| Pete Rozelle | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Date of birth | March 1, 1926 |
| Place of birth | South Gate, California |
| Date of death | December 6, 1996 (aged 70) |
| Position(s) | NFL Commissioner General Manager |
| College | San Francisco |
| Career Highlights | |
| Honors | 1963 SI Sports MOY |
| Team(s) as a coach/administrator | |
| 1957-1959 1960-1989 |
Los Angeles Rams (GM) NFL commissioner |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1985 | |
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time This is a List of Athletic Conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA University of San Francisco ( USF) is a private Jesuit Roman Catholic University in San Francisco California. Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the " The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Artistic Gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Men's all-around champion Yuri Korolev, USSR Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world.
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Early life
Rozelle was born in South Gate, California and grew up in suburban Lynwood, California during the Great Depression. South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Lynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. He graduated from Compton High School in 1944, lettering in baseball and basketball. Compton High School is one of the three High schools in Compton, California. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was drafted into the Navy in 1944 and served 18 months in the Pacific on an oil tanker. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rozelle began his career at the University of San Francisco, working as a student publicist for the school's football team. University of San Francisco ( USF) is a private Jesuit Roman Catholic University in San Francisco California. Among the players on that team was Bill Dando, a future head coach of the Buffalo Bulls at the University at Buffalo. The Buffalo Bulls are the athletic teams representing the University at Buffalo in intercollegiate athletics State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly known as University at Buffalo (UB is a Coeducational public research University, which He had already worked in public relations for the LA Rams front office and while in the athletic office at USF he marketed the Don's national championship basketball season of 1949 into a national media event. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He graduated from USF that year.
He held a series of public relations jobs in Southern California, marketing the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia for a Los Angeles based company. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West He joined the Los Angeles Rams as its public relations specialist. The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St Public relations (PR is the practice of managing the flow of Information between an Organization and its Publics Public relations - often referred By 1957, Rozelle was offered the GM job with the Rams. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) He turned a disorganized, unprofitable team, lost in the growing LA market, into a business success.
Commissioner
1960s
After Bert Bell's death in 1959, Rozelle was the surprise choice for his replacement as NFL commissioner. DeBenneville "Bert" Bell ( February 25, 1895 – October 11, 1959) was co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles, co-owner and The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. According to Howard Cosell in his book I Never Played the Game, the owners took 23 ballots before settling on Rozelle as NFL Commissioner at a January 26, 1960 meeting. Howard William Cosell (born Howard William Cohen; March 25 1918 - April 23 1995 was an American sports journalist Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. When he took office there were ten teams in the NFL playing a twelve game schedule to frequently half-empty stadiums, and only several teams had television contracts. By the time of Rozelle's resignation, the number of teams had grown to 28, and team owners presided over sizable revenues from U. S. broadcasting networks. The NFL in 1960 was following a business model that had evolved from the 1930s. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Following the lead of the rival American Football League, Rozelle negotiated large television contracts to broadcast every NFL game played each season. Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 In doing so, Rozelle not only deftly played one television network against the other, but also persuaded NFL team owners — most notably Carroll Rosenbloom of the Baltimore Colts, and George Preston Marshall of the Washington Redskins — to agree to share revenues between teams, as the American Football League (AFL) had done since its inception. Carroll Rosenbloom ( March 5, 1907 - April 2, 1979) was the owner of two US football teams the Baltimore Colts (now the Indianapolis George Preston Marshall (1896 &ndash 1969 was the long-time owner and president of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 His business model, which emulated that of the AFL, was essentially a cartel that benefited all teams equally, from revenue sharing to the player draft.
JFK assassination
- See also: 1963 NFL season
On November 24, 1963 the NFL played its full schedule of games (untelevised due to uninterrupted coverage of the assassination), only two days after President Kennedy's assassination, while the rival American Football League (AFL) postponed its games out of respect for the fallen president. The 1963 NFL season was the 44th Regular season of the National Football League. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The assassination of John F Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday November 22 1963 in Dallas Texas Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 Rozelle soon came to regret his decision to have the NFL play, and frequently stated publicly that it had been his worst mistake. However, Rozelle and then-White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger had been classmates at the University of San Francisco years before, and Rozelle consulted with him. Pierre Emil George Salinger ( June 14, 1925 &ndash October 16, 2004) was a White House Press Secretary to U Salinger urged Rozelle to play the games. Rozelle felt that way, saying that "it has been traditional in sports for athletes to perform in times of great personal tragedy. " He also said that football was Kennedy's game and the late president thrived on competition. [1] (In contrast, Rozelle's successor, Paul Tagliabue, following the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, ordered all games cancelled the weekend afterward. Paul John Tagliabue (born November 24 1940 in Jersey City New Jersey) was the Commissioner of the National Football League The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League. However, he cited that the events were so deadly and legitimate security concerns. ) Rozelle's "aptitude for conciliation" with the league's owners and his work in expanding the NFL however, led to his receiving Sports Illustrated magazine's 1963 "Sportsman of the Year" award. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "
The AFL
With American Football League commissioner Al Davis and other AFL and NFL executives including Lamar Hunt, founder of the AFL and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, Rozelle negotiated the merger between the American Football League and the NFL. Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 Allen "Al" Davis (born July 4 1929 in Brockton Massachusetts) is a Jewish-American Football executive, who currently serves as the Lamar Hunt ( August 2, 1932 – December 13, 2006) was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City Missouri. The AFL-NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 In October 1966, he testified to Congress to convince them to allow the merger, promising that if they permitted it, "Professional football operations will be preserved in the 23 cities and 25 stadiums where such operations are presently being conducted. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. "; and "Every franchise of both leagues will remain in its present location. " The merger was allowed, but regardless of the promises, numerous NFL teams have since moved, or used the threat of moving to have cities build or improve stadiums. Following the urging of American Football League commissioner Al Davis, Rozelle also agreed to the creation of the Super Bowl and later supported the concept of Monday Night Football. Allen "Al" Davis (born July 4 1929 in Brockton Massachusetts) is a Jewish-American Football executive, who currently serves as the professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL Monday Night Football ( MNF) is a Live television broadcast of the National Football League.
