LeRoy Neiman and Joe Namath Recall Super Bowl III

The artist LeRoy Neiman started the celebration of the 2007 Super Bowl festivities in Miami early with a very special friend, the handsome MVP Quarterback from the New York Jets, Joe Namath.

You see, in 1969, Neiman was an artist-in-residence with the Jets and he was right in the center of the action near the 12 yard line, when fullback Matt Snell took the football from Namath and ran it to victory for the Jets. Mr. Neiman remembers the excitement of that game. He says, "I remember everything about that game - the breathing, the profanity, the sweat, the clashing of the leather!"

From his sketches, the artist created an iconic painting called, Handoff-Super Bowl III, and the two old fiends reunited at LeRoy's spectacularly lit Manhattan artist studio with an elite press corps who were there to witness the double signing of a limited edition serigraph to be released this week.

Asked what was his best advice to young athletes, Mr. Namath said,
"To bounce back. On the playing field and in life. Keep going. We make mistakes and it's important to get up off the ground, evaluate yourself and come back."

Neiman agreed with him, "It's a strong point to pick yourself up." And for young artists he advises, "Work, you've to be proud of what you do and work to get it."

As the two legends tossed a football around the room, and joshed around with paint brushes to the delight of those assembled, the reminisced about that game in 1969 in Miami and how football, and the world in general, has changed over the years.

HANDOFF - SUPER BOWL III. HANDOFF - SUPER BOWL III recreates the most storied Super Bowl in the history of this great game - the intensity and suspense of the 1969 Super Bowl, one of the biggest upsets in American sports history. The underdog New York Jets defeated the champion Baltimore Colts with a winning score of 16-7. With his quintessential dynamism LeRoy Neiman places us directly on the field of the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida at the most important moment of the game. We can almost hear the roar of the crowd and the clash of those mighty titans. Neiman's powerful brushwork and electric palette perfectly translates the action as the Jets star quarterback, Joe Namath, hands off to fullback Matt Snell on his way to the winning touchdown. Namath, who had famously "guaranteed" the underdog Jets triumph over a Baltimore team that had lost only once in 16 games that season, performed superbly and led his team to an unlikely victory. Signed by both LeRoy Neiman and Joe Namath HANDOFF - SUPER BOWL III stands out among LeRoy Neiman's most important football images - a must for all collectors and sports fans.
TITLE: HANDOFF - SUPER BOWL III
EDITION SIZE: Limited Edition 350 signed and numbered
IMAGE SIZE: 27 ¾ x 37 ¼ inches 40 colors

For retail sales information contact: Rhoda Altman at Hammer Galleries (212) 644-4400