Carroll Rosenbloom Carroll Rosenbloom ( March 5 , 1907 – April 2 , 1979 ) was an American entrepreneur and owner of two National Football League franchises ; he was the first owner of the Baltimore Colts , and later switched teams , taking ownership of the Los Angeles Rams . During his stewardship of both franchises , Rosenbloom amassed the best ownership winning percentage in league history ( . 660 ) , a total regular season record of 226 wins , 116 losses and 8 ties and 4 NFL championships . Rosenbloom has been described as the NFL ’ s first modern owner and the first players ’ owner . Rosenbloom was part of the NFL inner circle that negotiated the League ’ s network TV contracts with NBC and CBS and the NFL / AFL merger , both of which contributed to professional football becoming both profitable and the most watched spectator sport in the United States . Early life and education . Rosenbloom was born in Baltimore , Maryland on March 5 , 1907 , to Anna and Solomon Rosenbloom . He was the eighth of nine children , raised in a Jewish family . His father , an immigrant from Russian Poland , started a successful work - clothing manufacturing company . As a youth , " Sports Illustrated " described Rosenbloom as an “ indifferent student ” but a “ good athlete . ” He played football , baseball and boxed . Rosenbloom graduated from Baltimore City College in 1926 then later that year attended the University of Pennsylvania , where he studied psychology and business and played halfback on the football team . At the time , the Quakers backfield coach was Bert Bell , who later became the commissioner of the NFL . Business career . Upon graduation , Rosenbloom returned to Baltimore to work for his father ’ s clothing company . After being sent to liquidate the Blue Ridge Overalls Company , a small factory his father had acquired , Rosenbloom decided he wanted to run the fledgling company on his own . Based in Roanoke , Virginia , Blue Ridge had suffered during the Depression . But Rosenbloom was intent to turn it around . When the U . S . Civilian Conservation Corps was authorized in 1933 and officials needed denim work clothes , Rosenbloom successfully secured Blue Ridge a large order . By 1940 , after attaining distribution through large channels like Sears - Roebuck and J . C . Penney , Blue Ridge had grown into a prosperous company allowing Rosenbloom to retire at 32 . ( As a youth , Rosenbloom told his brother Ben he planned to retire at 34 . ) During a brief retirement , Rosenbloom lived as a gentleman farmer on Maryland ’ s Eastern Shore , growing corn and peach es . As well , during this time , Rosenbloom married Velma Anderson . Rosenbloom ’ s father ’ s death in 1942 cut his retirement short , however . When Rosenbloom was named the executor of his father ’ s estate , he chose to return to business life . By 1959 , Blue Ridge had grown to include almost a dozen shirt and overall companies and 7000 employees , leading some to dub Rosenbloom “ America ’ s Overalls King . ” In the financial interests of his family , Rosenbloom decided to sell the company to P & R . The price : $ 7 million in cash and more than $ 20 million in stock . At P & R , Rosenbloom served as a Director . With the success of his first enterprise , Rosenbloom diversified his business interests . In late 1950s , Rosenbloom and his partners bought control of Universal Products Co . He went on to buy American Totalisator and other small companies , eventually lumping them all together under the name Universal Controls , Inc . Rosenbloom was one of the largest individual shareholders in Seven Arts Productions Limited , which backed the Broadway musical " Funny Girl " , and the films " Lolita " , " What Ever Happened to Baby Jane ? " and " The Night of the Iguana " . National Football League . Baltimore Colts ( 1953 - 1971 ) . After losing the original Colts team in 1951 , the city of Baltimore petitioned the NFL for another franchise . Around this time , NFL Commissioner Bert Bell wanted to find a new home for the Dallas Texans , an NFL expansion team that folded after one failed season in 1952 . Bell sought a competitive new owner with financial resources . From their days together at Penn , Bell thought Rosenbloom would be great fit . Though Rosenbloom was hesitant at first to own a franchise , he relented and bought the team along with a group of other investors . Rosenbloom ’ s share cost him $ 13 , 000 . And in January 1953 , the NFL awarded the city of Baltimore the Dallas Texans franchise , with Rosenbloom as the principal owner . Adopting the nickname of the city ' s earlier professional