We '60s and '70s kids had the best quarterback names in the history of the NFL Greise, Brody, Tarkenton, Namath, Unitas, Stabler, Bradshaw, Lamonica, Gabriel... And then there was BUBBA SMITH! All other era's take a walk.
Playing hard in a Pro Bowl game. Back then you gave a full effort vs the modern day pro bowls. Additionally, these guys needed the extra $ for the winning share. Not many millionaires back then in the NFL.
And as Tommy Nobis' late hit on Paul Warfield illustrated, there was some bad blood between the two conferences, stemming from the NFL-AFL war during the 1960s, even though Nobis and Warfield had both been in the NFL during the '60s.
@@jamescoleakaericunderwood2503 Where did you sit for this Pro Bowl? It looks like maybe you could have slipped down closer to the action due to a lot of empty seats
@@markgardner9460 we always sat In section 126 North east corner of the Coliseum... The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was actually a terrible place to watch a football game because of the 440 track around the field....it was built for the Olympics... Dad always said he wished The Rams would of played at The Rose Bowl...The Rose Bowl is a great place to watch a game because it's so steep you're on top of the game... just saying ✌️...the Coliseum is HUGE.... they've made a lot of improvements since the 1970s ...we used to go to USC games too....
Dang…the AFC got beat down! Come on boys! However, some really cool footage from this game, and awesome to see so many legendary players putting on a show, playing with pride.
Thoroughly enjoyed the video! What I enjoyed the most was Mel Renfro returning 2 punts for touchdowns. Yep, I was an avid Cowboys fan way back in those days.
@SportsStatsNGab I knew that Renfro was a member of the University of Oregon's track team but didn't know that he was a long jumper. Thanks for the information. Once again, your videos are great.
Thank you for this, especially as this was the first AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. I'm sure this game had some actual competitiveness and even some edge to it, and would for a few years, as this was immediately after the completion of the AFL-NFL merger, and the still-smoldering rivalry that had been between the two leagues.
It was edgy for a few years thereafter, but then players started making more money and skipping it (Fran Tarkenton did that at least twice) which lead to some very questionable replacements (ie. Eagles Mike Boryla)
Fred Cox invented Nerf Footballs Cool! Love the Old Skool Pro Bowl Highlights! Never seen that. And now that I think of it I don't think there's very many available. Good Stuff 💪🏈💪
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video! I'm working on another Pro Bowl game that should be released in the very near future, so hopefully you can check it out.
Hey Ed Pinkerton thanks for calling out dick butkus on the punt return team , l'm literally laughing and crying watching these guys play like it's the super bowl this is how we played 40 years ago where did the years go brothers ?
This was when I was really nuts about the NFL AND AFL Remember this Pro bowl very well because being a Minnesota Vikings fan I wanted the NFC to win and the Vikings having many players on the NFC team and the Vikings defensive line all four of them being voted to the Pro bowl team among many other Vikings players
Falcons' All-Pro middle linebacker, Nobis (#60 on the National team,) always went all out. I think he played in at least, four Pro Bowls, including 1972, after coming back from his second knee injury.
ProFootballReference has him at 5 Pro Bowls. It states that he's a member of the HOF All-1960's Team. I am surprised that he's still on the outside of the Hall of Fame looking in.
Never seen this before. The NFC was probably trying to get payback for the two previous shocking Super Bowl losses (old NFL - AFL rivalry). Interesting to see RB Floyd Little wearing #46 (instead of his regular #). Zeke Moore (22) - so close to catching Renfro on that first punt return TD.
It s been said that pro football in the 1950s was one of the most dangerous jobs you could do ,and when the season ended you better have a second job !
I love hearing about this stuff. It adds to the memories. I've got a few items that I'd like to pick up from my youth, too. Some items are not available or if they are, they're on the spendy side.
Thanks so much for the upload. Fred Cox grew up just a few minutes from me and I have his jersey from this game. Up until now I have been unable to find any game pics or footage of him wearing it.
Thank you, Dale! I have a terrific video that will roll out this afternoon at 5:00 pm Central Time - it's unique and I think it's very entertaining. I hope that you'll check it out - thanks for watching and commenting!
It's true. I grew up watching him and he'd blow an incredible amount of chip shots (perhaps due to his flat-edged kicking shoe, that if not stuck properly would cause the ball too veer dramatically).....hit some big ones, too, but his leg really got weak the older that he got. Bud Grant held onto him way too long.
