Online Encyclopedia
Pete Rozelle
Alvin "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 the office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL arguably the most successful sports league in the world.
When he took office there were twelve teams in the NFL; by the time he resigned, that number had grown to twenty-eight. Following the lead of the rival American Football League, he negotiated large television contracts to broadcast every NFL game played each season. He got NFL team owners to agree to share revenues between teams, as the American Football League had done since its inception.
In November 1963 the NFL played its full schedule of games, only two days after JFK's assassination, while the rival American Football League (AFL) postponed its games out of respect for the fallen president. Rozelle rued his decision to have the NFL play, and frequently stated publicly that it had been his worst mistake. Because of this, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue ordered all games cancelled in September 2001 the weekend following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. His "aptitude for conciliation" with the league's owners, however, led to him receiving Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award.
With American Football League Commissioner Al Davis and other AFL and NFL executives, he negotiated the merger between the American Football League and the NFL. 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."; 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.
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Preceded by: Austin Gunsel (interim) |
NFL Commissioners |
Succeeded by: Paul Tagliabue |