Joe Namath

Broadway Joe Namath took off his jacket, grabbed a cup of coffee, sat down at the Wyndham Baltimore and explained why he'd come to town. He was here to promote the Arthritis Huddle, he said, a pharmaceutical-sponsored organization that seeks to educate arthritis sufferers about ways to reduce pain and improve the quality of their lives. The former quarterback, who has arthritis, is best known for guaranteeing and delivering the New York Jets' upset victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969.

Ron Paolucci believes you're entitled to your opinion, but he has plenty of ways to refute the overwhelming sentiment that his 30-1 long shot filly Ria Antonia will be overmatched running with the colts in Saturday's 139th Preakness Stakes. The horse's co-owner will point to the race sheet, which says his horse is the second-highest earner of the Preakness entrants behind Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome, thanks to a November win at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. He'll boast that he and his filly don't mind their long odds, because neither horse nor owner cares much about respect.

While Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has won some people with his play the past two weeks, Joe Namath's mind had long been made up. He didn't need to see Flacco out-shine Indianapolis Colts phenom Andrew Luck and outplay Denver Broncos future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning to conclude that Flacco is one of the league's better quarterbacks. In a phone interview with The Baltimore Sun this week, Namath said that he has a been of fan of Flacco's ever since he first saw him play with the Ravens and he doesn't believe “you can give Flacco too much credit.” “A lot of that respect comes from knowing how tough the position can be at times, what kind of valleys we can get into mentally, emotionally.

While Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has won some people with his play the past two weeks, Joe Namath's mind had long been made up. He didn't need to see Flacco out-shine Indianapolis Colts phenom Andrew Luck and outplay Denver Broncos future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning to conclude that Flacco is one of the league's better quarterbacks. In a phone interview with The Baltimore Sun this week, Namath said that he has a been of fan of Flacco's ever since he first saw him play with the Ravens and he doesn't believe “you can give Flacco too much credit.” “A lot of that respect comes from knowing how tough the position can be at times, what kind of valleys we can get into mentally, emotionally.

The name jumps out of the television set, hitting a Baltimorean's ear the way a high-pitched sound affects a dog. Did that guy just say something about Johnny Unitas? "Why was Joe Namath so much more popular than Johnny Unitas?" asks a silky voice belonging to actor Hector Elizondo. He makes the question sound rhetorical, and perhaps it is -- to the rest of the country. "Both were great quarterbacks." Relief sets in. It's going to be OK. Sure, the images are stark, black-and-white shots of a muddy, desolate football field near some smoke-belching factory, but the voice said he was great, didn't it?

Joe Namath, arguably one of the toughest quarterbacks ever to play in the National Football League, recently had both knees surgically replaced. Sports-related joint injuries like the ones "Broadway Joe" suffered never heal.A joint is the spot where two bones come together. Bones are really quite soft, so their ends are covered with protective, tough cartilage. You may have seen the "gristle" on chicken bones; that's cartilage.Once cartilage is broken, it never heals. When the cartilage in a knee joint is damaged, the knee can never be the same.

Joe Namath, in an interview last night with Dan Marino on HBO's Real Sports, said he never gets tired of talking about the legendary guarantee of the New York Jets' 1969 Super Bowl victory over the Baltimore Colts. "No way," Namath said. "Don Larsen, who pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees [in 1956], came up with the perfect answer. I was standing there and someone asked Don, `Do you ever get tired of talking about your perfect game,' and Don said, 'Why should I?' " Marino asked Namath if the Jets played the Colts in the Super Bowl 10 times in 1969, how many times would the Jets have won?

THE COLTS-GIANTS championship football game of 1958, was "the greatest game ever played," but the game that was played 25 years ago yesterday may have been even more important.At least in two regards.That game was Super Bowl III. The Colts were the National Football League champions and the New York Jets were the champions of the relatively new American Football League. Most sports writers and fans believed the AFL was not quite major league. The NFL champion had won Super Bowls I and II. The Colts were favored over the Jets by 16 1/2 points on Jan. 12, 1969.

Joe Namath came to M&T Bank Stadium yesterday and didn't cause that much of a stir, considering his history with football fans in Baltimore. It certainly helped that he was disguised as Greg Hagarman, a 48-year-old machinist from Hanover, Pa. He looked a little shorter than most remember, but he had the bad knee to prove it. "I lost my kneecap in an accident," Namath, uh, Hagarman said as he stood in Lot B, drinking his first beer of the day, his throwback...

Larry Bruno , a former Geneva (Pa.) College football star who turned down a chance to play for the Steelers and later coached Joe Namath in high school, has died. He was 88. The Steelers drafted Bruno, a running back, in the 13th round in 1947, but he chose to go into coaching. His career at Monaca (1949-58) and Beaver Falls (1959-78) high schools was highlighted by a Namath-led Beaver Falls team that went 10-0 in 1960 and won a western Pennsylvania championship. There were no statewide playoffs.

