Smoking on sidelines during a game

[Halas Hall]

I was watching the 1970 Dallas Cowboys at NY Giants game and noticed Giants head coach Alex Webster smoking a cigarette. Just curious did the NFL institute a ban on this at some point during the 1970's?

Thank you.

[Rupert Patrick]

There was a segment on one of those NFL Films Lost Treasures episodes where Steve Sabol showed a montage of coaches and others (including cheerleaders!) smoking on the sidelines during games in the mid-late 60's. My guess is that the NFL banning smoking on the sidelines would have happened soon after the end of cigarette advertising on television, which occurred on 1/2/1971. This would probably put it at the start of the 1971 NFL season. Rozelle was a smoker, but he was a lot more media conscious than the other sports commissioners of the era and was ahead of the curve on such things concerning public perception.

In baseball I remember Earl Weaver would often sneak a cigarette in the dugout during games, and I remember once in the 80's somebody snapped a picture of Keith Hernandez in his Mets uniform sitting on the bench in the dugout during a game and openly smoking a cigarette. Oh by the way, he was fined by the Commissioner.

[sheajets]

[JeffreyMiller]

Jim Ringo and Harvey Johnson, Bills head coaches, both smoked on the sidelines.

[preeths]

In my USFL book, Bobby Hebert talks about 1985 Oakland Invaders head coach, and former Raiders defensive coordinator, Charlie Sumner smoking heavily, I believe during games though I don't remember if it was right out on the field or just in the locker room.

[Gary Najman]

Tommy Prothro smoked a lot as well, but I don't know if he did on game day. In one practice, he was up in the tower and threw a cigarrette to the ground, which fell in the Rams' photographer's hair, which went on fire.