Fifty years ago, the New York Titans football team was renamed to The New York Jets

[AirplaneLogo1963]

Happy 50th

[faba]

50 years. A toast to the jets and the suffering they have made me go through

[kelticwizard]

Actually, it is a different football team.

 

I read an article on Sonny Werblin, the owner of the Jets, way back when I was a kid.  Werblin said that he did not actually purchase the Titans. 

 

The Titans had already folded, the AFL, (still separate from and fierce rivals to the NFL) was stuck with the team and was terrified that the new league would be out a New York franchise.  In the early sixties this would have meant death to the league, for the TV networks and sports publishing industry was based in New York-no New York franchise, no national presence.  The NFL had New York playing Chicago and Los Angeles-the AFL would have had Buffalo playing Denver and San Diego in a high school stadium.

 

Werblin, from the entertainment industry, came on the scene and said he would field a New York team but it would NOT be tied to the Titans in any way.  He bought the contracts of the players but that was the end of it.  Werblin explained that the reason he did this was that the Titans were so terribly managed that if he bought the team anybody could walk up and claim that the Jets owed them money from the Titans era, and there were no records for Werblin to prove he didn't.

 

History now calls it a "name change" and the Jets wear the old Titans uniforms during those golden oldies weeks, but it really was a brand new team with a brand new operation that bought out the contracts of the old out-of-business franchise.  And very likely saved the league, which led to the creation of the Super Bowl, etc.

[Gastineau Lives]

Actually, it is a different football team.

 

I read an article on Sonny Werblin, the owner of the Jets, way back when I was a kid.  Werblin said that he did not actually purchase the Titans. 

 

The Titans had already folded, the AFL, (still separate from and fierce rivals to the NFL) was stuck with the team and was terrified that the new league would be out a New York franchise.  In the early sixties this would have meant death to the league, for the TV networks and sports publishing industry was based in New York-no New York franchise, no national presence.  The NFL had New York playing Chicago and Los Angeles-the AFL would have had Buffalo playing Denver and San Diego in a high school stadium.

 

Werblin, from the entertainment industry, came on the scene and said he would field a New York team but it would NOT be tied to the Titans in any way.  He bought the contracts of the players but that was the end of it.  Werblin explained that the reason he did this was that the Titans were so terribly managed that if he bought the team anybody could walk up and claim that the Jets owed them money from the Titans era, and there were no records for Werblin to prove he didn't.

 

History now calls it a "name change" and the Jets wear the old Titans uniforms during those golden oldies weeks, but it really was a brand new team with a brand new operation that bought out the contracts of the old out-of-business franchise.  And very likely saved the league, which led to the creation of the Super Bowl, etc.

Does this mean we can stop wearing those disgusting uniforms every year? Bring back the kelly greens from the 80's, if anything.

[kelticwizard]

We have a 6-2 record wearing the Titans uniforms.

 

It's nature's way of compensating us for having to cheer for a team in uniforms which make you want to puke your guts up.

[Il Mostro]

The Titans of ancient lore ultimately lost the battle/war.  SOJ.

[JollyGreen]

Lets get those Kelly green jeresys

[TechJet]

OKAY then! lets go Titans! er! my bad! I mean lets go JETS!

[kelly]

Lets get those Kelly green jeresys

cool ~ ~

nothin' better than " kelly " green

 

 

 

 

 

cheers ~ ~

[jetsjetsjetss]

Does this mean we can stop wearing those disgusting uniforms every year? Bring back the kelly greens from the 80's, if anything.

 

bleh i dont wanna look like the eagles

 

eagles fans had a whole petition going around the area to get the jerseys to kelly green

[HessStation]

That Super Bowl win when I was minus 6 was awesome!!!

[73andMe]

I went to NY Titan games, and became a Jets fan ever since!  Maybe they should have stayed the Titans.

But then, it would still probably be SOT today! 

[Larz]

Actually, it is a different football team.

 

I read an article on Sonny Werblin, the owner of the Jets, way back when I was a kid.  Werblin said that he did not actually purchase the Titans. 

 

The Titans had already folded, the AFL, (still separate from and fierce rivals to the NFL) was stuck with the team and was terrified that the new league would be out a New York franchise.  In the early sixties this would have meant death to the league, for the TV networks and sports publishing industry was based in New York-no New York franchise, no national presence.  The NFL had New York playing Chicago and Los Angeles-the AFL would have had Buffalo playing Denver and San Diego in a high school stadium.

 

Werblin, from the entertainment industry, came on the scene and said he would field a New York team but it would NOT be tied to the Titans in any way.  He bought the contracts of the players but that was the end of it.  Werblin explained that the reason he did this was that the Titans were so terribly managed that if he bought the team anybody could walk up and claim that the Jets owed them money from the Titans era, and there were no records for Werblin to prove he didn't.

 

History now calls it a "name change" and the Jets wear the old Titans uniforms during those golden oldies weeks, but it really was a brand new team with a brand new operation that bought out the contracts of the old out-of-business franchise.  And very likely saved the league, which led to the creation of the Super Bowl, etc.

 

 

werblin was very influential.  he even negotiated a revenue sharing plan with a network.  sound familiar ?  werblin should be a much more famous name than he is

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Werblin

[kelticwizard]

Great article.

 

I knew Werblin was big in show business, but I never knew that big.

 

I do recall reading that after he got the new team started, he had to rekindle interest in AFL football in New York.  Remember, the NFL was using high pressure PR to characterize the new league as a bunch of clueless losers who couldn't play in the NFL:  the All-Pro teams the magazines listed were all NFL players.

 

So he started having these stars he knew show up at the games and dropped the fact to the media.  In popular culture, the terms "Jet Set", (globetrotters living the glamorous life) and "In Crowd" had just made their appearance, and these stars appearing at the games, along with the pictures in the paper of Joe Namath with his glamorous babes, promoted the idea that the Jets were where the cool people were.