He should ... but won't Aaron Wilson Baltimore Sun Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis' legendary career should logically end now because of a torn right triceps. Rather than subject himself to a strenuous rehab and rebuild his fading game at age 38 next season, Lewis should retire and start the five-year countdown to Canton, when he'll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Lewis' pride will make him resist this course. He'll restore his arm. He'll want to rewrite the final chapter, not ending on a meaningless tackle of Cowboys runner Phillip Tanner.

When the phone call came, asking if he would present the silver trophy at the Super Bowl in February, Raymond Berry took it for a prank. "You've got to be kidding," he told the caller. "Is this a joke?" Frank Supowitz, the NFL's senior vice president of events, assured Berry that the offer was legit. The league wanted the Baltimore Colts Hall of Fame receiver to take part in the post-game ceremonies, with the world watching, at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Feb. 5. Berry said yes and hung up, agog.

Larry Bruno , a former Geneva (Pa.) College football star who turned down a chance to play for the Steelers and later coached Joe Namath in high school, has died. He was 88. The Steelers drafted Bruno, a running back, in the 13th round in 1947, but he chose to go into coaching. His career at Monaca (1949-58) and Beaver Falls (1959-78) high schools was highlighted by a Namath-led Beaver Falls team that went 10-0 in 1960 and won a western Pennsylvania championship. There were no statewide playoffs.

He was the most prolific place-kicker in Baltimore Colts history, a rugged miner's son with coal-black hair, a snarly look and a square-toed shoe that booted 107 field goals for the team in its heyday. Famous, Lou Michaels was not. Other Colts made more spectacular kicks. Steve Myhra's field goal sent the 1958 NFL championship game into sudden death, and Jim O'Brien's three-pointer won the 1971 Super Bowl. But no kicker spent more time here with the tee than Michaels, who played six seasons (1964-1969)

Joe Namath came to M&T Bank Stadium yesterday and didn't cause that much of a stir, considering his history with football fans in Baltimore. It certainly helped that he was disguised as Greg Hagarman, a 48-year-old machinist from Hanover, Pa. He looked a little shorter than most remember, but he had the bad knee to prove it. "I lost my kneecap in an accident," Namath, uh, Hagarman said as he stood in Lot B, drinking his first beer of the day, his throwback...

Joe Namath was born in Pennsylvania, but he is a New Yorker's dream figure of a top sports star. The Jets former star athlete once wrote a book titled I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow ... 'Cause I Get Better-Looking Every Day. The book captures his essential qualities of good-humored ego. He was - and remains - a beloved figure in American pop culture. (Remember those delightful pantyhose commercials?) Now it seems Paramount Pictures wants to put Joe's colorful - and not always jolly - life onscreen.

MIAMI -- The two-week break is over. The players and coaches are ready. The game plans are set. All that's left is . . . the commercials?Seriously, it's Super Bowl XXIX, with the San Francisco 49ers going for their fifth title against the San Diego Chargers, making their first appearance in the NFL's title game.The 49ers are heavy favorites, led by superstars Steve Young at quarterback, Jerry Rice at wide receiver and Deion Sanders at cornerback.The Chargers, looking to break the AFC's 10-year Super Bowl drought, have a relatively unknown cast, with quarterback Stan Humphries and linebacker Junior Seau the team leaders.

Jan. 12, 1969, is the day most Baltimore Colts fans will never forget. Place-kicker Jim Turner kicked three field goals and halfback Matt Snell ran 4 yards for a touchdown, as the New York Jets defeated the Colts, 16-7, in Super Bowl III in one of the greatest upsets in sports history.The Jets were led by a cocky, upstart quarterback named Jo Namath, who, three days before the game, predicted the Jets, three-touchdown underdogs, would win. "In fact, I'll guarantee it," said Namath, who went on to complete 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards, as the AFL won its first Super Bowl.

The NFL may have made Motown nearly an afterthought in its initial planning for the Super Bowl, failing to adequately honor the music of the host city in today's program. But what could make a better soundtrack for the Super Bowl? After all, this is the 40th game, and Motown songs spent many a week in the Top 40. So cue up your old records and relive some of the Super Bowl's most memorable moments. LOVE HANGOVER (DIANA ROSS) PACKERS 35, CHIEFS 10 Not expecting to play, Green Bay reserve Max McGee spent the night before the first Super Bowl, in 1967, partying in Los Angeles.

Joe Namath, in an interview last night with Dan Marino on HBO's Real Sports, said he never gets tired of talking about the legendary guarantee of the New York Jets' 1969 Super Bowl victory over the Baltimore Colts. "No way," Namath said. "Don Larsen, who pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees [in 1956], came up with the perfect answer. I was standing there and someone asked Don, `Do you ever get tired of talking about your perfect game,' and Don said, 'Why should I?' " Marino asked Namath if the Jets played the Colts in the Super Bowl 10 times in 1969, how many times would the Jets have won?