On January 9, 1969, New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath was confronted by a fan of the Baltimore Colts at the Miami Touchdown Club who taunted Namath and told him that the Colts would easily defeat the Jets in the Super Bowl III.
This proclamation was by no means bold. In each of the two previous Super Bowls, the NFL's representative (Green Bay both times) easily dispatched of their AFL competitor (first the Kansas City Chiefs, and then the Oakland Raiders), and heading into Super Bowl III, the Colts were favored by over two touchdowns against the Jets.