ABSTRACT
As early as 1966, Boston Patriots owner Billy Sullivan termed Joe Namath (a.k.a. “Broadway Joe” and “Joe Willie”) “The biggest thing in New York since Babe Ruth.” Namath, a native of Beaver Falls (a mill town located thirty miles outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), began his ascent to the sports world by quarterbacking the University of Alabama to three bowl games with seasons of 10–1, 9–2 and 10–1. On the heels of his 1964 national championship season with the Crimson Tide, New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin made him an instant media superstar by signing him to a $400,000 contract on January 2, 1965; a figure more than double that ever given to any other football player.
