The AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl III

This Sunday, the NFC and AFC Championship games will be played to determine who will be going to the Super Bowl.  The NFC game will be the New Orleans Saints, and the Minnesota Vikings, but the AFC Championship game is far more interesting, at least to football geeks like me.  The upstart and seemingly unlikely New York Jets are going to face off against the mighty Indianapolis Colts, and what’s interesting is that it has been tipped as Super Bowl III all over again.It would easily be worth payday loans to watch in person, but I guess I have to settle for the small screen.

Back into the pages of history

When the NFL and AFL merged, AFL teams were considered to be younger and softer than their more established NFL counterparts.Super Bowl III pitted a living legend against a legend in the making – Jonny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts (before the infamous “Midnight Ride” which moved the Colts to Indianapolis) and Joe Namath of the Jets, as the quarterbacks.  The Colts were heavy favorites, though Unitas was at the time the back-up to Earl Morrall (who was no slouch, by any means), and were given an 18 point spread over the Jets.Namath, tired of the hype and forecasts of doom for him and his team, grinned (holding a cocktail – this is Namath we’re talking about here) and said, “We’re gonna win the game.  I guarantee it.”

He was right.The Jets won, beating one of the finest football teams of the time outside of the Green Bay Packers.(Who were at the time a dynasty – it isn’t the Vince Lombardi Trophy for no reason.) It is thought of as one of the greatest upset victories of all time.

This Upcoming Sunday

This Sunday, Mark Sanchez, a very talented rookie quarterback on a hot streak, is going to walk into Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to take on the Colts, led by Peyton Manning, easily one of the best quarterbacks of the last 10 years.  The only reason why the Colts lost any games so far was that they stopped caring, as they had already secured a playoff berth, or at least, that’s the way it seems.Namath himself has acknowledged the connection, and has even said the current Jets team reminds him of the Super Bowl III team he was on, according to this article from the Star Ledger.

What is going to be the outcome?

Part of the reason why I love the playoffs is that huge upsets are possible.The point is you never can tell, which is why I don’t make predictions.Who would think that the Giants would have beaten the Patriots several years ago, or that the Cowboys would be so mercilessly humiliated by the Vikings? (Which was amazing to watch.)  The AFC Championship Game and the NFC Championship game will both be epic, and though I certainly would get payday loans to watch in person, I’ll have to settle for the couch and my TV.

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