"The League"

[jimv]

I posted this as a thread on the main Board & it went nowhere.  I just finished reading it.  Anyone interested in Giants' history should read this!  I found out a lot I didn't know.  Basically, it covers the first four decades of the NFL.  I strongly suggest it.

[Giant Jim]

Should there be a link?

[jimv]

It's a book that I'm suggest that fans interested in Giants' history get & read.

[Ed Vette]

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-465-04870-0


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[Giant Jim]

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-465-04870-0


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Looks like I bought the wrong book. Can't complain, this covers most of the histories of the ownership's of the first 26 teams and Pete Roselle's rise to power. Not much about the Mara's, but I'm not even half way thru. Just starting to read about the rise of the NFLPA and hints about up coming battles with Al Davis. I expect it to cover the Giants winter of '78-'79.

https://www.amazon.com/League-Rise-Decline-NFL/dp/B0013YEO4A

[jimv]

Jim, the book you have sounds like it's a history of the NFLPA.  The book this thread is about is By John Eisenberg titled "The League" & subtitled "How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire."

[Giant Jim]

Jim, the book you have sounds like it's a history of the NFLPA.  The book this thread is about is By John Eisenberg titled "The League" & subtitled "How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire."

Yes, I see it's different now. But it's much more than the NFLPA history. I'm only about a quarter of the way thru, so I can't give a complete review. So far, the book centers around Pete Roselle and 1974. I compares how he did things much differently than Bert Bell and how he tried to structure the league. It's included the AFL merger, how people like Al Davis took control of the Raiders, how Billy Sullivan brought pro football to Ma, how the Rooney's started the Steelers, etc. The point I'm up to is about expansion, NFLPA and the WFL. I'm hoping it goes thru every team's ownership history as it's done a good job with the dozen or so I've already read.  I'll get the book you started this thread about now that I know the right one. This one seems like it should be read after the one you read, so you might want to check it out.

[Giant Jim]

Thanks jimv for the recommendation. I finally got it and couldn't put it down. Usually I'm very narrow minded and only want to read about the Giants, but the histories of these older teams were very interesting and it showed how the Giants were so important to the league. Jack & Wellington were the "owners", president & vice president early on, but old man Tim was the boss. Almost from the day the Redskins joined the league, they were the Giants biggest rival. (Not Philly) Great information about George Preston Marshall, how the Redskins got their name, their move to DC and so much more. How basic rules we take for granted today came about, how TV was used by the different teams and so much more. A lot of stuff I knew a little about was fully explained. A must read for any fan of NFL or even just Giants history.    The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire, by John Eisenberg.

Before I read it, I read another book also titled "The League", this one by  David Harris. Also about the ownership of the teams and problems. It starts with 1974 and goes to around 1985. It does go back to 1959 and the problems they ran into thru the 60's. This book has an unbelievable amount of information and goes into tremendous detail. But it can get quite boring. Not much about the Giants in this one, I don't think nephew Tim's name is even mentioned. Pete Roselle, Tex Schramm and Art Modell replaced Tim Mara, George Halas, Bert Bell, Marshall & Dan Rooney running the NFL. If anyone wants my hard cover of this book, I just want what it costs me to mail it. The League: The Rise and Decline of the NFL by David Harris.

[MightyGiants]

I agree, this was a great book.   So much history and I see the league in a new light

[NapoleonBlownapart]

Thanks jimv for the recommendation. I finally got it and couldn't put it down. Usually I'm very narrow minded and only want to read about the Giants, but the histories of these older teams were very interesting and it showed how the Giants were so important to the league. Jack & Wellington were the "owners", president & vice president early on, but old man Tim was the boss. Almost from the day the Redskins joined the league, they were the Giants biggest rival. (Not Philly) Great information about George Preston Marshall, how the Redskins got their name, their move to DC and so much more. How basic rules we take for granted today came about, how TV was used by the different teams and so much more. A lot of stuff I knew a little about was fully explained. A must read for any fan of NFL or even just Giants history.    The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire, by John Eisenberg.

Before I read it, I read another book also titled "The League", this one by  David Harris. Also about the ownership of the teams and problems. It starts with 1974 and goes to around 1985. It does go back to 1959 and the problems they ran into thru the 60's. This book has an unbelievable amount of information and goes into tremendous detail. But it can get quite boring. Not much about the Giants in this one, I don't think nephew Tim's name is even mentioned. Pete Roselle, Tex Schramm and Art Modell replaced Tim Mara, George Halas, Bert Bell, Marshall & Dan Rooney running the NFL. If anyone wants my hard cover of this book, I just want what it costs me to mail it. The League: The Rise and Decline of the NFL by David Harris.

Jim - there are chapters about Well/Tim, the feud and how Well Mara tried to squelch the union uprisings in 1970, 1974 & 1975.  Well was very anti union and if you all recall, he cut all the strikers from the 1974 holdout in preseason.  Including union Rep rb Charlie Evans.  It also discusses the 1971 cut of NYG Union leader DLiner Bob Lurtsema in mid season due to a union questionnaire that was handed out to the entire team about what they thought of the NYG's/NFL and was returned with very negative responses. Lurtsema was cut the next day, October 1971.     

[Giant Jim]

Jim - there are chapters about Well/Tim, the feud and how Well Mara tried to squelch the union uprisings in 1970, 1974 & 1975.  Well was very anti union and if you all recall, he cut all the strikers from the 1974 holdout in preseason.  Including union Rep rb Charlie Evans.  It also discusses the 1971 cut of NYG Union leader DLiner Bob Lurtsema in mid season due to a union questionnaire that was handed out to the entire team about what they thought of the NYG's/NFL and was returned with very negative responses. Lurtsema was cut the next day, October 1971.   

I was disappointed about the lack of detail of Rozelle's involvement 78/79 feud and internal problems between the 2 owners.

Lurtsema was a prime example of Well's involvement that hurt the team during that 20 year stretch.

[NapoleonBlownapart]

I was disappointed about the lack of detail of Rozelle's involvement 78/79 feud and internal problems between the 2 owners.

Lurtsema was a prime example of Well's involvement that hurt the team during that 20 year stretch.

true. it was Rozelle saying that 2 guys that couldn't even ride the same elevator or ride in the same limos or stand in the same room..I had to get them to agree on a GM.....Hell we all knew that. I agree that it would have been cool to see memo's written and how tough it was to get them to together, just to agree.