Evening star., 1962-12-25

AFL Brand Isn't
Much Pro Football
BY MORRIS SIEGEL

AS VEHICLE TO fill in what otherwise would have
been dull afternoon for TV sports the American Foot
ball League title game was pasSable Beyond that it
wasn't much
The pageant offered by Dallas and Houston minor
league professional football On their best day. neither
team allstar assembly featuring the best of
both, could cope with the worst entry in the NFL.
Dramatic? To an extent The big schmeer was the
battle against the clock, not the fight against an
other. Unless my fooled me, couldn't find 10
players who could make NFL team the weakest entry
in the NFL at that.
This is not intended to be harsh criticism certainly
not at this anyway 1t is offered primarily to
combat the Illusion that many viewers thought they saw
two tremendous teams play tremendous game" as one
video observer phrased it.
THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE itself recog-
nizeS It's limitations. 1t advertised the game as
scrap for the AFL title not for the worlds championship
as the NFL bills its climax The NFL, of course guilty
of oversatemen but who is there to offer accept
able challenger
George Blanda and Len Dawson, the rival quarter
backs are Just performers Both had ample oppor
tunity to make go Of it in the NFL. Billy Cannon both
cred with back trouble is Of maoreague pro calber and
so is E. Holub the marvellous lnebacker of the winning
Texans.
Otherwise the AFL cast in its title game wasn't much
The engagement like Big Ten battle, not
the wide-open, sklfu show fans have to expect
pros to render The simple fact is that the ambitious
AFL hasn't grown up yet
1t is making strides at least in certain cities They
are not SNUG enough to think they know 1t ALL not even
Harry Wismer They have copied the best features of
the NFL and to be commended for remodeling their
production after accepted venture It's the old story
Of not knocking success.
THE RESULT OF THE game could turn out to be
embarrasingy significant for the NFL 1t could drive
the NFL franchise, the Cowboys out Of Dallas Both
teams, the Cowboys and the champion Texans have
at
head-to-head struggle for acceptance.
The Texan contingent, in its push to enlist the un-
committed, claim 1t offers championship foot
ball. This might be a powerful argument to introduce
against the sales pitch of the Cowboys who contend
they aren't the mosest at least their opponents
Neither the Murchisons, who own the Cowboys, nor
Lamar Hunt who bankrols the Texans, will admit what
the pro football in Dallas has cost but the amount
is staggering 1t could total high as So million well
beyond the choking point of anybody including the we'll
saturated Murchsons and Hunt It's anybods guess how
long 1t will continue ...
ONLY RECENTLY, the younger Murchison, asked If
there would be two teams in Dallas next answered
snidely: Eyes, If the Texans operate again." That
before the Texans won the AFL title Now they
likely to be accepted in Dallas than the Cowboys who
have yet to win any kind of championship in their three
year existence. .ra.-.-a.-.-- .t-.-..---
The Cowboy plight plus similar failngs in Pittsburgh
and st. Louis will occupy the attention Of the NIL when
the IA owners meet in Florida late next month The NFL
is not much concerned whether ownerships in Dallas
St Louis and Pittsburgh afford the losses but how
long will the NIL be able to endure it?
There are several cities in the United States willing
to support rst-rate football The predecessor Of the
AFL the old Al-Amerca Conference bucked all odds,
Just the AFT is doing gallantly now, and finally
coughed 1t up Three of their outposts Baltimore Ceve-
land and San Francisco were merged into the NFL+
The January meeting of the N could be awfuly sig
nifcant Out Of could come new reagnment OF pro
football with most of the faces Of the AFL boted out
couple of the weaker sisters in the NFL notably Dallas
and St Louis, might 60 with 1t.