1958 Baltimore Colts Championship

[Caffrey]

From the replies of the 1975 Baltimore Colts Analogy, I see we have a lot of old-time Colts fans here.  I was wondering about the topic.

 

For me, I started liking the Colts in 1968 during their outstanding 13-1 season, only to be involved Super Bowl III and one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history to the Joe Namath, NY Jets, 16-7.  I started liking them before the season started as I was getting old enough to follow it more in depth.  Comic books was the fad and the back page had different sports legends like Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Willie May (my favorite), Mickey Mantle, Jim Brown, and Johnny Unitas, etc.  I remember my older brother and his friends talking about J. Unitas as they seen his picture on the back page of the comic book I was reading, about how he was a winner, leader, good person, QB, etc. That is when I became a Colt fan and could not wait for the 1968 season to start.

 

Back to the Title of this post.  I was 3 years old during the 1958 Colt Championship, too young to known anything about it except what I see on TV or youtube.  Is anybody on this forum old enough to have been to this game or seen it live on TV, I ask this in a positive perspective, with envy and respect if you did.  From what I seen,  QB Johnny Unitas was young and in his prime, the Colts had HOF WR Raymond Berry who I seen caught some big play passes on the game tying drive and winning drive in OT.  I still remember watching Heisman Trophy RB Alan Ameche scoring the winning TD and the announcer saying excitedly "Ameche Scores"!  Not sure if the great Lenny More was on this team.  The NY Giants had Frank Gifford, prior MNF announcer.  I also heard this game made football America's national pastime as one the first nationwide TV sports broadcast with a large amount of viewers that watched a heckuva game.

 

Anyway, anybody seen this game live, I hope we have someone and that would be great.  If you were 10 at the time, you would be 73 now.

 

A lot of us are old Baltimore Colts fans who migrated with the team in our heart to become Indianapolis Colts fans, along with resident Indiana Colts fans.   We are still at team of one and root for the Colts as much regardless of where we are, where ever we go, to the day we die, we will always be a Colt fan. 

[coltsfan77]

Been a colts fan since 77! Superbowl 3 still ticks me off and I wasn't even born yet!

[MikeCurtis]

I was born in 62.... so no 58 championship

 

Became a fan in 71

 

 

[coltsfeva]

  Born in 55. My earliest memory was SB III. 

  I remember it because my Dad ( who was an Eagles fan), couldn’t stand Namath, his fur coat, playboy lifestyle and his bravado.

   Like everybody else, he thought the Colts would kill the Jets and “shut that guy up”. 

    That game was my first disappointment as a Colts’ fan.

    By the way, the Colts have had 7 Championship appearances, (NFL Championships & SBs)  winning 4 and losing 3.

     The team with the most ? That would be those Green Bay Packers with 13 combined championships.

 

 

 

[coltsva]

1 hour ago, coltsfeva said:

  Born in 55. My earliest memory was SB III. 

  couldn’t stand Namath, his fur coat, playboy lifestyle and his bravado.

 

 

 

 

I'm a few years younger, but the bolded is how a little kid living in Jets country became a Colts fan.

[JMichael557]

Born in "57". I live in West Virginia but started following the Colts because all we got on TV was the Browns and I hated their uniforms. The Colts had a cool horseshoe on the side of their helmets and a "modern" passing game which made them the talk of the league. (In those days you only got the one "local game". Each week they had a highlight show in which they showed highlights of the previous weeks games so I would get to see 1 minute of Colt Highlights each week (I am still amazed that with Sunday Ticket I get to watch every Colts game). 

 

Of course you also got to see the playoff games on TV. My first real memory is when all of the QB's got hurt and Tom Matte had to play QB. Think of Mack starting at QB this week. They played Green Bay who won on a last second field goal that replay showed was missed by at least 3 feet. Still mad about that game.

