So much has been written about Super Bowl III that it almost seems futile to find fresh perspectives or a balanced narrative about the most significant game in Super Bowl history.

Until now. Sportswriter Ed Gruver has written a compelling narrative of Super Bowl III, putting it into context with the entire 1968 pro football season and telling it from the viewpoint of the men who played in that game.

“From Baltimore to Broadway: Joe, the Jets and the Super Bowl III Guarantee” (Triumph Books, $24.95) puts the Jets’ shocking 16-7 victory against the heavily favored Baltimore Colts at Miami’s Orange Bowl into the proper perspective. This wasn’t just about Joe Namath’s brash “guarantee” that his AFL club would defeat a 15-1 Colts squad touted as one of the greatest teams of all time.

Gruver writes that it was his intent to “shed new light on a multi-layered story that had been largely flattened over time into a one-dimensional tale.”

He does that well.

Certainly, Namath was effective during the game, finishing 17-for-28 for 206 yards. But it was a strong defensive effort, which produced four interceptions and a fumble recovery, and the 121-yard rushing effort of Matt Snell, that tipped the game in the Jets’ favor.

Plus, Namath was masterful in using primary receiver Don Maynard as a decoy. Fellow receiver George Sauer was the beneficiary, catching eight passes for 133 yards.

Gruver provides an excellent sense of balance, interviewing players from both teams. In a nice touch, he also adds verbatim calls from the radio and television announcers at the time. There are chapters detailing how each team made it to Super Bowl III, including the infamous “Heidi Game.”

There were plenty of subplots. Colts coach Don Shula had been coached by the Jets’ Weeb Ewbank and replaced him in Baltimore. Offensive tackle Winston Hill was cut from the Colts in 1963 because he could not handle defensive end Ordell Braas, but he would be facing him in Super Bowl III.

Then, there was the rivalry between the upstart AFL and the traditional NFL, which extended beyond the players. Even writers covering the teams held a certain bias toward a particular league.

Super Bowl III was a game of missed opportunities for the Colts, who only trailed by seven at the half but missed a great chance to tie when Earl Morrall failed to see Jimmy Orr all alone during a flea-flicker play that was designed to go to — Jimmy Orr.

The Colts were stymied several times in the end zone and the Jets came up big. Even the entry of Johnny Unitas in the second half wasn’t enough to turn the tide of the game.

In this, the 40th anniversary of pro football’s most stunning upset, Gruver has cut through the haze and has given that game — and that season — a sharper focus.

Guaranteed.