited up, I weighed in at well over 200. The football shoes had either plastic cleats with metal tips, or just all metal cleats. The shoulder pads make everyone look like a behemoth. The face mask was a simple two bars for the most part. Some only had one. I remember my coach saying that, when you were attempting to hit someone, hit them like you're trying to hurt them. Their pads will protect them. I wasn't able to play college football due to a knee injury (not football related). I assure you, I had rather watch games from that ear more than anything we have going on today.
I agree - this era is the most enjoyable for me, too - up until the early '80's. To me, the game then was mostly centered on which team could block and tackle the most effectively. Now, with legalized offensive holding and minimal tackling happening, the essence of the game has changed. Thank you for watching and sharing.
Same here - I was about 8 and fell in love w Pro Football- now THAT was football. I collected football cards so I remember all of these guys GREAT VIDEOS- Thank you!
In 68 i was 9 years old i sent a fan letter to Joe kapp he responded by sending back a full size signed photo as well as a note and other signed photos from his famous teammates . That was the golden era of football
12:05 I was surprised how much more shiny and golden the New Orleans helmets seemed compared to today's. And the emblem was bigger and more defined. All in all, the old 1967 helmets looked much better IMO.
The Rams of my youth. Yah, preseason ('exhibition') games were played @ a small college in thousand oaks. Nfl was a smaller world then; Dad was on a first-name basis with some players. I was in awe, just hopin to meet Deacon Jones 🙂
3:35: Thanksgiving Day 1968. Eagles and the Lions in a monsoon in Detroit. The first football game I can remember seeing. I was 9 years old and living in Philadelphia. I was fascinated watching football being played in the mud.
Very cool video. One comment, at 15:58 I think it was even more common for the offensive players to use the goalposts to their advantage. The term "post pattern" meant a passing route where the receiver ran just past the goal post using the goal post to set a pick on the defender.
@@markgardner9460 I always liked scoreboards that showed scores of other games, like Kansas City Municipal Stadium. It also had the original team logo of a map of several states in that area with a big chief. Lambeau Field's scoreboard in the 60's listed Eastern Division games on one side and Western Division games on the other. When I was a kid I would use a Scrabble game board to make my own "scoreboard" and listen to the Green Bay Packers games.
I didn't know that about KC's Municipal Stadium. That's cool about your Scrabble board - great creativity! Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN had a HUGE scoreboard. There was something like a "Message-O-Gram" on it where various messages would be displayed throughout games. It was kind of cool.
@@markgardner9460 Franklin Field was pretty unique that's for sure. Milwaukee County Stadium also had a "Message-O-Gram". They often welcomed groups.... "Welcome to the folks tonight from Joe's Tavern in Oshkosh".
When I first watched the Cleveland-Green Bay touchdown pass into the end zone @ 15:47 I thought it was at Milwaukee County Stadium, because I knew the Packers and Browns played there in 1967. Yet it didn't make sense to me because the pitcher's mound wasn't in the end zone. Then I looked up the Browns season on Wikipedia and saw these two teams also played in the pre-season in Cleveland. It was crazy that they left the pitcher's mound as is, without shaving it down!
I guess it was too much work or it cost too much money to shave the mound. Whatever the cost, player safety didn't appear to be a cobcern, unfortunately.
Bernie Casey at the 0:50 mark went on from the NFL to play in the movies. He played U.N. Jefferson, president of the all-Black fraternity Lambda Lambda Lambda in “Revenge of the Nerds” Bernie was also Pride of Columbus East High School. RIP
Me too! Try kicking in mud, loose dirt and without rules prohibiting players from jumping on teammates' backs attempting to block kicks. It was an entirely different story back then.
Wow. Yes, it was totally different back then. No guarateed contracts and very few multi-year contracts. The length of a player's career wasn't very long either. Thank you for commenting.
I'm a Canadian(I'm 62) and can add to some of the zany goings on. In the early 1970s one of our local university teams,Saint Mary's University(I live in Halifax,NS) were a true power. In 1973 they played here in what was then called the Atlantic Bowl,one step towards reaching the national championship game. Huskies Stadium is in the south part of the city and has had a fake field surface since 1981. However,back in the 70s it was just grass and you could watch games for just 50 cents by standing at the back of an endzone. I did just that with my Dad,one of my brothers and several of our friends. The place still isn't that big but was packed to the gills back then. The booze flowed freely because security was lax or simply didn't care if you brought your own bottle. Predictably,tons of brawls broke out(the visitors on this day were from Ontario). I can STILL SEE a big campus cop slugging at least two guys to the ground. SMU won the game late and eventually won the national title over McGill a week later in Toronto. A year later University of Toronto were the competition and blasted SMU 45-1. Once again,more brawls. Fans were stealing footballs after incomplete passes or extra points. The last point of the game was UofT's and kicked back ONTO the field,something I've yet to see again at any level of football. I did see one guy grab an extra point and race down a nearby fairly long street. After both games beer and liquor bottles were EVERYWHERE,intact or smashed. A different era for sure. Pretty much NOBODY gets in there now with alcohol. If you see black and white photos of the 1950 Grey Cup you cannot tell which team is Toronto and which is Winnipeg:pure mud. lol
Glad you enjoyed it. I don't really watch much football anymore. When I was a real fan I was much more a CFL fan,a Toronto Argonauts' fan. Picked them in 1970 or 1971. A real pain for many years but hey finally won it all in 1983. They've won a TON of Grey Cups since but I more or less loss interest in the early 90s. NFL? I used to root for Dallas and so did my two younger brothers(they still do,I think). The old clips you showed reminded me,suddenly,of the seagulls who used to hover around the old CNE Stadium in Toronto(HORRIBLE for watching baseball) in the 70s as the Argos were going down to defeat. Harbingers(saw all this on tv;never got to the stadium) of doom. lol Jay Teitel wrote a great book in 1981 called THE ARGO BOUNCE:AN INCREDIBLE SPORTS STORY and it really resonated with me. Funny and truly incredible the way they often lost games back then. I still recall the end of one season,either 75 or 76,when all they had to do was not lose by 16 points to arch nemesis Hamilton in the last game of the season to still limp into the playoffs with a crappy record. They lost by 16. Anyway,all of that is ancient history now: No team is anywhere near them in Cups. Ironically,I have almost no interest in them now. Teitel also mentions a few CFL-NFL preseason games that took place in the early 60s. He also claims that the modern day football goal post was invented in Hamilton. Feel free to correct me if he's wrong. lol. I really enjoyed the old clips. Thanks.
