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Which player had a greater impact on pro football, Red Grange or Joe Namath?
recbball
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in Sports Talk
This question has nothing to do with who was a better player, but who's actions moved pro football further along.
It is well documented about Joe Namath's impact by quarterbacking the AFL Jets to a Superbowl III victory over the heavily favored NFL Baltimore Colts. Bringing legitimacy to the AFL which brought about a merger of the AFL and NFL.
I highly recommend Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League DVD, the best FB documentary I have seen.
What took a little more research by me was to get a feel of Red Grange's impact on pro football when he burst on the scene in 1925. One thing I learned, at that time pro football was looked down upon by the general public and especially college football. So keeping that in mind you have to look at Grange's spectacular college career at Illinois where he was regarded as the greatest player ever to play college football at that time. In one book I read it said his popularity at the time was on par with Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsy.
So you had this huge college star that everyone wanted to see who was now on the Chicago Bears. Grange's manager C.C. Pyle arranged two barnstorming tours after the season where Grange and the Bears played teams accross the country bringing popularity and some legitimacy to the game.
One thing I didn't know was in '25 the NY Giants and owner Tim Mara were losing alot of money until they played the Bears and Grange. They filled the Polo Grounds with over 70,000 fans and gave Mara enough money to keep the Giants going.
It is well documented about Joe Namath's impact by quarterbacking the AFL Jets to a Superbowl III victory over the heavily favored NFL Baltimore Colts. Bringing legitimacy to the AFL which brought about a merger of the AFL and NFL.
I highly recommend Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League DVD, the best FB documentary I have seen.
What took a little more research by me was to get a feel of Red Grange's impact on pro football when he burst on the scene in 1925. One thing I learned, at that time pro football was looked down upon by the general public and especially college football. So keeping that in mind you have to look at Grange's spectacular college career at Illinois where he was regarded as the greatest player ever to play college football at that time. In one book I read it said his popularity at the time was on par with Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsy.
So you had this huge college star that everyone wanted to see who was now on the Chicago Bears. Grange's manager C.C. Pyle arranged two barnstorming tours after the season where Grange and the Bears played teams accross the country bringing popularity and some legitimacy to the game.
One thing I didn't know was in '25 the NY Giants and owner Tim Mara were losing alot of money until they played the Bears and Grange. They filled the Polo Grounds with over 70,000 fans and gave Mara enough money to keep the Giants going.
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This raises a question of mine, who had more of a contribution to the NFL Lombardi or Halas?
<< <i>This raises a question of mine, who had more of a contribution to the NFL Lombardi or Halas? >>
I think Halas and Curly Lambeau are more similar.
<< <i>
One thing I didn't know was in '25 the NY Giants and owner Tim Mara were losing alot of money until they played the Bears and Grange. They filled the Polo Grounds with over 70,000 fans and gave Mara enough money to keep the Giants going. >>
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Namath made the AFL legit.
Namath wouldn't have had an impact had it not been for Grange.