Sheen: NFL NETWORK PROUDLY
PRESENTS "AMERICA'S GAME," A COUNTDOWN OF THE 20 GREATEST
SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS. AND NOW NUMBER 18. SOUVENIR PENNANTS. SOUVENIR PENNANTS --
HALF-PRICE. BY 1969, A GRANDSTAND SEAT
IN MUNICIPAL STADIUM WAS THE HOT TICKET
IN KANSAS CITY. THE CHIEFS WERE ARGUABLY
THE MOST TALENTED TEAM IN THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN
THE MOST ACCESSIBLE. Dawson:
WE HAD GUYS ON THE TEAM WOULD GO
OVER AND CHAT WITH THE PEOPLE. THEY WEREN'T MORE
THAN 5, 10 YARDS AWAY FROM US. AND I COULD DEFINITELY HEAR
WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY ONCE I GOT TO THE SIDELINES. BUT IT WAS AN INTIMATE GROUP. Lanier:
WHEN YOU'RE IN KANSAS CITY, YOU SEE THE FACT
THIS IS A MIDWESTERN CITY, A MIDWESTERN CULTURE, AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE
WHO HAVE THOSE KIND OF VALUES ENJOYING PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL. GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE
JUST A COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE, BUT IT HAD
THAT SAME KIND OF EXCITEMENT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE HAD IN
COLLEGE AS WELL AS HIGH SCHOOL. THE BANNERS WERE A PART OF IT. THE CHIEFETTES
WERE A PART OF IT. Dawson:
WELL, THE CHIEFETTES -- MY DAUGHTER WAS ONE OF
THE FIRST CHIEFETTES. SO, YEAH, I WATCHED IT
TO SEE HOW SHE WAS DOING. Announcer:
DAWSON AT QUARTERBACK.
GETS THE SNAP. HE FAKES THE RUN
TO MIKE GARRETT. LENNY BACK, THROWS THE BALL
IN AN OUT PATTERN. Hunt:
OUR TEAM IN KANSAS CITY -- WE'RE NOT REALLY
JUST KANSAS CITY'S TEAM. WE CALL OUR TEAM
"MID-AMERICA'S TEAM." WE REPRESENT KANSAS, MISSOURI,
THE WESTERN HALF OF MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA, ARKANSAS,
IOWA, AND NEBRASKA. THIS IS A PRETTY BROAD AREA, AND WE HAVE
AN AREA OF INTEREST THERE. Dawson: AND THIS ALWAYS
AMAZED ME ABOUT FANS -- BUSINESSMEN WOULD GO OUT
AND SELL SEASON TICKETS. AND IF YOU SOLD, I THINK,
100 SEASON TICKETS, THEN YOU WOULD RECEIVE
A RED JACKET. YOU WOULD BE
IN THE RED COAT CLUB. AND YOU WOULD LINE UP
ON THE FIELD AS THE PLAYERS WERE INTRODUCED. Sheen: THE GAME-DAY ATMOSPHERE
OFFERED THE FLAVOR OF SMALL-TOWN AMERICA. BUT KANSAS CITY'S FOOTBALL TEAM
WAS BIG-LEAGUE IN EVERY WAY. IN HIS 13th SEASON, VETERAN QUARTERBACK LEN DAWSON
GUIDED A BALANCED ATTACK THAT WAS AS IMAGINATIVE
AS IT WAS OVERPOWERING. THE OFFENSE FEATURED
HUGE PASS TARGETS, INCLUDING NUMBER 89,
OTIS TAYLOR, THE TALLEST AND STRONGEST
WIDE RECEIVER IN THE LEAGUE. SIZE WAS ALSO A HALLMARK
ON DEFENSE. THE PRO GAME HAD NEVER SEEN A BIGGER OR FASTER
DEFENSIVE UNIT THAN THE CHIEFS. THE TALENT WAS THERE. SUPER BOWL RINGS WERE NOT. IN SEASONS PAST,
THE CHIEFS HAD COME CLOSE BUT COULD NOT WIN
A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. IN 1966, A PAINFUL SECOND-HALF COLLAPSE
DOOMED KANSAS CITY AGAINST THE NFL's
GREEN BAY PACKERS. VINCE LOMBARDI'S
POSTGAME COMMENTS MAY HAVE STUNG EVEN WORSE. Lombardi:
I THINK THE KANSAS CITY TEAM
IS A REAL TOP FOOTBALL TEAM, BUT IT DOESN'T COMPARE WITH THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAMS. THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY.
I SAID IT. [ LAUGHTER ] WELL, THAT IRRITATED US. AND THAT STUCK WITH US UNTIL WE HAD ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
TO GET BACK TO A SUPER BOWL. WE KNOW THAT THAT WAS
A MOTIVATING FACTOR FOR US TO GET A LITTLE BETTER SO THAT
WE CAN COMPETE AGAINST THE BEST. Sheen:
A RETURN VISIT TO THE SUPER BOWL REQUIRED KNOCKING OFF
THE OAKLAND RAIDERS FIRST. BUT OVER THE NEXT TWO SEASONS, THE CHIEFS WERE BRUSHED ASIDE
BY THEIR RIVALS. Lynch:
OAKLAND WAS THE ARCHENEMY. WE WERE IN THE SAME DIVISION, AND WE WERE THE TWO BEST TEAMS,
WE FELT, IN THE LEAGUE. IT WAS A RIVALRY
THAT I WAS INTRODUCED TO WHEN I FIRST CAME
WITH THE CHIEFS. YOU GET INDOCTRINATED
RIGHT AWAY. YOU GET BRAINWASHED RIGHT AWAY. AND I CAN'T ROOT
FOR THE RAIDERS TODAY, SO... THERE WAS A STRETCH
WHERE THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS PLAYED THE OAKLAND RAIDERS AND LOST
SEVEN OUT OF EIGHT GAMES, WHICH WAS
BITTER, BITTER FRUSTRATION. Sheen:
THE WORST OF THOSE DEFEATS
CAME DURING THE 1968 PLAYOFFS, THE MOST LOPSIDED LOSS
IN FRANCHISE HISTORY. Lanier: IN '68,
TO LOSE THAT GAME AS WE DID, IT REALLY INSPIRED US THAT WE HAD TO REALLY IMPROVE
OUR GAME OVERALL, THAT WHEN WE GOT BACK AGAIN TO THAT KIND OF SITUATION
AGAINST OAKLAND, WE WOULD NOT HAVE
THAT SAME OCCURRENCE. SO IT WAS ONE OF REALLY GIVING
IMPETUS TO THE 1969 SEASON. [ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ] Dawson:
HANK STRAM WAS NOT FEARFUL
OF TRYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND HE WAS THE GUY IN CHARGE. NEVER ANY DOUBT ABOUT WHO WAS
RUNNING THE FOOTBALL TEAM. THAT'S HANK STRAM. ALL RIGHT,
LET ME HAVE YOUR ATTENTION. THIS IS OUR PLAYBOOK, AND IT'S DIVIDED
INTO THREE CHAPTERS. YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND,
BACK IN THE '50s AND '60s, EVERYBODY WAS A COPYCAT. WELL, HANK SAYS,
"WAIT A MINUTE. "WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO
THE SAME THING ALL THE TIME? NO.
