Joe Namath - Beaver Falls

[robminmonaca]

he's coming back this sept.9-10 for a HBO tv show and their dedacting the high school football pratice field after him during the BF quip game this friday night

[fantastic7heaven]

When people say "he put Beaver Falls on the map, they owe him something" What a crock of bs. He didn't do it on purpose, he gained the fame for himself and just happen to be in Beaver Falls. Even people in the video said he never did anything for anyBODY in Beaver Falls. If you look at historical figures, many people did things to make themselves famous, but the ones that have statues etc did good for the people, not just themselves. JN has a reputation for being a drunk, arrogant womanizer

[fantastic7heaven]

When something like this comes to light you have to ask yourself WHY???? Why in the world isn't there a statue or street etc. named after Joe? I bought this DVD and listened to a lot of people talking about him. The conclusion I came up with is that he has a bad repuatation as a person. Lots of people do things to make themselves famous, but if you are not a good person, you are not likely to get "memorialized". A good football player he WAS, a conceited man he still IS.

[teedesigns]

I wonder how much a statue could cost. I know Beaver Falls is a small city but I have to think a lot of businesses would put up a collection jar next to their registers or something. I did a quick Google search and found a couple of Namath fan groups. Maybe they would donate as well. Maybe former teammates as well? I grew up in Chippewa & I'm not that into sports, but this is cool that you put this video together.

[ohiostmarine29203]

Is the black guy the famous Linwood that Joe loves like a brother

[woodske1]

@ohiostmarine29203 - Yes that is the Famous Linwood Alford. He was great doing the documentary. He had plenty of stories to tell on the DVD. A great interviewee also, speaks with plenty of passion. He was fun to work with.

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

I saw Joe Namath once after a Jets game.

I yelled out his name and he turned around.

I can say that I was .00000000000000000000000000000­0000000001% a part of his life.

Anyway, great video.

George Vreeland Hill

[TheMysticlaw]

WOW Iam sure Joe would come out to Beaver Falls when they name main st after him. At the very least the high school football field should be named after him.I don't know anything about Beaver Falls accept that is where Joe Namath comes from and if he had come from some where else then thats the town I would recognize.The people in Beaver Falls should be ashamed of themselves, Holy smokes people he should be the pride an joy of that town he's your claim to fame

[ititoedyourmom]

@TheMysticlaw They don't have a hs field... they use the local college field but i totally agree

[woodske1]

That's why I thought this was an interresting topic...

[fgs2010]

Great video! Thanks for posting.

[fantastic7heaven]

There are a lot of people who accomplish a lot of things; either in sports, politics, medicine, ect. but it takes more than that to want a community to band together and commemorate someone in the way you are suggesting. You have to be LOVED by a lot of people. From what your videos show, he was a good player but he was cocky and not well liked as a human being. I don't know the man but what I read in the media, even today is not nice. I really think that is why nothing has or will be done,

[fgs2010]

Kudos to Linwood for doing this documentary. I read the book, and watched the full documentary that I purchased on Amazon. It was cool to "see" some of the people I read about in "Namath".

I emailed the filmmaker, he said there is still no move for a public tribute to Joe.

[racecityguy]

He probably don't ever even come back there anymore!! lol

[fgs2010]

This must be written by a BF grad.

[JunkyardKid]

Bruno Campesi taught me eighth grade science, and the metric system..

[lukkyluciano]

Im from BF, this is what Ive noticed, Ditka comes back has a gold tourney for charity, Dorsett and his McGuire home philanthropic efforts. And even people who arent originally from BC do things for charity like Lemieux, Mel Blount, etc.

Why cant Joe Namath hold an event at Fox Run Golf Course for some charity? Its not that he abandoned Beaver Falls, he has basically abandoned the whole area of Beaver County.

Haha thats Gino Campeses grandpa

JV field has his name on it now

[demond7779]

Joe Namath was "the man" back in the day. i mean the man was wearing a fur coat on the sidelines. FUR!!!...lol. he defiantly got that BF swagger.

