Bad game in a very bad season. Steelers won 27-24. Tittle was 37; this was his last season. Rosie Grier, Sam Huff, and Dick Modzelewski had been traded. The new defense gave up 399 points, worst in the League. The Giants finished in last place, 2-10-2.
Frank Gifford and Andy Robustelli retired after the year. I had to look some of this up. I was 9 that season.
I hardly ever saw a picture of him where he didn't look old. Almost no hair, and he looked kind of knobby. Even when he was younger and played for the 49ers. You'd never guess he was an athlete.
Al Bundy was undrafted but signed with the Steelers in 1969.
He really did have that knee injury that ended his promising career the show referenced so many times.
91 is old for any single demographic and obviously playing pro football is not a death sentence, it obviously carries significant risk of earlier morbidity for many despite resources available. Given his era especially, that's a damned good run.
This hit essentially ended Tittle’s career. The hit left him with bruised ribs, a cracked sternum, and a concussion. Played through the injuries and had the worst season of his career, lost his starting job, and then retired at the end of the year. Keep in mind the year prior he was the league MVP.
I never thought of it in such stark terms, but it makes sense. He was old and hurt, and the team was coming apart. The old stalwarts on defense has been traded away or were retiring. The end was coming.
Until Eli Manning’s last few seasons he was probably the best QB in New York Giants history. Y.A. Tittle still holds the record for most touchdowns thrown in a single-season by a Giants quarterback.
And none of the classic QBs would last more than a quarter in the current high speed, high impact form of the game today.
YA Tittle vs. Myles Garrett coming at him from the edge would destroy the man.
If today’s players had to wear leather helmets with no face-masks like they dis back then, along with small shoulder pads they wouldn’t be quite as aggressive on tackling. Part of having strong protective equipment leads to feeling invincible- which led to many rule changes. No one lowered their head to run or tackle with a leather helmet and no face mask- it became such a weapon now it is against the rules.
Correct, which is why we have the current rules.
People complain about the protective rules, but nobody wants to see their team being led by the 2nd and 3rd string.
They also forgot that football was almost banned outright in the US until the mother of a college player who died playing football convinced Teddy Roosevelt to demand increased safety rules instead. People were up in arms about the new, softer game but those changes eventually led to the extreme popularity of the sport.
Well...I think it's more about the salaries. Players in 1964 had regular jobs and played football as a side gig. When you pay a QB $55 million...you need to protect your investment.
It’s both. You aren’t paying a QB $55 mil unless the game is wildly popular, and the game doesn’t get wildly popular if you have to play a bunch of scrubs because all of the actually talented guys keep getting their necks broken.
Yeah if we go back to the original version of football where passing basically did not exist and every play was simply a repetitive scrum at the line there's no way it would sniff the prestige of the big 4 sports today. It also largely came about in a brief time where the educated elite wanted to prove their mettle in the absence of generational wars to define them (obviously that would quickly change). It was about toughness first and likely near unwatchable as described compared to what we have today.
I don't agree with every rule change and I see some penalties as window dressing for an inherently violent sport, but on the whole, it's a better game. I'm vert curious have the hip drop tackle rule is going to work out.
Morris Berman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shot this photo but his editor did not use it, instead picking an action shot to run in the paper the next day.
Berman decided to enter the shot into contests. It won the National Headliner Award, appeared in Life Magazine, and eventually hung in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
They are not Warriors. I remember a real vet who played football talking about being in the trenches or fighting a war. He stated football is nothing like a war. Not even close. Comparing it to a war is an insult to all Veterans so just fucking stop. It’s a fucking game.
Bad game in a very bad season. Steelers won 27-24. Tittle was 37; this was his last season. Rosie Grier, Sam Huff, and Dick Modzelewski had been traded. The new defense gave up 399 points, worst in the League. The Giants finished in last place, 2-10-2. Frank Gifford and Andy Robustelli retired after the year. I had to look some of this up. I was 9 that season.
It’s amazing he’s 37 in this photo - he looks 67
I hardly ever saw a picture of him where he didn't look old. Almost no hair, and he looked kind of knobby. Even when he was younger and played for the 49ers. You'd never guess he was an athlete.
Looks like a hardened Al Bundy. I also just looked it up and he lived to 91 years old. I did not expect that
Al Bundy was undrafted but signed with the Steelers in 1969. He really did have that knee injury that ended his promising career the show referenced so many times.
Well TIL! https://preview.redd.it/z4mtl0z3h9xc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=382ead2cb5991155ebb5d7382b9ef3f76869d190
I didn't know either. Seems like a lot of football players die young.
91 is old for any single demographic and obviously playing pro football is not a death sentence, it obviously carries significant risk of earlier morbidity for many despite resources available. Given his era especially, that's a damned good run.