All the points in the game came from 3 teams: Dallas, Minnesota and Kansas City..12 from Mel Renfro,9 from Fred Cox,6 from Dave Osborn and 6 from Jan Stenerud
There were a lot of Vikings and Raiders on those two teams. Players whine about playing in the Pro Bowl, but back then, it was a pay check and the game was played like a football game should be played. No showboating, no dancing after making a routine tackle and then you had Mel Renfro return two punts for touchdowns without a lot of fanfare. This is why I don't have the same connection to the game like I did back in the day.
I think there were 7 Vikings: Cox, Osborn, Washington, Page, Eller, Larson, and Kassulke. Back then the rosters weren't as bloated as they are now. Strangely, Ron Yary and Mick Tingelhoff didn't make it.
Wow!! It's scary how hard this collection of NFL legends played. Like they were fighting for a Super Bowl! I had forgotten what a great athlete Mel Renfro who teamed with Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters was. Looks like Renfro could have been a great RB or WR. Instead he played in Tom Landry's secondary and played a huge part in Cowboy's glory years. Goes to show you how great Calvin Hill and Duane Thomas must have been to be the Cowboy's starting RBs during that era. I have come here to start watching all the Pro Bowls starting from 1970 and the first one left me speechless . I used to joke to my friends recently that they may as well play flag football the way they were playing lately. Low and behold my joke about flag football has become a reality in 2023. Goes to show you how much a business the game is when star players today can't risk injury in this now meaningless game.
These guys only knew one way to play: all out. Mel Renfro was an outstanding running back at Oregon. He was also a great hurdler and long jumper in college.
So did the NFC ever go with a formation of Gene Washington split wide left AND right in this game? The Vikings Washington was drafted in 1967, the 49ers Washington in 1969. If Washington would have still been available for the Vikings in 1969, Coach Grant would have taken him. It would have been interesting to keep track of that on the play by play calls!
I'm not sure. The Vikes didn't have a 1st round pick in '69. They nabbed Guard Ed White in the 2nd round which was a super solid selection - not sure that Washington would have fallen that far to them in the 2nd round and not sure that they would have selected him if he did.
I saw footage in my video that depict both WR's on the field at the same time. You may want to check for it...it's on the re-play of the Vikings WR running with the ball
In 1969, all 4 Vikings D linemen were named to the Pro Bowl game. Otto undoubtedly butted heads a few times and lost that decal. His Raiders helmet looked like it had been attached to a car's bumper by a rope and dragged down a gravel road for 2 miles at 80 mph.
These guys are playing pretty hard! Isn’t this years pro bowl flag football? I may be wrong. BTW thanks for this upload and the groovy music! Awesome 👍
Jack yougblood of the rams broke his leg in the nfc champingson game . They taped it and he finished the game, played in the super bowl and also played in the pro bowl this will never happen again
In spite of the outcomes of Super Bowls 3 & 4, the AFL/AFC still wasn't as deep as the NFL/NFC and the interconference results the first 2-3 years after the merger showed that. It would take a few years of the common draft for the AFC to catch up and then eventually get ahead of the NFC by the late 1970's. Of course nowadays no one cares about the rivalry between the two conferences but back then this was considered a big game.
The passing game wasn't as successful in those days ! The amount of passing yards in the NFL Today is an enormous number compared to the numbers in those days!
HOF Center Mick Tingelhoff said that when Butkus' knees went out, offensive lineman from across the NFL finally got to give back all the punishment that he laid down earlier in his career.
Correct. He had off-season knee surgery in 1970 and wasn't the same thereafter. He was limping all over the place - probably came back too soon knowing him.
We '60s and '70s kids had the best quarterback names in the history of the NFL
Greise, Brody, Tarkenton, Namath, Unitas, Stabler, Bradshaw, Lamonica, Gabriel...
And then there was BUBBA SMITH! All other era's take a walk.
That was the best era...I agree!
They had to throw to receivers that faced bump and run coverage all the way down the field while getting hit themselves on almost every play.
Don’t forget about Lenny Dawson a.k.a. Lenny The Cool
Playing hard in a Pro Bowl game. Back then you gave a full effort vs the modern day pro bowls. Additionally, these guys needed the extra $ for the winning share. Not many millionaires back then in the NFL.
I can tell how much pride the players had back then because they gave a total effort in this game. Seems that they only knew one way to play - all out
yes big difference from the joke game now
Today’s NFL is crap
@@gordonhall9871 and it is a joke that
And as Tommy Nobis' late hit on Paul Warfield illustrated, there was some bad blood between the two conferences, stemming from the NFL-AFL war during the 1960s, even though Nobis and Warfield had both been in the NFL during the '60s.
