Description
Book Synopsis In the mid-1960s, when pro football eclipsed baseball as America''s leading spectator sport, the NFL had the most exciting season in its history. The Eastern Conference Cleveland Browns were the champions in 1965 yet most of the action was in the Western Conference, where the reigning Baltimore Colts contended with the formidable Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. All three teams played two games apiece against the Detroit Lions, a power earlier in the decade, and the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, who were becoming dominant in the league. In those days the NFL played a wide-open game--long touchdown passes, fumbles and interceptions kept fans on the edges of their seats through seven games each weekend. The league''s deep bench included such players as Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Tom Matte, Bart Starr, Paul Hornung and Dave Robinson, rookies Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus, and key coaches Don Shula, Vince Lombardi and George Halas. A fantastic final weekend led to a one-ga
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Preseason
- 2. The First Month
- 3. Sheep and Goats
- 4. The Baltimore Boom
- 5. The Climax
- 6. The Playoff (December 26, 1965)
- 7. The Championship
- Epilogue
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