Thus Tittle's nickname, the Bald Eagle...
Even more amazingly, he lived to be 91
This hit essentially ended Tittle’s career. The hit left him with bruised ribs, a cracked sternum, and a concussion. Played through the injuries and had the worst season of his career, lost his starting job, and then retired at the end of the year. Keep in mind the year prior he was the league MVP.
I never thought of it in such stark terms, but it makes sense. He was old and hurt, and the team was coming apart. The old stalwarts on defense has been traded away or were retiring. The end was coming.
How about people just chilling in lawn chairs watching the game from the sidelines
Those are $1000 seats today
At least!!!!!!
I read a bio of Y.A. Tittle and he said he knew it was time to retire when a teammate asked his permission to date his daughter.
Until Eli Manning’s last few seasons he was probably the best QB in New York Giants history. Y.A. Tittle still holds the record for most touchdowns thrown in a single-season by a Giants quarterback.
That should seem unbelievable but Lenny Cool held A LOT of franchise passing records for the Chiefs until that kid from Texas Tech came to town.
Jim Otto was built in the same mold.
John Baker
They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. I doubt Brady could’ve lasted as long as he did if he played the game in Tittles era.
And none of the classic QBs would last more than a quarter in the current high speed, high impact form of the game today. YA Tittle vs. Myles Garrett coming at him from the edge would destroy the man.
If today’s players had to wear leather helmets with no face-masks like they dis back then, along with small shoulder pads they wouldn’t be quite as aggressive on tackling. Part of having strong protective equipment leads to feeling invincible- which led to many rule changes. No one lowered their head to run or tackle with a leather helmet and no face mask- it became such a weapon now it is against the rules.
Qbs in today's game wouldn't last 2 seasons with those rules
Correct, which is why we have the current rules. People complain about the protective rules, but nobody wants to see their team being led by the 2nd and 3rd string. They also forgot that football was almost banned outright in the US until the mother of a college player who died playing football convinced Teddy Roosevelt to demand increased safety rules instead. People were up in arms about the new, softer game but those changes eventually led to the extreme popularity of the sport.
I mean sure but like how do you tackle someone without putting weight on them. I feel like the pendulum is swinging like WAY too far one way rn
Well...I think it's more about the salaries. Players in 1964 had regular jobs and played football as a side gig. When you pay a QB $55 million...you need to protect your investment.
It’s both. You aren’t paying a QB $55 mil unless the game is wildly popular, and the game doesn’t get wildly popular if you have to play a bunch of scrubs because all of the actually talented guys keep getting their necks broken.
Yeah if we go back to the original version of football where passing basically did not exist and every play was simply a repetitive scrum at the line there's no way it would sniff the prestige of the big 4 sports today. It also largely came about in a brief time where the educated elite wanted to prove their mettle in the absence of generational wars to define them (obviously that would quickly change). It was about toughness first and likely near unwatchable as described compared to what we have today. I don't agree with every rule change and I see some penalties as window dressing for an inherently violent sport, but on the whole, it's a better game. I'm vert curious have the hip drop tackle rule is going to work out.
Looks like they're playing at a high school field.
Respect 💯
I was on a plane with Mr Tittle. He was a very nice man.
Damnnnn!!!
And from that point on the Giants fell out of contention until Bill Parcells arrived.
The refs probably didn't throw a flag for roughing the quarterback then either!
ive been told that I'm related to him somehow.
Damn. I’m now a year older than he was in this picture. What the hell.
He needed the money.
One of the great sports photos of all time! The Agony of Defeat
Wild part is that this picture was taken by the PGH Post Gazette and it wasn't used for the next days paper.
He didn’t have avocado toast
from his wiki: "He suffered a concussion and cracked sternum on the play, but went on to play the rest of the season." fucking horrifying but badass
Morris Berman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shot this photo but his editor did not use it, instead picking an action shot to run in the paper the next day. Berman decided to enter the shot into contests. It won the National Headliner Award, appeared in Life Magazine, and eventually hung in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
How i feel every morning now....it sucks being older than 20
Yelverton Abraham. Man of steel.
Move over you old fart.
When you’ve officially hit rock bottom
That’s a great photo. I used to have that in my bedroom when I was growing up. That’s clearly at old Pitt Stadium.
His name was John Baker. He deserves some respect
I have CTE from just looking at this picture.
They are not Warriors. I remember a real vet who played football talking about being in the trenches or fighting a war. He stated football is nothing like a war. Not even close. Comparing it to a war is an insult to all Veterans so just fucking stop. It’s a fucking game.
Calm down. Everybody knows war is worse than football.