I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT." Sheen: FROM THE UNIQUE
SEMICIRCULAR HUDDLE TO DIZZYING
PRESNAP CHOREOGRAPHY, HANK STRAM'S INNOVATIVE SCHEMES
WERE DESIGNED TO CONFUSE AND FRUSTRATE
HIS OPPONENTS. STRAM'S BASIC STRATEGY WAS, IF YOU CAN GET A FOOTBALL PLAYER
ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND HAVE HIM NOT KNOW FOR SURE
WHAT HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, THEN YOU HAVE
A VERY BIG ADVANTAGE. I THINK THAT WAS THE BASIS
OF HIS COACHING. Dawson:
HANK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GUY THAT
WANTED TO LOOK AT NEW IDEAS. THE RESTAURATEURS
IN THE KANSAS CITY AREA, SOON AS HE WOULD COME IN, WOULD RUN OVER
WITH PAPER NAPKINS TO PUT DOWN INSTEAD OF THE CLOTH ONES
THAT HE WOULD USE, BECAUSE THEY WERE
MORE EXPENSIVE. 'CAUSE HE WOULD JUST GET TO
DOODLING, THINKING UP THINGS. FOOTBALL WAS HIS LIFE. THE STACK DEFENSE AND HOW WE WERE ABLE
TO UTILIZE DIFFERENT FORMATIONS KEEPING THE SAME 11 PLAYERS
ON THE FIELD WERE ALL INNOVATIONS FROM HANK. BUT HANK ALSO HAD THE APPROACH TO THE WAY HE DRESSED
ON THE SIDELINE. WHEN HE WALKED OUT OF HIS HOME, HE WAS GOING TO BE VIEWED
SARTORIALLY PROPER. HE MADE SURE THAT HE WAS ALWAYS
EXQUISITELY DRESSED. THEY ALWAYS USED TO LAUGH, GUYS THAT WOULD HAVE SEEN
HIS CLOSET AT HIS HOME. IT WAS LIKE YOU WERE
IN A DRY CLEANER'S BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE COATS
WITH CERTAIN SHIRTS WITH CERTAIN PANTS
AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING. HE HAD A CUSTOM TAILOR
IN KANSAS CITY. I REMEMBER THE NAME
WAS VERL'S TAILORS. AND VERL WOULD CUSTOM-TAILOR
THE JACKETS AND SLACKS FOR EVERYBODY ON THE TEAM,
INCLUDING COACHES, EACH SEASON. HE HAD A DRESS CODE. AND YOU HAD TO HAVE
SHIRT AND TIE AND YOU HAD TO WEAR
THE BLACK JACKET THAT WAS A PART OF THE WARDROBE, AS WELL AS HOUNDSTOOTH SLACKS. Sheen: STRAM COULD ALSO TAILOR
HIS REMARKS WITH A NEEDLE WHEN THE TEAM
DID NOT LOOK ITS BEST. HE DROPPED THE BALL. JESUS, HE DROPPED THE BALL. UGH! LOOKED LIKE HE TRIED TO CATCH
THAT BALL WITH HIS ELBOWS. YOU GOT CLEATS
ON YOUR SHOES? NO. WHAT? JEEZ, YOU LOOK LIKE
YOU GOT BEDROOM SLIPPERS ON. THEY'RE MAKING THAT TURN
LIKE THEY GOT ICE SKATES ON. BUT HE KNEW HOW TO HANDLE EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL
ON THE TEAM. YOU KNOW,
HE HANDLED ME DIFFERENTLY THAN HE WOULD HANDLE, SAY, A DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
OR A LINEBACKER. HOW ABOUT A 41 SCREEN? WHEN HE SAID "LEN," THEN HE WAS
IN A PRETTY GOOD MOOD, AND THINGS PROBABLY
WERE GOING PRETTY WELL. AND SO IT WAS "LEN" OR "LENNY." THIS GUY IS SO LOOSE, LENNY,
YOU CAN THROW THERE ANYTIME. YOU THREW ONE. BUT WHEN HE SAID "LEONARD,"
NOW, THAT'S SERIOUS. THAT'S LIKE MY PARENTS
USED TO DO. THEY USED TO GO,
"LEONARD..." WHAT ARE YOU DOING
IN THE HUDDLE, LEONARD? MY GOD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING
IN THAT HUDDLE ALL THAT TIME? WE'RE JUST MISSING IT THAT MUCH
EVERY TIME. EVERY SINGLE TIME,
WE'RE THAT CLOSE. WE GOT TO SPEED IT UP. CONVERSATIONS. WELL, TELL THEM TO SHUT
THEIR BIG MOUTH AND CALL THEM. Sheen:
DAWSON STARTED THE 1969 SEASON WITH A PAIR OF TOUCHDOWN PASSES
ON OPENING DAY, DESPITE PLAYING
WITH A BRUISED HAND. BUT LEN SUFFERED A FAR MORE
SERIOUS INJURY A WEEK LATER IN A 31-0 WIN AT BOSTON. Dawson:
SOMEBODY ROLLED UP INTO MY LEG. AND I KNEW AT THE TIME
THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED. AND I WENT TO THE BENCH,
TO THE DOCTOR, TO HAVE HIM EXAMINE MY KNEE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE MRIs
IN THOSE DAYS, SO THEY COULDN'T REALLY TELL
WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. AND SO HE TOOK
SOME X-RAYS OF IT. AND HE COME BACK, AND HE SAID,
"OH, MY GOODNESS." I SAID, "WHAT IS IT?" HE SAID, "WELL, I THINK
THAT YOU GOT SOME DAMAGE "TO YOUR LIGAMENTS, AND THERE COULD BE A TEAR
IN THERE." Lynch: WE FOUND OUT THE
SERIOUSNESS OF LENNY'S INJURY A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE GAME. THERE WAS,
AT LEAST IN MY MIND, NO DOUBT THAT
HE WAS GONNA BE OPERATED ON. Dawson: HENRY WAS LOOKING
FOR A PHYSICIAN THAT MAY HAVE
A DIFFERENT OPINION. AND SO HE HAD FOUND A DOCTOR
IN ST. LOUIS, DR. REYNOLDS, WHO WAS THE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON FOR THE THEN
ST. LOUIS FOOTBALL CARDINALS. HE HAD A DIFFERENT THEORY
ABOUT THESE TYPE OF INJURIES. HE SAID, "MY THEORY IS THIS -- "DO NOT PUT ANY WEIGHT ON IT
FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS. "AND EVERY DAY, DO SOME LEG LIFTS
SO YOUR LEG DOES NOT ATROPHY. "THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE
AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BECAUSE IT MAY BE
JUST A STRAIN AND NOT A TEAR." AND SO HENRY SAYS,
"WELL, THERE YOU ARE, LEONARD. "GAVE YOU THAT OPTION, DIDN'T I?
IT'S UP TO YOU NOW. THE TEAM DOES NEED YOU,
BUT IT'S UP TO YOU NOW." I SAID, "WELL..." Lynch: I REMEMBER LENNY SAYING
THAT ALL HE NEEDED WAS ONE GUY TO TELL HIM THAT
HE DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE. AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID. BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS
A REAL EXPECTATION OF THIS TEAM DOING
REALLY GOOD THINGS. I THINK LENNY -- I DON'T KNOW
HOW OLD HE WAS AT THE TIME, BUT HE WASN'T A YOUNG MAN AS FAR AS BEING AN NFL PLAYER
WAS CONCERNED. I JUST DON'T THINK HE WANTED TO
MISS THE RIDE ON THE CAROUSEL. Dawson: THE CINCINNATI GAME
AFTER I GOT HURT WAS THE FIRST ONE
THAT I HAD MISSED IN MY YEARS OF FOOTBALL. AND SO JACKY LEE
WAS GETTING THE START. AND JACKY LEE HAD PLAYED BEFORE.
HE WAS A VETERAN. CINCINNATI WAS A YOUNG TEAM.