1970s
The 1970s saw Rozelle at the peak of his powers as a sports league commissioner. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. He presided over a decade of league expansion. Monday Night Football became a staple of American television viewing, and the Super Bowl became the single most watched televised event of the year. During this decade, the upstart World Football League organized, pushing player salaries higher even as it ended up in bankruptcy. The World Football League was an American football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Towards the end of the decade, labor unrest and litigation over issues such as the NFL Players Association and team movement to new markets foreshadowed Rozelle's decline as commissioner. Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is the
1980s
The 1980s saw drug scandals and further struggle with powerful owners over team movement. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Rozelle, again according to Monday Night Football commentator Howard Cosell, pushed the NFL into an internecine struggle with Al Davis concerning the movement of the Oakland Raiders franchise to Los Angeles. Howard William Cosell (born Howard William Cohen; March 25 1918 - April 23 1995 was an American sports journalist The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Other owners, such as Leonard Tose of the Philadelphia Eagles, sought to move their franchises elsewhere. Leonard Hyman Tose ( March 6, 1915 - April 15, 2003) born in Bridgeport Pennsylvania, made a fortune in the Trucking industry The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ultimately, the NFL lost its court case with Davis, and the Oakland franchise moved to Los Angeles. The sports world was very aware of the men's dislike for one another. In 1981, the Oakland Raiders won the Super Bowl. The commissioner, Pete Rozelle handed the Super Bowl Trophy over to Al Davis. People say he used both hands to give Davis the trophy so he wouldn't have to shake his enemy's hand. Additionally, the United States Football League formed, pushing player salaries higher, and ultimately embroiled the league in further legal troubles. For the proposed "New USFL" see United States Football League (2010.
Personal life, retirement and death
Rozelle married his first wife, an artist named Jane Coupe, in 1949. The couple had one child, Anne, born in 1958: however, Jane's problems with alcohol meant that Pete (along with his lifelong secretary, Thelma Elkjer) was his daughter's primary caretaker, unheard of in that era. It was not uncommon to see Anne at owner's meetings (some joked that her love of Joe Namath was a reason behind the AFL-NFL merger) or for Pete to take off early to help her with schoolwork or to take her out on the town. Joseph William Namath (born May 31 1943, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania) also known as Broadway Joe or Joe Willie, is a former The AFL-NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues Rozelle and Coupe divorced in 1967 (with Rozelle awarded full custody of Anne), and he remarried in 1974 to Carrie Cooke, daughter-in-law of sports impresario Jack Kent Cooke. Jack Kent Cooke ( October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian - American entrepreneur who became one of the most widely-known This time, the two stayed together until his death. Cooke died on November 2, 2007 in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Rancho Santa Fe is a Census-designated place (CDP in San Diego County, California, United States and a Bedroom community of
Under Rozelle the NFL thrived and had become an American icon, despite two players' strikes and two different upstart leagues. Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. He retired as commissioner on November 5, 1989 and died of brain cancer at the age of 70 in 1996 in Rancho Santa Fe. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) A brain tumor is any intracranial Tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either in the Brain itself ( Neurons Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Pete Rozelle is interred at El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego, California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
Honors
While still serving as commissioner, Rozelle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the Hall of fame of the National Football League (NFL The institution's annual Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award was established in 1989. The Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, created in 1989 and named for the late longtime NFL commissioner, is bestowed annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame
See also
Further reading
- Rozelle: Czar of the NFL by Jeff Davis
- Commissioner: The Legacy of Pete Rozelle by John Fortunato
- The League: The Rise and Decline of the NFL by David Harris
External links
- National Football League website
- Time Magazine's Time 100: Builders & Titans: Pete Rozelle
- Sporting News: Pete Rozelle becomes NFL Commissioner
- NARC Officer Tribute: Pete Rozelle
- ESPN Classic - Rozelle made NFL what it is today
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Pete Rozelle's Photo & Gravesite
- Excerpt: The Legacy of Commissioner Rozelle
| Preceded by Austin Gunsel (interim) |
Commissioner of the National Football League 1960-1989 |
Succeeded by Paul Tagliabue |
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