The Story Behind Joe Namath's Fur Coat from Last Night's Super Bowl

Fashion

by Maura Brannigan


For many of us (read: everyone but Seattle Seahawks fans), last night's Super Bowl was a seriously boring, pitiful excuse for a football match-up. The highlight, in fact, didn't have anything to do with the action on the field or even the big-money commercials (#EsuranceSave30, right?). Instead, our evening peaked with a botched coin toss and an outrageously oversized fur coat-yep, we're talking about Joe Namath.

We were equal parts entertained and confused by the eccentricity and somewhat arbitrary nature of the coat. Honestly, that thing was huge and not even necessary thanks to the game's nearly 50-degree temperatures. But for those of us who know more about such peacocking outerwear than touchdowns, we did our research and found this particular fur wasn't really a surprise at all.

The NFL icon and legendary, longtime New York Jets quarterback first began sporting long, furry coats in the 1970s (at a game against the New England Patriots on November 11, 1973, to be precise). Nicknamed "Broadway Joe," he instilled such a trend amongst the league that the NFL eventually banned fur, requiring all NFL personnel to wear league-approved gear during games. So, there you have it: the coat was less of a statement and more of tradition.

We've picked a handful of our favorite fur coats (faux or not) from around the internet for you to shop now-as well as tracked down an original photo from Joe's original fur-wearing game in 1973. Click through above now to see it all.

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