ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
The AFL was still seen as inferior entering Super Bowl III, and Baltimore Colts quarterback Earl Morrall and Johnny Unitas were heavy favorites against brash Jets quarterback Joe Namath.
What happened
The New York Jets won Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969, at Miami's Orange Bowl, 16-7, after Namath had famously guaranteed victory three days before kickoff.
Why it still matters
The upset validated the AFL-NFL merger and made Namath one of football's first celebrity quarterbacks. Memorable detail: Namath wagging his index finger as he left the field became the enduring image of the guarantee fulfilled.
Background
The upset validated the AFL-NFL merger.