rosters. Ewbank, who had discovered Colts great Johnny Unitas at an open tryout, held tryouts for the Jets. Only seven of the participants were invited to training camp, and one, Marshall Starks, made the team as a second-teamer. In mid-July, it was announced that the Jets could not move into Shea Stadium until 1964. Despite the offseason problems, New York contended for its first division title in a weak AFL East during the 1963 season. By early December, the Jets had compiled a record of 5–5–1, and faced a game in Buffalo with the Bills only a half game ahead. The Jets lost the game, 45–14, as well as their other two remaining games, and finished 5–8–1. Although the Jets drew just over 100,000 fans to the Polo Grounds in seven home games, they quickly sold 17,500 season tickets for the first season in Shea Stadium. The game against the Bills on December 14 was the last sporting event to take place at the Polo Grounds before its demolition in 1964. Running back Matt Snell was drafted by both New York teams, and the Jets were able to sign him. On September 12, 1964, New York played its home opener at Shea Stadium, defeating Denver 30–6 before a crowd of 52,663, which broke the AFL regular season attendance record by almost 20,000. On November 8, 1964, both the Jets and Giants played home games; both teams sold out their games and the Jets drew 61,929 fans. The Jets posted a home record of 5–1–1 in 1964, but lost all seven road games to finish 5–8–1 again. As the season concluded, the obvious standout draft choice for both leagues was Alabama quarterback Joe Namath. The Houston Oilers, in last place in the AFL East, had the number-one pick for the AFL. Both the Oilers and Jets realized that the Jets had a far better chance of signing Namath in competition with the NFL team which drafted him (as it turned out, the St. Louis Cardinals, formerly the Chicago Cardinals), and the Jets were able to acquire the number-one pick. Neither the Jets nor the Cardinals could sign Namath until Alabama played its final game of the season, the Orange Bowl, on January 1, 1965. Both the Jets and Cardinals negotiated with Namath's attorney, and when the price got too high for the Cardinals, the Giants secretly acquired Namath's NFL rights. Longtime