I would like to see a lil more from both sides on this one tho. he should come back more often and the city should give him a reason too. the High School recently named the junior varsity field after him tho. But come on...the JV field? really? we can do better

i've lived here my whole life of 30 years and have yet to see him in the city. JOE!!!!

[luckyvet]

Hell, I'm from Canada & not even a football fan and know of Joe's great feats. Nothing would be nicer than seeing a big sign @ the entrance to beaver falls: "Home of Joe Namath" with a picture of him.

[rickgarner2000]

I watched him play at Legion field in Birmingham. He went 29 and 4 in the SEC - not bad for a guy with a blown out knee. His career went off a cliff after Super Bowl lll but he was fun to watch in the early days.

[Namath1965]

Statistics in this case are MEANINGLESS.

Why?

Because "The Guarantee" is the COOLEST thing ANYBODY has ever done!

Period.

[MelC54]

Nobody who thinks he's great cares, the stats point the other way, so obviously you don't care about them. Has he hit on any sideline reporters lately?

[bobbyp27]

Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh stated that Namath was "the most beautiful, accurate, stylish passer with the quickest release I've ever seen."

Hall of Fame coach Don Shula stated that Namath was "one of the 3 smartest quarterbacks of all time"

[MelC54]

Oh, I forgot to give Namath credit for 22 other touchdown passes he threw...they were interceptions returned by the other team for scores....the most by a quarterback in pro football history. Great quarterback huh?

[nisstru]

Oh, Something else you forgot. Nobody cares statboy. Joe is the man.

[Tibbarsnick]

Has anyone checked the "Blue Room" in B.F.?  There may be a bar stool with his name on it.

[larryloves16]

There actually is something in the area named for Joe Namath. But it is a navigational aid for pilots approching the Beaver County Airport. Its pronounced "Nameth Outer Marker"

I went to CCBC to do some aviation training. Great School, very depressing area though

[woodske1]

Never heard of that one...thanks for the tidbit of info!

[MelC54]

Namath won 77 games, lost 108 and had 3 ties. He completed 1886 of 3762 passes for27,663 yards, 173 TD's and 220 interceptions. He ran 71 times for 140 yards and 7 TD's. His completion rate is 50.1%, and his qb rating is 65.5. He is only in the Hall of Fame because of Super Bowl III. Face it, he wasn't even a good quarterback, let alone a great one.

[Cooleemee43]

There were a couple of Jets seasons where Joe carried his team on his back. A bad team that was only competitive because of his abilities. Stats are nice, but there is more to the picture then just the stats with Namath.

[pennstaterocks101]

You know why we ain't proud of joe? Cause he's arrogant. He's the most arrogant one of to come out of here. Frank namath isn't that way. Their parents sure as hell didn't raise them to be that way. what in the hell gives him the right?

[salynredoran]

shut up you dumb bastard.

[pennstaterocks101]

I didn't say i did't like the guy. He's one of the most talented people from here. He just arrogant is all.

[BEATDOWNBANKER]

I am a 50-year-old female sports fan who began watching and appreciating football with my father in the late 60's and early 70's because of players such as Joe Namath, Csonka, Gayle Sayers, Terry Bradshaw, Mean Joe Green, Dick Butkus, Ken Stabler, etc. It saddens me that the BF city council cannot name a street or donate a plaque to honor their prodigal son, Joe Namath. "No one knew wher Beaver falls was located, until Joe Namath left there and drew the spotlight to it."

[MelC54]

If they ever do erect a statue to Joe, make sure they put a bottle of Johnny Walker Red in his hand rather than a football...that was his first love.

[MelC54]

I ran out og characters....Joe was a drunk then is still a drunk today..."I want to kiss you"..LOL..poor Suzy Kolber...Face it, he played in the right city, the right era, and he had that one big event. The Jets had 3 winning seasons in Joe's career. Hardly a Super hero.

[salynredoran]

fuck you

[MelC54]

No one has to belittle Joe, he humiliates himself. Yeah, his big salary and eccentric lifestyle attracted people to football, but check his career totals and you see his true ability as a football player. As for Super Bowl 3, go watch the game and you'll see who was the "real" MVP. Oh, by the way, I am 54 years old, I was 14 when that game was played, I watched it then, and i have the complete broadcast on tape which was broadcast a couple of years ago on ESPN the night before the Super Bowl.