IT WAS AN EXPANSION TEAM. AND JACKY GOT HURT. HE BROKE HIS ANKLE
IN THAT BALLGAME. SO JACKY LEE IS OUT
FOR THE YEAR, AND WE HAPPEN TO LOSE THAT GAME,
AS WELL. Lynch: IT WAS A GAME THAT WAS
KIND OF A SHOCKER FOR US. YOUR STARTING QUARTERBACK
DIDN'T EVEN SUIT UP. YOUR BACKUP QUARTERBACK
GOT HURT. AND THAT'S WHEN
MIKE LIVINGSTON CAME IN. NOW YOU'VE GOT
A ROOKIE QUARTERBACK. BUT THE REALITY WAS
THAT WE HAD TO GO WEEK TO WEEK AND CONTINUE TO WIN, BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T
LOSE A FEW GAMES AND MAYBE FIND YOURSELF
OUT OF CONTENTION. SO WE HAD TO DO A LOT MORE TO GIVE THE WHOLE TEAM
A CHANCE TO SUCCEED. Sheen:
OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, THE CHIEFS WOULD FIND OTHER WAYS
TO WIN DURING DAWSON'S ABSENCE. Announcer:
BOBBY BELL WITH A TOUCHDOWN! Sheen:
INJURIES HAD FORCED THE CHIEFS TO TURN TO THIRD-STRING
QUARTERBACK MIKE LIVINGSTON. MIKE, IS IT PARTICULARLY
DIFFICULT FOR YOU, MENTALLY, TO GET READY FOR THIS BALLGAME
IN YOUR SITUATION? WELL, IT'S NOT
TOO DIFFICULT MENTALLY. IT'S A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE. IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR ME, AND I JUST HOPE I CAN MAKE
THE BEST OF IT. I REMEMBER HANK STRAM
AT THAT TIME SAYING, "IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE
WHO THE QUARTERBACK IS. "IT'S LIKE DRIVING A CADILLAC.
IT'S STILL A CADILLAC. "YOU HAVE SOMEBODY DRIVE IT, AND EVERYTHING'S GONNA WORK OUT
ALL RIGHT." AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
WE BELIEVED THAT. MIKE LIVINGSTON WAS A ROOKIE
FROM SMU. HE WASN'T THE GREATEST
PICTURE PASSER IN THE WORLD. HE WASN'T THE GREATEST RUNNER
IN THE WORLD. HE HAD AN AWFUL LOT ON HIS PLATE
TO ASSIMILATE. BUT HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH. WHATEVER THE SITUATION TOOK, HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH
TO GET THE JOB DONE. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. WHEN YOU START MEASURING HOW
WELL A QUARTERBACK HAS DONE -- IS HE A WINNER
OR IS HE NOT A WINNER? AND WITH MIKE LIVINGSTON BEING
THE STARTING QUARTERBACK -- THE THIRD-STRING STARTING
QUARTERBACK AND A ROOKIE -- HE WON FIVE STRAIGHT
FOOTBALL GAMES. AND THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT
SUCCESS STORY. Sheen: LIVINGSTON DIDN'T
HAVE TO DO IT ALL BY HIMSELF. THE BACKS AND RECEIVERS WERE
THERE TO LEND A HELPING HAND. Announcer:
AND HE'S STILL RUNNING. NOW HE FLIPS IT BACK
TO BOBBY HOLMES. HOLMES IS GONNA SCORE! RAZZLE-DAZZLE. Sheen: THE CHIEFS WON EVERY GAME
DURING DAWSON'S RECUPERATION, THANKS TO
THEIR PUNISHING DEFENSE. AND I'M TELLING YOU -- THAT TEAM,
AND PARTICULARLY THE DEFENSE, THEY TOOK OVER. THE OTHER TEAM SCORED
VERY FEW POINTS. THE DEFENSE SCORED, I THINK, ABOUT AS MANY POINTS
AS THE OFFENSE SCORED. Announcer: BACK TO THROW.
RUSH IS PUT ON. HE THROWS ONE.
IT'S INTERCEPTED BY KEARNEY. HE'S TO THE 40.
TO MIDFIELD. AT THE 40.
AT THE 30. TOUCHDOWN FOR JIM KEARNEY!
A 60-YARDER. ISN'T THAT BEAUTIFUL? I WAS HURT,
BUT THE STARTING DEFENSIVE UNIT STARTED EVERY GAME THAT YEAR. AND HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? Sheen: BUT THERE WAS MORE
THAN GOOD HEALTH THAT MADE
THE CHIEFS DEFENSE UNIQUE. WHEN WE FIELDED
OUR STARTING TEAM MY SECOND YEAR WITH THE CHIEFS AND I STARTED
AT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER, I WAS ONE OF THREE WHITE GUYS
THAT PLAYED, AND WE STARTED
WITH EIGHT BLACKS. YOU GOT TO REMEMBER THE TIMES. THAT WAS NOT THE NORM
BY ANY STRETCH. BUT I THINK HANK STRAM,
TO HIS UNDYING CREDIT, LOOKED AT THE GREAT MINES
OF GREAT FOOTBALL TALENT IN A LOT OF THESE BLACK SCHOOLS,
ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH. Stram: WE DON'T PARTICULARLY
CARE WHAT COLOR HE IS, WHAT NATIONALITY, WHAT ANYTHING. THE ONLY CONCERN WE HAVE IS BRINGING THEM IN WITH THE IDEA
OF COMPETING FOR OUR SQUAD. IF THEY EARN THE RIGHT TO BE
A MEMBER OF OUR 40-MAN SQUAD, THEN THEY'RE GONNA BE HERE. HARD, BABY! Sheen: KANSAS CITY'S UNSUNG
SCOUTING HERO WAS LLOYD WELLS, A FORMER NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER WITH A PIPELINE TO
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COLLEGES. Lanier: LLOYD WELLS WAS A SCOUT
FOR THE CHIEFS WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MINE THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES
OF AMERICA AND TO LET THE TEAMS KNOW
WHERE THERE WAS TALENT, WHERE IN THE PAST, THAT TALENT
HAD BEEN SOMEWHAT OVERLOOKED OR HAD NOT BEEN DESIRED
TO BE AS STRONGLY RECRUITED. I MUST DO ONE THING -- THIS GUY IS A SCOUT FOR US,
AND HE DOES A GREAT JOB. LLOYD WELLS,
YOU'VE SCOUTED AND BROUGHT IN SO MANY OF THESE OUTSTANDING
STARS ON THE CHIEFS. LLOYD,
YOU MUST BE AWFUL HAPPY. VERY HAPPY --
IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR ALL OF US. Sheen:
WELLS' BEST FIND MAY HAVE BEEN
MORGAN STATE'S WILLIE LANIER, TAKEN IN THE '67 DRAFT
WITH JIM LYNCH OF NOTRE DAME. WE WERE BOTH DRAFTED
IN THE SECOND ROUND. WE WERE BOTH DRAFTED
AS MIDDLE LINEBACKERS. Lanier: I THINK ANYTIME
YOU HAVE COMPETITION LIKE THE KIND
THAT JIM CAN PROVIDE, EITHER ONE OF US WHO WINS
THE MIDDLE LINEBACKER JOB WILL REPRESENT THE TEAM AS THE CHIEFS
WOULD LIKE TO BE REPRESENTED. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME
THAT THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A BLACK
MIDDLE LINEBACKER BEFORE. OBVIOUSLY,
WILLIE LANIER WANTED TO BE THE FIRST BLACK
MIDDLE LINEBACKER IN THE NFL. QUITE FRANKLY, HE DESERVED
THE POSITION, NO QUESTION. HE WAS VERY, VERY GOOD
FOOTBALL PLAYER, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAS PROVEN OUT IN THAT HE'S IN
THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. WE WERE ABSOLUTELY COMPETING
FOR THE SAME JOB, BUT IT NEVER GOT TO BE
A PERSONAL THING BETWEEN US. ON THE DOUBLE ZONE,
HOW DO YOU WANT US TO HANDLE IT? YOU CAN MOVE OVER. I'LL MOVE OVER.