 

 

 

 

 

[Stephen]

Fan since 05 got cable and said this manning  guy is nice lol

[MPStack]

Colts fan since 1979. At that time, the Colts were on the decline. I think I was the only kid at that point, who * Colts attire. My family were all Skins fans. To this day, I have always been a Colts fan. By definition, I'm a Die-Hard Colts fan.

 

Winning the SB in 06, was the high point for me and anything else the Colts do in the future, is icing on the cake.

[Hammer]

My older brother and I watched the game at a friends place. They were the only one in the neighborhood who had a tv. I don't remember anything about the game except watching my brother going nuts! He was 7 and I was 5. He had already been a Colts fan for a year. I became a Colts fan that day. I figured if my older brother was that nuts about a team, then I better start following myself. To this day, we still watch every Colts game together along with our sons.  

[Smonroe]

@Caffrey While I was alive in 58, I don't have any recollection about the game.  However, a few years ago, I think it was ESPN that pieced together a bunch of footage from different sources and showed most of the game.  If memory serves, I think it was even in color?

 

On a side note - Remember the movie Diner?  It was set in Baltimore.  One of the guys was getting married but he required his fiancé to answer questions about the Colts.  I think the final question was who scored the winning TD in the greatest game ever played.  I don't think she knew the answer but someone gave it to her.

 

We all know, right?

[Hammer]

20 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

@Caffrey While I was alive in 58, I don't have any recollection about the game.  However, a few years ago, I think it was ESPN that pieced together a bunch of footage from different sources and showed most of the game.  If memory serves, I think it was even in color?

 

On a side note - Remember the movie Diner?  It was set in Baltimore.  One of the guys was getting married but he required his fiancé to answer questions about the Colts.  I think the final question was who scored the winning TD in the greatest game ever played.  I don't think she knew the answer but someone gave it to her.

 

We all know, right?

His nickname was fitting for the Colts. ;)

 

[Hammer]

1 hour ago, JMichael557 said:

Born in "57". I live in West Virginia but started following the Colts because all we got on TV was the Browns and I hated their uniforms. The Colts had a cool horseshoe on the side of their helmets and a "modern" passing game which made them the talk of the league. (In those days you only got the one "local game". Each week they had a highlight show in which they showed highlights of the previous weeks games so I would get to see 1 minute of Colt Highlights each week (I am still amazed that with Sunday Ticket I get to watch every Colts game). 

 

Of course you also got to see the playoff games on TV. My first real memory is when all of the QB's got hurt and Tom Matte had to play QB. Think of Mack starting at QB this week. They played Green Bay who won on a last second field goal that replay showed was missed by at least 3 feet. Still mad about that game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Gary Cuozzo was Unitas' backup. He got hurt shortly after Unitas did....I'm with you. I still get * when I watch Don Chandler miss that FG and the zebras called it good. By the way, that FG was the reason they extended the uprights on the goal posts the following year.

[coltsfansince65]

Thanks for the topic. I've only seen video of this game. I was 4 in 1958. I don't know if I've ever shared how I became a Colts fan but I'll follow the lead of others in this thread who are sharing their experiences. 

 

I had an older brother who I always looked up to. (idolized actually) He played semi pro football in the mid 60's in New Hampshire for a team called the Nashua Colts. They had identical uniforms as the Baltimore Colts with the horseshoe on the helmet & all. I thought my brother was a celebrity & the greatest thing since sliced bread. I couldn't help but be a Colts fan solely based on the fact that in my eyes, my brother was a Colt. Well, after the 1965 season I had the opportunity to attend his team's end of the year banquet. The guest speaker that year was none other than Johnny U. himself. This was the year that injuries forced the Colts to call on RB Tom Matte to play QB for the final few games of the season. 

 

Now if you can imagine an 11 year old boy, already a fan because of his older brother, getting to meet Johnny Unitas. That was me in 1965. I was able to see the real Colts a few times at Memorial Stadium with my dad & my brother in years to follow. My brother passed away almost 15 years ago & I miss him terribly. My family in NH still has his Colts helmet from back then. Every time I visit I go in the basement & hold it & look at it like it's the Holy Grail. I would love to have that helmet but I can't bring myself to ask them for it. He has 2 sons who I'm sure hold it in high regard as well.

