Roger Goodell was the best-prepared person to be the New Commissioner having served in every significant division of the NFL. Immediately he was faced with difficult issues starting with “Deflategate” and the New England Patriots. Then came player discipline issues involving Michael Vick, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Ben Roethlisberger. Goodell faced heavy criticism in every case. These were followed by drug issues, general player health issues, and, most significantly, concussions. Goodell’s major mode of response to the concussion issue was denial. The case of Mike Webster and the work of Bennet Amalu was the first major development. This led to a book and motion picture with the title League of Denial. Court cases, major studies, and congressional hearings all dogged the NFL and Goodell. Junior Seau’s suicide and others repeatedly raised the issue and the NFL continued public denial. The concussion issue also expanded beyond the NFL to college football and youth football. Major research centers including that of Ann McKee and the Boston Group received donations of brains from NFL players for study posthumously. The dramatic retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019 refocused the public attention on the issue. A major problem for the NFL was that part of the appeal of NFL football was its violence, which it had marketed over the decades.
{"title":"New Challenges","authors":"R. Crepeau","doi":"10.5406/j.ctv160bttb.15","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5406/j.ctv160bttb.15","url":null,"abstract":"Roger Goodell was the best-prepared person to be the New Commissioner having served in every significant division of the NFL. Immediately he was faced with difficult issues starting with “Deflategate” and the New England Patriots. Then came player discipline issues involving Michael Vick, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Ben Roethlisberger. Goodell faced heavy criticism in every case. These were followed by drug issues, general player health issues, and, most significantly, concussions. Goodell’s major mode of response to the concussion issue was denial. The case of Mike Webster and the work of Bennet Amalu was the first major development. This led to a book and motion picture with the title League of Denial. Court cases, major studies, and congressional hearings all dogged the NFL and Goodell. Junior Seau’s suicide and others repeatedly raised the issue and the NFL continued public denial. The concussion issue also expanded beyond the NFL to college football and youth football. Major research centers including that of Ann McKee and the Boston Group received donations of brains from NFL players for study posthumously. The dramatic retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019 refocused the public attention on the issue. A major problem for the NFL was that part of the appeal of NFL football was its violence, which it had marketed over the decades.","PeriodicalId":416356,"journal":{"name":"NFL Football","volume":"50 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133695977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-08-15DOI: 10.5622/illinois/9780252043581.003.0004
R. Crepeau
1959 was a milestone year for football and the NFL. Vince Lombardi became head coach at Green Bay; the national media gave increasing attention to the NFL with a Time cover story and CBS’s “The Violent World of Sam Huff” leading the way; and Pete Rozelle was chosen the New Commissioner following the death of Bert Bell. Lamar Hunt and “Bud” Adams announced the formation of the American Football League in 1959 and a battle to sign players followed. The signing battle was costly to both leagues and put great pressure on all teams to settle. The AFL was aided in its survival by television contracts and their millionaire owners. The AFL moved to sign African-American players and this accelerated the desegregation process. The AFL played a different style of football and that helped attract fans. Key developments included the signing of Joe Namath by the New York Jets, expansion of both leagues, and wild spending on bonuses in 1965. In 1966 Lamar Hunt and Tex Schramm began secret negotiations on a merger. The settlement in 1966 was complicated but did include the agreement for an AFL/NFL Championship game and a retention of separate leagues until 1970. The merger approval by Congress involved political maneuvering including the creation of the New Orleans franchise in exchange for Congressman Hale Boggs’s work on the legislation. Between 1966 and 1970 the details were worked out by a Merger Committee representing both leagues. The final obstacle was divisional realignment necessitating some NFL teams moving from the National Conference to the American Conference. This was settled when Cleveland, Baltimore, and Pittsburg agreed to a move. In the meantime the Super Bowl was already becoming a major event aided by Joe Namath’s guarantee of a Jets victory in Super Bowl III.
