Joe Namath went to dinner with Leon Hess and his wife early in 1977. They'd been together a dozen years and Namath, the New York Jets' Super Bowl-winning quarterback, needed to have a talk with the owner he cared about so deeply.
It was a tough conversation, one Namath didn't necessarily want to have but had to. The Jets were in the midst of a transition with a new coach -- Walt Michaels was replacing Lou Holtz. New York had drafted a young quarterback, Richard Todd, and Todd needed reps. Michaels wanted to play him.
Namath knew the team would take a few years to rebuild and it just seemed like it was time for a break.