YOU TAKE FIRST MAN. I GOT THAT WINGBACK. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. Sheen: LYNCH, NUMBER 51,
FOUND A HOME ON THE OUTSIDE -- A SWITCH THAT MADE
THE CHIEFS LINEBACKING CORPS THE BEST IN PRO FOOTBALL. Lynch: I THINK WILLIE
WAS VERY BENEFICIAL TO ME AND VERY HELPFUL TO ME. AND WE GOT TO THE POINT WHERE
WE GOT TO BE VERY GOOD FRIENDS, AND THE LAST EIGHT YEARS,
WE ROOMED TOGETHER. WE'VE CHASED THAT... WE'VE CHASED HIM INTO
THE END ZONE HOW MANY TIMES? I DON'T KNOW.
WE'VE CHASED HIM A WHILE. BUT THE LACK OF BIAS WAS ONE
THAT WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE, BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIPS
WERE PURE. AND IT WASN'T SOMETHING
THAT WAS REALLY PUSHED. BUT I THINK
THE INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTOOD THAT IF THERE WAS
GOING TO BE ACCOMPLISHMENT AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, THAT EVERYONE HAD TO UNDERSTAND
EACH OTHER'S DIFFERENCES AND EACH OTHER'S SIMILARITIES. AND THAT WAS THE WAY IT HAPPENED
TO HAVE COME TOGETHER AND HAD BECOME A GREAT HISTORY
OF THE SUCCESS THAT THE FRANCHISE
WAS ABLE TO HAVE. Lynch:
THE COMRADESHIP, THE BLACK-WHITE RELATIONSHIPS
THAT WE HAVE ARE, I DON'T THINK,
PARALLEL IN ANY TEAM. I'M JUST ELATED WITH IT. AND THESE KIND OF THINGS
BUILD CHAMPIONS AND KEEP YOU CHAMPIONS, AND I FEEL REAL GOOD
ABOUT THE CHIEFS' FUTURE. Sheen:
AVOIDING KNEE SURGERY HAD BEEN
THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR LEN DAWSON. AFTER A MONTH'S RECOVERY,
DAWSON WAS ALMOST READY TO PLAY. BUT WHILE SIDELINED, LEN KEPT BUSY
WITH HIS OTHER DAY JOB. Dawson:
THERE WERE ONLY THREE TELEVISION
STATIONS HERE IN KANSAS CITY, AND ONE OF THEM WAS LOOKING
FOR A SPORTSCASTER. I WAS WORKING FOR AN
INSURANCE COMPANY AT THE TIME, SO I TOOK A LEAVE OF ABSENCE. THAT'S BEEN 40 YEARS AGO,
THAT LEAVE OF ABSENCE. IT'S BEEN A LONG ONE. FRANK, YOU HAD
A GREAT YEAR LAST YEAR. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS
FOR THIS YEAR? I HAD A RADIO STATION, TOO.
I HAD FOUR RADIO SHOWS A DAY. THEY WERE THREE MINUTES IN
LENGTH, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAYS. AND I WAS ANCHORING SPORTS
ON THE ABC AFFILIATE HERE IN KANSAS CITY ON THE 6 O'CLOCK
AND THE 10 O'CLOCK NEWS. WE'D GET THROUGH WITH PRACTICES
AT 5:30. I'D RUSH THROUGH THE SHOWER,
GET DOWNTOWN, AND I WAS ON THE 6 O'CLOCK NEWS. AND DEFENSIVELY AS FAR
AS THE CHIEFS ARE CONCERNED, WE HAVE SOME NEW FACES
THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT. Sheen: MOST PRO QUARTERBACKS
SPENT THEIR EVENINGS WATCHING GAME FILM. LEN DAWSON WAS ON FILM,
WEEKNIGHTS AT 6:00 AND 10:00. HE CERTAINLY WAS NOT A REPORTER THAT WAS GONNA GET THE DIRTY
NEWS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT WAS A PRETTY SANITIZED THING. BUT AT THAT TIME, ALL THE MEDIA
WAS PRETTY SANITIZED AS FAR AS THE CHIEFS
WERE CONCERNED. I'M GONNA BAD-MOUTH
THE OFFENSIVE LINE? I DON'T THINK SO. BECAUSE THEY COULD SAY, "LENNY, LET'S SEE WHAT YOU CAN
DO WITH NO BLOCKING OUT THERE." IT WAS FUNNY, TOO, BECAUSE I DID
ALL THE INTERVIEWS. NOLAND, YOU'RE NOT A GIANT
AMONG GIANTS OUT HERE. IS THIS THE FIRST TIME
THAT YOU'VE PLAYED AGAINST GUYS AS BIG AS YOU'VE SEEN
HERE IN CAMP TODAY? I'D HAVE TO TELL THEM
WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK THEM. I ALREADY KNEW THE ANSWER. OFTENTIMES I HAD TO GIVE THEM
THE ANSWER. YOU'RE OUT THERE
AT A FLANKER. HOW MUCH OPPORTUNITY DID YOU GET
IN COLLEGE AS A FLANKER? NONE UNTIL MY SENIOR YEAR. AND AFTER
A FLANKER GRADUATED, WELL, I HAD TO MOVE
INTO FLANKER. AND I WAS MY TEAM'S
LEADING SCORER FROM THE FLANKER POSITION. Sheen: ON NOVEMBER 9th, DAWSON WAS IN FRONT
OF THE CAMERAS AGAIN, THIS TIME
AT STARTING QUARTERBACK. LEN SETTLED
FOR A SUPPORTING ROLE AS HIS BACKFIELD MATES
PUSHED THE TEAM'S RECORD TO 8-1. NEXT UP WAS A SHOWDOWN
WITH THE WORLD-CHAMPION JETS. BUT THAT GAME WOULD BE
OVERSHADOWED BY TRAGEDY. WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO
TO NEW YORK ON SATURDAY, AND FRIDAY EVENING I GOT A CALL FROM MY BROTHER
IN ALLIANCE, OHIO, THAT MY FATHER HAD PASSED AWAY
FROM A SUDDEN HEART ATTACK. YOU KNOW, YOU LOSE YOUR FATHER, YOU'RE LOSING SOMEBODY
VERY SPECIAL. AND THE GUYS
WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE, AND THEY KIND OF LEFT ME ALONE. IT REALLY WAS NOT EXPECTED. AND LENNY WOUND UP
PLAYING THE GAME. Lanier: THE QUESTION MARK
THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE IS WHETHER SOMETHING
SUCH AS THAT WILL TAKE AWAY FROM PERFORMANCE. BUT WHEN YOU SEE PERFORMANCE THAT IS AT ITS SAME LEVEL
OR EVEN HIGHER, YOU JUST APPRECIATE IT. BECAUSE I THINK THE HUMAN PART
IS THAT YOU WONDER HOW WELL
YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IN THAT SAME KIND
OF CIRCUMSTANCE. Announcer: BACK TO THROW,
LEN DAWSON. WIDE OPEN,
TAYLOR IS THERE. TOUCHDOWN!