Excellent vid, thanks, as always. I've always felt that Tarkenton deserves a lot more love, you? Also, I love seeing a good Dick Shiner moment...he and Dick Trickle of Nascar are roommates in heaven, I hope. Cheers.
Yes, I think that Tark deserves more credit. He gets knocked for not winning the big one. Well, his teams went up against the greatest in history and if that Steelers game was played in the Super Dome as intended, he may have won the big one, because the weather was not conducive to passing that cold wet day.
In his first collegiate start, Dick Shiner did something at the University of Maryland very few have ever done: Beat Penn State. PSU has won 43 out of 47 meetings all time.
I loved the NFL in the 1960s and I love it now. Although the sport is not at all the same, I think it is better today. I attended many games at the old Metropolitan Stadium in beautiful Bloomington, Minnesota. The Vikings never won a Super Bowl, but 15 years ago I moved to Kansas City and became a Chiefs fan. Winning is more enjoyable, for sure. You betcha. Skol Chiefs!
Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans for winning their 4th Super Bowl and 5th league Championship. And shout out to the 49ers and Chiefs for giving us one hell of a Championship game. Showing us all what this game is still all about. 1967 the Vikings lost Fran Tarkenton. but they welcomed Joe Kapp, Bud Grant and Alan Page. That season was the one and last time they would finish last under Grant. 1967 the Cowboys saw how important it is to have at least 2 talented QB's on the roster. After Dandy went down for about 3 weeks, it was Craig Morton who led the Cowboys to wins in 3 straight games with Meredith on the bench. One thing I do miss from these clips. The mud games. The ones with the whole field, and all the players covered in mud. That had to be so fun to play in.
The Bills RB in this video wasn't having too much fun playing in the mud; it looked like it was caked into his left eye. Regardless, I hear what you're saying. The landings were much softer than what they would become after the advent of artificial turf fields.
Papa Bear having 4 different stints with 10 years coaching will never happen again!!A founding member of the NFL, and played with the Yankees? A iconic and legendary figure!
Just in 1967 the NFC Central had 4 iconic coaches.. Vince Lombardi of course! George Halas of Chicago ( last year as head coach!) Joe Schmidt of the Lions, and first year coach Bud Grant of the Vikings! Pretty impressive!
The old stadiums and domes were so cool baseball / football the infield cut outs still there in October Canada still has that pro invention crossbar and uprights at the front line MLB was grass- AL astro -NL was real good
I attended the pre-season LA Rams v New Orleans game. As I recall, my favorite player on the field, Jim Taylor (formally of the Green Bay Packers) dropped two passes in the end zone and LA won
Two-bar facemasks...no names on the backs of the jerseys....natural turf..the old stadiums filled with everyday people who could afford a ticket...the NFL just seemed so much more down-to-earth, grounded and real back then. It was still a game, before the game turned into "entertainment".
This may have already been mentioned but Bobby Green started wearing a mask (single bar, BT-5) in late '69 (I've a screen shot from the game), while Cowboys K, Toni Fritsch, was sans mask until the 8th game of 1971. Beyond that, Lions DB, Wayne Rasmussen, would change to a maskless lid when holding for kicks until the last game of '71, making him the absolute last player to take the field in The NFL without wearing any sort of face protection.
16:46 John "Flea" Giliam's TD was not only the first Saints TD but it was the opening Kick Off of their first game ever. Yes, there was a moment (albeit brief) that every play the saints played was a touch down.
John Gilliam scoring the first Saints touchdown on the kickoff return! Wow and people who say Bill Brown couldn't play today? Perhaps not,but what a great diving catch at 17:20!
@@markgardner9460And in the same game,Dave Wilcox just about decapitated Kapp on a Kapp run for a touchdown! The impatient ref took the football out from Kapp lying down on the sidelines basically knocked out momentarily!
I’m 66 and these clips are from the time I first became a football fan. Thanks for the memories!
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
Im 62, and this vid sure did bring back a lot of memories! this was the heyday of pro football,
Love the old stadiums and the individual character of them
Indeed. They have been sterile and devoid of character for quite some time, in my opinion.
The addition of so-called "luxury boxes" changed everything. I love Lambeau Field because most of the seating is still the old bench style. But they've ruined it by putting in a partial upper deck.
Another awesome time capsule. The stadiums/fields, uniforms, hits, cheerleaders etc. Nirvana!!
Totally agree!
I remember when CBS would show the marching bands during halftime. Sometimes they’d show the National Punt, Pass, and Kick competition.
Good try by Dave Williams to block the field goal at the end of the video but he was on the wrong side of the goalposts!And as far as stadium nuances, I remember Ahmad Rashad talking about the pitcher's mound and the Met in the end zone was still slightly elevated and he could on occasion,use that to his advantage!
@denisceballos9745 I had footage of "Andrew Reid" in the punt, pass and kick competition. He was one big kid and I think that he was wearing a Rams helmet.
@stevenzimmerman4057 Hank Stram wanted to sign Wilt Chamberlain solely to block field goal and point after attempts.
Those old mud games and snow games were awesome. After watching those games we( street kids) went out and play in whatever condition. We had so much fun. The kids nowadays do know what they are missing. That's a big difference from today and back then. This electronic age has given the child less experiences than we had.
Thank you for your extremely well stated comments. I can totally relate.
In 1967 I was 13, and the NFL was bigger than life. Loved the Fearsome Foursome, Purple People Eaters, Green Bay Packers, Doomsday Defense, Deacon Jones
Also, for those who remember, the four divisions were the Capitol, Century, Central and Coastal. Baltimore Colts and L.A. Rams were together in the Coastal. True, but weird
Thank you for bringing that up. San Francisco was also in that Coastal division. I guess they had to be placed with someone since L A. And S.F. weren't close to any other NFL cities.
Really great footage of a wonderful time in the NFL.
I miss the games in the mud. No more of those anymore thanks to the synthetic turf all the stadiums have now.The NFL has become too antiseptic.
I couldn't agree with you more. They want as perfect conditions as possible, so the QB's can keep dialing up these super high passing yardage totals.
