How would Manning and Luck stack up to Namath and Unitas?

All of this talk about Peyton Manning potentially heading to the New York Jets has me nostalgic for a game that I wasn’t even alive to see.   Super Bowl III, between the mighty Baltimore Colts and the upstart New York Jets, was staged 42 years ago yesterday, on January 12, 1969.  That was so long ago that we hadn’t even landed on the moon yet.  It was so long ago that the Colts were still in the NFL (as opposed to the AFL/AFC), and the good people of Baltimore had scant reason to hate sleepy little Indianapolis.    It was SOOOOOO long ago that Johnny Unitas was still piloting the Colts and Joe Namath had yet to shave his legs on TV.

Now, it looks like Manning may be headed out of town, and he’s certainly heading into the twilight of his career.   The Colts will presumably draft the next hotshot quarterback in the person of Andrew Luck come April’s NFL Draft.  While the Colts and Jets can’t play each other in the Super Bowl, they could square off in the AFC Championship game as they did a couple of years ago.   If that happens in,  say,  2013, it could be just like 1969 all over again, except this time, the wily old Colt might actually be a Jet, and the young upstart might be a Colt.

It’s confusing, depressing, and exciting all at once.

Bubba Smith drew his share of attention on the field for the Baltimore Colts.

The LA Times is reporting this afternoon that former Baltimore Colts star Bubba Smith was found dead today in his home in Los Angeles.   Smith is in the collegiate Hall of Fame and carved out an acting career after retiring from the NFL, starring in such films as “Police Academy.”     His passing is a reminder to Colts fans that this franchise led a pretty storied existence before they ever came to Naptown, and Smith was a big part of that.

In particular, Smith anchored the Colts defensive line that defined the team in the late 1960s and early 1970s, resulting in two Super Bowl appearances.   The NFL Colts famously fell to the AFL New York Jets in Super Bowl III, but  regrouped after the merger to capture the title in Super Bowl V.  In that game, played after the 1970 season, Baltimore, now in the AFC, beat the NFC’s Dallas Cowboys, 16-13.

Bubba Smith was 66 and will always be a part of Horseshoe History.

That’s right! Peyton just hit the 288th TD of his career, stealing the record from the legendary Johnny Unitas.

And on top of that, Peyton is the 1st quarterback to defeat 31 teams in the NFL!

You’re making memories, Peyton! Enjoy it and keep it up!

GO COLTS!!!