NOBODY'S EVEN CLOSE TO TAYLOR. YOU REALLY DO REALIZE
WHAT AN EFFORT IT TOOK FOR LENNY DAWSON TO DO THAT. LENNY DAWSON IS
AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON, AND I'VE WATCHED HIM DO
EXTRAORDINARY THINGS. WE WOUND UP WINNING
THE FOOTBALL GAME, AND HE TOOK CARE OF
HIS BUSINESS, NO QUESTION, AND LEFT RIGHT FROM NEW YORK AND WENT BACK TO ALLIANCE, OHIO,
FOR THE FUNERAL. Sheen:
A WEEK LATER, THE 9-1 CHIEFS HOSTED
THE RAIDERS IN A WESTERN DIVISION SHOWDOWN. BUT A STILL-GRIEVING DAWSON
WAS NOT AT HIS BEST, AND THE RAIDERS WON. I THINK I HAD A BAD GAME. I THREW SEVERAL INTERCEPTIONS.
THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE. AND IT WASN'T BECAUSE THEY
OVERPOWERED US OR DID SOMETHING. IT WAS BECAUSE
OF MY MENTAL MISTAKES. Sheen: MATTERS WORSENED
THE FOLLOWING WEEK WHEN DAWSON REINJURED HIS KNEE
IN A WIN OVER DENVER. Dawson:
FROM A PRECAUTIONARY STANDPOINT, IT WAS BEST FOR ME
TO COME OUT OF THAT GAME. MY WHOLE THOUGHT WAS TO BE READY
FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP RUN, FOR THE PLAYOFF RUN. AND I THINK THAT WAS
HANK STRAM'S FEELING AS WELL, THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE
ANY CHANCES AT THAT POINT. SO I CAME OUT OF THAT BALLGAME AND DID NOT PLAY
THE FOLLOWING GAME. THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON
WAS AGAINST THE RAIDERS. AND BOTH OF US
WERE IN THE PLAYOFFS. WHOEVER WON WOULD HAVE
HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE. Sheen:
SURPRISINGLY, HANK STRAM PUT
HIS NORMALLY INNOVATIVE OFFENSE INTO HIBERNATION, AS THE CHIEFS RAN
ON VIRTUALLY EVERY PLAY. I ONLY THREW THE BALL
SIX OR EIGHT TIMES. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BASICALLY A RUNNING GAME.
JUST GRINDING IT. Lynch: AND THAT WAS ABOUT
AS CLOSE AS YOU CAME TO CRITICIZING STRAM'S STRATEGY
THAT I CAN RECALL THAT YEAR. WE JUST HAD TO HAVE
MORE PRODUCTION, POINTWISE, AND NOT THROWING THE FOOTBALL
WAS PRETTY HARD TO SWALLOW. Dawson:
WE DIDN'T WIN THAT BALLGAME. WE LOST IT AND HAD TO GO TO
NEW YORK AND TAKE ON THE JETS. HANK DECIDED HE WAS
MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH
OF HIS FOOTBALL TEAM AND IN PARTICULAR, I THINK, ME,
THE QUARTERBACK. Lynch: THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
HAD BEEN TO THE SUPER BOWL. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GET
TO THE SUPER BOWL. THEY WANTED TO WIN
THE SUPER BOWL. SO NOW WE'RE IN A SITUATION
WHERE WE'VE GOT TO TAKE THE HARDEST ROAD
WE CAN POSSIBLY GET TO WINNING THE SUPER BOWL. WE HAD TO GO TO SHEA STADIUM, AND WE HAD TO BEAT
THE OAKLAND RAIDERS. IT WAS NOT A BUNCH
OF HAPPY FOOTBALL PLAYERS COMING BACK FROM THAT GAME. Dawson:
WHAT A DAY THAT WAS IN NEW YORK, PLAYING A NEW YORK JETS TEAM THAT WON THE SUPER BOWL
THE YEAR BEFORE. THEY WERE A GOOD FOOTBALL TEAM. THE WEATHER WAS AWFUL BECAUSE
THE WIND WAS REALLY BLOWING. THE WIND WOULD COME THROUGH. IT WOULDN'T BE BLOWING ONE WAY.
IT WOULD BE SWIRLING. I USED TO WARM UP WITH
FRED ARBANAS, OUR TIGHT END. AND FREDDY HAD LOST THE SIGHT
IN ONE EYE, AND WE USED TO LOOSEN UP. I'M PLAYING CATCH WITH FRED
AND THROWING EASY. THAT WIND WOULD GET IT,
AND IT WAS BANGING ALL OVER. HE SAID, "I ONLY GOT ONE EYE. "GET ONE OF THESE DEFENSIVE
LINEMEN TO PLAY CATCH WITH YOU. I CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE
THE OTHER ONE." Sheen:
PLAYING CATCH WITH ARBANAS
CAME MUCH EASIER AFTER KICKOFF. A CRITICAL GAME
BY THE KANSAS CITY TIGHT END SET UP A FIELD GOAL THAT GAVE THE CHIEFS
A 6-3 FOURTH-QUARTER LEAD. Dawson:
IT WAS LATE IN THE BALLGAME. JOE NAMATH HAD THROWN THE PASS
INTO THE END ZONE. IT WAS INCOMPLETE,
BUT THE FLAG GOES DOWN. "INTERFERENCE, KANSAS CITY." FIRST AND GOAL
ON THE 1-YARD LINE. Lanier: THAT 36 INCHES WAS GOING
TO BE OUR SEASON, OUR FUTURE. SO AS I'M HEADING DOWN THE FIELD
TO CALL THE DEFENSE, I'M NOTICING HEADS
ARE STARTING TO BE BOWED. CONCESSIONS ARE STARTING TO BE
ACCEPTED THAT THEY FELT
WE WERE GOING TO LOSE. AND MY REALITY WAS THAT THAT WAS
NOT A CONCESSION WE COULD MAKE. Announcer:
AND THE RUNNING PLAY TO
MATT SNELL BEHIND RIGHT GUARD. HIT AT THE GOAL LINE
BY LANIER AND JERRY MAYS. SO ON SECOND DOWN, THEY TRIED TO RUN A PLAY ALSO
INTO THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. Announcer: RUNNING PLAY
COMING OFF TO MATHIS. STOPPED AT THE GOAL LINE. LANIER HITS HIM. AND AGAIN,
THE JETS DO NOT MAKE IT. IT'S THIRD DOWN AND 1. Lanier:
SO THEN ON THIRD DOWN, WHAT NAMATH DID WAS TO TRY
TO RUN A PLAY-ACTION. BUT BOBBY BELL DIDN'T TAKE THE
FAKE INTO THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. WAS ABLE TO GET POSITION TO TAKE
AWAY THE PASS ON THE OUTSIDE. Announcer: WHAT PRESSURE
PUT ON BY BOBBY BELL. BOBBY BELL MADE THE JETS
QUARTERBACK COMMIT HIMSELF. Dawson: AND SO THEY KICKED THE
FIELD GOAL AND TIED THE SCORE. NOW A FIELD GOAL WINS IT. I HAD A GUY ON THE SIDELINES
NAMED OTIS TAYLOR. WHILE THAT DEFENSE WAS HOLDING
THE JETS ON THE 1-YARD LINE, OTIS TAYLOR IS TALKING TO ME
ON THE SIDELINES, DRAWING IN THE DIRT A PLAY
THAT HE THOUGHT COULD WORK. WE'RE GOING ON THE FIELD,
AND OTIS SAYS TO ME, "YOU GONNA CALL THAT PLAY?" I SAID, "NO. NOT NOW. "I'LL WAIT TILL I GET IN THE
HUDDLE SO I CAN TELL THE GUYS. HELL, YES,
I'M GONNA CALL THAT PLAY." HE'S RUNNING ON THE FREE SAFETY,
SO I THREW IT, AND I REALLY GOT
A GREAT RELEASE. SO GOOD, I THOUGHT,
"OH, DAMN, I OVERTHREW HIM." BUT I FORGOT ABOUT THE OTHER
SPEED THAT OTIS TAYLOR HAD. HE PUT IT INTO ANOTHER GEAR. FOUGHT HIS WAY DOWN
INSIDE THE 10-YARD LINE. AND ON THE NEXT PLAY,
I HIT GLOSTER RICHARDSON. Announcer:
LENNY TAKES THE SNAP. HE FAKES THE RUN,
BUT HE'LL BE BACK TO THROW. HE THROWS ONE DEEP
FOR RICHARDSON. TOUCHDOWN!