@@markgardner9460"Antiseptic" is a valid descriptor for the current state of both pro football and the 52 teams in "Power Five" college football conferences. I can't claim American football was meant to be played in natural conditions, with the impacts of weather on earthy surfaces sometimes creating a "cohesive sediment," better known as mud. Today's fans may catch the occasional grass stain on a football uniform, but wet dirt is just too messy for a product packaged for visual consumption. Before cable TV became widespread in the 1980s, the radio audiences for pro and college football were huge and obviously less concerned with appearances. Every game in those Power Five conferences is now televised. Purchasing NFL's Sunday Ticket provides access to every game here on TH-cam (for $244 a season as of 2023). Gotta look sharp if fans are going to pony up that much. There are sanitary reasons to maintain clean conditions on the sidelines, to prevent infections in cuts and scrapes. But I MISS MUD! Remember NFL field lines laid over baseball diamonds in September (and sometimes October), Mark? Don't miss that abomination one bit.
Well put
I was going to make this comment but you already did it. Antiseptic is the word. It's all too perfect. These old players got paid nothing in comparison to today where a 6th round pick who sits on the bench makes a minimum of $500,000
@@fredgarv79 While it wouldn't be my term of choice, I understand why the term "antiseptic" would apply to the NFL of the last three decades or so. The combination of domed stadiums and artificial turf placed the game in an unnatural setting. While climate-controlled pleasure palaces may sell more concessions, those of us who recall the strictly outdoor football (besides the Astrodome) of the 1960s and 1970s feel cheated. Too many spotless uniforms today, no mud and few grass stains, plus no effect of the weather on the playing conditions makes for a rather sterile environment.
What I don't get is your objection to player compensation. Per the 2020 CBA, players in the sixth round receive a minimum $750,000. The revenue split is 52% for the owners and league operations, and 48% for the guys the fans pay to see. Do you really believe the game was better in the past because the NFL performers received whatever the owners felt like paying? They were banged up even worse back then, with marginal equipment, shitty fields (remember yard lines laid over baseball diamonds), archaic medical procedures, and a piddling pension plan. Our family was friendly with the Robbies in the 1970s, original owners of the Miami Dolphins. Their boys played with my younger brothers, my mother played bridge and drank martinis with mother Liz, and I dated daughter Debbie for a very brief time. The boys let on that a few of the star players on those Super Bowl teams were so pissed about their salaries, they could defect to the WFL, a short-lived NFL competitor. This is Csonka's take on how it went down: larrycsonka.com/faqs-on-wfl/
It would require almost 20 years to have free agency in the NFL, when Plan B was forced upon the owners by a District Court decision: www.patriots.com/news/the-history-of-nfl-free-agency
I'd much rather see money in the hands of players than billionaires adding to their already considerable wealth. A man like Fred Garvin, well known in the Quad Cities as an accomplished gigolo, wouldn't have to be so concerned about finances with the fan base he built, particularly for his series of trusses and braces. ;)
Bears in this era wore helmets made by Wilson. Different shape and notable white face masks. Wilson was a Chicago based company and also made White Sox uniforms during this era. Bears played in Wrigley Field, field went home plate to left field. Frequent sight was receivers crashing into first baseline brick walls near first base dugout. Dick Butkus is #51 in the Bears’ segments. Team was defense oriented. Gale Sayers was the entire offense. Often running two plays and acting as a receiver in a third. Games totally sold out and deposition of season tickets often a source of friction in Wills. Great video.
Thank you for bringing up the Wilson helmet variances - that's good to know. The action had to have been so close for those fans around the home plate, 1B and 3B areas. I would have loved to have watched a game there!
@@markgardner9460 I went to a Giants Cubs game in 2011, flying in from San Jose, California. First thing I did after entering the stadium, before going to my seat well down the left field line lower deck grandstand, was to walk over to near the Cubs dugout so I could spot, more or less, somewhere between third base and second base, where Kermit Alexander of the 49ers took out Gale Sayers knee.
Awesome footage. Brings back great memories. Thanks for posting!
Thank you - I appreciate it.
This is absolutely fantastic material! Keep posting this incredible nostalgia!
I aim to do just that. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Fastest 18 minutes on You Tube. Love this stuff.
Subbed cause I love mud. Used to make mud pies as a kid from a dirty puddle. Mom, not so much. 😅😅😅
Love those old time fan shots. Certainly looks very different.
In a lot of the footage where the football gets kicked into the stands, the male fans are mostly wearing dress shirts and ties.
I started watching football in 1970 these are the good old days of pro football , love it
Me, too - can't get enough of it.
@@MSr-m3r same here
@2:20 The Steelers played at Pitt Stadium and those "burlap sacks" covered up track areas I believe. Things like the pole vault box.
That's great to know - thanks for providing!
I love the way at 16:39 Bill Brown makes a really great touchdown catch in the end zone and while laying on his back nonchalantly flips the ball to the ref. If football was still like that I would still be watching.
Great video. Thanks for the memories
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for commenting!
Some absolutely awesome footage here! I was constantly LMAO and as I write I can’t get the smile off my face! I noticed that one of the vehicles in the sideline “Car Lot” was a Corvair. I had an elementary school principal who drove one. I started cracking up upon recalling that it always had a four foot ladder on the roof! Lastly the caricature wearing a Saints helmet emblazoned in a corner of the end resembled an animated character from the “Rocky and Bullwinkle Show!”. Thanks again Rick and the best from John from Calgary Alberta.
Yeah, the Rocky character from The Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon! Great call!!! I'm really glad that you liked it - thank you.
I noticed that Saints logo too. The old logos were more cute than today's hard-edged stuff.
As a kid living in South Florida many years ago, my Dad would take me to the Miami Dolphins games in the old Orange Bowl. And back then they had a raised pool behind the goalposts and Flipper the dolphin was inside of it swimming around. After a field goal or extra points if it landed in the water he would flip it back to a player or the referee. Fun memories back then RIP Orange Bowl 🍊🏈🐬
One of my videos has Pat Summerrall speaking of Flipper and his pool. It's a game between the Cowboys and the Dolphins. That pool was very cool.
frank, that is a good story, seems like I remember hearing about flipper the dolphin , I am 54 and started following my home team the Falcons back in 1977.
I seen the Orange Bowl once. All I can think of was those memories that were made there. Yes, I remember Flipper. Hated they got rid of the tank
Yes, the Orange Bowl was old and ricketty, but when the Dolphins and Canes moved out, those two teams changed forever. The experience is dull -- safer but dull; cleaner but dull. A shopping mall stadium in the middle of nowhere, miles from the culture of Miami, has not made things better, only much more sterile. What if the Red Sox moved out of Fenway into a modern stadium in Foxborough? Well, I think it's safe to say the Red Sox would be no more and something quite different in their place. That's what actually did happen to the Miami Dolphins and the UM Hurricanes.