 

I love our Colts & I am one who will follow them where ever they go. 

 

Btw, I was 15 when Super Bowl III happened. I was devastated. Thank God for rookie kicker Jim O'Brien in Super Bowl V.

[Barry Sears]

Born in 1959, so I just missed "the game" in 1958, but have seen video, including the special someone referenced that was colorized.

 

I became a fan with Super Bowl V when O'Brien nailed the FG to beat Dallas.  I hated Dallas (and still do) so by default I was for the Colts in that game.  The result won me over for good.  Add to that fact that Unitas attended nearby Louisville, and everything was aligned.  Now, I also followed the Steelers of the 1970's and before anyone accuses me of being a bandwagon guy, I followed them BEFORE Bradshaw and the others were on the team.

 

We had a US Steel factory in a nearby town and every time we drove past, I could see their sign and notice it was the same logo as the Steelers had on their helmets.  Thought that was cool and watched them whenever they were on TV.  They were pretty bad in the pre-Bradshaw & Company days, so it was great to see them draft that dynasty and win 4 Super Bowls.

 

Once those guys started leaving/retiring I lost interest in the Steelers, because that was a special group of players.  Was still a fan of the Colts during that time and when they moved to my state of Indiana, well, the rest is history!

[Oldschoolcolt19]

I was 8 years old when I  watched "the greatest game ever played" on tv. I have been a Colts fan ever since.

[Hammer]

6 hours ago, Oldschoolcolt19 said:

I was 8 years old when I  watched "the greatest game ever played" on tv. I have been a Colts fan ever since.

 

I noticed someone mentioned they thought the game was in color. It may have been but not on the set we were watching. The old black and white set with the tuner ring around the channel changer. Turning that tuner endlessly trying to get rid of the snowstorm.  

 

[Smonroe]

1 hour ago, Hammer said:

 

I noticed someone mentioned they thought the game was in color. It may have been but not on the set we were watching. The old black and white set with the tuner ring around the channel changer. Turning that tuner endlessly trying to get rid of the snowstorm.  

 

 

Hah, I don’t think anyone had color TVs then.  We got our first one in 64, I remember the commercial for the ‘new’ Ford Mustang, I think during Bonanza.  We used to have a houseful of people over every Sunday to watch a show in color.  

 

Anyway, it’s been a few years since I saw the ESPN production of the 58 game.  I can’t say for certainty it was in color, but I think they pieced together a lot of film. It wasn’t just the kinescope of the game from tv.  I think that wasn’t saved.  

[Hammer]

32 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

 

Hah, I don’t think anyone had color TVs then.  We got our first one in 64, I remember the commercial for the ‘new’ Ford Mustang, I think during Bonanza.  We used to have a houseful of people over every Sunday to watch a show in color.  

 

Anyway, it’s been a few years since I saw the ESPN production of the 58 game.  I can’t say for certainty it was in color, but I think they pieced together a lot of film. It wasn’t just the kinescope of the game from tv.  I think that wasn’t saved.  

 

Wow, Smonroe! When a friend of mine got a color set in their house, our whole family went over there to watch the 'Wonderful World of Disney' and couldn't wait for the NBC Peacock.   Thanks for the memories.

[2006Coltsbestever]

12 hours ago, Stephen said:

Fan since 05 got cable and said this manning  guy is nice lol

I have been a fan since 1984 when the team came to Indy, when I was 13 years old. I have nothing on these old fella's 

[The Old Crow]

First started going to Colts and Orioles games in 1966, so 58-59 too early for me. I’m in the Native Baltimore category that is still a Baltimore Colts fan, but now a Ravens fan. 

