The DISASTROUS Monday Night Football Game at Shea Stadium | Vikings at Jets (1979)

LINK TO PATREON: / jaguargator9
The first ever home Monday Night Football game in Jets history was a disaster so bad that 30 people got injured, fans stormed the field, and fans smuggled firecrackers and roman candles into the venue. This is the story behind the disastrous 1979 MNF game between the Jets and Vikings

[@wacobob56dad]

I was at that game. The first televised Monday night game at Shea. A disgrace. I never saw so many drunken brawls in the stands. Entire sections would get involved. The Jets were crap too. Namath and Riggins were gone.

[@MarvinBBallJones]

But they won the game It was a celebration

[@JackieDaytona1776]

I love when fans turn into mobs and riots 😅

[@FerdinandCesarano]

This game could not have been considered much of a "disaster" if the NFL was willing to go back to Shea Stadium the following season.

[@VintageOnline100]

someone had the game up for sale on ebay. but it got taken down.

[@Frankincensedjb123]

I was actually born the year MNF began, and I wasn't really aware of the NFL until 12-13 years later. Always fascinating to see these historical views. Just watched a 1965 This Week in Football with Pat Summerall when he was probably in his mid-thirties, a year before the NFL-AFL merger. I'm addicted to these old videos. Great stuff, man. Keep up the good work.

[@MarvinBBallJones]

You missed this game Was the stuff of legend

[@gfl1312]

Wow! Thank you for sharing this video, sir!

[@epaddon]

The reason there were no home games in New York on MNF in the 70s was because of the blackout rule, and there was no way ABC was going to forfeit the New York audience for a primetime game.

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

The Blackout rule was lifted for the 1973 season.

[@paulsonj72]

@@jaymorgenthal9479 And by then the Jets and Giants were bad enough to not deserve Monday Night Game

[@MarvinBBallJones]

The reason they didn't have them because the teams weren't good

[@MarvinBBallJones]

There was so much booze and weed there it wasn't funny

[@rustykuntz94]

The Jets at Shea Stadium games were rarely Nationally Televised. At the Meadowlands in 1988 on MNF Jets fans also went crazy too. Burning seats, drunken brawls

[@b.shupper5067]

I was at both. Hard to rank them.

[@rustykuntz94]

@@b.shupper5067 I’m almost 44 in a few weeks so I was a little too young for the Shea Stadium years. I can remember as a 7 year old watching a few games in 83 on TV. My Uncle who got me into both the Jets & Rangers told me all the old stories about going to both Shea for the Jets & Ranger games are MSG in the 70s/80s. Totally different animal from today...not that we can actually even go to games right now ugggh, that’s a while other thing.

[@russellblake6471]

Wasn't the 1988 game on Halloween and ultimately led to the ban of beer sales for night games at the Meadowlands? I used to attend many Giant and Jet games in the 80s and 90s and the Jet fans were generally much younger and rowdier than the Giant fans. I remember being at a Jet game with my late father in the 80s and the fans were passing a joint down our row. My dad grew up in the 1940s and 1950s and I was anti-drug so we politely declined the offer of weed. Fans would also smoke weed on the "handicap spirals" at the old Giants Stadium, much more so at the Jet games than the Giant games.

[@mgb4692]

Close to it, it was the Bills on Oct 17 where Thurman Thomas ran for a bunch of yards

[@russellblake6471]

@@mgb4692 OK, I remember there was a ban of evening alcohol sales after one of the Jet night games at the old Giants Stadium. Did you ever go out to the handicap spirals at the old Giants Stadium during halftime, and people would thrown money down below into the "pit," waiting for some unsuspecting schlub to go in there and try and collect the money, only to get pelted with cups and bottles? Some vicious folks!

[@brianbachmeier34]

I would like to see the game in full to decide for myself...

[@CowSaysMooMoo]

OK...you get the copy...I'll bring the alcohol and fireworks

[@njdxnjdx]

Especially since incorrect video is shown in this clip. There was one clip of the gold post being brought down, this was not during this Monday night game, that footage was from December 10, 1983, Steelers at the Jets, and what wound up being the final game at Shea Stadium and Terry Bradshaw’s final game.