@@carltonreese4854 Yeah I totally agree with you, the old Orange Bowl had character to it even though it was broken down and water was leaking under the seats. You could definitely feel the fan support at those games. When the Dolphins moved to Joe Robbie Stadium it didn't have the same feeling to it. I always hated that on TV they would show Miami beach and the stadium was miles away from that area, as Floridians we knew better.
2:37 Lenny Moore " the Reading Rocket " from Reading PA and Penn State University. He was probably was the only player I've ever seen to tape his ankles on the outside of his shoes thus giving him the nickname " Spats". Thanks for another great video to share with my coffee on a snowy morning here in Pennsylvania.
Can you imagine Lenny Moore playing in today's game? I think he would be unstoppable just like he was when he actually played. He was absolutely incredible.
@@markgardner9460Agreed Lenny Moore could have played in any era!
I'm a Tom Landry-era Dallas Cowboys fan, watching in earnest since 1963.
I remember watching
pro football on TV in the late 1950s with my Dad and uncles, but I was a little young to know what was going on.
Eddie Lebaron was the first quarterback for the Cowboys, retiring after the '63 season making way for future league MVP Don Meredith.
Thanks so much for posting these great films and videos.
The late 1960s is my very favorite era of the NFL. Loved watching the AFL too.
God bless our pro football heroes from a by-gone era 🏈
Thank you for bringing up the players who helped to lay the ground work for today's NFL popularity. They sacrificed a lot.
The story of Eddie Lebaron is fascinating! I do not have much, if any footage of him. Otherwise he would make for a highly interesting video subject.
My Dad stated that he thought the '50's was the best NFL decade. Who's to argue? I just wished that there was much more full game footage available.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
I was 9 in 1964 and went to my first Cowboy game in the Cotton Bowl. Been a fan since then. I have seen it all, the good, the bad and the ugly!
Wow. Yes, you have seen a LOT. There has been more a lot more good than ugly with a bit of bad sprinkled in.
wish the short miniskirts would come back from the 60s, but im glad those awful beehair styles are gone.
"This is "classic"on many levels..."I really liked the "retro redskins"... " headgear" with "spear"..." SportstatsNGab" you went in " very deep" in the way...of "trivia" and what was ....many "unknown"facts" to myself..this "comp" left me "astonished";!!!
I have a lot of notes that have been compiled throughout the years and I need to find footage that will reasonably accompany said material. Hopefully, I will be able to put forth similar efforts in the future. I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
@@markgardner9460
"Very much so"!!!
Great clips. Nice to see touchdowns without choreographed dances and celebrations. Actually saw a receiver score and simply hand the ball to the ref. Amazing
It wasn't "Me! Me! Me!" back then. I'm glad that you enjoyed the video and thanks for commenting!
Great nicknames back then and memories, I was 9 years old.
I always loved Jim Turner’s kicking form. So quirky and funny
I enjoyed every moment, Thanks!
I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you!
I was a "mudder". My best game in college was against the best QB and receivers in the B1G, on a rain-soaked field in Evanston. We won 52-43.
The second half I was assigned man to man against the B1G first teammer who had caught 9 passes and scored two TDs in the first half.
After the game a famous sportswriter interviewed me: "So--- what happened?"
My response: "They threw the ball!"
No passes or runs were completed against me. Those that were got intercepted or broken up.
Artificial turf is one reason I chose not to play in the NFL. The other was how clueless sportswriters were when it came to smart coverage. The world was changing, and speed was the main criteria --- rather than those old values you show in this video. I was the fastest man on our squad in a game situation.
Good stuff. Thank you for sharing!
I love the time and dates of these places..Civilian Conservation Corps money(1930's)..to build some Sporting venues..Great Bernie Casey highlights(Actor)..Nice Job..Again..My favorite TH-cam channel..
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video and enjoy my channel.
I truly and thoroughly enjoyed warching that video !! I was 5 years old back in 1967 and 6 years old back in 1968 so I never got to experience pro football firsthand because I was too young to really comprehend the game. These kinds of video's are sports history lessons that I ltuly love and enjoy learning about. Thank you so very much for posting this video and preserving a part of pro football history.
Thank you very much, Bill; I really appreciate that!
Great footage from a great era! Thanks!
This was great,all of it!! Hope you do more Thx!!
Thank you! Will do!
I always thought those goal posts on the goal line was the dumbest thing in the NFL. I was so happy when they moved them back. Mud games were great. Fun to watch and play in.
I think they kept them so long in order to boost scoring by enabling more field goals to be attempted.
@markgardner9460 Makes sense. I was told it was because the owners argued the goal line is the place you score across. Therefore, the goal posts stay on the goal line.
Great trivia with the Vikings punters in 1968. King Hill was also a backup QB. Him and Billy Martin played just one year with the Vikings . In 1969, it was Kent Kramer wearing # 89, also at TE.
** Ron Vanderkellen at QB# 15. Played the first few games of 1967 in spite of the Vikings intra league trade to bring in Kapp to the Vikings 8:07.
** Running around, on the field, the last no masked player was in fact McDonald. However , while subbibg for Mike Clark, Tony Fristch appared in one game for the Cowboys in 1971 without a mask.
**Officially, the last player to" play " without a facemask was Lions safety Wayne Rassmussen. throughout the 1971 season. He wore 2 helmtes, while holding for Errol Mann, that helmet had no facemask, then while on defense he wore a two bar,.
Although he did play in 1972, the holding duties were taken over by Greg Landry that year. I am not sure if Rassmusse held at all in 1972.
Thank you for bringing up Fritsch, as another viewer had also noted his lack of a facemask. I have also seen a picture of Rasmussen with Garo Yepremian and both of them are not wearing facemasks. That picture appears to be from a training camp, although I could be wrong. Thank you so much for providing this information - much appreciated!
You're welcome. I love your presentation and the fans commentary here. There are actually 2 pictures of Fritsch, at least one is at Busch Stadium. Yes, seen that Garo Y. pic.
You may have seen some of these, but other notable no maskers include:
* Jess Richardson, Eagles and Patriots, this guy was playing DT with NO mask. Maybe as far as 1964 , his last year with the Boston Patriots.
* Lou Michaels , while with the Steelers also wore 2 helmets. The kicking helmet was Bobby Laynes' . Theres a good picture of him wearing it.
* Dick Hoak, did the same as Rassmussen with the 2 helmets. No face mask for holding and 2 bar as RB. His last year was 1970.
** If you type " 1971, 12 -11 Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions you can see just a glimpse of Rassmussen without the mask, I left a message for you atop the thread,@@markgardner9460
I did not know that about Richardson, Michaels or Hoak. Great stuff - thank you for providing!!