[qhgypsy]

Your an idiot. I knew him and he was a good guy. Maybe thats your problem,,you didn't know him.

Sorry ,,but people still do give a shit about him!

[MelC54]

Joe Namath, he had 3 things going for him...he came along in the '60's, he played in New York,and he had that one big event, Super Bowl III. Other than that, he was a pretty mediocre football player. As for Super Bowl III....watch the film, he put the ball in the hands of Matt Snell, and it was Snell who carried the Jets into football history.

[qhgypsy]

What you fail to see in your mediocre attepmt to belittle Joe was what he did for the AFL and football as a whole. how old are old are you anyway? He gave the whole of football something no one else had. People actually started watching, not to mention what he did to MAKE an entire leauge. He deserves credit,,where you been in the history of football anyway. study up a bit before you speak up!

[brandmolotov54]

There are alot more important issues in Beaver Falls than putting up an expensive statue of an old football player. Do people think if there was some sort of tribute to Namath in BF it would bring in tourists or something?

[woodske1]

It's a comment worth debating....I know one thing.....doing nothing is not an alternative.

[hiwaymanx]

Give him a break - he's too busy hitting the sauce. This guy won one game (that was fixed) and pretty much spent the rest of his career throwing INTs for a lousy Jets team. He is overrated. Montana, Kelly, Unitas, Marino were all much better and all came from nearby towns in PA.

[woodske1]

Not debating his on field accomplishments...I just find it odd that his hometown never did anything to show he was from there.

[fwilz08]

Walk into Beaver Falls Senior High, make a left on the second floor, and look at the south wall and you will find a HUGE showcase with all his "CRAP". When the school district finished the memorial, they contacted Joe for a dedication ceremony and Joe told the school that he does NOT plan on EVER returning to Beaver Falls.

This happened before when the school was going to retire his football number, he was asked to attend, and never showed.

-Beaver Falls '08 Senior

[woodske1]

Check previous posts about this. Its a nice tribute, but not public. If I wanted to go in there today to check it out, I couldn't. Honestly, I wouldn't come back for a small trophy case either, he should get a serious tribute. Kudos to BFHS though, its a great start.

[BeaverFalls3]

I purchased the DVD, the quality there is much better. You should post the updated video from your DVD. The Geneva stuff was pretty cool. I went there. It's all true.

Any chances of another documentary from you?

[woodske1]

Use of word "Memorial" in the Documentary:

I have received several emails/comments as to how big of an idiot I am for using this word when talking about a Namath tribute. I understand that a Memorial is for people that are dead, and Namath isn't....but he IS DEAD to the town of Beaver Falls....that's why I used the word. If you think about it, it makes sense, however most people in/from Beaver County and Beaver Falls do not think much, this is the problem...

[willsied8]

If he's dead to them, while living, that suggests significant animosity, which would explain the lack of commemoration. Clearly, one does not honor someone he dislikes. The use of "memorial" still makes no sense in that context. I also like how the YouTube cut ends. "The reason we don't is because..." Great YouTube edit. Sorry, not buying.

[woodske1]

We shall agree to disagree...I thought it was a cool play on the word, but it must not be cause alot of people disagree with me, but I still like it. Most importantly, what word to use isn't the most important issue here, its Namath in Beaver Falls.

Thanks for the post, this video was actually pretty raw (and unfinished) compared to the final cut, but has received some wonderful feedback. It has really boosted DVD sales.

[phddddd]

I was born in Beaver Falls, PA ... but moved to L.A. pretty soon thereafter, the rush to the golden West. Thanks for the video. I apprciated see some of the sights.

[woodske1]

HOT OFF THE RUMOR MILL:

There are plans to rename the main street of Beaver Falls after Namath. I am trying to meet with the councilman who suggested it. I hope to have a clip up with him within a month!

