The Heidi game

n American football, the Heidi Game refers to a famous American Football League (AFL) game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders, played on November 17, 1968 in Oakland, California. The fame of this game is the result of a decision by the NBC television network to terminate their broadcast with 65 seconds left to play in the game and instead broadcast a pre-scheduled airing of Heidi, a new made-for-TV version of the classic children's story.

With the Jets leading 32-29 with only 65 seconds left in the game, NBC programmers concluded that the outcome of the football game was decided. And while only 65 seconds remained on the game clock, in American football—with timeouts and other clock-stopping strategies—a minute can easily last ten or fifteen real-time minutes. Eager to maintain their evening schedule, the network switched off the ostensibly-decided game.

However, the Raiders came back and scored 14 points, winning 32-43. But millions of American football fans were unable to see Oakland's comeback. The complaints to the network switchboard signaled a new height of popularity for the game in the United States.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• nfl
• heidi
• game

[ZhangtheGreat]

Well looks like NBC hasn't learned. At the Olympics Closing Ceremony, NBC cut away to debut "The Marriage Ref" =P

[Jiltedin2007]

Delbert Mann is a Selfish Bastard! Best publicitity you have ever gotten? Just don't show your face around the American General Public!

[Substantive64]

"I had heard that the game was shown to conclusion on the West Coast."

Everywhere west of Denver saw the ending,from what I've read.

[xxpandamidknightxx]

Heidi fucked the New York Jets up. The Raiders should thank Heidi, but as the Raiders still stay strong, I love this. VINTAGE!!!

[senorkaboom]

What do we remember most, the game or the movie? As the viewer, you decide what is important.

[paulsonj72]

@norcosfunnies -If this county is in the Cleveland DMA then there is a good reason for this. A station can lose there license for failure to operate nin the public intrest and severe weather warnings in the DMA do qualify. I know its painful especially if you don't live anywhere near the warned area.

[gvalencia04]

@baraxor

[bradhig]

Anyone remember in the 1980s when a lot of football games would get cut off by technical difficulties please stand by screens? Sometimes you would hear the audio from the game and sometimes you wouldn't

It would seem like that was worse then the Heidi mess.

[bradhig]

Anyone remember in the 1980s when a lot of football games would got out with technical difficulties please stand by screens? Sometimes you would have the audio in the background and sometimes you wouldn't Any idea what use to cause those problems?

That seems like it would be worse then the Heidi mess.

[gymer15]

My wife was at this game and left before the comeback..she listened to the victory from the car radio. 

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

Back then, when a show started at a certain time, it started at that time.

If the game had been a blowout, say 42 - 3, then no one would have said a thing.

The networks also had contracts to deal with.

Heidi had to come first.

George Vreeland Hill

[bradhig]

Weren't tv timeouts created because of commercials getting cut off when the networks went back to the game when there was a big play like someone breaking lose on a kickoff return?