Evening star., 1960-02-01
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW By FRANCIS srANN
Football War II

NOW THAT THE American Football League has
awarded its eighth and final franchise Oakland the
battle lines apparently drawn for another with the
ongestablshed National League Remember the last war?
1t was the costliest in the history of sports.
Despite the millions that poured into the battle
between the National League and the A-American Con-
ference the promoters today deliberately standing
totoe in four cities Los Angeles Oakland Dallas and
New York. counting Oakland suburb part of Greater
San Francisco
footballs other war ended in December 1949 after
four bitter expensive The question is whether
ian interest and economic conditions have changed enough
in decade to allow the leagues to survive and prosper
Guesses vary from the tcanrbe done to the AFL-cant
miss school. -,.-..
In the scramble for players NFI still leads with
sbg names but the AFL even before it complete had
made dent. But so had the old AAC in 1856.
.s .a
THE FOCAL POINTS in the NFL-AAC were New
York Chicago and Los Angeles While it is true the Ma
tonal Leaguers eventually won, forced the diSbandng
the upsart circuit and absorbed of its best cities
it was costly
In Los Angeles two big spenders claShed in Reeves
heir to grocery chain millions and boss of the Rams and
Ben Lndhemer the race track tycoon and angel OF the
pons Before the issue resolved with fans prefering
the Rams it estimated that Lindheimer lost $4 mil
lion and Reeves about S750000. - . Et -
Foolishly the AAC attempted to invade Chicago which
then had two NF teams The Bears and Cardinals
Notwithstanding, Jack Keeshin organized the Chicago
Rockets in abortive effort to buck the Windy Citys
established clubs.
CarQS preQaLeQ Bears, george
Haas team that popular because of higher sk
At the time of the Rockets invasion the Cards in bad
shape having only once in 80 games in 1885. But
with the AAC threat the late Charles Bidw built up his
Cardinals to the point where they the western division
in 1918 and the NFL title in AZ.
The Rockets ruined They only two of 80
games while the Cards were flying high.
H%t*
DAN TOPPING co-owner of the baseball Yankees had
NFL franchise Brooklyn but persuaded accept
AAC berth into New York City to combat the
Giants Then the AAC put another club in Brooklyn Every
body got hurt in New York. including Ted Collins of the
NFL Boston YankS
Collins who once owned the Original Cecs in basket
ball. bought the Boston franchise despite the failure of
three previous promoters ncluding George Marsha to
make go of it there Ted blew about $25O0OO and in
198 moved the Yanks Qater rechrstened the BuldogS
to New York to help the Giants combat Toppings own
Yanks.
With the AAC's Brooklyn team a fop Topping was
caught in the middle in New York When the Giants
weren't playing at home the Bulldogs were although with
less financial Collins eventually quit 81 million
SO poorer and the Bulldogs later combined with the Top
ping Yanks.
All told, AAc teams failed in Miami, Brooklyn, New
York, Buffalo, Chicago and Los Angeles Bert Bell turned
Collins New York franchise to Dallas. 1t such
big mistake that it is to wonder why both the NFL and
AFL are so anxious to have Dallas now.
$50
A SYNDICATE of Dallas oil baronS and businessmen,
headed by Giles Miller bought the old Bulldogs for 100000
in 1852 They leased the Cotton Bowl and sat back await
the expected support of football by the fans of Texas
AS turned out they much too optimistic With five
games still remaining that first Miller and his
ciaes announcing they had lost $2OOO turned back the
franchise to the NFI. .-,.-
Bert Bell. the late commissioner goofed Dallas but
Baltimore got him off the hook After unfortunate five
year venture in both the AAC and NFL, ending 1884,
Baltimore stockholders sued Bells league for illegal
chase of it's assets BY awarding the Dallas franchise to the
Colts Bell not only settled the lawsuit but inadvertently
acquired of the best franchise in the presentday NFL
If Baltimore could flop in 1851 and back it did
two years later maybe they'll all make it in the NFL
and AFL.
Maybe.