National Football League

Classic NFL games made for Twitter

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:27 p.m. ET

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American quarterback Johnny Unitas

The NFL has been back for about a week or so and with that comes the interesting, yet hilarious relationship between the league and Twitter.

As of the last few seasons, Twitter has stepped up it’s NFL presence to the point that the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills will be the first NFL game ever broadcast live om the social platform.

This has me wondering … What great NFL games and moments would be perfect for Twitter?

After some lengthy brainstorming, I’ve decided to look at the five greatest games in the pre-Twitter era that would’ve made our collective heads explode.

As a rule, this covers games that would’ve come before the creation of Twitter back in 2006 so as much as you’d like to see someone put a crying MJ on Tom Brady back in Super Bowl XLII, it just won’t happen.

1958 NFL Championship Game (Giants-Colts)

You’ve got to put this game on the list. It’s widely regarded as the greatest game of all time and it helped bring the NFL into the forefront of the American zeitgeist. You had the league’s glamour team in the New York Giants facing off against the scrappy but young Baltimore Colts and Johnny Unitas.

After a dramatic four quarters, the Colts and Giants played the NFL’s first-ever overtime game. It took a Alan Ameche touchdownto end the classic contest and give the Baltimore Colts their first NFL Championship Game.

Twitter Worthy Moments

-NFL’s first-ever OT game

-The NBC broadcast feed was cut off due to the rowdy crowd at Yankee Stadium knocking the plug loose so a national TV audience was left wondering what would happen in the waning seconds of the contest.it was restored in time for the winning score.

Crying MJ Award: Frank Gifford, he was arguably the leagues most popular player and played for the glamour team of the NFL. Of course he would’ve got a crying MJ.

Football: NFL Championship: Green Bay Packers QB Bart Starr (15) in action, scoring game winning touchdown vs Dallas Cowboys during 4th quarter of ‘Ice Bowl’ game at Lambeau Field. The official temperature at game time was -13 degrees Fahrenheit with an estimated wind chill of -36.
Green Bay, WI 12/31/1967
CREDIT: Neil Leifer (Photo by Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
(Set Number: X12922 )

1967 NFL Championship Game (The Ice Bowl)

OK, before I start, I’ve got to let Michael Irvin let us know about what it’s like playing in cold weather.

Thanks, Michael. Now, onto the Ice Bowl. This game is a rematch of the 1966 NFL Championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. The showdown was played in some of the most brutal weather possible. The temperature at kickoff was -15 degrees with a wind chill of -48 degrees. So yeah, it was cold.

Aside from the weather, you had a titanic clash between two coaching icons in Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi. The Cowboys and Packers went at it in a 60-minute sub-arctic slugfest that ended with a classic drive as the sun went down in Green Bay. Bart Starr’s QB sneak as the clock was running out is still one of the iconic images in NFL history and would be perfect on Twitter.

Twitter Worthy Moments

-Deadly cold, the constant struggle between both teams would’ve been interesting to see on Twitter as the “three yards and a cloud of dust and ice” might’ve turned off some fans.

-Did Jerry Kramer have a false start? It’s been widely debated for decades if (should be) Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer committed a false start on the final play. In his book “Instant Replay,” Kramer admitted to go offsides but when you watch the final scoring play, it’s hard to tell whether Kramer went over or not.

Crying MJ Award: Don Meredith and Tom Landry, for the second straight season the Cowboys lose to the Packers. I hate that it’s gotta be them, but it’s happening.

(Original Caption) Oakland Raiders’ Preston Ridlehuber (37-QB) gets up to scoop up loose football fumbled by New York on kickoff in final seconds of game 11/17. Ridlehuber picked it up and ran for a 2-yard touchdown to put icing on an Oakland 43-32 comeback victory over the Jets. Other Raiders are: John Roderick (41-OE), Bob Kruse (62-G), and John Fairbanks (86-E).

1968 Jets-Raiders (The Heidi Game)

Imagine that you’re in the middle of watching a late season showdown between the Jets and Raiders out in Oakland. Following the titanic showdown between these to AFL heavyweights, NBC was scheduled to broadcast the children’s movie “Heidi” at 6 p.m. EST. As most games on TV do, the game ran long and would finish well past 6 p.m. With the Jets leading by three late in the game and zero hour hitting soon, NBC decided to switch the coverage from the game to Heidi.