{"title":"Moving to Center Stage","authors":"R. Crepeau","doi":"10.5622/illinois/9780252043581.003.0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5622/illinois/9780252043581.003.0004","url":null,"abstract":"1959 was a milestone year for football and the NFL. Vince Lombardi became head coach at Green Bay; the national media gave increasing attention to the NFL with a Time cover story and CBS’s “The Violent World of Sam Huff” leading the way; and Pete Rozelle was chosen the New Commissioner following the death of Bert Bell. Lamar Hunt and “Bud” Adams announced the formation of the American Football League in 1959 and a battle to sign players followed. The signing battle was costly to both leagues and put great pressure on all teams to settle. The AFL was aided in its survival by television contracts and their millionaire owners. The AFL moved to sign African-American players and this accelerated the desegregation process. The AFL played a different style of football and that helped attract fans. Key developments included the signing of Joe Namath by the New York Jets, expansion of both leagues, and wild spending on bonuses in 1965. In 1966 Lamar Hunt and Tex Schramm began secret negotiations on a merger. The settlement in 1966 was complicated but did include the agreement for an AFL/NFL Championship game and a retention of separate leagues until 1970. The merger approval by Congress involved political maneuvering including the creation of the New Orleans franchise in exchange for Congressman Hale Boggs’s work on the legislation. Between 1966 and 1970 the details were worked out by a Merger Committee representing both leagues. The final obstacle was divisional realignment necessitating some NFL teams moving from the National Conference to the American Conference. This was settled when Cleveland, Baltimore, and Pittsburg agreed to a move. In the meantime the Super Bowl was already becoming a major event aided by Joe Namath’s guarantee of a Jets victory in Super Bowl III.","PeriodicalId":416356,"journal":{"name":"NFL Football","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126961129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This chapter briefly examines semi-professional and professional football prior to 1920 including nature of the players, teams, and fans. Describes the founding of the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in 1920 and the change of name to The National Football League (NFL) the following year. George Halas and Commissioner Joe Carr played key roles in the formation and early history of the league. Red Grange and C.C. Pyle provided new visibility for the NFL and the Grange Tour exposed the league to fans across the nation. Franchises came and went with frequency throughout the 1920s, and one of the notable franchises was the Duluth Eskimos whose fame increased with the signing of Ernie Nevers.
{"title":"The First Pros","authors":"R. Crepeau","doi":"10.5406/j.ctv160bttb.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5406/j.ctv160bttb.5","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter briefly examines semi-professional and professional football prior to 1920 including nature of the players, teams, and fans. Describes the founding of the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in 1920 and the change of name to The National Football League (NFL) the following year. George Halas and Commissioner Joe Carr played key roles in the formation and early history of the league. Red Grange and C.C. Pyle provided new visibility for the NFL and the Grange Tour exposed the league to fans across the nation. Franchises came and went with frequency throughout the 1920s, and one of the notable franchises was the Duluth Eskimos whose fame increased with the signing of Ernie Nevers.","PeriodicalId":416356,"journal":{"name":"NFL Football","volume":"99 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124884140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-08-15DOI: 10.5622/illinois/9780252043581.003.0012
R. Crepeau
Under Roger Goodell, the revenue and franchise values of teams and the league skyrocketed. Stadium sponsorships and advertising, parallel marketing partnerships, merchandise sales, television and other media contracts all contributed to the soaring value of NFL franchises reaching well over one billion dollars each. Jerry Jones led the way in Dallas with his new stadium as the anchor and driver of success. When owners opted out of the CBA in May of 2008 and with Gene Upshaw’s death, there were fears of a new crisis. DeMaurice Smith replaced Upshaw at the NFLPA, Owners and players prepared for a lockout, and it came in March of 2011. A ten-year settlement was reached in July and this set the stage for massive new television contracts. The NFL reached out into the international market with league games played in London and Mexico City. In 2018 television paid the NFL $7B in rights fees. Goodell’s achievements were further enhanced when Goolell opened the Los Angles market. Franchises movement followed led by the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers and the building of new stadiums in Hollywood and Las Vegas. The other areas of controversy and concern centered on social consciousness, freedom, and Patriotism. At the heart of these issues was the protest led by Colin Kaepernick, the protests surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, and the National Anthem controversy, all of which became political issues. Divisions within teams, between players and owners, and between players and fans were all touched by these issues. It began in September of 2015 when Colin Kaepernick “took a knee” during the National Anthem. The controversy spread across sports and borders. It seemed to decline by the 2019 Super Bowl. One key to this was the signing of Jay-Z and his production company, Roc Nation, to a contract to produce the Super Bowl halftime show, a show that Jay-Z and others had boycotted in 2019 in Atlanta. Then in a dubious PR move the NFL announced it would stage a tryout for Colin Kaepernick. Goodell’s PR skills continued to be lacking but ownership appreciated the money that flowed into the league under his leadership.
