TIME IS NOT ALWAYS ON YOUR SIDE

TIME --

A man died today. He is insignificant to many, unknown by most, but a piece of history to some.

The name --- Johnny Sample.

To many football fans there are three games that stand apart from the rest, as games that were to define modern day football and help establish the NFL as the dominant American sport that it is today.

In 1958, the Baltimore Colts, with such stars as Johnny Unitas, Alan Ameche, Lenny Moore, and Gino Marchetti played the New York Giants in the first ever, sudden death over time event in the NFL Championship game.

The Giants countered with such notables as Sam Huff, Frank Gifford, Andy Robustelli, Hugh McElhenney, Emlen Tunnell and the amazing Roosevelt Brown.

This championship game, which was won by the Colts, 23-17, is regarded by many as the greatest game ever played and the game that brought the NFL to a nation of TV viewers.

In 1968, the New York Jets were taking on the Oakland Raiders, in a nationally televised game, when, with 01:05 remaining in the game, the Jets had taken a 32-29 lead and NBC went to a commercial break. When the network returned the TV to its audience, the nation was presented with the made for TV premiere movie, HEIDI.
Within seconds the switchboards were flooded and the phone exchange literally crashed.

In those final 65 seconds, which only those who were in attendance witnessed, the Raiders scored 14 points and won the game 43-32.

From that Sunday forward, every network has stayed with every NFL game until its conclusion. The networks were introduced to the wrath of the fan and the 'Heidi Game' became part of NFL folklore.

Soon after Ms Heidi broke the hearts of millions, the AFC, represented by those same Joe Namath led New York Jets, defeated the Baltimore Colts, in Super Bowl III, as 18-point underdogs. This game sparked an interest in the NFL that has grown to astronomical numbers. The AFC had defeated the NFC in what many call the greatest upset in NFL history.

One common denominator in these three historical games -- Johnny Sample participated in each of them.

Johnny spent most of his adult life in West Philly and became a world class tennis player and a major community activist.

Happy Trails, Johnny. You will be remembered