In an era when star athletes were supposed to be idealized, clean-living role models for fans young and old, Joseph William Namath was a startling exception. After starring at the University of Alabama, Namath (often nicknamed Joe Willie) became quarterback of the New York Jets, of the upstart American Football League (AFL), signing a then-record $427,000 contract in 1964.

It was for good reason that Namath was nicknamed "Broadway Joe": he earned as many headlines for his bachelor-pad, party-boy lifestyle as for his exploits on the field. He gained everlasting fame, however, when he boldly—and accurately—predicted that his AFL-champion Jets would beat the highly favored Baltimore Colts, of the more established National Football League (NFL; see entry under 1920s—Sports and Games in volume 2), in Super Bowl (see entry under 1960s—Sports and Games in volume 4) III in 1969. The Jets' 16-7 victory not only...