Five and a half decades ago the Jets vs Raiders matchup live on NBC was interrupted by a movie about the girl from the Swiss Alps.
The ‘Heidi Game’ as it was affectionately, or not depending on your viewing habits, aired in 1968 and interrupted the Jets taking on the Raiders in a game the latter team would go on to win 43-32.
The game and movie are ingrained in football lore, intertwined in wistfulness and nostalgia.
The game was running late yet NBC decided to stick to their regular scheduling after a control room mishap.
55 years later the actress who played the titular role was cleverly brought out to honor a seminal money in football television history.
“I’m Jennifer Edwards, and 55 years ago this week, a movie I was in as a little girl kind of, how do I say this, got in the way of football. …Tonight, we’re going to get it right, and show you the whole game. But if the ending isn’t happily ever after for your team, don’t blame me,” she said this weekend.
In a poetic manner, the Raiders would go on to beat the Jets in 2023.
This Sunday saw a similar incident as the network switched from the Vikings vs Saints game, missing the Hail Mary ending, which saw Minnesota prevail 27-19.
They switched to the kick-off to the Cowboys vs Giants game.