The switch occurred just as Oakland took over with a minute left, those in the stadium were the only ones to see the Raiders score two touchdowns in a 43-32 thriller. Fans across the country were left thinking the Jets won and frustrated that their game was pushed aside for a children’s movie. The switchboards at NBC blew up due to the reaction of angry fans calling in wondering what happened. Later on that night, a nation was updated on the Raiders comeback with a scroll on the bottom of the TV screen.

Twitter worthy moments

-They switched the damn game! Imagine a week 13 matchup between the Steelers and Patriots going down to the wire and at 6 PM, CBS decides to show 60 Minutes. It would never happen, especially in this modern age of TV.

-The Jets choked the game away. Twitter like nothing more to remind you that a team choked (Ask the 2016 Golden State Warriors) so Twitter would’ve went insane as the Jets coughed up a late lead in one of the great games of all time.

Crying MJ Award: The NBC Peacock. Has to be right? I mean just imagine the NBC Peacock with a crying MJ face. You’re welcome America.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Franco Harris is mobed by fans at Three Rivers Stadium after scoring the winning touchdown, nicknamed the ‘Immaculate Reception,’ during the American Football Conference (AFC) semi-final game against Oakland. Harris made the touchdown, one of the most famous single plays in the history of professional American football, on a tipped pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw to Frenchy Fuqua to Harris for the score in the fourth quarter in Pittsburgh.

The Immaculate Reception (1972 AFC Divisional Playoff-Raiders vs. Steelers)

Possibly the strangest and one of the two most controversial plays ever (the next one is coming up). The Pittsburgh Steelers were down to their last play against the Raiders and they needed to convert or their dream season would be over. Terry Bradshaw dropped back throw a pass to running back Frenchy Fuqua, instead of it going directly to Fuqua it bounced off of him and landed in the fingertips of Franco Harris who scampered to the end zone giving the Steelers a 13-7 win.

What made it so strange and controversial? Well, the fact that Fuqua touched the ball before Harris touched it was illegal back then and would’ve given the Raiders the win regardless of what happened afterward. You also had the situation where nobody on the field actually saw HOW Harris got the ball so it’s possible that the Raiders really should’ve won it. It was the granddaddy to the popular Twitter debate “did Dez catch it or not.” Still, another great game that would’ve been made even better for Twitter.

Twitter worthy moments

-The great play before the “Immaculate Reception,” Kenny Stabler’s mad dash for 30-yard TD might’ve gone down as one of the great plays in NFL history.

-The referees controversial conference before confirming the TD. Now between the moment the touchdown was scored and the final decision being made, the refs were in one of the dugouts on the phone with the league office who had watched the game on TV. Three Rivers Stadium had already been a mad house and a reversal of the decision would’ve sent the place into an absolute riot.

Crying MJ Award: You can go a variety of places here but we’ve never seen a crying MJ on John Madden so yeah, Madden I love ya but it happens to everybody sometime.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 19: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady loses the ball after being hit by the Oakland Raiders Charles Woodson, right, the fumble was recovered by Greg Biekert, left, but it was ruled an incomplete pass, giving the Patriots another chance. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

“The Tuck Rule” (2001 AFC Divisional Playoff-Raiders vs. Patriots)

The Raiders and controversial games got together pretty well obviously.

Also, some of you young kids reading this need to know about the time that the Patriots weren’t universally hated. That was a much simpler time. This play helped launch a dynasty and ruined one that might’ve been. The controversial “Tuck Rule” is still debated to this very day and nobody really knows what it means. Basically, Charles Woodson stripped Tom Brady of the football in which seemed like a regular motion and it was ruled an incomplete pass.

That play alone switched the fortunes around for both teams as the Raiders missed out on a potential blockbuster Super Bowl matchup with the Rams and the Patriots, became the Patriots.

Twitter worthy moments

-The explanation of “The Tuck Rule”, the rule was explained after the game and on the Sunday morning after explaining it to the crowd that missed it on Saturday night. Even id Twitter was around, you still wouldn’t have a damn clue of what the Tuck Rule is.

Crying MJ Award: It’s gotta be Charles Woodson, he’s the guy who made the amazing play and still gets screwed over by the refs? Yep, that’s crying MJ worthy right there. Also, an honorable mention to the refs for screwing up said play.