I apologize, dear reader. I am usually more vigilant about marking important anniversaries. Somehow, I allowed last Saturday to slip through my five hole, leaving me a week tardy in commemorating a seminal moment in our civic sporting history.
That would be Sunday, Aug. 22, 1976.
Fifty years and one week ago, the Jets traveled to Houston and defeated the Oilers 27-24 in the fourth of their six exhibition games after losing the first three. In a nod to usual Jets zaniness, head coach Lou Holtz — shaken after Richard Todd fumbled a couple of snaps as they were trying to run out the clock late — summoned Joe Namath to return to the game.
Joe Willie had already relieved his knees of the roughly 90 pounds of braces required to stay upright and pinched a fat chaw of Skoal between his cheek and gums. After limping to the line of scrimmage, he smiled at 10 Jets and 11 Oilers and announced: “Fellas, I’m taking a knee. Let’s not get anyone hurt.”
