Last day of the AFL?

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65 toss power trap
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Last day of the AFL?

Post by 65 toss power trap »

Today, 50 years ago, the all-star game would be the final game in AFL history. Although there was sort of a "soft" merger for four years with Rozelle being the "commissioner of football," the American Football League continued to be a separate entity. I would think that legally the AFL continued to exist for a while after the all-star game. Any idea what date the merger was legally completed? Was there an AFL owners meeting to officially gavel out the last order of business? Something at the NFL owners meeting? Or did it just run out the fiscal year and terminate on paper?
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Bryan
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Re: Last day of the AFL?

Post by Bryan »

I could find only one somewhat concrete reference to the literal 'last day' of the AFL. Its in the chronology section of the Horrigan/Rathet book "The Other League". The date cited is February 1st, 1970 as the day the AFL 'legally' became absorbed by the NFL. There isn't any reference to a final meeting or anything else, so I assume the only things that actually happened were the AFL changing their letterhead to AFC and stopping Milt Woodard's paychecks.
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65 toss power trap
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Re: Last day of the AFL?

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So, with that bit of information, I started to zero in on more confirmation of the 2/1/1970 date.

And sure enough, as part of an injury arbitration case, a copy of the NFL-AFL Agreement is incorporated as an exhibit, with the telltale dissolution language:
Now, THEREFORE, as further essential elements of such joint agreement it has been further agreed as follows:
1. The NFL Clubs will take such steps as may be necessary to cause the NFL as the surviving expanded single league:
(a) to grant forthwith to the abovenamed AFL Clubs new franchises effective February 1, 1970, or such earlier date as may be mutually agreed under the Supplementary Agreement, to present professional football as member clubs of the NFL, and
(b) to grant additional such franchises to such additional club or clubs to which after the date of this agreement the AFL shall, with the approval of the NFL, grant a franchise to present professional football,
all pursuant to and in accordance with a revised Constitution and By-Laws of the NFL (a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit B) which will become effective not later than February 1, 1970. The AFL clubs will in due course cause the AFL to wind up its affairs and cease to exist as a separate unincorporated association.
https://books.google.com/books?id=KIN16 ... &q&f=false

Additionally, the most recent googlable NFL Constitution and Bylaws is the 2006 revision with "Effective February 1, 1970" on the cover.

Milt Woodard actually did have a job with the NFL after the dissolution, but it wasn't long. An AP story on 3/13/70 has him resigning from the NFL for "another sports field, "according to an announcement by Patriots owner Bill Sullivan. Apparently he had just been scoping out Tampa as a potential landing spot for the Patriots.

One other hanger-on was Mel Hein, who was the supervisor of officials in the AFL, although I believe Art McNally essentially took the lead in the pre-merger stages. After the merger, Hein was the "supervisor of officials for the American Football Conference." I might be wrong, but that sounds like a hollowed-out job title that essentially has him cashing checks and maintaining a periodic presence in the office. Hein left the position in 1974.
Gary Najman
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Re: Last day of the AFL?

Post by Gary Najman »

65 toss power trap wrote:So, with that bit of information, I started to zero in on more confirmation of the 2/1/1970 date.

And sure enough, as part of an injury arbitration case, a copy of the NFL-AFL Agreement is incorporated as an exhibit, with the telltale dissolution language:
One other hanger-on was Mel Hein, who was the supervisor of officials in the AFL, although I believe Art McNally essentially took the lead in the pre-merger stages. After the merger, Hein was the "supervisor of officials for the American Football Conference." I might be wrong, but that sounds like a hollowed-out job title that essentially has him cashing checks and maintaining a periodic presence in the office. Hein left the position in 1974.

Watching the 1970 gamebooks and NFL Films segnments of that season, it was clear that most AFC games were worked by AFL referees (the crews were mixed from both leagues, but interestingly, there were no new officials in 1970).
sheajets
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Re: Last day of the AFL?

Post by sheajets »

Just curious was there any infighting among NFL (or AFL) owners after it was decided to merge...to undo the agreement? Was that even possible? 4 years is a long time and perhaps some had 2nd thoughts? Maybe some in the NFL didn't want to incorporate all the AFL teams? Or think that they could crush the league outright if they remained separate into the 70s (regardless of the Jets/Chiefs winning SB's)
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