[@Spongebobisgood]

Don't forget about me

[@rustykuntz94]

That footage of the goal posts being taken down and Jets fans storming the field was from their last ever home game at Shea in 1983 against Pittsburgh.

[@samtheshame9951]

The Steelers were playing Oakland Raiders, Jets colors are not black and silver. Bogus video

[@rustykuntz94]

@@samtheshame9951 Look it up or maybe your misunderstanding what I’m saying. Was just saying the shown shots of the fans on the field used here was from the Jets final home game at Shea Stadium, Week 15 (December 10) 1983. And they were playing the Steelers.

[@samtheshame9951]

@@rustykuntz94 I stand corrected,sorry

[@rustykuntz94]

@@samtheshame9951 NP Sam, it happens. Cheers

[@njdxnjdx]

I agree with many of you when I call BS! There was one clip of the gold post being brought down, this was not during this Monday night game, that footage was from December 10, 1983, Steelers at the Jets, and what wound up being the final game at Shea Stadium and Terry Bradshaw’s final game.

[@ManiaxOnYTZeus]

All those Rowdy Fans are there to destroy Monday Night

[@tommytimmons9932]

Shea held 55,000 for baseball and 63,000 for football, as there was a block of seats installed behind the end zone in the closed end, and bleachers placed in back of the outfield fence in the open end of the stadium for Jets games It was usually a full house, and that night people were clamoring to get in the building since it was the 1st MNF game in NY (area) for either the Jets or Giants Bottles of booze and trays of food were being passed around liberally, and marijuana smoke filled the air well before kickoff, at least where we were in the field level seats At the zenith of the Studio 54 era, this was by far the biggest party in NYC at the time, with the bright lights of national television shining on the big city stadium and its faithful Jets fans- and we were reveling in it

[@barryrogers7554]

I was at that game. I was 14 years old. I don't remember any of those things happening. I just remember the Jets winning a close game after not playing that well.

[@b.shupper5067]

I was at this game. An "absolute disaster" would have been a Jets loss in my opinion. This was a regular disaster. Definately a rowdy crowd. Thank goodness the Jets won a close game. A blowout Minnesota win would have made things worse.

[@WaltGekko]

This as I remember was the first-ever Monday Night Football game broadcast from the New York Metro area that was actually shown live in New York (I believe the Giants did host a rare (at that time) Monday night game on CBS during the late 1960's before the ABC package began, but that game was blacked out in New York). The blackout rules coupled with after that both New York football teams being downright awful during most of the 1970's prevented ABC from taking an MNF game played in the New York area before then. The Jets got this game after finishing 8-8 in 1978 (the first 16-game NFL season) and looked like they were on the upswing with a slew of young players in place. They would be 8-8 again in 1979 before slipping to 4-12 in 1980 and then in 1981 finish 10-5-1 and playing what turned out to be the only post-merger NFL playoff game ever at Shea.

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

the blackout rule ended in 1973 provided the game was a sellout 72 hours in advance.

[@WaltGekko]

@@andrewpadaetz5549 Right. 1973 was the first year of such, ironically when the Giants after their first two games of that season had to finish out the 1973 and play the 1974 seasons at the Yale Bowl.

[@djgatorshark9002]

Vikings fans threw bottles at the refs after the famous hail mary pass because they thought Pierson pushed off.

[@eugeneenegue3648]

I had season tickets at Shea in that era. Nothing was smuggled into the stadium. You literally could walk right in with a giant cooler full of alcohol, nothing was checked in those days. They didn't start checking for alcohol till the early 80's. As for the fights, that happened at every game. I only remember that game as being long (because of the many TV timeouts) and boring.

[@onepunch9203]

Spoiler alert: Some of the footage in this vid isn't even from the Monday Night game. The scenes of the goalposts being taken down came from the Jets' 34-7 loss to Pittsburgh in December 1983, the Jets' last game in Shea Stadium.