That being said, I’ve met many of the 1958 Colts, Unitas, Marchetti, Nelson, Moore, etc. Gino made an appearance at Gino’s burgers a few years ago and saw him there. Lenny was at the Ed Block Courage Awards in Baltimore along with Tom Matte and  Ordell Brasse a few years back. Met Johnny at the Golden Arm restaurant. Andy Nelson still has a barbecue stand. 

When I was younger in the late 70’s and early 80’s , I worked at the Bowman Restaurant in Parkville MD while working my way through Towson University. WCBM had Corral of the Colts radio show in the cellar, and Art Donovan was one of the hosts who I met , and served a lot of beers to. Guests of that era were Frank Kush, Marty Domres, Curtis Dickey, and others. I even ran into Bob Irsay at Memorial stadium as he came out of the press box and was heading down to the field to yell at Mike McCormick, if memory serves me right. My friend Robbie and I booed the heck out of him as he passed down the aisle, and he cursed us out pretty good. We were smart aleck kids at the time that probably deserved it. Anyway , many funny stories and memories. 

[jimmy g]

23 hours ago, Caffrey said:

 I still remember watching Heisman Trophy RB Alan Ameche scoring the winning TD and the announcer saying excitedly "Ameche Scores"!  Not sure if the great Lenny More was on this team.

 

Anyway, anybody seen this game live, I hope we have someone and that would be great.  If you were 10 at the time, you would be 73 now.

 

A lot of us are old Baltimore Colts fans who migrated with the team in our heart to become Indianapolis Colts fans, along with resident Indiana Colts fans.   We are still at team of one and root for the Colts as much regardless of where we are, where ever we go, to the day we die, we will always be a Colt fan. 

I was 4 when I saw the game on TV. We had a Huge console TV, with a 9" screen. (Didnt get color until 74.)

 

Lenny Moore WAS on the team. He threw one of the blocks on Ameche's td. (Lower left of pic)

 

[jimmy g]

One of my friends' Dad had season tickets. He showed me a ball signed by all members of the 63 team.

 

I got to see Unitas's last td pass as a Colt in person at Memorial Stadium in 72.  5 yd pass, out in the flat. Reciever (dont remember, maybe Glenn Doughty?) Took it 80 yds, breaking about 3 tackles.  Then it became Marty Domres at qb.

 

I have a brick from torn down Memorial Stadium.  The Colts moved mostly because Bob Irsay wouldn't agree with plans on a new stadium, and also because Baltimore's Blue Laws didnt allow games to start before 2pm. The Stadium was downtown, and tailgaters took over the parking of the surrounding churches. That meant national TV had games at 1pm, 4pm, and the Colts at 2pm.  That hurt TV revenue.

[The Old Crow]

35 minutes ago, jimmy g said:

One of my friends' Dad had season tickets. He showed me a ball signed by all members of the 63 team.

 

I got to see Unitas's last td pass as a Colt in person at Memorial Stadium in 72.  5 yd pass, out in the flat. Reciever (dont remember, maybe Glenn Doughty?) Took it 80 yds, breaking about 3 tackles.  Then it became Marty Domres at qb.

 

I have a brick from torn down Memorial Stadium.  The Colts moved mostly because Bob Irsay wouldn't agree with plans on a new stadium, and also because Baltimore's Blue Laws didnt allow games to start before 2pm. The Stadium was downtown, and tailgaters took over the parking of the surrounding churches. That meant national TV had games at 1pm, 4pm, and the Colts at 2pm.  That hurt TV revenue.

 

Memorial stadium was in the Waverly section on 33rd St , not so much downtown where the Ravens and Orioles stadium is. My aunt lived down the street from the stadium in Ednor Ave. The blue laws that caused 2PM start times were strange. The thought was to let people attend church, then go to the games. Obviously , a different time. As I stated in another thread, we should have built successful owner Carroll Rosenbloom a new stadium by at least 1971 after the Super Bowl. That was the big mistake for Baltimore, as the Rams - Colts swap may have never occurred . 

