Content available exclusively for subscribers
There is a new documentary out about Joe Namath. We got to check it out early. Here are some notes from that, and on Mark Sanchez . . .
Did you know that Namath was set to go to Maryland out of high school, but ended up not qualifying, so he ended up at Alabama.
Maryland actually helped him land at Alabama. They called down there and pushed the Tide to take him. The Terps coaches wanted him out of the area, so they wouldn’t have to play against him . . .
Before he hurt his knee as a junior at Alabama, he was like John Elway as a quarterback – an amazing runner who could make all the throws.
Once that first knee injury occurred, his style changed forever. They really didn’t know how to fix knees real well back then . . .
The Suzy Kolber incident probably saved his life.
Joe developed a drinking problem early in his career. He was in so much pain due to his knees and other injuries – he drank a lot of scotch to deaden the pain. He said one of his knee injuries was so painful, the morphine didn’t work, so he drank a lot of scotch.
Early in his marriage to Deborah Mays (he got married at 41), he was still drinking, and it was hurting the marriage, and she asked him to cut it out, so he stopped cold turkey for 13 years.
But then when Deborah left him, he was so hurt he went back to drinking for three years culminating with the interview on national television, when a drunk Namath said he wanted to kiss Kolber, on live television.
He got professional help, and has been sober ever since.
So while the incident was terribly embarrassing, it probably saved him . . .
The Jets game plan in the Super Bowl III was brilliant. The Jets figured the Colts defense had been so dominant all year, they weren’t going to change anything, and they didn’t.
The Jets entered the game totally understanding the Colts simplistic approach, and Namath just called audibles the entire game, calling plays designed to take advantage of very basic configurations, and it worked . . .
Namath feels his drinking problem led to him getting fired after one year on Monday Night Football . . .
Namath threw so many picks early in his career – you had to wonder if it was going to work out.
So maybe Sanchez can take another step.
And Namath didn’t work very hard. He often showed up hungover at practice, and players in the huddle could smell the alcohol on his breath in the huddle.
Sanchez works very, very hard.
That is why that one quote in the Manish Mehta story was so unfair.
Sanchez might not read defenses well, but he is diligent worker.
“I’ve seen some lazy guys pass through that locker room, and he’s not one of them,” said one NFL executive.
“He’s the first one in the building and the last one to leave,” said Woody Johnson . . .
Namath lives near Jupiter, Florida, and has two knee replacements that have taken well. He’s able to work out on an elipitcal workout machine on a regular basis . . .
Premium will return by 7 pm on Friday.