recently ranked 10th as the greatest game in Oakland Raider history.....I live in Las Vegas, but I'm damned certain that if Oakland loses its Raiders, the fans will be inconsolable...you can tell even nearly 50 years ago, in THAT SAME OAKLAND COLISEUM that they play in today, the Raider fans really love their RRRRRRAIIDERSSSS
What a lot of people forgot was that the Jets vs. Raiders game wasn't seen in some parts of the country. I was 11 at the time living in Denver and didn't know what happened until the next day. Here's a bit of irony. The next year the Buffalo Bills played the Raiders, and what came on after the game was completed was "Heidi". NBC was smart not to cut away.
Dear Farmasyst, it was Preston Ridlehuber who scored the last of the two quick Raider' s touchdowns. As an eleven year old Jets fan in New York I did not find out about the final outcome until later that night. A year later, Preston Ridlehuber threw a winning T.D. pass as a running back for the Buffalo Bills. The next back to do that was Curtis Martin (to Wayne Chrebet) of the Jets in 2000.
Something similar to this would have happened recetly on brodcast TV becasue President Obama had to give a speech on a new jobs plan. It would have been at 8:00 on Wednesday night but was pushed back to Thursday night on the night of the Green Bay Packers game. In the end Obama gave his speech at 7:00 that evening.
Dear Dietpepsivanilla, Mike Curtis should be in the Hall Of Fame. The Colt's defense played a good game against the Jets. But no N.F.L. team was going to beat either the Jets or the Raiders that season ! Before the season Dell Sports magazine put Namath and Lamonica on the front cover, and predicted an A.F.L. victory in the Super Bowl. They were right ! I was 11 years old when I saw this game, and in the 3rd quarter I knew that the N.F.L. could not stop either Jets or Raiders offense.
@Freenbean ----I think that there was a contact with the movie to start it on TIME at 7 PM. Besides, football games usually did NOT last more than 3 hrs at that time...and not as many commercials......I wish that there would be another Heidi game again. Football players are grossly overpaid.
In fact, this was the first time EVER an AFL telecast on NBC went over three hours. And yes, Timex, which sponsored the film insisted it start at 7:00 PM/6:00 PM CT no matter what. They would have sued RCA (NBC's parent) if they stayed with the game. Also, I believe NBC would have faced fines from the FCC because religious groups who especially then associated pro sports with gambling would have complained loudly about the delay. Ironically, seven years later in 1975 there was the Reverse Heidi Game between the Raiders and then-Redskins that went to overtime and ended at 7:40 PM ET, causing NBC to join "Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory" in progress 40 minutes in.
Was it just the AFL that had the Diamond pattern in the endzone? I wish they have kept using it. There needs to be a documentary or tv movie about this incident. Did anyone realize later if people hadn't been calling NBC before the switch was thrown the message to keep the game on would have gotten through?
sadly Raiders late owner Al Davis would not allow Raider player numbers to be retired or any kind of wall of fame to be erected in honor of former players--Lamonica's number (3) should have been retired
Oakland finished the season 12-2--had to go on to play KC (who also finished 12-2) in a playoff game (which they won 41-6)---and yet they had to go to New York to play the AFL championship game-although they had a better regular season record (the Jets were 11-3) and beat them in this regular season game--if the AFL championship had been in Oakland--the Raiders would have played the Colts in SB III.
In those days (if you follow MLB baseball playoffs the world series until about i think 2004 and the LCS/Division series until the late 1990's also did the same thing)) the League/later conference championship games roatated every year between the East and West Division winners regardless of regular season records. Remember also the Central *now the AFC/NFC North and South Divisions did not yet exist). Only in the mid 1970's did the NFL create it's modern post season seeding system where the division winners would get the top seed and the wild cards the lower seeds. With that said, I do agree if the Jets/Raiders Final following the '68 season was in Oakland, the Raiders might have won.
The story I had heard about the "Heidi Bowl" was this: Back then, NBC Sports was part of NBC News, and NBC News chief Reuven Frank made the decision to keep the game telecast going and to air "Heidi" when the game ended. Supposedly, he tried to call the master control room at 30 Rock to tell the man on duty to keep the game going and not go start "Heidi" until the game ended. But the line was busy, because this tech was reportedly talking to his girlfriend!
Another story is that NBC programmer Dick Cline was instructed that "Heidi" would be broadcast regardless of whether it cut into the game or not. He had to make a decision and did what he was told. I was very young at the time and not a football fan, so it didn't matter to me. But the reaction was so severe that networks developed a new policy that sports events would no longer be interrupted.