We had horrible politicians in Baltimore in the 60’s and 70’s, much as we do today. Baltimore was just coming off disastrous 1968 riots, then the economy tanked in the 1970’s , helping to cause the stadium not to be built. It’s not an excuse, but just some other factors along with the blue laws. 

Had we built the stadium for the very successful Carroll Rosenbloom , Bob Irsay would have never appeared in Baltimore. Certainly, it’s alternative history, but maybe Rosenbloom still marries Georgia Frontiere, and she ends up moving the Colts to St Louis. Interesting to speculate. 

[King Colt]

A Zenith 27" B&W TV brought this game in to my living room. I had on a blue long sleeve shirt with a grey pullover V-neck sweater and jeans with brown shoes. I laid on the floor two feet from the screen goin' nuts the entire game. My dad was not big on sports and so he thought he had a nut for a son when he saw me squirm and scream the entire length of the game. 

[The Old Crow]

By the way, for some who may not know, there are two Super Bowl V trophies for the 1970 Baltimore Colts. The original , without George Young’s name on it was stolen by Carroll Rosenbloom after he was owner of the Rams. He tricked Bob Irsay into sending out the trophy in a display of Super Bowl trophies, then took it. It is believed to still reside with the Frontiere family. 

After this, the NFL for the only time , awarded a replica Super Bowl V trophy to replace the one stolen. This one has George Young’s name on it. After the Colts left Baltimore , as part of the settlement with Irsay, this trophy was awarded to the city of Baltimore by the NFL. The current home of the trophy is the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore , near Camden Yards and M & T Bank Stadium. 

Like most of the old Baltimore Colts history, the trophy , much like the 1958,59, 68, and 70 Championship banners , are in mothballs, not hung or shown in either Baltimore or Indianapolis. 

[Four2itus]

13 hours ago, Oldschoolcolt19 said:

I was 8 years old when I  watched "the greatest game ever played" on tv. I have been a Colts fan ever since.

My first game as well. I was 10. 

 

[Caffrey]

I see we have a couple of Colts fans who were age 5 and 8 and seen the game on 1958 Championship game on TV, that is really cool.  Johnny Unitas was a young star and I remember looking up his passing stats and his was consistent and usually among the top passers every year for a decade. 

 

Some trivia, the 1958 NY Giants also had Pro-Bowl DT Rosey Grier who later became one of the orginal members of the LA Rams Fearsome Foursome, along DE's Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy, and DT Merlin Olson.  The also had another big DT Roger Brown in the mix, I think he eventually replaced Grier.  Rosey Grier also was close to Presidential Candidate, Robert Kennedy, and he I heard was the person the took down Kennedy's assassin, Sirhan Sirhan in the hotel kitchen they were walking through.

 

I do remember the other game mentioned, when the Colts lost the 1965 playoff game to the Packers when the kicker missed the FB and the referee called it good.  Well seen the highlights.  The ref must have been a diehard Packer fan.  I remember watching an interview of some Colt and Packer players, years after this game and one of the Packer players said they told the PK don't ever turn around acting like you missed a kick again, until the ref indicates it is a miss.  The PK Chandler himself thought he missed it.  I think it was the kick to tie the game and send it to OT.

[richard pallo]

I was 12 years old when I watched that Championship game with my father.  That's when I became a fan.  I remember in my teen years receiving a blue football helmet as a present and using white first aid tape to put a horseshoe on it.  I was married in February of 1969, 50 years next month,  and we honeymooned in Miami.  We went to the stadium where the Colts lost to the Jets and walked on the field.  The field markings were still very clear, quite a thrill.  The next year we went to Buffalo to see them play live.  We decided to stay overnight and unknown to us we picked the same Hotel/motel where the team stayed.  A two story motel in DePew just out side of Buffalo.  It was pretty new at the time.  I remember walking down one aisle on the second floor and all the players had their doors open so you could see them relaxing.  We ate at the motel as did the players.  I left my wife at the bar to go to the men's room and came back and found Tom Matte talking to her.  Needless to say I was taken back but it was fun.  My wife was a very attractive woman back in the day.  I should have known better.  I am a Colt's fan for life.  No matter the city.  