What fantastic footage!!!! Those uniforms were absolutely phenomenal! Even matching helmets!!! I sure do miss this era of NFL football!
Couldn't agree more!
saw this on tv when i was 10 -- last game till next season -- felt sad back then time was slow -- not now
I can relate to "felt sad back then time was slow - not now"....big time
@@markgardner9460 No Doubt! What a great post by Gordon...it really was kinda sad ..great post Gordon...
First Pro Bowl after the merger still some acrimony left from the NFL-AFL rivalry
Yes there was, Martin!
I was at this game...
Pop worked for The LA Times
Free tickets to all the pro bowls....
Eric Underwood Class of 81 Downey High school CA ✌️
Oh, man, I would have loved to been at those Pro Bowls!!!
@@markgardner9460 it was really cool seeing all the great names playing...I still have newspaper clippings from some of them...✌️
@@jamescoleakaericunderwood2503 Where did you sit for this Pro Bowl? It looks like maybe you could have slipped down closer to the action due to a lot of empty seats
@@markgardner9460 we always sat In section 126 North east corner of the Coliseum...
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was actually a terrible place to watch a football game because of the 440 track around the field....it was built for the Olympics...
Dad always said he wished The Rams would of played at The Rose Bowl...The Rose Bowl is a great place to watch a game because it's so steep you're on top of the game... just saying ✌️...the Coliseum is HUGE.... they've made a lot of improvements since the 1970s ...we used to go to USC games too....
@@markgardner9460 I edited my seat section...
It was 126 ... actually
Dang…the AFC got beat down! Come on boys! However, some really cool footage from this game, and awesome to see so many legendary players putting on a show, playing with pride.
and maybe some payback, too, from earlier in the season.
Thoroughly enjoyed the video! What I enjoyed the most was Mel Renfro returning 2 punts for touchdowns. Yep, I was an avid Cowboys fan way back in those days.
Thanks, Eric! Mel was a tremendous athlete...super long jumper
@SportsStatsNGab I knew that Renfro was a member of the University of Oregon's track team but didn't know that he was a long jumper. Thanks for the information.
Once again, your videos are great.
Thank you for this, especially as this was the first AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. I'm sure this game had some actual competitiveness and even some edge to it, and would for a few years, as this was immediately after the completion of the AFL-NFL merger, and the still-smoldering rivalry that had been between the two leagues.
It was edgy for a few years thereafter, but then players started making more money and skipping it (Fran Tarkenton did that at least twice) which lead to some very questionable replacements (ie. Eagles Mike Boryla)
Butkus, Nobis, Curtis, Tombstone Jackson now that’s football!
Gotta love it!
Fred Cox invented Nerf Footballs Cool!
Love the Old Skool Pro Bowl Highlights! Never seen that. And now that I think of it I don't think there's very many available.
Good Stuff 💪🏈💪
Yeah, Fred was a co-inventor. I remember my first one - loved it! Glad you enjoyed the video, Steve.
@@markgardner9460you people are wonderful....bringing back so many memories of my childhood. thank you.
These guys played hard and actually cared about winning.
Absolutely right! That has not been the case for many years now.
I love this mans voice. Helps bring in the past.
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video! I'm working on another Pro Bowl game that should be released in the very near future, so hopefully you can check it out.
I love how the ball boys were fighting for a souvenir.
good stuff!
Great comment about the ball boys scrapping it out, as Fred bilitnikoff walk s by mad at the ref, great video.
Hey Ed Pinkerton thanks for calling out dick butkus on the punt return team , l'm literally laughing and crying watching these guys play like it's the super bowl this is how we played 40 years ago where did the years go brothers ?
Let's go for 40 more good ones!
Wait a minute, George Jetson attended the game? 🤣. He was flying around; showing off !!!! 😂
Mr. Spacely let him take off early from work in order to attend.
@@markgardner9460 😂🤣😂
I watched that game on TV.
This was when I was really nuts about the NFL AND AFL Remember this Pro bowl very well because being a Minnesota Vikings fan I wanted the NFC to win and the Vikings having many players on the NFC team and the Vikings defensive line all four of them being voted to the Pro bowl team among many other Vikings players
They played hard here just like they did in the NBA in the 70s. Total pride in what they did.
That's right - very refreshing, as opposed to what the All-Star games have been for the past 30+ years.
Falcons' All-Pro middle linebacker, Nobis (#60 on the National team,) always went all out. I think he played in at least, four Pro Bowls, including 1972, after coming back from his second knee injury.