NICE INSIDE BOMB. Dawson: WE KNEW THIS WAS JUST
THE ONE GAME WE HAD TO WIN TO GET TO WHERE WE WANTED TO GO. THAT IS TO OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
AND PLAY THE OAKLAND RAIDERS. WE KNEW IT WAS NOT
GOING TO BE EASY. THEY'D BEATEN US TWICE ALREADY
THAT SEASON. Lynch:
THERE WAS A CERTAIN CONFIDENCE. WE FELT THAT THIS WAS THE TIME
WE WERE GOING TO BEAT THEM. WE WERE IN THEIR BACKYARD, AND WE WERE GOING TO SMACK THEM
IN THE FACE AND WIN. Announcer:
BACK TO THROW, LAMONICA. HE IS SACKED. DID HE GET CREAMED
BY AARON BROWN. Sheen: THE DEFENSE
SACKED OAKLAND FOUR TIMES AND GRABBED JUST AS MANY
INTERCEPTIONS. Announcer: HE IS THROWING ONE
DEEP FOR WARREN WELLS. IT'S INTERCEPTED AT THE 20
BY EMMITT THOMAS. BACK TO THE 30, TO THE 40. HE MAY BREAK IT.
HE'S AT MIDFIELD.
HE'S AT THE 40. Sheen: AFTER THREE YEARS
OF GREATER DOMINANCE, THIS DAY BELONGED TO
THE CHIEFS' SWARMING DEFENSE AND PLAYMAKING RECEIVER
OTIS TAYLOR. Dawson: WE WERE BACKED UP
ON OUR GOAL LINE. IT WAS THIRD AND LONG. IF WE HAVE TO PUNT THE BALL
OUT OF OUR END ZONE, THEY'RE GONNA GET
GREAT FIELD POSITION. AND I CALLED A PLAY
WHERE OTIS TAYLOR WAS JUST RUNNING A FLY PATTERN UP THE SIDELINES,
TOWARD OUR SIDELINE. Announcer: HE'S BACK
IN THE END ZONE 8 YARDS. DAWSON THROWS A WOBBLER
INTENDED FOR TAYLOR. AND OTIS MAKES
A REMARKABLE CATCH. GREAT GRAB BY TAYLOR. Lanier:
AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LENNY
THROW A BALL ALONG THE SIDELINE AS FAR AS IT HAD TO BE THROWN. AND FOR TAYLOR -- I BELIEVE
HIS POSITION OF WHERE HE WAS, HE HAD TO CATCH IT
WITH HIS LEFT HAND -- TO BE ABLE TO POSITION THAT BALL
TO COME IN AND GET BOTH FEET INBOUNDS,
WHICH SOME OF THEM WANT TO ARGUE WHETHER HE WAS INBOUNDS OR NOT,
BUT OF COURSE HE WAS. Lynch:
AND THERE'S SOME DOUBT WHETHER
HIS FEET WERE INBOUNDS OR NOT. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT, BUT
WE'LL GO BY THE OFFICIAL RECORD. HE CAUGHT A PASS
RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR BENCH. AND AFTER THAT PLAY, THINGS
STARTED REALLY GOING OUR WAY. Announcer:
BACK TO THROW, LENNY DAWSON. HE HAS TIME TO THROW.
HE'S FIRING ONE DEEP. WIDE OPEN, FRANK PITTS. HE MAKES THE CATCH. HE IS RUN OUT OF BOUNDS
AT THE 1-YARD LINE. LENNY DAWSON GIVES ON
A RUNNING PLAY TO BOBBY HOLMES. HE TURNS THE CORNER.
HE SCORES. Dawson: WHEN WE PLAYED
THE OAKLAND RAIDERS IN THE FINAL GAME BETWEEN TWO
AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAMS AND WON THAT GAME TO GET US
TO THE SUPER BOWL, IT WAS A MILESTONE. HOW MANY PEOPLE, I WONDER, REALLY THOUGHT THE AMERICAN
FOOTBALL LEAGUE WOULD SUCCEED? Sheen:
IN JUST ONE WEEK, THE AFL CHAMPIONS WOULD BE
GRANTED A FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THEIR LEAGUE WAS THE
EQUAL OF THE ESTABLISHED NFL. WE'RE THE CHAMPIONS, BABY! NUMBER ONE! Sheen:
AFTER ARRIVING IN NEW ORLEANS JUST FIVE DAYS
BEFORE SUPER BOWL IV, LEN DAWSON'S WORLD WAS
ONCE AGAIN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. A NUMBER OF FAMOUS NAMES
IN PRO FOOTBALL WILL BE ASKED TO TALK TO
A FEDERAL GRAND JURY IN DETROIT AND TO TELL WHATEVER THEY KNOW
ABOUT GAMBLING ON SPORTS. THE PRO FOOTBALL PLAYERS ASKED
TO TESTIFY TO THE GRAND JURY INCLUDE LEN DAWSON
OF THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. A FEDERAL GRAND JURY WILL BEGIN HEARING TESTIMONY
IN TWO WEEKS, JANUARY 20th, ABOUT THE OPERATIONS
OF PERHAPS THE LARGEST BETTING AND GAMBLING OPERATION
IN SPORTS HISTORY. FEDERAL OFFICIALS HERE... Dawson:
THAT HITS THE NATIONAL NEWS. YOU'RE GETTING READY
FOR A SUPER BOWL. "MY GOD, WHAT THE HECK'S
GOING ON HERE?" HANK STRAM AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE
ARE GETTING TOGETHER, TRYING TO DETERMINE
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE MEDIA. FINALLY, I SAID, "WHY DON'T WE
TELL THEM THE TRUTH?" YEAH, IT WAS KIND OF WEIRD. I MEAN, THE GAMBLER'S NAME
WAS DAWSON. THERE WAS A PERSON IN DETROIT
BY THE NAME OF DONALD DAWSON WHO HAD ATTEMPTED
TO EITHER CALL LENNY OR CALL OTHER PLAYERS
IN THE LEAGUE. Sheen: THOUGH NOT RELATED
TO DONALD DAWSON, LEN HAD MET HIM A DECADE EARLIER
WHILE PLAYING IN PITTSBURGH. Dawson:
I SAID, "I DO KNOW THIS PERSON. "HE DID CALL ME
WHEN I INJURED MY KNEE "AND WHEN MY DAD PASSED AWAY
TO OFFER HIS CONDOLENCES. "THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I'VE
HEARD FROM THIS GUY IN YEARS. I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HIM
THAT WELL BEFORE." WE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT
TO THE MEDIA AT AN EVENING PRESS CONFERENCE. THAT WAS BASICALLY GONNA BE IT. HANK STRAM SAID, "THIS IS THE LAST TIME WE'RE
GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS THING. WE'RE HERE TO GET READY
FOR A FOOTBALL GAME." LENNY IS VERY QUIET. HE DOESN'T EXPRESS A GREAT DEAL
OF ANIMATION OUTWARDLY. IT'S VERY HARD TO TELL
HOW MUCH IT AFFECTED HIM. I KNOW HE WAS DEEPLY HURT INSIDE
BECAUSE HE'S A GREAT YOUNG MAN. THE THING THAT'S SO DIFFICULT IS THAT I HAD NOTHING
TO DO WITH THIS. IT NOT ONLY AFFECTED ME. IT REALLY AFFECTED MY FAMILY
TO THE POINT WHERE MY SON, WHO WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO THE GAME, TELLS HIS MOTHER
HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO. SHE HAS TO TALK HIM INTO COMING BECAUSE I WANTED HIM
TO BE THERE. Lanier: YOU COME TO KNOW
YOUR TEAMMATES -- WHAT THEIR CHARACTER IS, HOW THEY CONDUCT THEMSELVES,
AND ALL OF THAT. SO WITH THAT BEING THE CASE, YOU FELT VERY GOOD