[@TheEWFX29]

I thought I saw Steelers on the field at the end. I thought why are the fans dressed as Steelers in New York for.

[@kingporter67]

I was so angry on that day, the final, last game at Shea, the Jets moving to New Jersey was the biggest mistake in their franchise history!!

[@letmeehan]

I was 11 and there w my Dad! Crazy! Then again we lived in NYC, so it was the norm:)

[@altfactor]

The reason the New York Jets never hosted a Monday night game until 1979 was the fact that until 1973, NFL games were blacked-out in the cities they were played in. ABC didn't want to lose the large New York viewing audience.

[@dgendvil]

This was still pre-Jets Sack Exchange.

[@pronkb000]

The "Monday Night Massacre" at New England probably deserves a video as well, maybe an even more infamous incident.

[@drewrocker9934]

yeah, they called in the National guard for that one!!! It was in 1981 I believe VS the Cowboys. Because of the fans misbehavior the Pats were banning from having home MNF game for about 7 years.

[@mgb4692]

The same stadium where Shannon Sharpe would beg Clinton to send the Guard in cause the Broncos were killing the Patriots fifteen years later. Maybe it was meant to be

[@KeredCross]

@@drewrocker9934 Longer than that. They didn't play another night home game until 1995.

[@MarvinBBallJones]

The nurse wasn't kidding They were hurling full beer cans on the field

[@jackmomma7481]

Back in those days, there was no having to “smuggle” items into a stadium. No one searched you. I know this based on my mother and father telling about watching Led Zeppelin at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh on July 23, 1973… They had nosebleed seats in the upper deck. It would turn out that the upper deck was the only safe place in that stadium. Those at field level and in the mezzanin es were at risk of being bashed in the head by beer bottles, and even whiskey bottles. If you could fit it in a cooler and didn’t mind carrying your cooler… not a problem. It was BYOB at its best. And if you ran out of booze, there was always the concession that was affordable charging around the same amount as your average tavern All they cared about was whether you had your ticket, or not. And even then, it wasn’t too difficult to sneak inside. Police would sometimes help sneak you in if you met and talked to the right ones Anyways, they said a lot of people left from that stadium heading to the hospital. Sone even had cherry bombs blow up in their faces, and there were fights galore breaking out Led Zeppelin especially had a reputation of being the kind of band that people would throw cherry bombs onto the stage. I have a number of soundboard recordings of their 1977 tour, and in between songs you can hear the cherry bombs going off on stage while being picked up by the drum and guitar amplifier microphones So yeah, that sort of thing had been going non at live events already. Everything mentioned in this was commonplace

[@boopah4365]

And the Jets have been afraid to win a game since.

[@anthony0358]

I remember being so excited that the Jets had a Monday night home game.

[@geraldjessie7761]

I thought after that 1st home game on MNF,the NFL would never come back to Shea for football again, but they did the next year and there were no problems, well that's one thing the Jets have over the Giants, Yankee Stadium never hosted a mnf game.

[@adamross4295]

The craziest thing to happen that night was a Jets win

[@reignman4529]

I wish we could go back in time to when the Jets were good.

[@kingporter67]

It was a Jets defensive doomsday at Shea, Jets 14 Vikings 7, what a gigantic upset win and fans at Shea went into an extreme frenzy!!

[@karlcooper8460]

The worse on field incident I remember was the Chicago white Sox/Detroit tigers "Disco demolition night"double header game to me that was the worse this may be a close second.

[@reignman4529]

The mob is undefeated.

[@supahornetsfan1290]

Man this is some Bottlegate type wack

[@MarvinBBallJones]

That night was an absolute party Studio 54 eat your heart out, we were the biggest party in NY

[@kingporter67]

The New York Jets fans at Shea Stadium were so rowdy, so crazy and the screaming noise was so out of control, however, they had the strongest fan friendly respect for the New York Jets franchise like no other in the NFL!!

[@danski6694]

Thats all Queens and Nassau people- the best!