ProFootballReference has him at 5 Pro Bowls. It states that he's a member of the HOF All-1960's Team. I am surprised that he's still on the outside of the Hall of Fame looking in.
@@markgardner9460 Lots of complaints in Atlanta about Tommy Nobis not being in the HOF. The rap was that he mainly played on bad teams.
@@tommythomason6187 The dude couldn't do it all by himself. Just ask Dick Butkus who played on one lousy team after another.
Never seen this before. The NFC was probably trying to get payback for the two previous shocking Super Bowl losses (old NFL - AFL rivalry). Interesting to see RB Floyd Little wearing #46 (instead of his regular #).
Zeke Moore (22) - so close to catching Renfro on that first punt return TD.
I didn't know that Zeke had made a Pro Bowl appearance. Thanks for bringing that up, Denis.
Butkus playing on the punt return team
That's a great catch, Ed. I pity the guys in his way.
Great stuff!
Keep those late hits coming ...
You bet! Rolling out a new video shortly that I hope you'll enjoy.
These guys played for pride and to WIN! Today, the Pro bowl has been reduced to a meaningless flag football game. I won't be watching.
I'd rather watch laundry dry on a clothes line.
World War 2 vets and footballers who played from the 1920s - 1995 those guys were the bad asses , hands down !!
It s been said that pro football in the 1950s was one of the most dangerous jobs you could do ,and when the season ended you better have a second job !
At 1:12 check out th face mask ! !
At 1:00 if he would have touched that ball he was going to get smashed
Great! Learned 3 new bits o’ info too.
Awesome! I'd like to score one of those old helmet cars. I wonder whatever happened to all of them.
I just purchased a beautiful condition program and ticket stub to this game off of eBay. I remember watching it on TV back when it aired live.
I love hearing about this stuff. It adds to the memories. I've got a few items that I'd like to pick up from my youth, too. Some items are not available or if they are, they're on the spendy side.
Thanks for sharing this.
You're welcome. I really enjoyed creating it!
Back in the day when the NFL wasn't a JOKE !
To me, it's unwatchable today.
Thanks so much for the upload. Fred Cox grew up just a few minutes from me and I have his jersey from this game. Up until now I have been unable to find any game pics or footage of him wearing it.
Wow. That is very cool. Thanks for watching and sharing that!
Date, January 24, 1971 (Sun.). CBS-TV Network aired this game
I love the footage you are able to find and the commentary you add is very informative. I hope you are be able to keep growing your channel.
Thank you, Dale! I have a terrific video that will roll out this afternoon at 5:00 pm Central Time - it's unique and I think it's very entertaining. I hope that you'll check it out - thanks for watching and commenting!
Fred Cox was dreadful when the chips were down: 1:56 He would miss some of the shortest FGs of all-time. Fortunately, he invented the Nerf.
It's true. I grew up watching him and he'd blow an incredible amount of chip shots (perhaps due to his flat-edged kicking shoe, that if not stuck properly would cause the ball too veer dramatically).....hit some big ones, too, but his leg really got weak the older that he got. Bud Grant held onto him way too long.
All the points in the game came from 3 teams: Dallas, Minnesota and Kansas City..12 from Mel Renfro,9 from Fred Cox,6 from Dave Osborn and 6 from Jan Stenerud
He was dreadfull even when the chips were up.
There were a lot of Vikings and Raiders on those two teams. Players whine about playing in the Pro Bowl, but back then, it was a pay check and the game was played like a football game should be played. No showboating, no dancing after making a routine tackle and then you had Mel Renfro return two punts for touchdowns without a lot of fanfare. This is why I don't have the same connection to the game like I did back in the day.
I think there were 7 Vikings: Cox, Osborn, Washington, Page, Eller, Larson, and Kassulke. Back then the rosters weren't as bloated as they are now. Strangely, Ron Yary and Mick Tingelhoff didn't make it.
@@markgardner9460 Neither did Jim Marshall or Paul Krause. Brings back great memories.
It doesn't shock me that Broadie and Washington had an excellent pass and catch play because they were Teammates who developed solid rhythm.
Wow!! It's scary how hard this collection of NFL legends played. Like they were fighting for a Super Bowl! I had forgotten what a great athlete Mel Renfro who teamed with Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters was. Looks like Renfro could have been a great RB or WR. Instead he played in Tom Landry's secondary and played a huge part in Cowboy's glory years. Goes to show you how great Calvin Hill and Duane Thomas must have been to be the Cowboy's starting RBs during that era. I have come here to start watching all the Pro Bowls starting from 1970 and the first one left me speechless . I used to joke to my friends recently that they may as well play flag football the way they were playing lately. Low and behold my joke about flag football has become a reality in 2023. Goes to show you how much a business the game is when star players today can't risk injury in this now meaningless game.
