Your Unpopular Football Opinions

[MatthewToy]

The Rose Bowl should be the permanent Super Bowl site. How there hasn't been one played there in almost 25 years is beyond me.

[Saban1]

Probably true, and Houston had one of the best supporting casts in the AFL at that time.

Tobin Rote I think would have done pretty well in the 1960 AFL, but was apparently happy playing in Canada then. Besides, like many, he probably wasn't sure if the AFL would last.

[Saban1]

A popular opinion is that the domination of the 1946-49 All-America Conference (AAFC) by the Cleveland Browns is what ruined that league. I don't agree. The AAFC would have folded even if the Browns were one of the weaker teams in that league, IMO. About the only difference is probably only 2 teams (49ers and Colts) would have ended up in the NFL in 1950, if that.

What ruined the AAFC was lack of TV revenue and owners (of the weaker teams) were not willing to continue to lose money. There was also some mismanagement. There was also mismanagement in the 1960's AFL, but TV revenue helped to keep them going when things were tough.

The AFL owners in 1960 bought into the idea that Cleveland's domination is what ruined the AAFC, and tried mostly for equality among the teams, which included a draft right in the first year. The AAFC did not have a draft in 1946 which allowed teams like Cleveland, the 49ers, and the New York Yankees to pretty much hand pick the players for their teams. Other teams did also, but not so well.

Despite the draft and maybe other efforts to insure equality with the AFL teams, the early league was dominated by the Houston Oilers, playing in the first 3 championship games and winning the first 2, and the San Diego Chargers, who played in 5 of the first 6 championship games.

Houston's AFL championship run may have lasted longer, but they changed head coaches 3 times in the first 3 years. In 1963, injuries to key players (Billy Cannon, Don Floyd, and Al Jamison) and maybe the coaching changes contributed to the end of Houston's domination of the AFL's Eastern Division. Houston's 3rd head coach, Pop Ivy, was fired after the 1963 season.

The Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers did win the AFL Western Division 5 of the first 6 years of the league's existence, and may have made it 6 for 6 if not for a blunder by the coaching staff or someone, putting their star quarterback, Jack Kemp, on waivers after the 1961 season. He was picked up by the Buffalo Bills. The Chargers had to go with rookie quarterback John Hadl in 1962 and only won 4 games that year. In 1963, San Diego picked up veteran quarterback Tobin Rote, who led them to the AFL title. In the mean time, Hadl improved and became a good quarterback.

While the Cleveland Browns did win the AAFC title 4 times in 4 years, it was never that easy. They had 2 tough championship games in 1946 and 1947 with the New York Yankees and had some pretty stiff competition in their own division with the rival San Francisco 49ers in 1948 and 1949.

I once read that which ever AFL team signed George Blanda would win the 1960 AFL title, assuming they had a good supporting cast. Blanda was the best experienced pro QB available in 1960. He was out of football in 1959, in business in Chicago.

My last post about Blanda and Tobin Rote was supposed to be a reply to SixtiesFan's post above.

[7DnBrnc53]

What ruined the AAFC was lack of TV revenue and owners (of the weaker teams) were not willing to continue to lose money. There was also some mismanagement. There was also mismanagement in the 1960's AFL, but TV revenue helped to keep them going when things were tough.

That makes sense. Lack of TV money is also what hurt the American Basketball Association. It may have folded sooner if it wasn't for Dr. J.

I know that the AFL had a TV contract, but what would have happened if they didn't get the new pact with NBC around 1964? That led Matt Snell to sign with the Jets, and then to Namath going there as well. Without that deal, the Giants probably get Snell, and who knows what happens to Namath.

[Saban1]

What ruined the AAFC was lack of TV revenue and owners (of the weaker teams) were not willing to continue to lose money. There was also some mismanagement. There was also mismanagement in the 1960's AFL, but TV revenue helped to keep them going when things were tough.

That makes sense. Lack of TV money is also what hurt the American Basketball Association. It may have folded sooner if it wasn't for Dr. J.

I know that the AFL had a TV contract, but what would have happened if they didn't get the new pact with NBC around 1964? That led Matt Snell to sign with the Jets, and then to Namath going there as well. Without that deal, the Giants probably get Snell, and who knows what happens to Namath.

The NFL played right into the hands of the AFL by signing an exclusive contract with CBS in 1964. This left NBC with no football. NBC then signed a very lucrative contract with the AFL and the new league was here to stay.

Yes, things would probably be much different if the AFL did not get that big contract with NBC.

Dr. J was one of my favorites in basketball.

[BD Sullivan]

What ruined the AAFC was lack of TV revenue and owners (of the weaker teams) were not willing to continue to lose money. There was also some mismanagement. There was also mismanagement in the 1960's AFL, but TV revenue helped to keep them going when things were tough.

That makes sense. Lack of TV money is also what hurt the American Basketball Association. It may have folded sooner if it wasn't for Dr. J.

I know that the AFL had a TV contract, but what would have happened if they didn't get the new pact with NBC around 1964? That led Matt Snell to sign with the Jets, and then to Namath going there as well. Without that deal, the Giants probably get Snell, and who knows what happens to Namath.

The NFL played right into the hands of the AFL by signing an exclusive contract with CBS in 1964. This left NBC with no football. NBC then signed a very lucrative contract with the AFL and the new league was here to stay.

Yes, things would probably be much different if the AFL did not get that big contract with NBC.

Dr. J was one of my favorites in basketball.

Especially since ABC as a whole was still continuing to flounder in the latter half of the 1960's.

[JuggernautJ]

....and who knows what happens to Namath.

He was drafted by the Cardinals...

[7DnBrnc53]

....and who knows what happens to Namath.

He was drafted by the Cardinals...

I know, but would he really have gone there, or did they draft him for the Giants?

[Mark L. Ford]

....and who knows what happens to Namath.

He was drafted by the Cardinals...

I know, but would he really have gone there, or did they draft him for the Giants?

That's what I've read, that St. Louis drafted him with the intention of trading him to the NFL's New York team, in that Namath really had no interest in becoming "Gateway Joe".

[Saban1]

I think that Fran Tarkenton was a much better fit for those Giants teams at that time than Joe Namath would have been. The Giants needed a mobile quarterback due to their lack of pass protection. In 1966, Giants quarterbacks were sacked more than 60 times, despite the fact that Gary Wood got a lot of playing time that year and Wood was a pretty mobile quarterback.

Joe Namath had a great arm, but was far better off with the Jets then. JMO.