Super Bowl Conspiracty: Jets v. Colts

[Oski]

My friend's dad played in the NFL for a number of years. He was on the Green Bay Packers for the 68-69 season (This was his rookie season, so he did not play in the first two Super Bowls).

Anyhow, there was a lot of talk among players and team personel (Not just those of the GBP's, either) that the NFL wanted the Jets to win the game. Some also speculated (no basis for such is provided) that Morrall was on the take.

As you may recall, the NFL was nowhere near the money-making juggernaught it is today. At that time, they were in their 3rd year of the AFL/NFL merger and the AFL teams were being dismissed as weak sisters. It was almost as if half of the teams were considered to be minor league ... that did not help promote growth of the sport.

Anyhow, the hoopla over Broadway Joe's prediction and the ensuing outcome did wonders for quickly bringing the AFL teams up to par. Also, it should be noted that this game was the first to by hyped as the "Super Bowl."

To this day, my friend (and his dad) are quite paranoid about fixing in sports and various and sundry "rig jobs."

Before dismissing this out of hand, recall that International soccer has had a host of match-fixing scandals, horse racing has had numerous fixing-scandals, and basketball has had point-shaving scandals.

Of course, most of these scandals have to go with the gambling aspect of the match, but many soccer scandals were orchestrated for better marketing, etc. for the league. Furthermore, every year the NBA playoffs seem to generate "theories" about helping the more popular teams into the finals.

Is it possible that the NFL orchestrated (or influence at least) the outcome of Super Bowl III?

Capsule Summary of game from Wiki:

[ QUOTE ]
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl" (The two previous AFL-NFL Championship Games would retroactively be called "Super Bowls" as well). This game is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in American sports history, and the most important Super Bowl ever played. The heavy underdog American Football League (AFL) champion New York Jets defeated the National Football League (NFL) champion Baltimore Colts, 16–7, in the first Super Bowl victory for the AFL.

The game was played on January 12, 1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Entering Super Bowl III, the NFL champion Colts were heavily favored (in some books, by over 20 points) to defeat the AFL champion Jets. Although the upstart AFL had successfully forced the long-established NFL into a merger agreement three years earlier, the AFL was not generally respected as having the same calibre of talent as the NFL. Plus, the AFL representatives were heavily defeated in the first two Super Bowls.

After boldly guaranteeing a victory prior to the game, Jets quarterback Joe Namath completed 17 out of 28 passes for 206 yards, and was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. New York recorded 337 total yards, forced 5 turnovers and limited Baltimore to only one touchdown.

[/ QUOTE ]