These guys only knew one way to play: all out. Mel Renfro was an outstanding running back at Oregon. He was also a great hurdler and long jumper in college.
I want a football helmet go-cart!!
NFC blue or AFC red?
Don't jack it up or your facemask will become a road grater.
So did the NFC ever go with a formation of Gene Washington split wide left AND right in this game?
The Vikings Washington was drafted in 1967, the 49ers Washington in 1969. If Washington would have still been available for the Vikings in 1969, Coach Grant would have taken him. It would have been interesting to keep track of that on the play by play calls!
I'm not sure. The Vikes didn't have a 1st round pick in '69. They nabbed Guard Ed White in the 2nd round which was a super solid selection - not sure that Washington would have fallen that far to them in the 2nd round and not sure that they would have selected him if he did.
@@markgardner9460 - You're probably right. I was just remembering what I read in a book for 1972 All Pros where the idea came from.
Well, if it's in a book from that era, the writer most likely had a reliable source...so I guess it was plausable.
Makes you wonder how possible could it have been for The Army Glenn Davis and The Ohio State Glenn Davis to be in the same game.😉🏈B.W.
I saw footage in my video that depict both WR's on the field at the same time. You may want to check for it...it's on the re-play of the Vikings WR running with the ball
Three of the Vikings D linemen in this game !! No decal on Otto's helmet...7:51
In 1969, all 4 Vikings D linemen were named to the Pro Bowl game.
Otto undoubtedly butted heads a few times and lost that decal. His Raiders helmet looked like it had been attached to a car's bumper by a rope and dragged down a gravel road for 2 miles at 80 mph.
Before the players went to Hawaii to party and oh yeah a touch football game.
Can you believe that? Just skip the entire Pro Bowl...it's a complete joke
Back when they wanted to win, not live in mansion.
These guys are playing pretty hard! Isn’t this years pro bowl flag football? I may be wrong. BTW thanks for this upload and the groovy music! Awesome 👍
Yep. Flag football game tomorrow. Ugh. Thank you for your comments!
Jack yougblood of the rams broke his leg in the nfc champingson game . They taped it and he finished the game, played in the super bowl and also played in the pro bowl this will never happen again
You are correct. Too much babying going on.
In spite of the outcomes of Super Bowls 3 & 4, the AFL/AFC still wasn't as deep as the NFL/NFC and the interconference results the first 2-3 years after the merger showed that. It would take a few years of the common draft for the AFC to catch up and then eventually get ahead of the NFC by the late 1970's. Of course nowadays no one cares about the rivalry between the two conferences but back then this was considered a big game.
Yes, you're right. It was considered to be a big game and the players gave maximum effort. Those games were as physical as any other game.
7:72 scrum for the loose ball
afc OL mailed it in
3 plays in a row they leaked badly
Like you say: It's a man's game or at least it was. Still, I wrote and now sing the song called Now He's a Woman. I'm still a man though.
The passing game wasn't as successful in those days ! The amount of passing yards in the NFL Today is an enormous number compared to the numbers in those days!
They've changed the rules so much over the years to favor the passing game that it's ridiculous!
Roger Wehrli takes a ride on Floyd Little's bow-legs: 6:23
Floyd said that his bow legs made it more difficult for would-be tacklers.
@@markgardner9460 Better to have Floyd's legs than James Browns' legs if you see the humor. May they both RIP.
They really screwed it up by switching too many teams around .
Better games if they'd left it like that AFC vs NFC
Two Gene Washington’s.
Too bad stenerud couldnt have made that chip shot in the dec 25 1971 divisional playoff game !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! What a game that was. Garo missed a chip shot, too, I think.
If his knees weren't so bad Tommy Nobis could have been better than them all at MLB.
HOF Center Mick Tingelhoff said that when Butkus' knees went out, offensive lineman from across the NFL finally got to give back all the punishment that he laid down earlier in his career.
@@markgardner9460 I can believe that. Butkus stayed a few years too long.
Correct. He had off-season knee surgery in 1970 and wasn't the same thereafter. He was limping all over the place - probably came back too soon knowing him.
Playing flag football 😂. Today's players won't make more money and play less.
They went after it in this one and pretty much all of them until, I'd say, the mid-'80's.....then it became a total joke.