[rockywoj]

On 1/3/2019 at 7:39 AM, Smonroe said:

@Caffrey While I was alive in 58, I don't have any recollection about the game.  However, a few years ago, I think it was ESPN that pieced together a bunch of footage from different sources and showed most of the game.  If memory serves, I think it was even in color?

 

On a side note - Remember the movie Diner?  It was set in Baltimore.  One of the guys was getting married but he required his fiancé to answer questions about the Colts.  I think the final question was who scored the winning TD in the greatest game ever played.  I don't think she knew the answer but someone gave it to her.

 

We all know, right?

Diner is my all-time favourite movie!

 

And actually, she DID know the answer, but the groom disqualified the question because his uncle blurted the answer out.  Then his fiancé was like, hey I knew that one and she proceeded to give all the details.  Later after restrospective consideration, Gutenberg relented, citing giving her the benefit of the doubt on the disqualify question.

 

 

As for me, born in ‘63 and became a Colts fan at the ripe old age of 3, in 1966.

 

Though I don’t recall too many of the game specifics against the NYJs, I still vividly remember the disappointment and disbelief in watching that game.  I remember thinking that somehow the Colts would still make things right and emerge victorious. I thereafter hated the N.Y. Jets.  And I remember the elation of when the Colts finally did make things right, in winning the SB against Dallas. 

 

Ergo, I’ve always been a Colts fan and shall always remain so.  The horseshoe is, in my mind, bigger than any one player.  Loyalty to the Shoe!

[The Old Crow]

On a side note, the old, original  NFL Championship trophy is in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. This was the infamous Ed Thorp traveling trophy. 

The 58-59 Colts are inscribed on this trophy, but for some reason the 1960 Eagles aren’t on there. Also, the 1968 Baltimore Colts and the 1969 Minnesota Vikings aren’t on the trophy.

Minnesota was the last team that won an NFL Championship, and should have been the last to have the Championship trophy, but apparently Lombardi and the Packers held onto it.

Incidently, Super Bowl 5 that the Baltimore Colts won, was actually the first Lombardi Trophy , as Vince had passed away a little before this game.  

[BronxColt70]

On 1/3/2019 at 8:54 AM, Hammer said:

His nickname was fitting for the Colts. ;)

 

I was trying to find a clip from Dinner yesterday on YouTube about the Colts pre wedding test,

[BronxColt70]

I was reading Art Donavans book "Fatso" which is now a collector's item my copy is falling apart, so Uncle Artie writes the 1958 Championship game shouldn't been  close, and according to Weeb the only reason the lost earlier to the Giants is because he let them bring their wives up from Baltimore, so for the Championship game no wives, the Colts  stayed in the Concourse Plaza, 

[The Old Crow]

9 hours ago, BronxColt70 said:

I was reading Art Donavans book "Fatso" which is now a collector's item my copy is falling apart, so Uncle Artie writes the 1958 Championship game shouldn't been  close, and according to Weeb the only reason the lost earlier to the Giants is because he let them bring their wives up from Baltimore, so for the Championship game no wives, the Colts  stayed in the Concourse Plaza, 

 

The ironic thing about this is, Rosenbloom allowed the wives to travel to Miami in Super Bowl 3. That didn’t go so well.  Maybe Earl Morrall’s wife went on a shopping binge !!!!

[coltsva]

22 hours ago, richard pallo said:

  I remember in my teen years receiving a blue football helmet as a present and using white first aid tape to put a horseshoe on it. 

Same here, except I made a cut out of a horseshoe, taped it to the helmet, spray painted the helmet white, then removed the cut out to have a blue horseshoe.