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George Blanda said that the AFL could have beaten the NFL in a Super Bowl as far back as 1960 and 1961. He said that his receivers on Houston then were as quick and had as much ability to get open as anyone he threw to before or since (Blanda was a backup quarterback for the Chicago Bears for 10 years ending in 1958. I wonder if he included Harlon Hill?). Blanda said that Houston or the LA/San Diego Chargers could have beaten Philadelphia in 1960 or Green Bay in 1961.
He must have said it not too far from that time because George Halas retorted that "The American Football League has to be a Mickey Mouse League. How could it be anything else? Isn't George Blanda a first string quarterback there."
Tex Maule was a writer for Sports Illustrated and said that not any players on Houston could have started for the top four teams in either conference (Eastern or Western) of the NFL, and only one or two could have started for any other NFL team.
I think that Billy Cannon might have started for some of the top teams.
AFL Commissioner Joe Foss said that Titans owner Harry Wismer pushed for challenging the NFL to a championship game, but he was against it (in 1960 or 1961). Foss said that it might ruin any chance for a merger up the road and "We might get our heads handed to us."
I had never heard this before.
In 1962, there was a sports magazine story with a George Blanda byline with this very theme. Blanda said his Houston team could beat the best of the NFL. It wasn't SI or Sport, but one of those magazines you saw on newstands and magazine racks in those days. Wells Twombly, in his 1972 biography of George Blanda, wrote that with George Blanda and Billy Cannon going against Jack Kemp and Paul Lowe, the first AFL Championship game had players at those positions comparable to the NFL's best.
Thanks for the response.
The actual quote by Joe Foss (AFL Commissioner) was, "They'd have handed us our heads." when referring to a possible Super Bowl type game in 1960 or 1961. He also said something like,they would be like buzzards picking at our bones.
George Blanda said that the AFL could have beaten the NFL in a Super Bowl as far back as 1960 and 1961. He said that his receivers on Houston then were as quick and had as much ability to get open as anyone he threw to before or since (Blanda was a backup quarterback for the Chicago Bears for 10 years ending in 1958. I wonder if he included Harlon Hill?). Blanda said that Houston or the LA/San Diego Chargers could have beaten Philadelphia in 1960 or Green Bay in 1961.
He must have said it not too far from that time because George Halas retorted that "The American Football League has to be a Mickey Mouse League. How could it be anything else? Isn't George Blanda a first string quarterback there."
Tex Maule was a writer for Sports Illustrated and said that not any players on Houston could have started for the top four teams in either conference (Eastern or Western) of the NFL, and only one or two could have started for any other NFL team.
I think that Billy Cannon might have started for some of the top teams.
AFL Commissioner Joe Foss said that Titans owner Harry Wismer pushed for challenging the NFL to a championship game, but he was against it (in 1960 or 1961). Foss said that it might ruin any chance for a merger up the road and "We might get our heads handed to us."
I had never heard this before.
In 1962, there was a sports magazine story with a George Blanda byline with this very theme. Blanda said his Houston team could beat the best of the NFL. It wasn't SI or Sport, but one of those magazines you saw on newstands and magazine racks in those days. Wells Twombly, in his 1972 biography of George Blanda, wrote that with George Blanda and Billy Cannon going against Jack Kemp and Paul Lowe, the first AFL Championship game had players at those positions comparable to the NFL's best.
Did Twombly actually write that, or was he quoting Blanda?
Neither Blanda nor Kemp could have made any NFL roster as a QB in 1962, not even as a backup. Blanda might possibly have made it with somebody as a kicker, but even that is doubtful.
George Blanda said that the AFL could have beaten the NFL in a Super Bowl as far back as 1960 and 1961. He said that his receivers on Houston then were as quick and had as much ability to get open as anyone he threw to before or since (Blanda was a backup quarterback for the Chicago Bears for 10 years ending in 1958. I wonder if he included Harlon Hill?). Blanda said that Houston or the LA/San Diego Chargers could have beaten Philadelphia in 1960 or Green Bay in 1961.
He must have said it not too far from that time because George Halas retorted that "The American Football League has to be a Mickey Mouse League. How could it be anything else? Isn't George Blanda a first string quarterback there."
Tex Maule was a writer for Sports Illustrated and said that not any players on Houston could have started for the top four teams in either conference (Eastern or Western) of the NFL, and only one or two could have started for any other NFL team.
I think that Billy Cannon might have started for some of the top teams.
AFL Commissioner Joe Foss said that Titans owner Harry Wismer pushed for challenging the NFL to a championship game, but he was against it (in 1960 or 1961). Foss said that it might ruin any chance for a merger up the road and "We might get our heads handed to us."
I had never heard this before.
In 1962, there was a sports magazine story with a George Blanda byline with this very theme. Blanda said his Houston team could beat the best of the NFL. It wasn't SI or Sport, but one of those magazines you saw on newstands and magazine racks in those days. Wells Twombly, in his 1972 biography of George Blanda, wrote that with George Blanda and Billy Cannon going against Jack Kemp and Paul Lowe, the first AFL Championship game had players at those positions comparable to the NFL's best.
Did Twombly actually write that, or was he quoting Blanda?
A 1997 book on the AFL had these quotes, but doesn't say where they originated:
George Blanda said that the AFL could have beaten the NFL in a Super Bowl as far back as 1960 and 1961. He said that his receivers on Houston then were as quick and had as much ability to get open as anyone he threw to before or since (Blanda was a backup quarterback for the Chicago Bears for 10 years ending in 1958. I wonder if he included Harlon Hill?). Blanda said that Houston or the LA/San Diego Chargers could have beaten Philadelphia in 1960 or Green Bay in 1961.
He must have said it not too far from that time because George Halas retorted that "The American Football League has to be a Mickey Mouse League. How could it be anything else? Isn't George Blanda a first string quarterback there."
Tex Maule was a writer for Sports Illustrated and said that not any players on Houston could have started for the top four teams in either conference (Eastern or Western) of the NFL, and only one or two could have started for any other NFL team.
I think that Billy Cannon might have started for some of the top teams.
AFL Commissioner Joe Foss said that Titans owner Harry Wismer pushed for challenging the NFL to a championship game, but he was against it (in 1960 or 1961). Foss said that it might ruin any chance for a merger up the road and "We might get our heads handed to us."
I had never heard this before.
In 1962, there was a sports magazine story with a George Blanda byline with this very theme. Blanda said his Houston team could beat the best of the NFL. It wasn't SI or Sport, but one of those magazines you saw on newstands and magazine racks in those days. Wells Twombly, in his 1972 biography of George Blanda, wrote that with George Blanda and Billy Cannon going against Jack Kemp and Paul Lowe, the first AFL Championship game had players at those positions comparable to the NFL's best.
Did Twombly actually write that, or was he quoting Blanda?
Neither Blanda nor Kemp could have made any NFL roster as a QB in 1962, not even as a backup. Blanda might possibly have made it with somebody as a kicker, but even that is doubtful.
Twombly wrote it. The book quoted Blanda throughout but it was Twombly's opinion that Blanda and Kemp were NFL quality starters in 1960.
I just remembered the title of the 1962 magazine piece with George Blanda's byline I referenced above. It was "George Blanda says I don't have to prove myself in the NFL, I've already done that."