incarnation , the Colts , Rosenbloom asked fans to give him five years to create a winning team . Before their first season , Rosenbloom helped organize one of the biggest trades in sports history : in exchange for ten Cleveland Browns , the Colts traded five players . Among the players traded to Baltimore were Don Shula , Art Spinney , Bert Rechichar , Carl Taseff , Ed Sharkey , Gern Nagler , Harry Agganis , Dick Batten , Stu Sheets , and Elmer Willhoite . In 1954 , the Colts hired Weeb Ewbank as head coach . Ewbank lead the Colts for nine seasons and won two conference and NFL Championships with the help of 1956 free agent quarterback Johnny Unitas . On November 30 , 1958 , the Colts clinched their first Western Conference title . Four weeks later , the team won its first NFL Championship , beating the New York Giants , 23 - 17 in what is regarded as “ The Greatest Game Ever Played , ” six years after Rosenbloom purchased the team . The televised game , a sudden death thriller , would serve as a launching point for the start of the NFL ' s enormous boom in popularity . The Colts repeated as champions in 1959 , again defeating the Giants , 31 - 16 , for the NFL Championship . During the 1960 through 1962 seasons , the Colts struggled . So in 1963 Rosenbloom let go of Coach Ewbank and hired Don Shula , then the youngest coach in NFL history . Over the next several seasons the team did not win another championship but did make it to the NFL Championship game in 1964 , losing to the Cleveland Browns 27 - 0 , and to the 1968 Super Bowl III , again to lose , this time to the New York Jets 16 - 7 . ( The NFL Championship retroactively changed names to the Super Bowl in 1966 prior to the AFC - NFL merger of 1970 . ) After the 1969 season , Shula left Baltimore for Miami after Dolphins owner Joe Robbie tempted Shula with about $ 750 , 000 and other perks . Rosenbloom was furious and successfully argued that Miami had tampered with Shula . Because of the infraction , the NFL awarded the Colts Miami ' s 1971 first - round draft choice . On January 17 , 1971 , the Colts won a fourth league title , defeating the Dallas Cowboys 16 - 13 in Super Bowl V . A fierce competitor , Rosenbloom had a profound interest in his team succeeding . Describing his commitment to the Colts and his experience running a franchise , Rosenbloom told Sports Illustrated : " After the first year in football , I found that of all the things I ' ve ever done , this is the thing . There is nothing more rewarding . You have everything wrapped up in one bundle . You meet much nicer people than you do in business . You meet the public , and you must learn to look out for them . There ' s no place where your word is more your bond than in sports . You ' d never find 14 men who deal as fairly with one another as the 14 owners in the National Football League , particularly after some of the things that have gone on in business or on Wall Street . You play a part in the lives of young men , and you help them grow . And then every Sunday you have the great pleasure of dying . " However , while Rosenbloom loved the Colts , issues with the Baltimore Memorial Stadium and the city ’ s officials , Rosenbloom wanted to leave Baltimore . And in the next offseason in 1972 , Rosenbloom completed a historic tax - free swapping of teams with new Los Angeles Rams owner Robert Irsay . When Rosenbloom left , he received recognition from his players . Colts linebacker Mike Curtis said , " I hate to see Carroll go . He was a damn good owner . It wasn ' t the coaches who made Baltimore a winner for 14 years . " Los Angeles Rams ( 1972 - 79 ) . By the 1972 season , Rosenbloom assumed control as the majority owner of the Rams . The Rams remained solid contenders in the 1970s , winning seven straight NFC West Championships between 1973 – 79 . Though a strong team , the Rams lost the first four conference championship games they played in that decade , twice to Minnesota ( 1974 , 1976 ) and twice to Dallas ( 1975 , 1978 ) and failed to win a Super Bowl . In 1978 , Rosenbloom announced plans to move the Rams to Anaheim Stadium , citing dissatisfaction with the Los Angeles Coliseum and the location as the motives behind the move . ( The move eventually occurred in 1980 , a year after Rosenbloom ’ s death . The extra time was needed to retrofit Anaheim Stadium , which opened in 1966 for Major League Baseball ' s California Angels , from a baseball - only facility into a multi - purpose stadium . ) Death and ensuing controversy . While swimming at Golden Beach , Florida , Rosenbloom drowned on April 2 , 1979 . He was 72 . Though Dr . Joseph H . Davis , the Dade County coroner , stated , “ there is not one scintilla of reason to believe this is anything other than an unfortunate accident , ” a PBS " Frontline " documentary called “ An Unauthorized History of the NFL ” suggested that Rosenbloom , a known gambler , may have been murdered , causing conspiracy theorists to question the case . The final conclusion was that Carroll , who had been one of the first heart bypass patients , had suffered a heart attack while swimming . Witnesses at the scene and the Miami coroner ’ s office and the Miami chief of police confirmed this finding . After Rosenbloom ’ s death , his second wife , Georgia Frontiere , inherited a 70 % ownership stake in the Los Angeles Rams . Rosenbloom ’ s five children inherited the other 30 % . Frontiere ’ s inheritance came as a surprise to many fans ( though not to close friends and family ) who thought Steve Rosenbloom , the former owner ’ s son from a previous marriage and the Rams ’ vice - president , would take a leadership role in the team ’ s management . It was not a surprise to close friends and family because Rosenbloom was trying to take advantage of the widow ' s tax exemption . Steve Rosenbloom later would comment on the bizarre situation stating that " Dad told me he was trying to take advantage of the widows tax exemption ( by making Georgia the prime beneficiary ) . He said he ' d rather trust Georgia to do the right thing than to battle with Uncle Sam . He expected her to sit home and do the social things " he then went on to say " Dad wasn ' t dead 15 minutes and she was in her glory . " There was a draft of Rosenbloom ' s will was also to be changed so the team would be left to his son Steve , however , it was never executed . Over 900 people attended Rosenbloom ’ s memorial service , including 15 NFL owners , sportscaster Howard Cosell ( 1918 – 1995 ) , the entire Rams organization and actors Warren Beatty , Kirk Douglas , Cary Grant ( 1904 – 1986 ) , Jimmy Stewart ( 1908 – 1997 ) , Rod Steiger ( 1925 – 2002 ) and Henry Mancini ( 1924 – 1994 ) . Influence on the NFL . Rosenbloom influenced the modern day NFL in many ways , namely in that he envisioned that the league could be a successful business . In 1960 , the NFL owners were deadlocked about naming a successor to Commissioner Bell . After reviewing 23 ballots , Rosenbloom brought up the name of Los Angeles Rams general manager Pete Rozelle as a compromise candidate because he had successfully made the Rams profitable . At the age of 33 , Rozelle was elected commissioner . Rozelle , with the help of Rosenbloom , would spearhead equal revenue sharing of all TV contracts among the 12 league franchises , which helped make the league profitable and caused football to surpass baseball as the most watch spectator sport in the US . When Rozelle retired in 1989 , he was regarded as the greatest sports commissioner ever . Upon Rosenbloom ’ s death , Rozelle said , “ Carroll Rosenbloom played a major role in the growth and success of the NFL , both through the teams he produced and through his active participation in the league ’ s decision making process . ” Rosenbloom was also influential in making the AFL - NFL merger possible . He helped push the merger forward in 1970 by taking $ 3 million and agreeing to move the Colts to the American Football Conference ( along with the Browns and Steelers ) . He was also the NFL ’ s first visible owner and its first players ’ owner , and envisioned revenue - generating stadiums and luxury suites before anyone else . Awards and recognition . In 1960 , the City of Baltimore awarded Rosenbloom the “ Man of the Year Award . ” Since his death , the Rams ’ players and coaches give the Carroll Rosenbloom Memorial Award to the team ’ s rookie of the year . Rosenbloom was elected to the Rams ’ Ring of Honor . Personal life . Rosenbloom was married , to his first wife , Velma Anderson , when he met his second wife , 20 yrs his junior , who was also married . At a party hosted by his friend Joseph Kennedy at his Palm Beach estate in 1957 . Rosenbloom met , seven times married , former lounge singer , Georgia Frontiere , then a TV personality in Miami . Rosenbloom and his mistress Georgia were engaged in 1960 , however it took Rosenbloom ten years to divorce his first wife . Rosenbloom and Frontiere married in 1966 , though they had been together for eight years and had two illegitimate children together . When Rosenbloom died , Frontiere and five children ( Dan , Steve and Suzanne , from his first wife , and Lucia and Chip from his second wife ) survived him .