Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-12
HEART ATTACK IS FATAL
Bells Death Shokes
Pro Football World
Continued From Page Ans

good as Bell, no matter WHOM
they pick"
Dan Reeves, owner Of the Los
Angeles Rams-"A tremendous
loss to football and also per-
sonal loss. He was a great COM
missioner"
To Meet Wednesday
Edwin j. Anderson, Detroit
Lions-"Bell was a level-headed
administrator who met every
problem head-on. His death is
a tragic thing. Bell has done
more for professional football
than any other man. He will
be sorely missed by the entire
league.
Jack Mara, New York Giants
It's an awful blow to us"
Mara added that club owners
would meet in Philadelphia
Wednesday after the funeral to
discuss the problem of a new
commissioner.
Vince lombard. Green Bay
Packers - II don't know how
we'll replace him in the league"
Vic Morabito, San Francisco
Forty-Niners - 1--WE lost our
strongest member. He truly
cannot be replaced. He loved
us all and we loved him."
The short, energetic, out
spoken little man from Phila-
delphia first became commits
sioner in 1916, under a three
year contract calling for an
estimated $4,000 a year. The
owners tore up three contracts
since then, writing new ones for
longer terms. The last was
given to him in 1858. 1t was
for IL years at $4,000 a year
with a $4,000 yearly pension
payment.
oJS
When Bell took over as COM
missioner from Elmer Layden,
most of the leagues IL teams
were losing money. The NIL
was a picture Of confusion and
red ink.
Under his iron-flsted rule,
however. player salaries. which
averaged $4,000 when he took
over, doubled and attendance
increased 100 per cent. Pro-
fessional football. through
Bells liberal television policy.
was beamed into millions of
homes across the Nation each
season.
Professional football under
the explosive Bell no longer was
ridiculed as a road show with
three or four featured per-
formers and a supporting cast
Of poor relations.
Bell, who came from a
socially prominent family on
Philadelphia's renowned Main
Line, learned as a youngster to
make quick, final decisions
that become his hallmark.
Weathered Storms
He needed this deciSivenesS
to weather the storms that
threatened to overwhelm the
league. During his tenure he
successfully guided the league
through a SIS million player war
with the old All-American Con-
ference. a gambling scandal, a !
Government suit charging the
league with restraining tele-
vision rights, a player battle
with Canadian football in
terests, wrangling among
owners over schedules and
player rights.
Bell settled them all, not
without help, but he called the
final play each time.
He always considered the
player draft as his greatest |
contribution to the game. Under
the draft system, the names of |
all graduating college players
are tossed into pool and the
teams select according to their
standing in the league-from
first to last-thoSe players they
want to sign.
Since the inception of the
draft in 1886, almost every
club has won or PLAYED for
the world championship.
Solved Problems
Bell was the man the owners
turned to in time of trouble. |
He solved their problems, not
always to their liking, but he
solved them. It was common
practice at league meetings,
after hours of debate on a given
subject. for the owners to
throw up their hands and
assert:
Give it to Bert. Whatever
he decides goes"
Criticized by some as a DOM
ineering. self-opinionated car
who actually ran several of the
leagues teams, Bell replied:
80 what? They're making |
money aren't they. AS commits
sioner, if I can help them, why
not?"
In recent years, some of the
problems he met head-on were
the new players association
and their demands for pensions
and other working conditions.
He recognized the association
and just last January helped
to formulate a pension and
health plan.
Soft Hearted Guy
Sometimes he was accused
by players of being a company
man. Yet, some owners charged
him with favoring players. Bell,
as usual offered a blunt re-
tort.
Il work for professional
football, which includes play
ers and owners" he said. "I'll
battle for what's good for the
game. The owners know it and
the players should"