On This Day

"Heidi Game", NBC cuts to show "Heidi" and misses Raider's rally to beat Jets, 43-32

The Heidi Game was a 1968 American Football League (AFL) game between the Oakland Raiders and the visiting New York Jets.

The Heidi Game was a 1968 American Football League (AFL) game between the Oakland Raiders and the visiting New York Jets. The contest, held on November 17, 1968, was notable for its exciting finish, in which Oakland scored two touchdowns in the final minute to win the game 43–32. However, NBC, the game's television broadcaster, decided to break away from its coverage on the East Coast to broadcast the television film Heidi, which caused many viewers to miss the Raiders' comeback.

In the late 1960s, few professional football games took longer than two and a half hours to play, and the standard three-hour time slot allotted to the Jets and Raiders was thought to be adequate.

Historical Significance

The Heidi Game was a 1968 American Football League (AFL) game between the Oakland Raiders and the visiting New York Jets.

Events Before

  1. François Pienaar is born

    François Pienaar is born

  2. AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2

    AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2 TDs, RB Mike Garrett runs for 2 TDs

  3. Actor Lee Marvin (42) divorces Elizabeth Ebeling after 14 years of marriage

    Actor Lee Marvin (42) divorces Elizabeth Ebeling after 14 years of marriage

  4. Republican Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts takes his seat as the first African American popularly elected to the US Se

    Republican Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts takes his seat as the first African American popularly elected to the US Senate

  5. Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (37) divorces second wife, British columnist Patricia Lewis after nearly 5 years of m

    Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (37) divorces second wife, British columnist Patricia Lewis after nearly 5 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Apollo 11 Moon Landing

    NASA's Apollo 11 mission successfully lands the first humans on the Moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first people to walk on the lunar surface.

  2. Tommy Morrison is born

    Tommy Morrison, American professional boxer, known for american boxer, was born on 1969-01-02.

  3. Christy Turlington is born

    Christy Turlington is born

  4. Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the NHL's LA Kings, fines each player $100 for not arguing with the referees

    Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the NHL's LA Kings, fines each player $100 for not arguing with the referees

  5. Atlantic Records releases Led Zeppelin’s eponymous debut album in the United States

    Atlantic Records releases Led Zeppelin’s eponymous debut album in the United States

More from the 1960s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 17, 1968?
The Heidi Game was a 1968 American Football League (AFL) game between the Oakland Raiders and the visiting New York Jets. The contest, held on November 17, 1968, was notable for its exciting finish, in which Oakland scored two touchdowns in the final minute to win the game 43–32. However, NBC, the game's television broadcaster, decided to break away from its coverage on the East Coast to broadcast the television film Heidi, which caused many viewers to miss the Raiders' comeback.
Why is "Heidi Game", NBC cuts to show "Heidi" and misses Raider's rally to beat Jets... significant?
The Heidi Game was a 1968 American Football League (AFL) game between the Oakland Raiders and the visiting New York Jets.

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