It dropped the jaws of jaded newsmen. It set Jacksonville pinwheeling to a billion-dollar decade. It bared a new sense of pride and purpose in the Jacksonville psyche. It put a bounce in the Jacksonville jaunt. It leaped tall buildings at a single bound . . .
Nobody knows what the heck it did.
But, by gum, it did it. The whole idea was preposterous, of course. Baltimore Colts owner Robert Irsay was gurgling far, far away about not being sufficiently appreciated. Mild-mannered Jacksonville funeral director Doug Peeples wrote Irsay a letter saying betcha Jacksonville would appreciate you and also this would be a swell place to move your National Football League franchise. Actually, it wasn't even that strong.