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American Football League All-Star game

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The American Football League All-Star game was the annual game which featured each year's best performers in the American Football League (AFL). The game was first played in 1961 and the final AFL All-Star game occurred in 1969, prior to the league's merger with the National Football League (NFL).

All-League Teams

The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969. From 1960 through 1966, the All-League team was selected by the AFL players, and from 1967 through 1969 it was selected by a consensus of The Sporting News (TSN), the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). The All-League AFL selections usually included one player at each team position on offense and on defense (i.e., one quarterback, two guards, four defensive backs, etc.).

All-Star Teams

The AFL did not have an All-star game after its first season in 1960 but from 1961 through 1969, other AFL players were added to the All-League players to form two squads, and the league held All-Star games for those seasons. After every season except 1965, the format consisted of games between All-Star teams from the Eastern and Western divisions. In 1965, the league champion Buffalo Bills played all-stars from the other teams.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL include AFL All-Star Games in their statistics for the Pro Bowl. After the AFL–NFL merger of 1970, the name of the NFL's all-star game was changed to the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. Buffalo Bills rookie running back O.J. Simpson carried the ball on the last play in AFL history in the Houston Astrodome at the 1969 All-Star Game on January 18, 1970.

The 1965 boycott

After the 1964 season, the AFL All-Star Game had been scheduled for early 1965 in New Orleans' Tulane Stadium. After numerous black players were refused service by a number of New Orleans hotels and businesses, black and white players alike lobbied for a boycott.[1] Under the leadership of Buffalo Bills players including Cookie Gilchrist, the players put up a unified front, and the game was successfully moved to Houston's Jeppesen Stadium.[2][3]

Game history

Season Date Score Series Most Valuable Player(s) Venue Attendance Head Coaches Television
1961 January 7, 1962
West, 47–27
 West 1–0 Cotton Davidson, QB, Texans Balboa Stadium, San Diego 20,973 E:Wally Lemm (Houston)
W:Sid Gillman (San Diego)		 ABC
1962 January 13, 1963
West, 21–14
 West 2–0 Offense: Curtis McClinton, RB, Dallas Texans
Defense: Earl Faison, DE, Chargers		 Balboa Stadium, San Diego 27,641 E:Frank Ivy (Houston)
W:Hank Stram (Dallas)		 ABC
1963 January 19, 1964
West, 27–24
 West 3–0 Offense: Keith Lincoln, RB, Chargers
Defense: Archie Matsos, LB, Raiders		 Balboa Stadium, San Diego 20,016 E:Mike Holovak (Boston)
W:Sid Gillman (San Diego)		 ABC
1964 January 16, 1965[4]
West, 38–14
 West 4–0 Offense: Keith Lincoln, RB, Chargers
Defense: Willie Brown, DB, Broncos		 Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, Texas 15,446 E:Lou Saban (Buffalo)
W:Sid Gillman (San Diego)		 ABC
1965 January 15, 1966[4]
AFL All-Stars 30,
Buffalo Bills 19
 - Offense: Joe Namath, QB, Jets
Defense: Frank Buncom, LB, Chargers		 Rice Stadium, Houston 35,572 Buffalo:Lou Saban
AS:Sid Gillman (San Diego)		 NBC
1966 January 21, 1967[4]
East, 30–23
 West 4–1 Offense: Babe Parilli, QB, Boston Patriots
Defense: Verlon Biggs, DE, Jets		 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 18,876 E:Mike Holovak (Boston)
W:John Rauch (Oakland)		 NBC
1967 January 21, 1968
East, 25–24
 West 4–2 Offense: Joe Namath, QB, Jets; and Don Maynard, F, Jets
Defense: Speedy Duncan, DB/KR, Chargers		 Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida 40,103 E: Joe Collier (Buffalo)
W:Lou Saban (Denver)		 NBC
1968 January 19, 1969
West, 38–25
 West 5–2 Offense: Len Dawson, QB, Chiefs
Defense: George Webster, LB, Houston Oilers		 Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida 41,058 E:George Wilson (Miami)
W:Lou Saban (Denver)		 NBC
1969 January 17, 1970[4]
West, 26–3
 West 6–2 John Hadl, QB, Chargers Astrodome, Houston 30,170 E:George Wilson (Miami)
W:Lou Saban (Denver)		 NBC

Broadcasters

The following is a list of the television networks and announcers that broadcast the American Football League All-Star game during its existence.

Season Network Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter(s)
1961[5] ABC Jack Buck Jim McKay George Ratterman
1962[6] ABC Curt Gowdy Paul Christman and George Ratterman
1963[7] ABC Curt Gowdy Paul Christman
1964[8] ABC Curt Gowdy Paul Christman and George Ratterman
1965[9] NBC Curt Gowdy Paul Christman Charlie Jones
1966[10] NBC Curt Gowdy Paul Christman Charlie Jones
1967[11] NBC Curt Gowdy Paul Christman
1968[12] NBC Curt Gowdy Kyle Rote Charlie Jones
1969[13] NBC Charlie Jones Al DeRogatis

See also

References

  1. ^ Thomas, Ben (January 11, 1965). "American football League calls off All-Star game set for New Orleans". The Day. New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. p. 18.
  2. ^ "AFL All-Star game moved to Houston". Morning Record. Meriden, Connecticut. January 12, 1965. p. 5.
  3. ^ "New Orleans: pro grid nightmare". St. Petersburg Independent. Florida. Associated Press. January 12, 1965. p. 11A.
  4. ^ a b c d game played on Saturday.
  5. ^ 1961 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ 1962 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ 1963 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ 1964 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ 1965 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ 1966 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ 1967 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ 1968 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ 1969 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
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