Nice Lenny Moore footage. 1 of my favorite autograph football cards is 1 that he signed Lenny "Spats" Moore
His 16.6 career yards per reception is off the charts for a Running Back.
Awesome as usual Mark. A couple years ago I tore my meniscus and was having a surgeon look at it at the University of Penn. Old Franklin field was right behind the doctor’s office. Beautiful old brick stadium. Very impressive
I remember reading those NFL library books as a kid and being in awe of Franklin Field. It had a certain aura about it and the time clock was one of a kind!
@@markgardner9460 Love it….I had the Tudor Electric football, and was able to order most of the teams in the NFL. The Eagles were always the host team at Franklin Field. My Mother grew up a few blocks from Franklin Field. We were close enough to the stadium, we would walk over at halftime and get in without a ticket. I would always pick up a game program. PRO was the title of the program. As an 8-9 year old kid, I never lost sight of the visiting teams and players I was privileged to see back in the mid 60’s. Great memories!
Now that's great stuff! Getting into a game at halftime for free.........unthinkable today. Do you still have some of those game programs? Thanks for sharing!
What a history this is so great thank you so much for your research. I I played rugby in the early 70s. I thought I was a great athlete. Played for a San Francisco team. And then a rugby coach recruited three retired professional football players, and then I learned what it meant to be a true pro.
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Every time I see clips of old Metropolitan Stadium, I am reminded of previous videos about metal boxes, the weird drop off area next to said metal box, and the cheap Motel 6 mattresses used for padding along a railing beside the end zone.
The montage of old scoreboards was fascinating. Miami's Orange Bowl's Fair Play scoreboard was unchanged except for additional information like time outs until the early 1990's. There is a downloadable font called 60's Scoreboard that is identical to the stadiums who used that Fair Play font (Dodgers, Astros, Dolphins, Cardinals, Raiders).
I have to agree about the games in the mud. It added that extra element and challenge with uniforms and yard markings.
I will always remember Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium for having a cars parked next to the field. There is a clip of Lynn Swann hurdling over the trunk of a car after an incomplete pass attempt by Terry Bradshaw.
GREAT to hear from you again! That's cool to know about the downloadable font, too.
I used to work at nbc with today show and sports. I’ve won three sports Emmy’s with my work on Olympic Games in Sidney, Salt Lake City and Athens. I did show playback and highlight editing. I also worked at the nfl network. I have loads of highlights and colts videos I have collected. I love seeing this old footage. My self proclaimed expertise is 1950s game and players. The African American players during this time were gods!! My personal favs: Lenny Moore, John Henry Johnson and the even more feared Len Ford defensive end Cleveland browns and wr for the LA Dons in aafc. I know too much
That's great to hear - I love it! John Henry Johnson is one of my favorite RB's. He receives little, if any, publicity unfortunately. I sure would like to spend some time discussing your deeds, as well as our mutual admiration for the good old days. Thank you for watching and commenting!
What were the white players back then?
Eugene"Big Daddy"Lipscomb was a beast too.🏈🏈
@@joeallenboxing the 53 nfl champs were Detroit Lions; the last all white nfl champion team. Though I believe they had black players on their taxi squad (practice squad lol). They also black players prior to 53; I believe it was just a coincidence they had no black players on the active roster. Each team had at least four black players no more than six and the even number assured the rooming wouldn’t be a problem. Cleveland always had the most black players and Washington had none by design until maybe 62 0r 63 with coming of the great Bobby Mitchell from none other than the browns. The browns supplied NFL teams with top players in 50s n early 60s from their taxi squad: Jim Marshall, Fred cox, Henry Jordan, art donovan, don shula, Bert rechichar, bill pellington just to name a few (black and white players).
John Henry Johnson was considered a thug in the 50’s. Jim brown and art donovan talked about as such in their books. Art’s recollection of him is hilarious as all of his stories.
Thanks for the history lesson, the 60s is a little before my watching NFL days, but I do remember Mel Farr Superstar commercials on the Detroit Airwaves throughout the 70s. I believe he owned a car dealership.
In '75 he purchased a Ford delearship - eventually he owned 11 dealerships that were located in 5 states. Not bad!!!
SO MANY MEMORIES !!! THANKS FOR THE POST MRSPORTSSTATSNB
You're welcome - thank you for watching. I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
The goalposts on the goal line made for interesting plays! Crafty receivers like Lance Alwotth would run routes basically using the goalposts as a screen, and some receivers would grab them and change direction quickly..A famous play involving the goalposts came in the 1945 NFL Championship Game in very cold Cleveland between the Cleveland Rams, and the Washington Redskins.Sammy Baugh in the first quarter tried to pass out of his end zone, and he hit the upright with the pass, and in 1945 that was a safety, giving Cleveland ( Bob Waterfield at QB) a 2-0 lead, which would prove critical as Cleveland won 15-14
That's as bad of a break that I'm aware of in a championship game! The ball must have richocheted out of the end zone.
The old post pattern !
@@JJJBRICE Funny ( unless you're a Redskins fan!)
I remember watching the highlights of Super Bowl VII and Redskins QB Billy Kilmer was trying to throw a pass to Jerry Smith who was wide open in the end zone, but the ball never got to him because it hit the goalpost, which was like a 12th defender on the field and I am glad they moved to goalposts to the back of the end zone similar to College Football starting in the 1974 season, one for safety reasons cause a lot of players got hurt running full speed into the goalposts when they were still near the goal line and 2 it removed an obstacle for quarterbacks to better spot the receivers. In Canada, I can understand why they left the goalposts near the goal line cause of the length of the Canadian football field and the length of their end zones.
Finally some films from the Vikings Saints game from 1968 that game seems to be missing from a lot of NFL Films
Great job into yesterday years keep up the great work
Thank you very much - I will try to do just that.
Great vid definitely brings back memories. I used to go with my dad on Saturdays to Drake University Stadium (Drake relays location). He was faculty so we were admitted free and we would stand on the sidelines. "Watch the ball or you'll be eating through a straw" boy, no kidding. I remember the sounds of the crowd, public address. The old stadiums smelled like cut grass, tobacco, old auto exhaust and cotton candy/hot dogs. Good days and totally American. Thanks brother you're appreciated. ~~bradd~~
I'm glad that you brought up the smells of the old stadiums because that's one of my favorite memories of going to those parks (ie. Brauts 'n kraut). I recall men who used to smoke their pipes, too. That's a very distinct smell.