ABOUT THE FACT THAT THAT DIDN'T FIT LENNY'S STYLE. THAT DID NOT FIT
HOW HE APPROACHED HIS LIFE. BUT YOU ALSO WONDERED ABOUT
THE COINCIDENCES OF TIME -- THAT HERE IT IS A WEEK
BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL. IF THERE'S SOMEONE
WHO HAS AN INVESTIGATION GOING, WHAT CAUSES IT TO SURFACE
AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME VERSUS SOME OTHER MOMENT
IN TIME? Sen. Symington: WE OF MISSOURI
HAVE ADMIRATION FOR LEN DAWSON, THE ABLE
AND COURAGEOUS QUARTERBACK OF THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. IT IS MOST UNFORTUNATE THAT ANY SUCH STORY ABOUT ONE
OF THE NATION'S GREAT ATHLETES SHOULD BE LEAKED
TO THE NEWS MEDIA JUST PRIOR TO THE MOST IMPORTANT
PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL GAME OF THE SEASON. Robinson:
PEOPLE ARE OFFERING THEIR
PRAYERS AND BACKING HIM 100%. BY FRIDAY,
HE PEPPED UP A LITTLE. BUT I'LL BE FRANK WITH YOU,
FOR A COUPLE DAYS, HE LOOKED LIKE HE AGED
ABOUT 5 YEARS TO ME. FOR A WHILE,
I KEPT TRYING TO GET HIM UP. HE STAYED IN THE ROOM
90% OF THE TIME AND ONLY LEFT FOR INTERVIEWS. IT MUST HAVE BEEN
A NERVE-SHATTERING EXPERIENCE AFTER THE GAMBLING STORY
BROKE. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. Dawson:
I FIGURED IF I HANDLE THAT JUNK THAT I COULD HANDLE
ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE THAT WAS REALLY UNFAIR. NOT ONLY DID I HAVE TO FACE THE
MEDIA AND SAY THAT I'M INNOCENT, I HAD TO ADDRESS MY TEAMMATES
AS WELL BECAUSE THEY'RE SITTING THERE,
CONCERNED ABOUT IT. I TOLD THEM IT'S A BUNCH OF B.S. THERE'S NO TRUTH
TO THE DAMN STUFF. HANK CAME IN, THEN, AND SAID, "WELL, DOES ANYBODY
GOT ANY QUESTIONS WHATSOEVER?" AND THEN E.J. HOLUB -- AND ONLY E.J. COULD SAY IT,
PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE. Lynch: WELL, E.J. WAS ALWAYS
PULLING SOMETHING. HE WAS A REAL HOLLER GUY -- ALWAYS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC. HOLUB JUST SAYS,
"WELL, WHEN DO WE EAT? AND WHEN DO I GET MY TICKETS?" AND THAT BROKE THE TENSION. ALL OF THE SUDDEN, WE'RE BACK TO FOCUSING
ON WHAT WE'RE THERE FOR. Sheen: THE FIRST-EVER SUPER BOWL
HELD IN NEW ORLEANS FEATURED PAGEANTRY AND SPECTACLE THAT LITERALLY WENT
OVER THE TOP. Lynch:
I'D SEE THIS VIKING GOING ALONG, AND HE WAS JUMPING IN AND OUT
OF THIS HOT-AIR BALLOON. AND THEN I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE HOT-AIR BALLOON
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING UP. IT WAS KIND OF A MASS-CONFUSION
ON THE FIELD. THE HOT-AIR BALLOON DIDN'T HAVE
ENOUGH HOT AIR IN IT OR LOST ITS HOT AIR
OR SOMETHING. Lanier: THE VIKINGS' GONDOLA
STARTED TO BOUNCE ALONG IN TOWARDS SOME OF THE SEATING
AT THE PART OF THE END ZONE. IT WAS JUST KIND OF INTERESTING
TO SEE A PLANNED ACTIVITY WHERE THE PEOPLE DIDN'T QUITE
KNOW HOW TO CONTROL THAT GONDOLA AS WELL AS THE HOT-AIR BALLOON. MAYBE THAT WAS A COINCIDENCE THAT THINGS WERE NOT GOING TO GO
WELL FOR THE VIKINGS THAT DAY. Sheen:
THE FOOTBALL EXPERTS DISAGREED, TABBING THE AFL's CHIEFS
AS 13-POINT UNDERDOGS. Dawson: I THINK IT'S "THAT'S
THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE. "LAST YEAR, WHEN THE JETS WON,
BEAT BALTIMORE, THAT WAS A FLUKE." WE WERE THE STUPID STEPCHILD
OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL -- THE NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
PLAYERS. WE RESENTED THAT. THAT WAS A MOTIVATING FACTOR
TO US BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW TOO MUCH
ABOUT THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS. AND, FORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN'T
KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT US. WE'VE GOT A MYRIAD
OF FORMATIONS. WE'VE GOT FORMATIONS THAT,
YOU START OUT IN ONE THING, YOU'RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
BEFORE THE BALL'S SNAPPED. YOU'LL GO THROUGH THREE SEPARATE
FORMATIONS IN ONE SERIES. IF YOU'RE NOT WATCHING THAT
EVERY DAY, IT GETS EXTREMELY CONFUSING. AND THEY'VE GOT ONE WEEK TO FIGURE OUT THE TENDENCIES
OF THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, WHICH IS A VIRTUAL
IMPOSSIBILITY. THE RUNNING BACKS,
IF WE PUT THINGS TOGETHER, WILL KILL THESE GUYS. Dawson:
WHEN THERE WAS A TIME-OUT,
I'D GO TO THE SIDELINES. AND I'D GO TO HANK. HANK WAS THE QUARTERBACK COACH,
THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR. INSTEAD OF HENRY ASKING ME
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT, HE SAID,
"LENNY, YOU GOT TO DO THIS. "YOU GOT TO THROW
THAT HITCH PASS OUT HERE MORE. YOU GOT TO DO THIS.
YOU GOT TO DO THAT." THROW THAT THING ON THE OUTSIDE,
LEONARD. DO IT MORE OFTEN. HE CAN'T COVER THAT THING,
LENNY. THROW IT ANYTIME,
THAT HITCH ON THE OUTSIDE. THAT'S A GOOD TIME TO THROW IT
RIGHT THERE. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT HENRY HAD BEEN MICROPHONED
IN THE SUPER BOWL BECAUSE HE HADN'T MENTIONED IT
TO ANY OF US. I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED
IF IT WAS HANK'S IDEA. BUT VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING
THAT HE SAID, HE'S SAID MANY, MANY TIMES
BEFORE. IT'S CERTAINLY ENTERTAINMENT. HOW IN THE WORLD CAN ALL SIX
OF YOU MISS A PLAY LIKE THAT? ALL SIX OF YOU
MISS A PLAY. COME ON, LENNY. PUMP IT IN THERE, BABY. JUST KEEP MATRICULATING THE BALL
DOWN THE FIELD, BOYS. "GOT TO MATRICULATE THE BALL
DOWN THE FIELD." WHERE HE COMES UP WITH THESE
THINGS, I DON'T KNOW. BUT HE'S A CLASSIC.
