How soon they forget

[John Grasso]

Today's Jets-Patriots game went into overtime. Patriots won the toss and
co-captain Matthew Slater elected to kick. The Jets were then given the
choice of goal to defend and Slater was surprised the Patriots didn't get that choice.

Shades of Abner Haynes in the 1962 AFL championship.

The two announcers Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts acted as this had never occurred before
and even in the post-game show none of the five analysts mentioned Haynes.

[Todd Pence]

I just commented on deadspin "Matthew Slater channels Abner Haynes".

[BD Sullivan]

The two announcers Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts acted as this had never occurred before
and even in the post-game show none of the five analysts mentioned Haynes.

Given the dearth of historical knowledge in the media, if it had been noted, most of the on-air "talent" would have said, "Who's he?"

[DukeSlater]

Good one, B.D.

HA!!!!!!!!!

[MIKEBENNIDICT]

Today's Jets-Patriots game went into overtime. Patriots won the toss and
co-captain Matthew Slater elected to kick. The Jets were then given the
choice of goal to defend and Slater was surprised the Patriots didn't get that choice.

Shades of Abner Haynes in the 1962 AFL championship.

The two announcers Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts acted as this had never occurred before
and even in the post-game show none of the five analysts mentioned Haynes.

Funny Dan would of been 11 in 1962.

Assuming he watched football as a kid.

[Rupert Patrick]

Today's Jets-Patriots game went into overtime. Patriots won the toss and
co-captain Matthew Slater elected to kick. The Jets were then given the
choice of goal to defend and Slater was surprised the Patriots didn't get that choice.

Shades of Abner Haynes in the 1962 AFL championship.

The two announcers Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts acted as this had never occurred before
and even in the post-game show none of the five analysts mentioned Haynes.

Funny Dan would of been 11 in 1962.

Assuming he watched football as a kid.

Of course, his father was the longtime voice of the 49ers.

[mwald]

Latest reports say Belichick admitted making the call to kick off.

If true, he must've felt the journeyman Fitzpatrick couldn't beat him. He was wrong.

[mwald]

I'll take it one step further: Belichick lacks confidence in his offense.

Had the Patriots won, we'd barely be talking about it. Having lost, well, Belichick showed NFL D-coordinators his butt.

[Saban1]

About the Abner Haynes call. In the 1962 AFL championship game between Dallas and Houston, it was overtime, and Dallas (Texans) won the coin toss. What they really wanted was the wind in their favor, so Haynes said that "they would kick to the clock." There was a big clock at one end of the field and to kick to the clock would have meant that the Texans (later Chiefs) would have kicked off, but had the wind in their favor. However, as soon as he said kick, that meant that Dallas would kick off and Houston would then have the choice of which goal to defend. So, as a result of this, Houston did not only receive in the overtime, but they had the wind in their favor.

So, it was big mistake on Abner's part, but luckily for Abner Haynes and the Dallas Texans, Dallas won the game anyway in the second overtime. So, all's well that ended well for the Texans.

Abner Haynes was one of the big stars of the early AFL. I have often wondered how he would have done playing in the NFL during those years. If going by the earlier All-America Conference (AAFC) is any indication, then Abner Haynes probably would have done pretty well, as did AAFC players like Joe Perry, Marion Motley, John Strzykalski, etc.

[conace21]

I'm no Patriots fan, but I think they kind of got screwed. Bill Belichick had alerted the official before the coin toss that New England would pick it they won the toss (or that they would choose to defend a specific end of the field instead of choosing to receive.) So after New England won the toss, the official asked Matthew Slater, "You want to kick?" Slater responded "We want to kick, that way." Technically, that was the equivalent of Abner's "We'll kick to the clock" statement in 1962. But Slater was kind of drawn into saying that by the official asking him if they wanted to kick.
I don't think that losing out on the wind cost New England the game. The kickoff was still a touchback, and the big play of the drive came on a short pass that went for 48 yards. But I don't think that Slater should be really faulted for this.