[woodske1]

I have been in contact with George Quay of the Beaver Falls Council.  He made a comment at a meeting recently to rename 7th Ave (main street). We will be producing a short update clip on the naming of a street for Namath in the upcoming month...keep posted...

[iloveironcity]

Great Video! I love it!

[JawsJaws]

I didnt notice it...cool

[JawsJaws]

Dont forget Donnie Iris (Born in New Castle, Ellwood, Beaver Falls)

[woodske1]

Hey looks who is in the picture of my profile! The man himself, Donnie Iris.

[woodske1]

Thanks for noting that. I was unaware of an field naming....so were are the people I interviewed. With that said, it's no surprise Namath didn't show up...it's pretty much a slap in the face.

Just naming a practice field after him? It is a nice move on their part, but way too late, and not much of a "honor" either.

[BeaverFalls3]

Yeah but who will drive into town to see a practice field named after him? Its a joke. We need a statue in Beaver Falls, or a PUBLIC musuem. I wouldnt drive 5 minutes to see a practive field named after him.

[BFGrad84]

Not sure exactly when you completed your video, but noticed you posted on this site in November. That was about the same time that the BF school board unanimously agreed to name the Athletic complex behind the middle school after Larry Bruno and the field, the Joe Namath Practice Field. Both Joe and Larry were invited to the board meeting in November. Larry attended, Joe did not. They were both invited to the football banquet (held yesterday) for a ceremony...Joe did not attend.

[woodske1]

This is premiering at the Beaver Falls Library, Jan. 22nd @ 6:30 pm. If you want more details, send me a message!

[corey020666]

i see no reason of not having anything to remember him. I mean come on, When his book came out he didn't have his book signing here. No he had it somewhere outside of pittsburgh.

[JunkyardKid]

I thought it ridiculous as well that he didn't even come back to Beaver Falls then.

[BeaverFalls3]

I will be buying the DVD! When are you putting up more Beaver Falls stuff?

[woodske1]

Probably in the next month or two.

The DVD is available through my myspace page which is listed at the end of the clip....and also in the info section of this link.

[BFHERO1]

It's a shame that BF has done nothing to commorate Joe, I've lived here all my life, and noone wants to do anything.

It's not too late though!

[GO22JETS]

Heard today that Universal Pictures is making a movie on Joe. Watch the world jump on the Joe Namath band wagon - including Beaver Falls.

[woodske1]

Lets hope!

[BFHERO1]

I'd Love a Namath Movie....please put up more clips!

[GO22JETS]

Heard today that Universal Pictures is making a movie on Joe. Watch the world jump on the Joe Namath band wagon - including Beaver Falls.

[BeaverFalls3]

Great Video! I have heard there is something really crappy at the High School, not even worth seeing so I wouldn't even mention it if I were you. And you can't get in to see it!

Good luck, can't wait till its played in Beaver Falls? Any idea on a location yet?

[PirateyGoodness]

You apparently never walked inside the High School have you? There are several trophy cases dedicated to him, that have books, plaques, jerseys, footballs and everything else.

And I'm pretty sure Beaver Falls High School is indeed located in the city of Beaver Falls.

Maybe when Joe Namath does something to acknowledge the existence of Beaver Falls and comes back to where it all started will we do something to tribute to his success.

[woodske1]

I appriciate your sarcasm, and thanks because you just helped proved my point, there is no public tribute to Namath...could you drive from Alabama on a Saturday afternoon and see the Namath "tribute"? No...

Could you get in during school hours to "look around"? No, I tried, believe me.

So who does see it? The students? I interviewed about 50 people in Beaver Falls, noone mentioned this....Isn't it odd there is something you can walk too and noone has seen it?

[woodske1]

By your age it looks like you went to BF, sadly, that's the only way you can see the "tribute"...there is no public access to it....

[BeaverFalls3]

Well. I have never seen it either.

[LoyalTideFan]

Fun and interesting!

[woodske1]

Thanks, check back or subscribe for more updates.

[woodske1]

Enjoy this portion of my upcoming doc on Beaver Falls, please read "about this clip" for more info.