[@danski6694]

There aren’t any local bars near Shea Stadium. The closest would be Bell Blvd in Bayside and maybe a couple of Whitestone joints

[@jamesheenan648]

Gee, it's not just Philly fans that act that way. If I Have to hear from all the national sports media mention the Philly sports fans booing Santa Claus...

[@jackkitchen737]

I was a 13 yr old Viking fan, and I don't remember this game at all lol

[@jerbrew701]

Nuts!

[@Marylandbrony]

Hey JaguarGator, Can you disprove once and for all that the Simpson's did not predict Super Bowl LI using the context clues in the episode (Screen bug being different & only used in that Superbowl, The team for Springfield being based on the Steelers and not the Falcons etc)

[@marcus813]

Thank goodness that mess wouldn't happen today. Nonetheless, how the hell did one of the clubs that kicked off the MNF era not get a home MNF game until 9 years later?! Strange.

[@paulsonj72]

For the first three seasons all home games were blacked out and for ratings purposes the NFL didn’t want to lose the New York City DMA. After 1972(1973 and beyond) the Jets were really bad and didn’t deserve a Monday Night Football game(and neither did the Giants)

[@marcus813]

@@paulsonj72 I forgot how bad the Jets were throughout the '70s. Both they and the Giants, who weren't much better back then, didn't make a single playoff appearance in that decade. I didn't know those 2 clubs had attendance issues at that time, though.

[@paulsonj72]

@@marcus813 From 1970-72 it didn’t matter if the game was sold out or not as ALL home games were blacked out. In 1973 the policy was changed due to federal law but by then both New York clubs didn’t deserve a Monday Night Game.

[@marcus813]

@@paulsonj72 Thank goodness for that rule change in 1973. I know there are certain clubs the NFL knew not to put on MNF, but unattractive games have slipped through for years. The NYC-area clubs definitely weren't MNF-worthy in the '70s.

[@theoriginalfredstyle]

I was at the game as a teenager, I really don’t remember all that nonsense. Would love a copy of this game! Any place where I can get it?Go Jets!

[@mikewack6778]

"Monday night massacre". Like hell it was. in Cleveland we call that a Sunday afternoon

[@andrewwomble2722]

Seems like the atmosphere was a lot funner back then.

[@sparkypikachu7776]

Well, I guess if there's one good thing about that crap show, it's that we have MUCH better security because of it.

[@Namath1000]

Just like the Jets v. Bills Monday night game in the early 90's at Giants Stadium. I was there for that fiasco.

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

What’s the craziest thing that’s happened in the stands at an NFL game that you attended?

[@russellblake6471]

I was at the New York Giants/San Diego Charger game in 1994 when the fans pelted the sidelines with snowballs and injured one of the Chargers' personnel staff. I attended the game (it was the Giants' season finale) with my friend and we couldn't believe what was going on. We did not participate in any way during the shenanigans, but it was the perfect storm for such an activity because the Giants were going nowhere that season and there were a lot of non-season ticket holders attending the game.

[@russellblake6471]

I also attended the Giants/Packers Monday Night Football game in 1982 that was delayed due to a black out. We were all in the stadium wondering what the hell was going on as this was in the days before smart phones and the internet. Some fans would bring in small transistor radios or mini televisions into the games, but Bob Sheppard was the usual conduit of information for fans inside the stadium. He was the Giants' long-time P.A. announcer.

[@marcus813]

@@russellblake6471 That game happened in '95. I remember watching that game and my dad and his then-wife's house and I was shocked when I saw all those snowballs flying. The enduring image I have of that game is the fans throwing tons of snowballs onto the field as Chargers S Shaun Gayle, best known for his time with the Bears, was en route to a 99-yard pick-6. That was a surreal experience and I just watched it on TV!

[@billsherwin1705]

@@russellblake6471 The game that you were at was in 1995.

[@billsherwin1705]

@@russellblake6471 The Packers should be called the P.A.'ers.

[@varain87]

COOL !!!

