Fast Break
NFL
Jets honor 1968 champs
Joe Namath and his former New York Jets teammates were back together in front of the fans, 40 years after they pulled off an improbable Super Bowl victory.
The 1968 team that won the championship was honored during a halftime ceremony at the Meadowlands, where 36 former players, wearing their Jets throwbacks, were reintroduced one by one.
“A lot of you fans remember our team and we’re here to say thank you,” Namath told the cheering fans.
All 36 Jets posed with the championship trophy.
“It’s mind-boggling to a degree,” Namath said before the ceremony. “It doesn’t feel like it’s 40 years as ex-athletes. A lot of us still keep that enthusiastic football mind going, and football season seems to regenerate it. Thank goodness for the fans. This ’68 championship for the Jets, they haven’t let it go and we’re thankful for it.”
The Jets beat Oakland 27-23 in the AFL championship, setting up a matchup with the NFL’s heavily favored Baltimore Colts. Despite the talk that the Jets were a huge underdog, Namath boldly proclaimed that the Jets would win the game at the Orange Bowl in Miami on Jan. 12, 1969. They did, defeating the Colts 16-7.
| Sunday’s results |
| Dolphins 25, Bills 16 |
| Redskins 25, Lions 17 |
| Cowboys 13, Buccaneers 9 |
| Saints 37, Chargers 32 |
| Ravens 29, Raiders 10 |
| Jets 28, Chiefs 24 |
| Patriots 23, Rams 16 |
| Panthers 27, Cardinals 23 |
| Eagles 27, Falcons 14 |
| Texans 35, Bengals 6 |
| Browns 23, Jaguars 17 |
| Giants 21, Steelers 14 |
| Seahawks 34, 49ers 13 |
|
Today’s game Colts at Titans, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) |
TENNIS
Federer to focus on Slams
Roger Federer will cut exhibition matches from his 2009 schedule as he pursues Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles.
Federer and Sampras played three exhibition matches across Asia last November and again in New York City last March.
Such commitments won’t be repeated in 2009, agent Tony Godsick said.
“Roger will only play a schedule that works for him physically,” Godsick said after Federer won his hometown tournament at the Swiss Indoors on Sunday.
“The next couple years you will see him put his seatbelt on and focus for the big ones, the Grand Slams and the big tournaments,” Godsick said.
Federer is within sight of history with 13 Slams after a fifth straight U.S. Open victory last month.