The greatest AFL game ever played?

[Jay Z]

Back in the late 90s, ESPN Cassic actually showed the movie, Heidi when they did an anniversary of the game. It was a good movie and understandable that parents would have wanted to watch it with their kids.

The game was definitely influential but obviously the Raiders needed it more than the Jets, who had their division all but wrapped up. The defenses were so bad that the Raiders actually had two TD plays called back and why on earth the Raiders put rookie Atkinson on Maynard for not only this game but the AFL Championship game is beyond me ? They should have had Dave Grayson on him but may have felt he could have been burned as well but sometimes you have to go with experience over faster youth ...

A great game without a doubt but I feel both defenses were better in the AFL Championship with everything at stake.

Grayson was a safety. Atkinson was playing CB in place of Kent McCloughan, who had a sprained knee. Grayson hadn't been a CB since 1966.

[Brian wolf]

I know but Grayson would have still did a better job in my opinion. Atkinson played better in the Championship game, getting a huge interception but even with an ailing leg, Maynard knew he could get by him if the team needed it. Maybe the team felt they needed Grayson for double coverage or defend Bake Turner but I would have taken my chances with Atkinson on Turner and Grayson on Maynard, especially after the Heidi Game where Atkinson gave up two plays of 97 yards for a TD!

[DavidSollender]

Interesting story regarding the Heidi game. Joe Namath was seated on a plane preparing for takeoff. A woman passenger asked the flight attendant if Namath was seated in the front and asked if she could introduce herself to him. Receiving two affirmatives, the woman introduced herself to Namath and said "Hello, I'm Heidi." The woman was Jenny Agutter, the actress who portrayed Heidi in the TV movie.

I think she later was a Bond girl. Maybe she was at the time she met Joe. Now she plays a nun on TV (Call the Midwife).

According to Wikipedia, Heidi was played by Jennifer Edwards, who was the daughter of Blake Edwards and the step-daughter of Julie Andrews.

The only thing I remember Jenny Agutter from was "An American Werewolf in London".

[Terry Baldshaw]

Interesting story regarding the Heidi game. Joe Namath was seated on a plane preparing for takeoff. A woman passenger asked the flight attendant if Namath was seated in the front and asked if she could introduce herself to him. Receiving two affirmatives, the woman introduced herself to Namath and said "Hello, I'm Heidi." The woman was Jenny Agutter, the actress who portrayed Heidi in the TV movie.

I think she later was a Bond girl. Maybe she was at the time she met Joe. Now she plays a nun on TV (Call the Midwife).

According to Wikipedia, Heidi was played by Jennifer Edwards, who was the daughter of Blake Edwards and the step-daughter of Julie Andrews.

The only thing I remember Jenny Agutter from was "An American Werewolf in London".

Thanks for the correction. I recall reading of the airplane meeting. I guess I just got the name incorrectly. BTW, Agutter did appear in Logan's Run.

[JohnR]

Agutter was also in "Walkabout" (1971).

[LeonardRachiele]

Yes George Blanda threw five interceptions that day; but the Oilers, with him at quarterback, came back from trailing 17 to 0 at halftime. The Oilers nearly won but Blanda threw an interception in Texans' territory in the fourth quarter. After that, Sherril Headrick barely blocked a Blanda's 42 yard field goal attempt. Dallas won in six quarters 20 to 17. Fans and reporters began to take the AFL seriously after this game. Even so, people regarded it as inferior. In 1962, George Blanda threw 42 interceptions. In 418 attempts that is a whopping 10% rate or an average of three per game.

[SixtiesFan]

Yes George Blanda threw five interceptions that day; but the Oilers, with him at quarterback, came back from trailing 17 to 0 at halftime. The Oilers nearly won but Blanda threw an interception in Texans' territory in the fourth quarter. After that, Sherril Headrick barely blocked a Blanda's 42 yard field goal attempt. Dallas won in six quarters 20 to 17. Fans and reporters began to take the AFL seriously after this game. Even so, people regarded it as inferior. In 1962, George Blanda threw 42 interceptions. In 418 attempts that is a whopping 10% rate or an average of three per game.

In, I think the book Wells Twombly did with George Blanda, Blanda said he threw those interceptions way downfield. They were as good as a punt according to George Blanda.

[JohnR]

In, I think the book Wells Twombly did with George Blanda, Blanda said he threw those interceptions way downfield. They were as good as a punt according to George Blanda.

I think Blanda's take might be the definition of polishing a turd. I could be wrong.

[Lee Elder]

The Heidi game changed television network sports coverage, so it would have to be the most consequential AFL game of all time. That game was more consequential than even Super Bowl III.

For me, the best game by a single AFL team was San Diego's championship performance in 1963. The Chargers did everything right that day.

The 1962 title game, the 2OT game, obviously has to go on this list somewhere. Call it the best game by both teams.

And the most FAMOUS AFL game of all time would have to be Super Bowl III.