Post by Reignman on Feb 11, 2019 20:26:20 GMT -6
Have you ever wondered how they determined division realignment in the NFC at the 1970 merger? I guess it didn't go as smoothly as the AFC, and it's a small miracle that the Vikings didn't end up in the NFC East.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL%E2%80%93NFL_merger
Imagine that, the Vikings were feared once upon a time haha. And as you can see, only 1 of the 5 plans had us joining the Central despite being in the Central Division with the Bears, Lions, and Packers from 1967-1969. And in the Western Conference with those 3 teams, and the Colts, 49ers, and Rams from 1961-1966.
Had the plan been for us to end up in the West, it would have made a little more sense, especially when you consider the Bears, Lions, and Packers are all further east than Minnesota lol. Did they have maps in 1970? It almost seems weird that the league or Cowboys owner didn't seem to want the Cowboys in the East at the time.
Maybe it's just because I'm so used to the current alignment, but those other 4 plans don't seem to make much sense. Not only geographically speaking, but in terms of the rivalries each team already had at the time. Not only the Bears, Lions, Packers, and Vikings (Central Division), but in the east (Capitol Division) too with the Cowboys, Giants/Saints, Eagles, and Redskins. The Saints and Giants swapped divisions every other year from 1967-1969. And in the west (Coastal Division) it was the Colts, 49ers, Rams, and Falcons. Which was an odd alignment to begin with, making division rivals cross the country twice a year. The NFL had a 4th division at the time (Century Division) with the Browns, Steelers, Cardinals, and Giants/Saints. The Browns, Steelers, and Colts obviously joined the AFC during the merger.
I mean where would we be without rivalries like this xD?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Dallas_Cowboys
Well played Dallas, well played.
www.nytimes.com/2000/02/27/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-woman-who-aligned-the-nfc-teams.html
Who knew a crazy cat lady played such a pivotal role in NFL history? I'm thinking maybe she had a major crush on Rozelle, or his daughter who she also spent a lot of time with.
Plan 2 looks like the worst of the bunch, but no matter what plan they had they were keeping the Bears, Lions, and Packers together. And Giants, Eagles, and Redskins. Which makes sense, those 2 groups already had some long rivalries up to that point. It's just weird that we ended up with the alignment that matched the pre merger alignment, and the only one that put the Vikings in the Central and Cowboys in the East.
Anyone like any of the other plans?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL%E2%80%93NFL_merger
Although the AFC teams quickly decided on a divisional alignment, the 13 NFC owners had trouble deciding which teams would play in which divisions. The NFL had recently gone to four divisions of four teams each in 1967. Many NFC teams were attempting to avoid placement in a division with the Cowboys and/or the Vikings, and were trying to angle their way into the same division as the Saints, the weakest team in professional football at the time. The 49ers and Rams, both in California, were guaranteed to be in the same division as the only NFC teams west of the Rocky Mountains. One early proposal would have put the two California teams together with the three Northeast teams—the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins—reminiscent of the Western Conference's Coastal Division which had put L.A. and S.F. together with Baltimore and Atlanta from 1967–1969. The final five proposals were as follows:
PLAN 1: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, ATL, MIN; Central: CHI, GB, DET, NO; West: LA, SF, DAL, STL.
PLAN 2: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, MIN; Central: ATL, DAL, NO, STL; West: LA, SF, CHI, GB, DET.
PLAN 3: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, DAL, STL: Central: CHI, GB, DET, MIN; West: LA, SF, ATL, NO.
PLAN 4: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, STL, MIN; Central: CHI, GB, DET, ATL; West: LA, SF, DAL, NO.
PLAN 5: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, DET, MIN; Central: CHI, GB, DAL, STL; West: LA, SF, ATL, NO.
Imagine that, the Vikings were feared once upon a time haha. And as you can see, only 1 of the 5 plans had us joining the Central despite being in the Central Division with the Bears, Lions, and Packers from 1967-1969. And in the Western Conference with those 3 teams, and the Colts, 49ers, and Rams from 1961-1966.
Had the plan been for us to end up in the West, it would have made a little more sense, especially when you consider the Bears, Lions, and Packers are all further east than Minnesota lol. Did they have maps in 1970? It almost seems weird that the league or Cowboys owner didn't seem to want the Cowboys in the East at the time.