{"title":"The Money Tree","authors":"R. Crepeau","doi":"10.5622/illinois/9780252043581.003.0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5622/illinois/9780252043581.003.0012","url":null,"abstract":"Under Roger Goodell, the revenue and franchise values of teams and the league skyrocketed. Stadium sponsorships and advertising, parallel marketing partnerships, merchandise sales, television and other media contracts all contributed to the soaring value of NFL franchises reaching well over one billion dollars each. Jerry Jones led the way in Dallas with his new stadium as the anchor and driver of success. When owners opted out of the CBA in May of 2008 and with Gene Upshaw’s death, there were fears of a new crisis. DeMaurice Smith replaced Upshaw at the NFLPA, Owners and players prepared for a lockout, and it came in March of 2011. A ten-year settlement was reached in July and this set the stage for massive new television contracts. The NFL reached out into the international market with league games played in London and Mexico City. In 2018 television paid the NFL $7B in rights fees. Goodell’s achievements were further enhanced when Goolell opened the Los Angles market. Franchises movement followed led by the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers and the building of new stadiums in Hollywood and Las Vegas. The other areas of controversy and concern centered on social consciousness, freedom, and Patriotism. At the heart of these issues was the protest led by Colin Kaepernick, the protests surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, and the National Anthem controversy, all of which became political issues. Divisions within teams, between players and owners, and between players and fans were all touched by these issues. It began in September of 2015 when Colin Kaepernick “took a knee” during the National Anthem. The controversy spread across sports and borders. It seemed to decline by the 2019 Super Bowl. One key to this was the signing of Jay-Z and his production company, Roc Nation, to a contract to produce the Super Bowl halftime show, a show that Jay-Z and others had boycotted in 2019 in Atlanta. Then in a dubious PR move the NFL announced it would stage a tryout for Colin Kaepernick. Goodell’s PR skills continued to be lacking but ownership appreciated the money that flowed into the league under his leadership.","PeriodicalId":416356,"journal":{"name":"NFL Football","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122641740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This chapter examines the evolution of the league from one centered in small and medium sized cities, to one made up of larger population centers with the exception being Green Bay. This change was the result of a strategy and was aided by the economic impact of the Great Depression. The Chicago Bears led by Bronco Nagurski was one of the powerhouse franchises of the NFL in the 1930s along with the Packers, Giants and Redskins. The decade saw the segregation of the NFL as the league succumbed to the wishes of the owner of the Washington Redskins, Preston Marshall. There was a steady growth in the interest in the league and media coverage moved beyond local coverage. By the end of the decade the league was on the brink of major status among American sports. World War II disrupted these developments and some franchises such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (Steagles) were combined. NFL Players and coaches joined the war effort as the league displayed its patriotism. Paul Brown became the coach of the football team at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center a powerhouse of wartime football. By wars end, there were predictions that professional football was the game of the future.
{"title":"Depression and War","authors":"R. Crepeau","doi":"10.4324/9781315687667-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315687667-5","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter examines the evolution of the league from one centered in small and medium sized cities, to one made up of larger population centers with the exception being Green Bay. This change was the result of a strategy and was aided by the economic impact of the Great Depression. The Chicago Bears led by Bronco Nagurski was one of the powerhouse franchises of the NFL in the 1930s along with the Packers, Giants and Redskins. The decade saw the segregation of the NFL as the league succumbed to the wishes of the owner of the Washington Redskins, Preston Marshall. There was a steady growth in the interest in the league and media coverage moved beyond local coverage. By the end of the decade the league was on the brink of major status among American sports. World War II disrupted these developments and some franchises such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (Steagles) were combined. NFL Players and coaches joined the war effort as the league displayed its patriotism. Paul Brown became the coach of the football team at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center a powerhouse of wartime football. By wars end, there were predictions that professional football was the game of the future.","PeriodicalId":416356,"journal":{"name":"NFL Football","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133826300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-03-03DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199399895.003.0012
V. Giroud
{"title":"Moving to Center Stage","authors":"V. Giroud","doi":"10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199399895.003.0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199399895.003.0012","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":416356,"journal":{"name":"NFL Football","volume":"193 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115637516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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