Minnesota Vikings - Founded in 1960, they won the last NFL Championship game in 1969 (before the merger), defeating the Cleveland Browns. (Their office, subsequently lost the trophy and they haven't won championship game since, losing Super Bowls - 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977)
Buffalo Bills - One of the original AFL teams, they won championships in 1964 and 1965. They appeared in the Super Bowl in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and lost all four.
L.A./San Diego Chargers - They won the AFL Championship in 1963. They app[eared in the Super Bowl in 1995 and lost to the 49ers
Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals - Won NFL championships in 1925 and the last in 1947.
Detroit Lions - Joined the NFL in 1930, they won the championship in 1935, 1952, 1953 and their last in 1957.
Manny's off by a few days. The Vikings won the NFL 1969 season, but the championship game, which they won, and SB, which they lost, were in January 1970.
https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_NFL_champions_(1920-1969)
The Vikings participated in Super Bowl IV on January 11, 1970, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-7.
I was stuck in Air Force basic training at that point and listened to the games on the radio.
Browns vs Vikings played on January 4,1970.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjF-pHJfiiw
Agreed, I would love to see Detroit win it all. That said.... I don't see anyone beating the Ravens this year.
https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_NFL_champions_(1920-1969)
The Vikings participated in Super Bowl IV on January 11, 1970, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-7.
I was stuck in Air Force basic training at that point and listened to the games on the radio.
Thanks for posting this. This has confused me to no end trying to figure this in between period out before.
Both Roethlisberger's SB wins are tainted by shit calls, IMO.
https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_NFL_champions_(1920-1969)
The Vikings participated in Super Bowl IV on January 11, 1970, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-7.
I was stuck in Air Force basic training at that point and listened to the games on the radio.
Now I’ve got it. Thanks for the clarification. ;-)
I watched the game with my high school girl friend who really didn’t know much about football. So I did spent a lot of time explaining as we shared beers. I still had another year or so to go in my enlistment.
The relationship didn’t prosper but we did see each other from time to time over the years as we married and divorced other folks.
Little did I know then that the Jets would not be back to the Super Bowl. It was over the summer of 1969 I returned to rooting for the team of my childhood and teen years - The New York Football Giants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL%E2%80%93NFL_merger#:~:text=Under%20the%20merger%20agreement%2C%20the,one%20league%20with%20two%20conferences.
"Under the merger agreement, the leagues maintained separate regular-season schedules for the next four seasons—from 1966 through 1969 with a final championship game which would become known as the Super Bowl—and then officially merged before the 1970 season to form one league with two conferences"
There's a reason most people here (including myself) were confused. No one (as far as I know) considers the Baltimore Colts the NFL champs of '68 (even if technically they were).