But the full story - of the man, the boast, and the times - is even more interesting, especially given all the controversy and media attention that swirled around Namath in the years leading up to Super Bowl III. What’s more, Namath delivered on his promise with a “Most-Valuable-Player” performance on game day, making it one of the more memorable and colorful acts in professional sport. Namath’s prediction was especially provocative since the Baltimore Colts were heavily favored to win what became the first named superbowl game - Super Bowl III. He “guaranteed” that his team would defeat the venerable Baltimore Colts in the world championship game that year. In January 1969, Joe Namath, the brash young quarterback of the New York Jets professional football team, made an audacious prediction. Namath’s razor-sharp recollections bring a bygone era of football to vivid life in this illuminating volume.New York "Daily News" headline with Joe Namath photo, January 13, 1969, following the New York Jets’ upset victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
Football fans will delight in Namath’s play calling throughout (he tells Jets coach Weeb Ewbank on the sideline, “They haven’t scored on our defense yet. We’re going to win a lot of games, but the losses will stick in ya’ll’s craws”). It’s apparent that he valued his relationship with coach Bear Bryant, for whom he played at the University of Alabama, and uses his quotes as metaphors for life (“You’ll remember the losses quicker than the wins. Namath is refreshingly candid throughout, taking readers through his decision to even write the book (Mortimer and Yaeger expertly bring out Namath’s intimate, conversational tone), and emphasizing his desire to not overlook the darker parts of his life.
For example, as Namath discusses his legendary Super Bowl III “guarantee” to win against the Baltimore Colts, he addresses his struggles with drinking. Namath explains that he intends to show readers “how I’ve changed, both positively and negatively,” and divides his memoir into four parts, as he recalls each quarter of Super Bowl III, incorporating moments of his private life throughout. Namath, quarterback of the 1968 Superbowl III–winning Jets, reflects on his life in this riveting, earnest memoir.
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