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The Heidi Bowl…The REAL DOCUMENTS & DETAILS!

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Eyes Of A Generation.com

November 17, 1968…’Heidi’ Trumps The Jets – Raiders Finale On NBC

Did you see this live? I did…I had just turned 18 and that Sunday night, I learned a new word from my dad, which I can’t repeat here. This was AN EVENT like no other in television sports and there are stories on top of stories, and further below is a very good video that explains what happened BUT FIRST, THIS!

Recently, Rob Weir has shared these documents from his dad’s archives that give us the REAL INSIDE STORY! His dad was Jack Weir and at the time, was Director of Broadcast Operations and Communications at NBC New York. 

For all intents and purposes, it looked like the Jets had won and with only a minute left, there was no way for an Oakland comeback…BUT, comeback they DID! Here’s a great video recap of what happened and how it happened.

T

12 responses to “The Heidi Bowl…The REAL DOCUMENTS & DETAILS!”

  1. GeekRadioAmerica

    Sometimes, when people who aren’t football fans complain as to why 60 Minutes or other scheduled primetime broadcasts are delayed, I point them to this.

  2. Charles Wooten

    I was 19 years old and I was working as a master control operator at the NBC affiliate in Panama City FL, WJHG-TV and remember it very well. The phones lit up like a Christmas tree. I was helpless as in those days you had the one net feed from AT&T and there was choice but to take what they fed. I will never forget that night.

  3. Robert Oppenheimer

    I remember the night well. Wife and children were really looking forward to Heidi and were happy that the network cut away from the football game. Couldn’t believe how bad a mistake the cut-away turned out to be.

  4. Charlie King

    Remember that very well.

  5. Tom Williamson

    I do remember seeing it. I was 24 and in my last year at the University of Houston.

  6. Gary Walters

    I was watching also, along with my dad and mom. It was a ‘huh?’ moment.

  7. Mark Guttman

    To add to Mike’s comment about the Heidi Phone- it was probably the only phone in the building which was not on the 664 exchange.

  8. Dan Cepeda

    That video isn’t playing, but here’s a clip that includes the witty and incomparable David Brinkley reporting about the mess on the following evening’s NBC News broadcast.
    https://youtu.be/7fCl4kk0-1g

  9. Alan Rosenfeld

    Remember it well, I was 16.

  10. Marc Wielage

    Yep, every network went nuts after this happened and many rules were put in place so this “theoretically” never happened again. We had a teletype (old-school fax) permanently connected to CBS to warn us of major schedule changes so we would know when last-minute timing alterations happened, especially on weekends. And they also transmitted closed-circuit “slates” to warn affiliates during local breaks.

  11. Preston Trusler

    IN my house, a CHEER WENT UP when they cut that damned football game off for Heidi. It still gives me a warm glow just to think about it.

  12. Mike Hemeon

    After this we had a red phone in BOC called the “Heidi Phone”

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