Love the dirt and the mud and of course, the potential problem with injuries at Milwaukee County Stadium, Wrigley Field and the old Met Stadium! I'm not saying I want anyone to get hurt,but they had unique configurations!
Multi-purpose stadiums definitly had their quirks. Milwaukee County Stadium was like Metropolitan Stadium in that both teams were stationed on the same side of the field.
@@stevenzimmerman4057 That they did. I recall a "weak" effort made to ready a football field out a baseball configuration. Even after, what, four or five months the baseball team would be playing on a damaged field with faded ghost like striping - from football - showing through. Thanks.
@@markgardner9460 Yes and the housewives and girls with the "bee-hive" serious hair doo's with a scarf or hair net - always in front of me on the bleachers it seemed. The men would have tie and jacket and I would have a shirt with collar. No flip-flops, tee shirts or shorts on. To celebrate a TD we were tossing rolls of t.p., how riske. Those smells of the stadiums are lost to history. I think the only smell dominating today's game is money. Thanks.
Yeah, amazing footage, and a "Director's Cut" right in the middle. Gracias!
Glad you liked it!
I see why Bernie Casey left football and pursued a career in acting. Great video...thank you!
Bernie undoubtedly experienced a lot less painful occupational hazards in his acting career. Thanks for watching and commenting - I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing. Nice footage.
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
What a wonderfully done video. I love the period correct music to accompany many of the plays.
Thank you very much! I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Thank you for the providing the footage of the vintage NFL stadiums. I believe the L.A. Coliseum is the only one still in use for major college football events, unless you count the years Northwestern plays games at Wrigley Field here in Chicago. It's amazing about the lack of safety and security at these events back-in-the-day. But the fans and autos on the field does add a little charm to each of these stadiums.
I agree with you - having those "extras" does add something special to those games.
Penn still plays their home games at Franklin Field.
@@markgardner9460 Penn still playing at Franklin Field! So much tradition!
It is amazing how close the fans were to the end zone, like at Wrigley. And the end zones in some stadiums were also close to a wall. One reason why there weren't as many touchdown passes back then.
Penn. Plays at Franklin field. The Eagles practice there occasionally. And the Penn Relays are held there
@@AlCapper-bu5yf Definitely a historic venue
I had a feeling this would be one of your better efforts, once the mention of Mr. Shiner and Mel Farr Superstar appeared. Great background on the various stadiums. I never realized Halas had so many different tenures as coach. Kind of the Connie Mack of the NFL. Nicely done, Mr. Gardner!
When one is an owner, he can hire and fire himself as Manager/Head Coach as he sees fit. Halas was in 'n out as Head Coach for 40 years and Mack was for 50 consecutive years. Amazing. Thank you for the compliment, Evan!
Connie Mack 50 years coaching! Incredible! With a record of 3,731-3,948 below ,500 Being the owner has it's perks,I.guess!
He didn't wear a uniform, so he was restricted to the dugout and he positioned his players in the field by waving his straw hat.
I miss the Orange bowl stadium. I has so many memories of that stadium
That is my favorite football stadium of all-time! Loved Flipper's pool behind the open end zone.
Great video! Thanks much.
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
Back in the Day..... Good stuff 👍
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
The mud game at 3:34 was the 1968 Thanksgiving Day game when Detroit hosted Philadelphia. I was not quite 7 years old and remember watching this on TV. By the fourth quarter it was nearly impossible to tell the teams apart on my grandma's black & white TV, other than one team had lighter colored helmets.
I have similar memories of the 1969 Thanksgiving Day game. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I like back then also the coaches worn suits. Respect the organization
Bill Belichick's cut off sweatshirts are not very becoming.
Those old films also show that the fans were usually dressed up, too. Men in suits, ties, hats, and overcoats and ladies in dresses with hats or scarves. Back then, the fans came to watch the game, not try and be part of it.
Except for the football shoes Tom Landry was usually sartorially elegant.
Love it! You made it fun to watch the Sabol's would be proud
Thank you! That means a lot to me. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great stuff, as always.
Thank you - I really appreciate that.
This is the way pro football should still b played
No doubt. Playing in the elements without artificial turf was the best, in my opinion.
greatest football clips ever
I'm glad that enjoyed it - thanks for watching!
You have a lot of amazing videos,Mark! This one strikes a chord! 67-69.is when I cut my teeth on the NFL,so to speak!! The old stadiums grass rain mud they weren't the cookie cutter boring stadiums that would be in vogue in a few years like Three Rivers Stadium, Riverfront Stadium etc! I loved the nuances of the old stadiums the cheerleaders etc! And the changing of the guard.Lombardi and Halas on the way out Paul Brown coming back, Grant taking over,Don Shula and Tom Landry becoming elite Butkus and Sayers doing their thing,the Fearsome Foursome! Purple People Eaters... players like Leroy Kelly, Johnny Unitas, Roman Gabriel, Deacon Jones,Joe Namath, Butkus, Lamonica, Lance Alwotth,Lem Barney, Homer Jones....I could go on for a long time, but the NFL and AFL were very much better at that time!
Those cookie cutter stadiums were so sterile. There was no character to them. Thank goodness they're gone. I like all of the nuances that you do!
The was an era when football was enjoyable to watch (IMO). In 67, my senior year in H.S., I played defensive end. At all of 6'1", 185 lbs., I was actually quite good at it. I remember suiting up for the games took a while and by the time I was suited up, I weighed in at well over 200. The football shoes had either plastic cleats with metal tips, or just all metal cleats. The shoulder pads make everyone look like a behemoth. The face mask was a simple two bars for the most part. Some only had one. I remember my coach saying that, when you were attempting to hit someone, hit them like you're trying to hurt them. Their pads will protect them. I wasn't able to play college football due to a knee injury (not football related). I assure you, I had rather watch games from that ear more than anything we have going on today.
I agree - this era is the most enjoyable for me, too - up until the early '80's. To me, the game then was mostly centered on which team could block and tackle the most effectively. Now, with legalized offensive holding and minimal tackling happening, the essence of the game has changed. Thank you for watching and sharing.
I totally agree with you about football being better during the 1960s and early 70s.
Same here - I was about 8 and fell in love w Pro Football- now THAT was football. I collected football cards so I remember all of these guys
GREAT VIDEOS- Thank you!
Football cards were the greatest - many hours spent reading the backs and trading them with friends.