Raiders may have won Heidi Game, but the Jets won the rematch and then stomped out the Colts heart. Mike Curtis, you can still eat it. You lost. Deal with it!
the urban myth is that the Colts coach Don Shula and the Colts QB Johnny Unitas were so angry about losing to the Jets in SB 3 that they cast a curse on the Jets to never be in the Super Bowl again. Now 53 years later the curse continues
Whenever someone starts to say.."If they play 10 times, my team (who just lost) would win 9..." - they're using an idiotic philosophy that attempts to deflate a great win by new up and comig team that has just dethroned a long time winner - it helps cope with hurt feelings...you hear it a lot in college football...dismiss it when you hear it.
by far the best--Mr. Gowdy was very good friends with ABC's Roone Arledge who wanted Mr. Gowdy to be the announcer for MNF that was starting in 1970. However, NBC would not let Mr. Gowdy out of his contract so it never happened
That whole thing with knees and the national anthem was then-President Trump's now 40-year vendetta against the NFL that dates back to 1983 when he attempted to buy the Cowboys for a then-record $50 Million but was rebuffed.
Thanks for putting this up.
I've never seen these two plays. And I've been watching NFL Films highlights for ages.
A wonderful memory of the AFL.
It's 2017. The Raiders uniforms are pretty much unchanged. Awesome...the one thing the organization does not need to fix.
best thing that ever happened to the AFL
football games come and go. Heidi's premiere comes but once.
NBC also cut short the Bills-Chargers early game in order to start this one on time.
Just goes to show you... anything can happen as long as there's enough time on the clock...
if only Oakland was that good today...i wouldn't have to hesitantly admit my fanhood to the Raider Nation. Just win, baby!
recently ranked 10th as the greatest game in Oakland Raider history.....I live in Las Vegas, but I'm damned certain that if Oakland loses its Raiders, the fans will be inconsolable...you can tell even nearly 50 years ago, in THAT SAME OAKLAND COLISEUM that they play in today, the Raider fans really love their RRRRRRAIIDERSSSS
In Pittsburgh our NBC station Channel 11-then WIIC-did not broadcast the Jets-Raiders matchup, showing other programs.
What was NBC thinking that year ? The infamous "Heidi Bowl" Game ( NY Jets vs Oakland Raiders ).
This is why football games stay on the air until the end.
George Vreeland Hill
Charlie smith is my uncle
at least we get a Curt Gowdy clip
What a lot of people forgot was that the Jets vs. Raiders game wasn't seen in some parts of the country. I was 11 at the time living in Denver and didn't know what happened until the next day. Here's a bit of irony. The next year the Buffalo Bills played the Raiders, and what came on after the game was completed was "Heidi". NBC was smart not to cut away.
Dear Farmasyst, it was Preston Ridlehuber who scored the last of the two quick Raider'
s touchdowns. As an eleven year old Jets fan in New York I did not find out about the final outcome until later that night. A year later, Preston Ridlehuber threw a winning T.D. pass as a running back for the Buffalo Bills. The next back to do that was Curtis Martin (to Wayne Chrebet) of the Jets in 2000.
Why didn't you turn on WABC?
Something similar to this would have happened recetly on brodcast TV becasue President Obama had to give a speech on a new jobs plan. It would have been at 8:00 on Wednesday night but was pushed back to Thursday night on the night of the Green Bay Packers game. In the end Obama gave his speech at 7:00 that evening.
Dear Dietpepsivanilla, Mike Curtis should be in the Hall Of Fame. The Colt's defense played a good game against the Jets. But no N.F.L. team was going to beat either the Jets or the Raiders that season ! Before the season Dell Sports magazine put Namath and Lamonica on the front cover, and predicted an A.F.L. victory in the Super Bowl. They were right ! I was 11 years old when I saw this game, and in the 3rd quarter I knew that the N.F.L. could not stop either Jets or Raiders offense.
I'm not a football fan, so it didn't matter to me. But I remember the outrage and its aftermath.
NFL films bought that footage or it would have been erased as well.
Very interesting. I'd like watch that HBO special.
@Borntocoast
Wasn't overtime in 1975 non sudden death?
Wasn't there a graphic of Heidi holding a football behind the reporter when that clip was about to air?
@Freenbean ----I think that there was a contact with the movie to start it on TIME at 7 PM.
Besides, football games usually did NOT last more than 3 hrs at that time...and not as many commercials......I wish that there would be another Heidi game again. Football players are grossly overpaid.
In fact, this was the first time EVER an AFL telecast on NBC went over three hours.
