It was on this date that the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the first Super Bowl. This game was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum before a crowd of less than 62,000, not nearly portending the rage today. In a few weeks the NFL will play Super Bowl 50 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, home of the 49ers. The NFL was in its 47th year and the AFL was in its seventh season. The leagues would merge for the 1970 season. In 1966 the NFL had 17 teams, and the AFL nine. The merger required some long standing NFL teams to become part of the new AFC conference. The NFL has under gone changes with new teams added, and of course teams moving from one city to another. The former Baltimore Colts left in the dark of night for Indianapolis. The Raiders have been in Oakland, to LA, back to Oakland, and perhaps now back to San Antonio, TX, after attempting to relocate once again to LA.
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| Jimi Taylor on a run for the Packers |
As any general manager of a football team knows, it can be difficult to find the proper player. The draft is replete with bad picks (think Justin Harrell and Tony Mandrich of the Packers, both number ones), and there are those who were picked late in the draft that are good football players (think Bart Starr and Tom Brady, or Willie Wood who was undrafted and “found” by Lombardi). In its beginnings, the AFL was able to cobble NFL castaways and form some decent teams that were competitive within their league. Perhaps the genius of Lombardi was not only finding talent, but finding those who could work in his system and for him as well. For years the NFL had success in keeping at bay other leagues that attempted to form, but it was unable to do so with the AFL. The teams would end up in a bidding war for talent, even though they had tacit agreement to not sign players under contract with another team. The New York Giants broke the unwritten policy and a feud ensued. That led the NFL to negotiate with the AFL in 1966. The result was that they would form one league at the completion of the 1969 season, and that they would play a game between the two conference champions. LA did not know they would receive the game until December 1, 1966. Heck, at that time they did not even have a specific date. The game date was not set until almost two weeks later. It was not really known as the Super Bowl, rather it was called the First AFL-NFL Championship Game. Some reports say that Lamar Hunt, the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs coined the name, and wanting to use “Bowl” as a takeoff of the popular college bowl games (think Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl). Some say that the game was referred to as the Super Bowl by one of the two broadcast crews. The term Super Bowl was not official until the 1969 game. It was the only Super Bowl to be broadcast on two networks. CBS, which had broadcast rights to the NFL, and NBC which had the rights to the AFL.
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Starr going back to pass
Right Guard Jerry Kramer's ring from Super Bowl 1 is now for sale |
It was a fitting match. The Packers were one of the premier teams in the NFL at the time, having won a number of NFL championships in the decade, and the Chiefs were owned by the man who had started the AFL. Lombardi was under pressure from the whole NFL to demonstrate the superior play of the NFL. The Chiefs saw the game as the ability to compete with the top NFL team. Green Bay was 12-2 during the regular season and KC was 11-2-1. The quarterback for each team was the top rated passer in their league for that season. They were both well balanced teams with good offenses and good defenses. Perhaps showing the adage that defense wins championships. The Packers top receiver exacerbated an injury early in the game which led to his replacement—Max McGee seeing significantg action. As an aging star, with little reps in the regular season, Mcgee did not expect to play. Max had been out the whole night, so the story goes, and was likely working off a stupor. Yet, he would end up playing magnificently having 7 receptions for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those numbers would be great today, but back then the pass happy offenses we see today had yet to materialize. Even the rules were much different for blocking. The game was close at the half, and at that point the Chiefs had outgained the NFL champions (181 to 164 yards). The halftime score was GB 14, KC 10. The Chiefs were highly encouraged by their play and their coach is quoted as having said at the half that he thought they would win the game. In the Packer locker room the team knew they had not played to their potential, and a probably a polite Willie Davis noted that the coach “was concerned.” However, Lombardi believed the game plan sound, and with some tweaks to the plan and better execution the Packers could do better.
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| McGee works off a drunken stupor to catch a touchdown pass |
The Chiefs looked like they were moving the ball on the opening drive when a pass by Len Dawson was intercepted by Willie Wood who returned it 50 yards to the five yard line. It was the momentum builder the Packer needed. The play and turning point of the game. On its first play from scrimmage Elijah Pitts would score on the five yard run. Packers 21, Chiefs 10. For the rest of the game Kansas City only crossed midfield one time. In the third quarter KC looked like the 2015 GB Packers against Arizona a few weeks ago only gaining 12 yards for the quarter. McGee, quickly recovered from the night before was a star of the game. His 37 yard catch a highlight catch is played to this day. Paul Hornung would be the only Packer to not play. He chose not to go in for even one play for fear of aggravating a pinched nerve in his neck.
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| Kansas City QB Len Dawson under pressure |
For the 2015 season and as Super Bowl 50 (they finally got rid of the Roman numerals) approaches both the Packers and the Chiefs have playoff games this weekend. However, the Packers, for the latter half of the season have been playing as if they have had the pinched nerve--in the whole team. The Chiefs play at the defending champion New England Patriots, and the Patriots are slightly favored by most accounts. Green Bay, on the other had goes back to Arizona. They lost to Arizona 38 to 8 in the penultimate game of the regular season. Of the eight teams in the playoff this weekend, the Packers are considered the lowest ranked team, and the team with the least ability to win. One computer model gives them only a 34% chance to advance to the conference championship next weekend, a 14% chance to get to the Super Bowl and only a 7% chance of winning the Super Bowl. The next lowest chance of winning a playoff game is said to be Pittsburgh at 42% (over Denver). Kansas City is given odds of 49% to advance to the AFC Championship game, 27% of making it to the Super Bowl and 14% of winning the Super Bowl.
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| Sports Illustrated cover |
The odds of having Packers and the Chiefs meet in Super Bowl 50 are pretty slim. More due to Green Bay than Kansas City. However, games are played and odd things happen in playoff games. The Packers found that out last year against in the NFC chamnpionship game, and Minnesota found that out last week against Seattle. It is more than talent, mechanics and scheme, it is also about emotion, drive and heart. The 1980 US Olympic hockey team was destroyed by the Soviet Union before the start of the Olympics, but yet they beat them a few weeks later at Lake Placid. In every match they won, they came from behind in order to win the gold medal. The Packers may only have a slight chance of advancing to the Super Bowl, but they have a shot. Predictions are that they will not be blown out this Saturday. Whatever the outcome tomorrow against Arizona, one hopes that the organization will have learned to better evaluate players to advance the success of the team. Packer QB Aaron Rogers says the pressure is on Arizona, and I hope the outcome is not as it was 49 years ago when the pressure was on the Packers and they ended up dominating the Chiefs. Lombardi found talent to make a run at titles for five years, three being consecutive years. He may not have had a perfect season, but he knew how to win when it mattered--Championships. He would take his Packer team to Super Bowl 2, with a 9-4-1 regular season record.
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