In 68 i was 9 years old i sent a fan letter to Joe kapp he responded by sending back a full size signed photo as well as a note and other signed photos from his famous teammates . That was the golden era of football
Wow! That is a very cool story. Thanks for sharing. I agree with you - "the golden era of football"
12:05 I was surprised how much more shiny and golden the New Orleans helmets seemed compared to today's. And the emblem was bigger and more defined. All in all, the old 1967 helmets looked much better IMO.
I'm with ya, Ron - I prefer them much more. The emblem is so much smaller now due to the odd-shaped helmets that so many players wear.
Thanks for showing 👍🏼
You bet, Vegas Dano. I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
The Rams of my youth. Yah, preseason ('exhibition') games were played @ a small college in thousand oaks. Nfl was a smaller world then; Dad was on a first-name basis with some players. I was in awe, just hopin to meet Deacon Jones 🙂
3:35: Thanksgiving Day 1968. Eagles and the Lions in a monsoon in Detroit. The first football game I can remember seeing. I was 9 years old and living in Philadelphia. I was fascinated watching football being played in the mud.
We used to hose down our lawn and play in the mud - great childhood memories
Field conditions were atrocious, but it sure made it fun to watch. That'll never happen again....
You are correct in both regards.
Hello, AWESOME video ! I loved it ! Keep doing thoses awesome videos !
Thank you very much - I really appreciate it!
Very cool video. One comment, at 15:58 I think it was even more common for the offensive players to use the goalposts to their advantage. The term "post pattern" meant a passing route where the receiver ran just past the goal post using the goal post to set a pick on the defender.
Thank you - yes, receivers tried to use the goal post to their advantage, too. Great point!!
Wow! Someone else who loved old scoreboards!!! I could name many stadiums just by seeing the scoreboard.
Franklin Field's scoreboard may be my favorite. How 'bout you?
@@markgardner9460 I always liked scoreboards that showed scores of other games, like Kansas City Municipal Stadium. It also had the original team logo of a map of several states in that area with a big chief. Lambeau Field's scoreboard in the 60's listed Eastern Division games on one side and Western Division games on the other. When I was a kid I would use a Scrabble game board to make my own "scoreboard" and listen to the Green Bay Packers games.
I didn't know that about KC's Municipal Stadium. That's cool about your Scrabble board - great creativity! Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN had a HUGE scoreboard. There was something like a "Message-O-Gram" on it where various messages would be displayed throughout games. It was kind of cool.
@@markgardner9460 Franklin Field was pretty unique that's for sure. Milwaukee County Stadium also had a "Message-O-Gram". They often welcomed groups.... "Welcome to the folks tonight from Joe's Tavern in Oshkosh".
The Braves broke NL attendance records at Milwaukee County Stadium. I think that it's a shame they moved to Atlanta in '66.
When I first watched the Cleveland-Green Bay touchdown pass into the end zone @ 15:47 I thought it was at Milwaukee County Stadium, because I knew the Packers and Browns played there in 1967. Yet it didn't make sense to me because the pitcher's mound wasn't in the end zone. Then I looked up the Browns season on Wikipedia and saw these two teams also played in the pre-season in Cleveland. It was crazy that they left the pitcher's mound as is, without shaving it down!
I guess it was too much work or it cost too much money to shave the mound. Whatever the cost, player safety didn't appear to be a cobcern, unfortunately.
@@markgardner9460 Yes, there were different priorities back then.
This video is like lasagna. It is great right now and will be just as enjoyable when I watch it again tomorrow.
I love this format!
Thank you! Plus you are absolutely right about day old lasagna!
Bernie Casey at the 0:50 mark went on from the NFL to play in the movies. He played U.N. Jefferson, president of the all-Black fraternity Lambda Lambda Lambda in “Revenge of the Nerds” Bernie was also Pride of Columbus East High School. RIP
I remember him in the movie "Guns of the Magnificent Seven"
This is so awesome.
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Awesome insight in the behind the scenes information
Thank you, Jody!
I'd like to see what Justin Tucker's career numbers would look like kicking off those fields 3:44
Me too! Try kicking in mud, loose dirt and without rules prohibiting players from jumping on teammates' backs attempting to block kicks. It was an entirely different story back then.
Back in the 60s, players actually had to get summer jobs. I remember some of the Steelers worked doing some painting at my high school.
Wow. Yes, it was totally different back then. No guarateed contracts and very few multi-year contracts. The length of a player's career wasn't very long either. Thank you for commenting.
I'm a Canadian(I'm 62) and can add to some of the zany goings on. In the early 1970s one of our local university teams,Saint Mary's University(I live in Halifax,NS) were a true power. In 1973 they played here in what was then called the Atlantic Bowl,one step towards reaching the national championship game. Huskies Stadium is in the south part of the city and has had a fake field surface since 1981. However,back in the 70s it was just grass and you could watch games for just 50 cents by standing at the back of an endzone. I did just that with my Dad,one of my brothers and several of our friends. The place still isn't that big but was packed to the gills back then. The booze flowed freely because security was lax or simply didn't care if you brought your own bottle. Predictably,tons of brawls broke out(the visitors on this day were from Ontario). I can STILL SEE a big campus cop slugging at least two guys to the ground. SMU won the game late and eventually won the national title over McGill a week later in Toronto. A year later University of Toronto were the competition and blasted SMU 45-1. Once again,more brawls. Fans were stealing footballs after incomplete passes or extra points. The last point of the game was UofT's and kicked back ONTO the field,something I've yet to see again at any level of football. I did see one guy grab an extra point and race down a nearby fairly long street. After both games beer and liquor bottles were EVERYWHERE,intact or smashed. A different era for sure. Pretty much NOBODY gets in there now with alcohol. If you see black and white photos of the 1950 Grey Cup you cannot tell which team is Toronto and which is Winnipeg:pure mud. lol
Thank you for sharing your memories about how the game was back then. It's always great to hear about how football was in Canada. Thanks again!
Glad you enjoyed it. I don't really watch much football anymore. When I was a real fan I was much more a CFL fan,a Toronto Argonauts' fan. Picked them in 1970 or 1971. A real pain for many years but hey finally won it all in 1983. They've won a TON of Grey Cups since but I more or less loss interest in the early 90s. NFL? I used to root for Dallas and so did my two younger brothers(they still do,I think). The old clips you showed reminded me,suddenly,of the seagulls who used to hover around the old CNE Stadium in Toronto(HORRIBLE for watching baseball) in the 70s as the Argos were going down to defeat. Harbingers(saw all this on tv;never got to the stadium) of doom. lol Jay Teitel wrote a great book in 1981 called THE ARGO BOUNCE:AN INCREDIBLE SPORTS STORY and it really resonated with me. Funny and truly incredible the way they often lost games back then. I still recall the end of one season,either 75 or 76,when all they had to do was not lose by 16 points to arch nemesis Hamilton in the last game of the season to still limp into the playoffs with a crappy record. They lost by 16. Anyway,all of that is ancient history now: No team is anywhere near them in Cups. Ironically,I have almost no interest in them now. Teitel also mentions a few CFL-NFL preseason games that took place in the early 60s. He also claims that the modern day football goal post was invented in Hamilton. Feel free to correct me if he's wrong. lol. I really enjoyed the old clips. Thanks.
