the+movement



(Shea Stadium, former stadium of the New York Jets which was also used by baseball's New York Mets. Eventually the Jets moved out because of the fact that the field was made for baseball, which made the grass too mushy for football in the rain.)

After the New York Jets won the Superbowl, football became the sport of America. Before the Jets won, the AFL and NFL only played teams in their respected leagues and met the best team in each league for the superbowl. The AFL was supposed to be the worst, but a year after the Jets won, they combined the leagues and it became the today's National Football League with combined schedules and 25 teams at the time.

There was always back and forth competitions between the AFL and the NFL, having nothing to do with football. Whether it be overall records, salaries, stadiums, or players, there was always something going on. Joe Namath was a large factor in the recognition of the AFL as an official league. His unheard of salary of $400,000 in 1965 brought attention not only to Namath, but also to his team and his league. He also made many additions to the record books. For example, he became the first quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season.

Namath also brought an original attitude and spark on the field every time he stepped on it. He had an eccentric personality and was not afraid to say exactly what he was thinking. His guarantee to win Superbowl III made writers and fans look at him awkwardly at first, but then out of respect and envy after he indeed won. He was consistently named to Pro Bowls and became an AFL icon.

These contributions to the image of the AFL made the Jets and the league itself more respectable.This eventually led to the merge of the NFL and the AFL into one central league.This event led to football's advancement into the world of pop culture, and also it's presence in day to day conversations. Therefore Joe Namath and the 1968 Jets provided the most important win in the history of the NFL, for without it sports today would be very different.