Maybe it's just because I'm so used to the current alignment, but those other 4 plans don't seem to make much sense. Not only geographically speaking, but in terms of the rivalries each team already had at the time. Not only the Bears, Lions, Packers, and Vikings (Central Division), but in the east (Capitol Division) too with the Cowboys, Giants/Saints, Eagles, and Redskins. The Saints and Giants swapped divisions every other year from 1967-1969. And in the west (Coastal Division) it was the Colts, 49ers, Rams, and Falcons. Which was an odd alignment to begin with, making division rivals cross the country twice a year. The NFL had a 4th division at the time (Century Division) with the Browns, Steelers, Cardinals, and Giants/Saints. The Browns, Steelers, and Colts obviously joined the AFC during the merger.
I mean where would we be without rivalries like this xD?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Dallas_Cowboys
Originally, the formation of an NFL expansion team in Texas was met with strong opposition by Washington Redskins owner, George Preston Marshall. This was no surprise, because despite being located in the nation's capital, Marshall's Redskins had enjoyed a monopoly as the only NFL team to represent the American South for several decades. This came as little surprise to would-be team owners, Clint Murchison Jr. and Bedford Wynne, so to ensure the birth of their expansion team, the men bought the rights to the Redskins fight song, "Hail to the Redskins" and threatened to refuse to allow Washington to play the song at games. Needing the song, which had become a staple for his "professional football team of Dixie", Marshall changed his mind, and the city of Dallas was granted an NFL franchise on January 28, 1960. This early confrontation between the two franchises helped to trigger what became one of the more heated National Football League rivalries, which continues to this day.
Well played Dallas, well played.
www.nytimes.com/2000/02/27/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-woman-who-aligned-the-nfc-teams.html
And in a little known moment Elkjer (pronounced ELK-yer) drew an envelope out of a glass bowl that set the course of N.F.L. history.
''Each owner,'' Rozelle often said of that realignment meeting, ''wanted his team to be in a division with at least one warm-weather site or a domed stadium, with teams with large season-ticket sales and with teams that are pigeons.''
Eventually, after several hours of wrangling, the N.F.C. owners agreed to put five different divisional alignments in five sealed envelopes into a glass bowl. But who would reach into the glass bowl and pull out the deciding envelope?
''I'll get Thelma,'' the commissioner said.
Thelma Elkjer pulled out the envelope with the slip of paper marked ''Plan 3,''
Eventually, after several hours of wrangling, the N.F.C. owners agreed to put five different divisional alignments in five sealed envelopes into a glass bowl. But who would reach into the glass bowl and pull out the deciding envelope?
''I'll get Thelma,'' the commissioner said.
Thelma Elkjer pulled out the envelope with the slip of paper marked ''Plan 3,''
Elkjer, who never married, had been Rozelle's secretary in Los Angeles when he was the Rams' general manager, then moved to New York to work for him when he was elected commissioner in 1960. She lived in an apartment on East 63rd Street, about 10 blocks from the N.F.L. office.
''It seemed like the N.F.L. people were scared of Thelma, even my father,'' said Anne Marie Bratton, the late commissioner's daughter, from her Fort Worth home. ''But she was like a mother to me. If my father was away on a weekend, I'd go over to her apartment and she'd take me places or I'd play with all her cats.''
''It seemed like the N.F.L. people were scared of Thelma, even my father,'' said Anne Marie Bratton, the late commissioner's daughter, from her Fort Worth home. ''But she was like a mother to me. If my father was away on a weekend, I'd go over to her apartment and she'd take me places or I'd play with all her cats.''
Who knew a crazy cat lady played such a pivotal role in NFL history? I'm thinking maybe she had a major crush on Rozelle, or his daughter who she also spent a lot of time with.
Plan 2 looks like the worst of the bunch, but no matter what plan they had they were keeping the Bears, Lions, and Packers together. And Giants, Eagles, and Redskins. Which makes sense, those 2 groups already had some long rivalries up to that point. It's just weird that we ended up with the alignment that matched the pre merger alignment, and the only one that put the Vikings in the Central and Cowboys in the East.
Anyone like any of the other plans?
And apparently I was born in the wrong era. Sounds like I would have loved football back then xD. People were dying, they didn't get paid jack squat, and they still wanted to play. Sounds entertaining. Makes everyone today seem like a big ol spoiled baby.
