page_title: History of the New York Jets
section_title: Bankruptcy and recovery
hierarchical_section_title: History of the New York Jets / Origins and the Polo Grounds era (1959–1964) / Bankruptcy and recovery
caption_attribution_description: English: From the November 6, 1964 Chargers-Patriots game program at Fenway Park. Bissell created similar cartoons for the Patriots throughout the 1960s, see article here Description: Pat Patriot takes one in the back from the Jets while remonstrating with George Blanda of the Houston Oilers for their failure to beat Buffalo.
context_page_description: The history of the New York Jets American football team began in 1959 with the founding of the Titans of New York, an original member of the American Football League; they began actual play the following year. The team had little success in its early years. After playing three seasons at the Polo Grounds, the team changed its name to the New York Jets, and moved into newly built Shea Stadium in 1964. In January 1965, the Jets signed University of Alabama quarterback Joe Namath to a then-record contract. The team showed gradual improvement in the late 1960s, posting its first winning record in 1967 and winning its only American Football League championship in 1968. By winning the title, New York earned the right to play in Super Bowl III against the champions of the National Football League, the Baltimore Colts. The Jets defeated the Colts in the game; in the aftermath of the upset, the AFL was deemed a worthy partner to the NFL as the two leagues merged.
  Following the merger, the Jets fell into mediocrity; Namath was dogged by injuries through much of his later career. In 1981, New York qualified for the playoffs for the first time in the post-Namath era.
context_section_description: New York City had proposed to build a new stadium for its franchise in baseball's stillborn Continental League. When that league dissolved and the city was awarded a franchise, dubbed the New York Mets, in the National League, plans for a stadium continued. Wismer had hoped the Titans could play in the new stadium, to be built at Flushing Meadows in Queens, beginning with the 1961 season, but funding difficulties and legal problems delayed construction. Wismer signed a memorandum of understanding in late 1961, although he was unhappy about the terms, which gave the Mets exclusive use of the stadium until they completed their season, and gave the Titans no revenue from parking. According to team doctor James Nicholas, "The lease that Harry signed cost the team quite a lot. It led to [later team owner] Leon Hess going to the Meadowlands." Shea Stadium, as it came to be known, did not open until 1964.
  New York hoped to improve its fortunes through the AFL draft, but most Titans draftees signed with the NFL. The Titans won only one preseason game, before a crowd of 73,916 against the Patriots in Philadelphia – free tickets had been given to anyone who bought $10 in groceries at an Acme Market. The New York Times columnist Howard Tuckner described the crowd as "presumably well-fed." The 1961 season, which ended at 7–7, was marked by financial difficulties, as the paychecks of many players bounced; team members learned to hurry to the bank as soon as they received their pay. At the end of the season, Wismer announced that Clyde "Bulldog" Turner would be the Titans' head coach in 1962. Baugh had a contract for 1962 and would have to be paid unless he quit. Although Wismer did not fire Baugh, he also did not tell him where the team's 1962 training camp would be. Baugh showed up anyway, and spent several days acting as kicking coach before Wismer came to the conclusion that Baugh would not quit. The team owner finally agreed to pay the coach his 1962 salary in monthly installments, although Baugh later stated that he was never paid. Baugh's 14–14 record stood as the best mark by any Titans/Jets coach until bettered by Bill Parcells in 1997–1999. In the offseason, Wismer hoped to bring a star to the Polo Grounds by drafting Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis of Syracuse, but Davis was drafted by the Redskins instead, traded to the Browns, and died of leukemia before ever playing a professional game.
  Turner had never been a head coach before; he faced a team convinced that Baugh had been treated shabbily by Wismer and had difficulty uniting the players. After the Titans split their first two games against Oakland and the Chargers (who had moved to San Diego), the team came home to no paychecks. The players refused to practice, though they worked out on their own on Friday. They then flew to Buffalo and defeated the winless Bills. Public attention in New York was focused on the established local teams, as well as the abysmal record of the fledgling Mets, who nevertheless attracted a cult following. The Titans received little publicity and attracted only 4,719 fans to the home opener against Denver. They were required to wait until the end of the Mets' season before they were allowed to use the Polo Grounds. The Broncos defeated the Titans, 32–10, and Titans quarterback Dean Look suffered a career-ending injury. New York's financial and football woes continued through October 1962, and at the beginning of November, Wismer informed AFL commissioner Joe Foss that he lacked the money to continue operations. The league assumed the cost of running the team for the rest of 1962; Wismer remained in nominal charge. The Titans had little success on the field (the highlight was a 46–45 victory at favored Denver on Thanksgiving), and finished the season insolvent with a 5–9 record.
  Wismer agreed to sell the team, but attempted to prevent the sale with a bankruptcy filing. He contended that the move into Shea Stadium would lead to sufficient revenue to make the team profitable. A bankruptcy referee granted the league the authority to sell the tea
caption: Boston mascot Pat Patriot is bombed by the Jets as he remonstrates with Houston Oiler quarterback George Blanda for his failure to beat the Buffalo Bills, by Phil Bissell for the November 6, 1964 Chargers/Patriots game program.
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