HE'S A SHOWMAN. IT WAS THERE,
WASN'T IT, BOYS? IT WAS THERE,
WASN'T IT? IN KNOWING HANK,
WHO ENJOYED WORDSMITHING, THAT SOMEONE IN THE MIDST OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME
OF THEIR LIFE COULD STILL MAINTAIN
THE KIND OF PRESENCE TO OFFER A VIEW
OF WHAT A COACH GOES THROUGH, ALL OF THAT WAS STRAM. HE WAS ABLE TO TALK ABOUT,
ELOQUENTLY, HOW THEY DID IT AND THEN HOW POORLY THE OTHER GUYS ATTEMPTED
TO DO THINGS AGAINST HIS TEAM. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE
MIKE WAS -- DIDN'T KNOW WHERE HE WAS. THEY DIDN'T KNOW
WHERE TO GO. KASSULKE WAS RUNNING AROUND LIKE
IT WAS A CHINESE FIRE DRILL. THEY LOOK LIKE
THEY'RE FLAT AS HELL. Sheen: STRAM ADDED
TO MINNESOTA'S CONFUSION WITH A SURPRISE PLAY CALL
THAT YIELDED MAXIMUM RESULTS. GLOSTER,
TELL THEM 65 TOSS POWER TRAP. GET IN THERE --
65 TOSS POWER TRAP. HERE COMES GLOSTER RICHARDSON
INTO THE GAME WITH A PLAY. HE SAID, "HANK WANTS YOU TO RUN
65 TOSS POWER TRAP." I SAID, "WE HAVEN'T RUN
THAT PLAY IN A LONG TIME. YOU SURE THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS?" "65 TOSS POWER TRAP." 65 TOSS POWER TRAP. IT MIGHT POP WIDE OPEN,
RATS. Announcer: RUNNING PLAY
COMING TO GARRETT ON A TRAP. TOUCHDOWN.
GARRETT SCORES. WAS IT THERE, BOYS? WAS THAT THERE, RATS? NICE GOING, BABY. [ LAUGHS ] YEAH! 65 TOSS POWER TRAP!
YEAH! YEAH! I TOLD YOU
THAT BABY WAS THERE. YES, SIR, BOYS. WHOO! WE'RE LEADING NOW 16-0, AND THEY GOT TO OVERCOME THAT
AGAINST OUR DEFENSE. NO WAY. Announcer:
PUT YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEART,
AND YOU CAN FEEL IT POUND OUT. WHAT A MOMENT FOR ALL
OF THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. THEY'RE BEATING THE BEST
THAT THE NFL HAS TO OFFER OUT HERE TODAY. Sheen: IN THE LAST GAME EVER
PLAYED BETWEEN THE AFL AND NFL, THE EXCLAMATION POINT
TO THE CHIEFS' DOMINANCE WAS ADDED BY OTIS TAYLOR. WHAT WE DID WAS,
I WENT ON A QUICK COUNT. AND WE JUST HAPPENED
TO GET LUCKY. THEY HAD AN ALL-OUT BLITZ
COMING, WHICH THEY DIDN'T -- THEY BLITZED VERY SELDOM. I HIT OTIS TAYLOR
WITH A LITTLE HITCH PASS. THAT WAS THE ONLY PASS
I COULD HAVE GOTTEN RID OF. Announcer:
TAYLOR, 30, 25. HE CUTS BACK, 20. HE'S GOING TO GO. THAT'S IT, BOYS.
THAT'S IT, RATS. THAT'S IT, BOYS. [ SHOUTING ] Announcer:
OTIS TAYLOR, GREAT MOVE. THEY'VE HAD ENOUGH. CHIEFS ARE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS
OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL. Sheen:
THE SCORE CLINCHED KANSAS CITY'S
VICTORY IN SUPER BOWL IV AND TURNED LEN DAWSON'S
NIGHTMARE OF GAMBLING RUMORS INTO A LIFELONG DREAM COME TRUE. I THOUGHT IT ENTIRELY FITTING
THAT HE GOT THE SUPER BOWL MVP. WHEN LENNY WENT THROUGH
THE YEAR THAT HE WENT THROUGH AND THE TRIUMPH THAT HE HAD, IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT STORIES
IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS. GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD, MIKE.
LENNY DAWSON. WAY TO GO, LENNY! THAT'S A WAY TO GO, LEONARD.
YOU DONE GOOD, KID. Announcer:
LENNY DAWSON LEAVES THE FIELD. LENNY DAWSON --
LISTEN TO THE CROWD. NICE GOING, LEONARD. NICE GOING, BABY.
NICE GOING, BABY. AND LENNY THE COOL
IS LENNY THE COOL, BUT HE WORKS AT IT. THERE'S A LOT OF DEMONS
THAT HE FACES THAT WE ALL DO. HE'S JUST A LOT BETTER
AT MASKING THEM. Dawson:
LIKE A BIG, OLD WEIGHT HAD BEEN
LIFTED OFF MY SHOULDERS. YOU GOT TO REMEMBER -- I AM
THE SEVENTH OF THE SEVENTH SON. TO ME, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN
GOOD LUCK. AND WAS NEVER MORE TRUE THAN THAT PARTICULAR SEASON,
THAT PARTICULAR GAME. Lanier: ALL OF US RECOGNIZED
THAT A SEASON IS ALMOST LIKE A LIFETIME
OF THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN. SO TO HAVE YOUR SON THERE
TO BE A PART OF YOUR SUCCESS, TO REALIZE THAT THOSE THINGS
THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT FROM AN INTEGRITY STANDPOINT
WERE NOT TRUE AND NOT REAL, YOU SHARE IT WITH THE PERSON
WHO'S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU. AND THAT'S YOUR FAMILY. Dawson: AMONGST EVERYBODY IN
THE LOCKER ROOM WASN'T THAT BIG, AND THERE WERE PEOPLE ALL OVER
THE PLACE YELLING AND SCREAMING. SOMEBODY SAID, "COME ON IN HERE. YOU GOT A CALL
FROM THE PRESIDENT." I SAID, "PRESIDENT OF WHAT?" THEY SAID, "PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES." I SAID, "YOU'RE KIDDING ME." AND IT WAS PRESIDENT NIXON. HE CONGRATULATED ME ON THE VICTORY
OVER THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS. HE SAID SOMETHING ELSE
THAT WAS INTERESTING. HE SAID,
"AND THAT STUFF IN DETROIT -- THERE'S NOTHING TO THAT." I SAID, "WELL, THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES SAYS THAT, "THAT'S A RELIEF, YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH." I'VE NEVER BEEN CONTACTED
BY ANYBODY. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE
OF THE OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED WAS EVER CONTACTED BY ANYBODY. THE WHOLE THING
VANISHED AFTER ABOUT A WEEK. AFTER THAT WEEK,
WHAT DID YOU HEAR ABOUT IT? NOTHING. WE'RE COMING BACK
TO KANSAS CITY. THEY SAY THERE'S GOING TO BE
A PARADE. THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A PARADE BECAUSE NO ONE HAD EVER WON
A CHAMPIONSHIP IN KANSAS CITY IN ANY SPORT. I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY
THAT WAS WORKING THAT DAY. I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY THAT WAS... GOD FORBID
YOU HAD A HEART ATTACK. WASN'T ANYBODY
GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU. I WANT TO INTRODUCE --
I WANT TO INTRODUCE THE GREATEST QUARTERBACK
IN PRO FOOTBALL, LENNY DAWSON. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] THE GREATEST DAY IN THE HISTORY
OF KANSAS CITY -- THIS TEAM IS THE GREATEST
IN THE UNIVERSE!
Aww man I miss the sports news with Len Dawson! ❤️💛