I second that, itraveledthere even has me in a retro football jersey!
Excellent vid, thanks, as always.
I've always felt that Tarkenton deserves a lot more love, you? Also, I love seeing a good Dick Shiner moment...he and Dick Trickle of Nascar are roommates in heaven, I hope. Cheers.
Yes, I think that Tark deserves more credit. He gets knocked for not winning the big one. Well, his teams went up against the greatest in history and if that Steelers game was played in the Super Dome as intended, he may have won the big one, because the weather was not conducive to passing that cold wet day.
In his first collegiate start, Dick Shiner did something at the University of Maryland very few have ever done: Beat Penn State. PSU has won 43 out of 47 meetings all time.
His first start....amazing! Thank you for pointing that out!
The (new) Browns had Ben Gay for a year. He stunk.
Anything from when the grass was real (Bob Carroll)regarding the NFL-AFL is a true delight.
Homer Jones still holds the record for yards per catch at 22.3. He was incredible, my favorite receiver of all time.
That's a lot more than the so-called greatest of all time, Jerry Rice, who only had 14.78.
JUST SO COOL ......... THANKS FOR THE VIDEO
Thank you very much - I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
I loved the NFL in the 1960s and I love it now. Although the sport is not at all the same, I think it is better today. I attended many games at the old Metropolitan Stadium in beautiful Bloomington, Minnesota. The Vikings never won a Super Bowl, but 15 years ago I moved to Kansas City and became a Chiefs fan. Winning is more enjoyable, for sure. You betcha. Skol Chiefs!
Great video!!!
Thank you - I'm glad that you liked it!
That Dave Osborne face plant was brutal.I did laugh though when you slowed it down.Man those guys were tough
It didn't even seem to bother him. He didn't even try to milk some tv time by rolling around on the ground for the cameras.
Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans for winning their 4th Super Bowl and 5th league Championship. And shout out to the 49ers and Chiefs for giving us one hell of a Championship game. Showing us all what this game is still all about.
1967 the Vikings lost Fran Tarkenton. but they welcomed Joe Kapp, Bud Grant and Alan Page. That season was the one and last time they would finish last under Grant.
1967 the Cowboys saw how important it is to have at least 2 talented QB's on the roster. After Dandy went down for about 3 weeks, it was Craig Morton who led the Cowboys to wins in 3 straight games with Meredith on the bench.
One thing I do miss from these clips. The mud games. The ones with the whole field, and all the players covered in mud. That had to be so fun to play in.
The Bills RB in this video wasn't having too much fun playing in the mud; it looked like it was caked into his left eye. Regardless, I hear what you're saying. The landings were much softer than what they would become after the advent of artificial turf fields.
Great pass by Leroy Kelly at 2:30!😊
Holy cow did Hanburger wipe out Concannon!
Papa Bear having 4 different stints with 10 years coaching will never happen again!!A founding member of the NFL, and played with the Yankees? A iconic and legendary figure!
@@stevenzimmerman4057 Hanburger launched a few cheap shots. he loved that clothesline hit to the head. He didn't care if the play was over or not.
Ahhh the good old days
thanks again!
Thank you!
I miss the old mud bowls
Just in 1967 the NFC Central had 4 iconic coaches.. Vince Lombardi of course! George Halas of Chicago ( last year as head coach!) Joe Schmidt of the Lions, and first year coach Bud Grant of the Vikings! Pretty impressive!
I hadn't thought about that - total legends
The old stadiums and domes were so cool baseball / football the infield cut outs still there in October
Canada still has that pro invention crossbar and uprights at the front line MLB was grass- AL astro -NL was real good
I prefer those old stadiums, too, as opposed to the newer ones. They had a lot of character.
I attended the pre-season LA Rams v New Orleans game. As I recall, my favorite player on the field, Jim Taylor (formally of the Green Bay Packers) dropped two passes in the end zone and LA won
It's cool how memories like that from so long ago still stick with us!
Two-bar facemasks...no names on the backs of the jerseys....natural turf..the old stadiums filled with everyday people who could afford a ticket...the NFL just seemed so much more down-to-earth, grounded and real back then. It was still a game, before the game turned into "entertainment".
Extremely well stated!
Love it!! Hate football today.
I remember when I could get a Hershey for a nickel.
A carton of milk at my school was 2 cents.
Back when football was football!
This may have already been mentioned but Bobby Green started wearing a mask (single bar, BT-5) in late '69 (I've a screen shot from the game), while Cowboys K, Toni Fritsch, was sans mask until the 8th game of 1971. Beyond that, Lions DB, Wayne Rasmussen, would change to a maskless lid when holding for kicks until the last game of '71, making him the absolute last player to take the field in The NFL without wearing any sort of face protection.
Yes, thank you for mentioning that - much appreciated!
Legendary Bears punter Bobbie Joe Green as clickbait. priceless
Love the picture of Bobby Joe Green in the outdated Wilson helmet.
Looks like it fit pretty tight - it wasn't going to pop off.
16:46 John "Flea" Giliam's TD was not only the first Saints TD but it was the opening Kick Off of their first game ever. Yes, there was a moment (albeit brief) that every play the saints played was a touch down.
It took the Saints until 1987 to have a winning team. That's a long wait.
@@markgardner9460 but maintained a loyal fan base. Proud to be one of them.
Fun times !
John Gilliam scoring the first Saints touchdown on the kickoff return! Wow and people who say Bill Brown couldn't play today? Perhaps not,but what a great diving catch at 17:20!
...and how 'bout that pass that Kapp dropped perfectly into the bucket? Not bad at all.
@@markgardner9460 No he could throw accurately at times!
Even without having his fingers wrapped around the laces most of the time.
@@markgardner9460And in the same game,Dave Wilcox just about decapitated Kapp on a Kapp run for a touchdown! The impatient ref took the football out from Kapp lying down on the sidelines basically knocked out momentarily!
I really like the Eagles and Redskins uniforms compared to today!