55 Years Later, Joe Namath Gets Last Laugh on Heidi Game

The conclusion to one of the most famous games in National Football League history was actually seen by few people back in 1968, but it had a direct impact on sports are viewed on television nowadays — and Joe Namath was a part of it. 

Of course, this was the famous Heidi game. Back then, it wasn't uncommon for broadcasts to be cut short if games went longer than their designated window. That's what happened with the New York Jets faced the Oakland Raiders. A pretty strong rivalry had developed between the teams, and game featured a lot of penalties. However, when it went long in time, Heidi began on time. The outcry was so loud that the networks changed their policy about cutting away from live sporting events. 

Heres' the way the NFL described the game five years ago: 

On November 17, 1968, Heidi unexpectedly became part of sports vernacular when East Coast viewers suddenly lost the NBC broadcast of Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath's Jets trying to hold off a Raiders fourth-quarter comeback. While a large portion of the national audience saw the opening scenes of a made-for-TV movie featuring an orphan girl living with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps, Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica was throwing a 43-yard, go-ahead touchdown to Charlie Smith with 42 seconds left. 

"On the ensuing kickoff, with the Jets down 36-32 and Heidi’s melodious tones airing in most American living rooms, Oakland’s Bill Budness forced a fumble and teammate Preston Ridlehuber returned it for a touchdown to seal the game. 

"While NBC made a valiant last-second effort to avoid cutting away from the AFL game, several affiliates aired the musical during the Raiders’ comeback. Six weeks later, the Jets got revenge, turning away Oakland at New York’s Shea Stadium in the AFL Championship Game, giving Namath an opportunity to guarantee victory at Super Bowl III."

Sunday night, with the Jets playing at the Raiders, NBC celebrated the anniversary of the Heidi Game, inviting actress Jennifer Edwards to tell the story as the introduction.

"Sorry," she quipped. "Too soon?"