When I first began studying Sid Gillman and the early Chargers, quality AFL information was difficult to find. I spent many long hours in library archives, sifting through microfilm, hoping to find bits and pieces that would prove important to my research.
There has been an explosion of AFL resources in the years since – web sites, books aplenty, video documentaries, and even a blog called Tales from the American Football League ;-). It is a real treat (and tremendous time-saver) to be able to find great information on most any AFL subject at your fingertips.
One of the best sources around for game summaries and such is Pro Football Reference.com (www.pro-football-reference.com). I am not really a stats and numbers guy. My personal interests lie in the stories surrounding the league, rather than knowing things like the top five AFL rushing leaders in 1967. However, that information still proves very useful in my research, and so I head over to Pro Football Reference.com fairly often.
Today I was flipping through some files, and came across one of my favorite game programs, from the October 1, 1967, game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders. It features a tremendous image of Ben Davidson wrapping up Babe Parilli of the Boston Patriots. Turns out this was a great game as well. The Raiders opened the scoring in the second quarter, and managed to keep a small lead throughout the game, though the Chiefs didn’t back down an inch. Daryle Lamonica threw for 238 yards, while Bobby Bell pulled down an interception and Noland Smith totaled 175 yards in kick returns. A classic AFL battle for sure! Thankfully I was able to read about it from the comfort of my desk, and not have to travel to the nearest library to read the box score!
Nice article….I think I have the ticket stub from this game.
The 1967 regular season game that broke my heart: the defending AFL Champs (my) Chiefs vs the Raiders in OAK. Chiefs beat OAK 48-0 in Portland, Oregon six weeks earlier, exhibition. The Raiders prevailed in the rematch October 1, more opportunistic, even lucky than anything else…don’t tell me a W is a W.
Via one victory OAK gained confidence while KC took the L too lightly. Upshot: the latter went from Champion to 3rd place, while the former went from never was’es to Champions in ’67. This game more than any other is what truly began what became the epic Chiefs/Raiders rivalry.
Back to the game: where to begin? How about at the end.
Two minutes to play and down 23-21, an unmolested Otis Taylor drops a long bomb in the clear some 5 yards behind Willie Brown, td and loss snatched the jaws of victory.
That was merely the coup de grace of a most unforgettable day for both Chiefs and Raiders fans… OAK made the plays, KC did not.
Earlier in the game OAK, deep in it’s own end of the field and facing 3rd and 42, converts via KC defensive penalty; the Raiders go on to score an td… earlier still, blocking DE Ike Lassiter near OAK’s 15 yard line, FB Curtis McClinton knocks the ball from QB Len Dawson’s grasp, OAK returns deep into KC territory & converts the fumble into 3 points… KR Noland ‘Supergnat’ Smith (who otherwise had an great day) fumbles a kick return in KC’s end… Smith was untouched; more OAK points. Even OAK’s first td of the game came by way another KC miscue, an pass by Dawson tipped up into the air & intercepted.
Make no mistake, OAK was a good team in 1967, one that became 13-1 great. But at that point game 3 on October 1, they were fortunate. Later in the year when they beat KC 44-22 on Thanksgiving Day, the student became teacher, and the annual slug-fests were on.
This October 1, 1967 game (as the entire Chiefs season) still makes me sick… KC lost three games by a total of 8 points, finishing 9-5 instead of at least 12-2, the latter mark also OAK’s record had October 1 game ended differently.
You got lucky Raiders… still, long live the AFL!
: )
NBC PRE-EMTED AFL FOOTBALL COVERAGE OCT 1 1967. THE TWINS-RED SOX GAME WAS CARRIED. THIS WAS GAME 162 AND BOTH TEAMS WERE TIED FOR THE PENNANT. WERE LOCAL STATIONS IN HOME TOWN CITIES STILL ALOWED TO SHOE AFL GAMES OR WAS IT ALL BASEBALL. WOULD ANYONE KNOW
Can tell you that though I was attending this game Chiefs vs Raiders game played in Oakland at 1:30 p.m. local time, the Kansas/Missouri tv viewing area did get this AFL game that day in 1967 shown in entirety starting at 3:30 p.m. midwest time; uncertain if AFL games on that day were joined in progress anywhere else. Do know that by 2:00 p.m. eastern time on October 1, 1967, the DEN vs @HOU as well SD vs @BUF & MIA vs @NYJ games were just starting, before the Red Sox/Twins game would’ve finished.
Do know the Minnesota vs @Boston baseball game that October 1 day in 1967 took only 2:25 to play, was a day game and by the time the KC vs @OAK AFL game started, it would’ve already been 4:30 p.m. in Boston & the baseball game would have already ended.
Can also tell you the Boston Patriots had a ‘bye’ on October 1, 1967, so, the Red Sox game was perhaps more likely have been shown there in Boston than some other random AFL game, but, that is just a guess on my part. I know the Minnesota Vikings (who would have been carried on CBS as an NFL team)were playing that day at home, a game that would’ve started at 1:30 p.m. local time in Minnesota and 2:30 p.m. eastern time.
~
My uneducated guess would be, the AFL games would have been shown in their entirety all cities other than Boston, where the Red Sox game was the only one in town.
Which brings up another interesting thought: what about blackout rules in effect then MLB, if any? I have no idea.
~
One last item of note: 1967 regular season, the Boston Patriots played the SD Chargers twice – ‘both’ games however were played in San Diego, due the MLB World Series (@Boston vs STL Cardinals) being played at Fenway Park on that game day in Boston, October 8; not surprisingly the Chargers won both games, home and home.
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