[@Kevin-po2dl]

The shea jets fans were always the craziest 😂

[@luisreyes1963]

This makes Cleveland's "Bottlegate" look like a church picnic. 🤣

[@markyd.3082]

Ahhhhhh yes, the 70’s and the 80’s! People were Free to have Wild Times and Lots of Fun. I mis those days🤣!

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

Jet fans made a mess of our beautiful new Giants Stadium on a Monday night. They started fires under the seats in the upper deck and shoved rolls of toilet paper into the bowls and flushed them causing flooding. I wished they had gotten their own stadium on the west side and stayed out of our park.

[@johnmanier7968]

Ironically, Howard Cosell was absent for this game. He was covering the 1979 World Series, which was on a travel day between Games 5 and 6. The ABC booth consisted of Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Fran Tarkenton.

[@dominicmarino8524]

Yes, the Bills absolutely smoked the Jets and Thurman ran wild in the 1988 game. The game was over quickly so Jets fans took action as the lingered in agony.

[@MarvinBBallJones]

Everyone saying this game was a disgrace you weren't there It was a mythical experience So much booze food weed, you name it it was there

[@MarvinBBallJones]

Birth of the J-E-T-S chant Guy in the green afro wig upper tank behind home plate

[@karlcooper8460]

Man I swear I don't remember this one.

[@stevemandl5140]

had to be an inside job for someone to rob the concession stand at the cincy game

[@MRB16th]

It was a robber's sneak with a gunpoint option, for a $10,000 gain and a first down. The defense didn't see it coming at all.

[@karlcooper8460]

It's horrible Now does MNF even exists anymore?

[@NoOne-pv1po]

Only Philly fans are worse than New Yorkers.

[@stevenfanale4553]

We know who is really behind this numbers one and two!!!!!!!!!

[@thomasaquinas2600]

Shea was an ugly venue; a failed design meant to change for football and baseball. Well, it didn't do that and was homely and dreary. I went there to see the Mets(yes, I admit it) and the Beatles. The Beatles had far more hits than the Mets had in their history.

[@joeludwig8375]

Didn't the Jets and Giants play a game at Shea in 75 with the Giants as the home team? I think two Jet players got into a fistfight on the sidelines.

[@david.415]

Sounds like a soccer match

[@MarvinBBallJones]

There was so much booze and weed and food everyone was drunk and loving it

[@glennlittle1580]

Jets fans wrecked Shea Stadium

[@gerbsvizsla]

Good recall game but inaccuracies in footage and facts

[@karlcooper8460]

This seems like an interlude to a raiders game.

[@jamessollazzo2966]

they threw shit at cosell in the booth also!

[@briggscharleton6139]

In Philadelphia they threw firecrackers into to the ABC . 1974 vs Dallas

[@TheYamahog12]

Narrator keeps saying what a disaster it was, but aside from a few unruly folks it looks pretty tame. As others have said, the goal posts being pulled down did not happen after this game. Fake drama.

[@Salvatore1268]

The bigger disaster was 1988 against Buffalo

[@johndeasy7666]

The game was a mess but your footage from the last game at shea is misleading.

[@sdwriter2626]

The guy who posts this admits that the end, with fans storming the field, is from the last home game in 1983. So, forewarned.

[@zacheryalderton7721]

postponed

[@GetYourBeaks]

bUt ThE eAgLeS FaNs BoOeD SaNtA cLaUs

[@timburr4453]

Disaster? More idiotic clickbait. Jets won 14-7. Good game. This was the 70's and the people on the field and in the stands were rough characters. None of this stuff raised any eyebrows

[@diaz5292]

J! E! T! S! JETS! JETS! JETS!!!!😅🤣😂😀👍

[@luisreyes1963]

Seriously? 🤨

[@Frankincensedjb123]

I was actually born the year MNF began, and I wasn't really aware of the NFL until 12-13 years later. Always fascinating to see these historical views. Just watched a 1965 This Week in Football with Pat Summerall when he was probably in his early thirties, a year before the NFL-AFL merger. I'm addicted to these old videos. Great stuff, man. Keep up the good work.

[@tomb4575]

When MNF football began I was sent to bed after the first half. It's been years since I could stay awake until the first half.