Occasionally you hear a coach demand of his players that they not give the opposition any “bulletin board material.” Perhaps the most well-known example would be Weeb Ewbank’s frustration with Joe Namath’s famed guarantee of victory in Super Bowl III.
I have wondered at times if teams really had a “bulletin board,” and if so, do they truly post the an opposition’s inflammatory comments to the board to help focus their drive toward victory? Is such a gimmick really necessary with professionals?
I recently purchased another previously-unseen lot of photos from former Buffalo Bills photographer, Robert Smith. Included in the little collection was a photo of exactly such a board, used amongst the Bills, at least in 1966.
The Bills obviously used the ‘Superbowl 1’ check as motivation, their own. That BUF remained in the conversation the first AFL/NFL game was due the NY Jets who beat the Patriots the last game each teams regular season, allowing BUF to slip into post season by virtue the latter’s win over DEN the same week.)
There were at least two facsimile checks, one above erroneously dated 1/8/67 (an off week that preceded Superbowl 1) & a second dated 1/15/67, the latter referencing the World Championship Game’s correct date & BUF’s Kemp famously photographed in front of it the 1/2/67 issue of Sports Illustrated (perhaps BUFF overlooked KC/got ahead of themselves re: the 1/1/67 AFL Title Game?)
The first check’s placement next the Patriots newspaper clipping re: 12/4/66’s game (a game BOST in fact did win, the second time 1966 the Patriots beat BUF) indicates motivation only takes you so far. Otherwise, BOST’s defense wouldn’t have played their worst game of the season vs NY, Patriots allowed an aberrant 241 yds rushing that day to the Jets, same NY team the Patriots held to but 29 rushing yards earlier that season.
Like GB proved to KC’s Fred Williamson in Superbowl 1 and as other gum beaters have learned, money (and performance) talks & mouthy bs walks, more often than not.
Good points! As much as I thought Fred Williamson was a jerk; he actually played decently against Green Bay. he was assigned to cover Carroll Dale. While Max McGee had the big game, Williamson did a good job keeping Dale quiet.
Of course the “Hammer” got cold cocked trying to tackle Donnie Anderson. When a Packer saw Williamson down he asked “what happened”? McGee said that Anderson hit the “Hammer” with his wallet. The humor was that Anderson signed a contract with Green Bay that was larger than Joe Namath signed with the Jets a few years earlier.
Williamson was born too soon (he would’ve felt at home/been in his element circa 2014.) He got ‘Hammered’ by Dale on the long td pass that was called back due early movement on GB, that 64 yard bomb.
As well, there was no need throw much the direction anyone else, as Mitchell provided McGee enough cushion comfortably seat a 40 man roster, every KC DB save Johnny Robinson in over their head Superbowl 1, my opine.
Will say that in Superbowl II, EVEN OAK’s bump & run was solved by McGee, but in KC Willie’s defense his S help Johnny Robinson was busy, preoccupied elsewhere trying to plug another hole the Chiefs dike across the field, where some guy wearing #24 wasn’t breaking helmets as promised so much as breaking down, tackling (see Anderson’s knee) as well in coverage the few times Packers decided throw that direction. Though the 1969 Chiefs had a much better defense overall than in 1966, had E. Thomas and Marsalis been the KC CB’s Superbowl 1, that alone might have made enough difference to provide a game all four quarters, instead of just three.
either you have a great memory, or you have access to watch the old super bowl games. I’d like to watch the old ones. Do you know how we can get copies of the first several super bowl games? Your insight is impressive. Thanks, Darron
Todd – Thx for the great article. Do we know whom the player is who is looking at the Bulletin Board? Doesn’t exactly have the body of today’s NFL players!
Still have the Sports Illustrated issue with Jack Kemp pointing to the monster check.
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