The Heidi Game

Heidi is a novel written by Swiss author Johanna Spyri in 1881.  It is the story of a young girl (Heidi) raised by her grandfather in the Alps Mountains.  

The novel was made famous in the US when a movie version (Heidi) starring nine year-old, superstar Shirley Temple was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck in 1937.  

More than thirty years later, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) made another version of Heidi for television, starring Jennifer Edwards.  It was scheduled to air on the network Sunday night, November 17, 1968 (51 years-ago today), at 7 PM Eastern Time (and 7 PM Pacific Time).

Three hours earlier that same day (on the east coast), NBC began broadcasting an American Football League game between the New York Jets (7-2) and the home team, the Oakland Raiders (7-2).  The expectation was that the game would finish no later than 7 PM (on the east coast).  Three hours would be sufficient.  Or was it?

The two quarterbacks, Joe Namath (Jets) and Daryle Lamonica (Raiders) combined for 31 incomplete passes which stopped the game clock.  The game officials called a total of 19 penalties which stopped the game clock.  Each team used their full allotment of three time-outs each half which stopped the game clock.  Each of the 11 touchdowns and 4 field goals scored stopped the game clock.  

The combined effect the above clock stoppages resulted in the game having approximately one minute of playing time remaining when the clock at NBC struck 7 PM on the east coast.  The Jets were leading, 32-29.  But, the Raiders had the ball on their own 22 yard line.  

NBC then abruptly pulled the plug on the game and started showing their Heidi movie.  Thousands of football fans on the east coast who had been watching the very exciting Jets-Raiders football game were outraged.  Many called the network and other media outlets to angrily complain.  

Luckily, I was living in New York and immediately turned off the TV and turned on the local radio broadcast of the football game to hear the final minute of play.  Shortly afterwards, Lamonica threw a 43 yard touchdown pass to Charley Smith giving Oakland a 36-32 lead with still 42 seconds left.  Could New York come back?

The Jets Earl Christy received the kickoff, but fumbled the ball.  The Raiders Preston Ridlehuber recovered and ran into the end zone for another touchdown.  Final score: Raiders 43, Jets 32.

Since The Heidi Game, it has become standard practice among all  networks broadcasting sporting events to show them to their conclusion before turning to other programming.  Thanks!