As our current-day N.F.L. owners are meeting this week to try and find a solution to the labor issue that threatens the 2011 season, we’re taking a trip back to the 1940’s, when the owners gathered for another reason. As stated in the wire-service caption: “New York City — National Football League leaders who plan to fight the new All-America pro conference as they attend meeting here. Left-right: John Mara, president N.Y. Giants; Dan Reeves, owner Cleveland Rams; George Marshall, owner Washington Redskins, and Earl Lambeau, coach of the Green Bay, Wisc., Packers.” From Wikipedia: “The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations to the game. However, the AAFC was ultimately unable to sustain itself in competition with the NFL. Three of its teams were admitted to the NFL: San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts (not related to the later NFL team that would play in Baltimore from 1953 through 1983, now the Indianapolis Colts). The Cleveland Browns were the AAFC's most successful club, having won every annual championship in the league's four years of operation.” To read the full article, please click here.