And yes, Timex, which sponsored the film insisted it start at 7:00 PM/6:00 PM CT no matter what. They would have sued RCA (NBC's parent) if they stayed with the game. Also, I believe NBC would have faced fines from the FCC because religious groups who especially then associated pro sports with gambling would have complained loudly about the delay.
Ironically, seven years later in 1975 there was the Reverse Heidi Game between the Raiders and then-Redskins that went to overtime and ended at 7:40 PM ET, causing NBC to join "Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory" in progress 40 minutes in.
So many problems during the news. It never
happen to the Philippines
Just win baby!!
Was it just the AFL that had the Diamond pattern in the endzone? I wish they have kept using it. There needs to be a documentary or tv movie about this incident. Did anyone realize later if people hadn't been calling NBC before the switch was thrown the message to keep the game on would have gotten through?
typical Jets. Even when, for the only time in their 50 year history, they had a good team.
Way to go Lamonica!
sadly Raiders late owner Al Davis would not allow Raider player numbers to be retired or any kind of wall of fame to be erected in honor of former players--Lamonica's number (3) should have been retired
Oakland finished the season 12-2--had to go on to play KC (who also finished 12-2) in a playoff game (which they won 41-6)---and yet they had to go to New York to play the AFL championship game-although they had a better regular season record (the Jets were 11-3) and beat them in this regular season game--if the AFL championship had been in Oakland--the Raiders would have played the Colts in SB III.
In those days (if you follow MLB baseball playoffs the world series until about i think 2004 and the LCS/Division series until the late 1990's also did the same thing)) the League/later conference championship games roatated every year between the East and West Division winners regardless of regular season records. Remember also the Central *now the AFC/NFC North and South Divisions did not yet exist). Only in the mid 1970's did the NFL create it's modern post season seeding system where the division winners would get the top seed and the wild cards the lower seeds. With that said, I do agree if the Jets/Raiders Final following the '68 season was in Oakland, the Raiders might have won.
@Borntocoast
1968 CBS breaks into Vikings vs. Colts playoff game to update status of Apollo 8 as it on it's way to orbit the moon.
cool post!
Was it kent MacClouhan who scored the last TD on the fumble recovery?
Preston Ridlehuber
My dad is STILL pissed about this if it's brought up. We don't bring it up.
Your dad needs to get over it!
The story I had heard about the "Heidi Bowl" was this:
Back then, NBC Sports was part of NBC News, and NBC News chief Reuven Frank made the decision to keep the game telecast going and to air "Heidi" when the game ended.
Supposedly, he tried to call the master control room at 30 Rock to tell the man on duty to keep the game going and not go start "Heidi" until the game ended.
But the line was busy, because this tech was reportedly talking to his girlfriend!
Another story is that NBC programmer Dick Cline was instructed that "Heidi" would be broadcast regardless of whether it cut into the game or not. He had to make a decision and did what he was told. I was very young at the time and not a football fan, so it didn't matter to me. But the reaction was so severe that networks developed a new policy that sports events would no longer be interrupted.
@@spideraxis Actually, that became an NFL rule after that which required games to air to convlusion.
Raiders may have won Heidi Game, but the Jets won the rematch and then stomped out the Colts heart. Mike Curtis, you can still eat it. You lost. Deal with it!
the urban myth is that the Colts coach Don Shula and the Colts QB Johnny Unitas were so angry about losing to the Jets in SB 3 that they cast a curse on the Jets to never be in the Super Bowl again. Now 53 years later the curse continues
I remember this. I was 7 and thought Heidi was hot, so I had no issues with the NBC's decision.
Glad it happened 🤣
Whenever someone starts to say.."If they play 10 times, my team (who just lost) would win 9..." - they're using an idiotic philosophy that attempts to deflate a great win by new up and comig team that has just dethroned a long time winner - it helps cope with hurt feelings...you hear it a lot in college football...dismiss it when you hear it.
Curt Gowdy was the best!
by far the best--Mr. Gowdy was very good friends with ABC's Roone Arledge who wanted Mr. Gowdy to be the announcer for MNF that was starting in 1970. However, NBC would not let Mr. Gowdy out of his contract so it never happened
to think they interupted an NFL game for a stupid kids movie. Thats grounds for firing everyone at NBC
FLASH!: Some people don't care about f'ball.
so many white players back then...
bet no one took a knee during the anthem...
Who cares?
That whole thing with knees and the national anthem was then-President Trump's now 40-year vendetta against the NFL that dates back to 1983 when he attempted to buy the Cowboys for a then-record $50 Million but was rebuffed.