AUGUST 23, 1967 – CHIEFS’ MIKE GARRETT (21) SWEPT LEFT END FOR 1ST DOWN AGAINST BEARS.
Al Reynolds (60), right guard, paved the way for ex-U.S.C. star.
After losing to Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I, the Kansas City Chiefs showed that they could indeed play against NFL talent when they defeated the Chicago Bears by a score of 66-24, in a 1967 preseason game. At that time, the 66 points were the most ever run up on a Bears team in their 47 years of NFL play. Chiefs tight end, Fred Arbanas, recently recalled the game. “The game I remember the most was beating Chicago Bears 66 to 24 in an exhibition game after the Super Bowl loss to the Packers. This game was REVENGE time, as if it was a mini Super Bowl. All inter-league games were war on the gridiron.” In these earliest AFL-NFL contests, pride in the AFL was as much of a contributing factor as anything else in the teams’ desire to defeat their NFL counterparts.
According to legend; George Halas cried after that game. That preseason was interesting: Lowly Denver won two preseason games against NFL teams. One of which was a game in which Alex Karras, the All-Pro lineman said he would walk back to Detroit if they lost. Someone gave him sneakers after the game.
However, NFL teams won over 90% of the preseason games that summer. I do not put a lot into preseason games, but, keep that in mind.
I’ve mentioned before of attending the 1967 Rams Chiefs preseason game, it was a night game played at the LA Memorial Coliseum. It was the first game of the preseason and there was a tremendous buzz around the game, billed as “The Summer SuperBowl”. The Rams won the game but lost Rosey Grier, who tore his Achilles tendon chasing elusive Mike Garrett. Rosey never played a down again and the Rams dealt for and received Roger Brown from the Lions, unsure if that same deal also sent Pat Studstill to LA and Ram QB Bill Munson to Detroit or not?
My favorite exhibition game, also,…it is true that George Halas had tears in his eyes, I saw it from 5 feet away as we were leaving the field. At Kansas City, in those days at Municipal Stadium, both teams were benched on the same side of the field due to the low seating on the South side of the field…..temporary stands were set up on the North side where the now famous Wolf Pack section was located. An exhilarating evening after our debacle in the first Super Bowl.
My Utah State coach Chuck Mills was a Cheifs assistant in SB I and our Offensive Coordinator Jess Cone was a Stanford team captain on a 1950 Indians Rose Bowl Team. John Ralston was Merlin Olsen and Bill Munsons coach at Utah State and was Stanfords headman in 1970-72 the years I was at Utah State. Ralstons twin daughters attended Utah State then as well as Tommy Lasordas’ daughter Laura. In the 1960’s my high school Whittier produced two pretty good Indians players Andy Babajian and George Buehler, Georges older brother Charlie attended Stanford as well as the father and both were MDs. In 1964 after leaving Stanford Andy coached at Whittier HS both his brother Marty and Buehler were seniors and it was the last time Whittier won CIF 4A. Whittier beat Loyola in the LA Coliseum 21-13. George Buehler was named CIF 4A Player of The Year. It was the only year Andy Babajian coached football.
Correction on the first name it was Ken Babajian not Andy.
Of interest re: the Chiefs/Rams exhibition game September 1, 1967 – the Chiefs actually led the Rams 24-13 at halftime & that was with Pete Beathard at QB, Len Dawson reportedly held out due to the flu (Dawson previously ‘had’ the flu leading up to August 19 when KC beat the Bears, as did Beathard then.)
Reality was no flu: Stram said he wanted to ‘give Beathard some work’ – moreso KC was ‘showcasing’ Beathard vs the Rams for future trade and 5 weeks later he was traded to the Oilers. Too, Pete had starred at USC as had KC’s Mike Garrett, which was also a reason for playing Pete extensively the game – not to mention Pete was a better scrambler than Dawson & the Fearsome Foursome might have injured Lenny the KC starter before their season opener a week later .
Point being KC was winning vs the Rams in LA at their own stadium with their backup QB Beathard. The final score of 44-24 Rams was a case the Chiefs easing up & LA being embarrassed the first half. Too, KC backups were worked over in the 2nd half and many mistakes were made, if said be more mental errors, lack of motivation/letdown after being up big or Ram pride kicking in, debatable.
Stram always loved to play his vets/win every game, exhibition or not. Late KC LB Sherrill Headrick was quoted as saying Stram (paraphrasing) ‘played us too much in the exhibitions. Our legs would be shot before the regular season even concluded.’
Still, leading 24-13 and coming on top of the Chiefs beating the Bears 66-24 & the Raiders 48-0 previous 2 weeks & having outscored their opposition 138-37 in just 2 1/2 games, I felt KC was the best team in pro football at that point in time. That was dis-proven for whatever reason, course the regular season.
As the regular season unfolded it has been speculated the Chiefs ‘stepped back to admire their work’ as one scribe said. The Raiders went on to the Superbowl with just a single loss, Rams lost just 1 game as well till they met GB an playoff game… the Chiefs meanwhile were beaten 5 times that year. I still can’t believe it because the ONLY game all season that they probably would’ve lost anyway was a late season Thanksgiving Day game in KC. By then, an confident Raiders team wasn’t going to be stopped by anyone, till they met GB in the Superbowl.
Thus 1967 is the most disappointing season Chiefs history for me, due to their under-performing after their great ’66 season. They went through five Centers 1967 due to injury, shot themselves in the foot all year long & to some extent were the victim of improvements by other AFL teams & as referenced earlier a bit of the ‘all we have to do is throw our shoes out on the field to win’ attitude. These sentiments were expressed to me by various persons then involved. The normal in season ‘drama’ each team lives through was a factor as well; I won’t elaborate on said here reference the Chiefs.
Upshot: the better AFL teams 1967, KC, OAK, SD and NY could play with ANY NFL team thence. By 1968 & ongoing the difference in talent level between the two leagues was essentially a wash on any given Sunday, all teams each league considered.
Sorry to ramble, but how I love(d) and remember the AFL! (and my Chiefs… today’s ‘game’ pales in comparison, my opine.)