Two days after JFK was assassinated, the NFL played a full schedule.
Elliot
Posts: 41 ✭✭✭
Was that their biggest blunder or was it a fitting tribute to the man that loved the game of football?
""NFL commissioner Peter Rozelle made the decision to play, saying "Football was Mr. Kennedy's game. He thrived on competition." But many years later, Rozelle, who was commissioner from 1960 to 1989, said it was the biggest mistake of his career.""
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11/22/63 was a Tragic day in our history. I remember it well to this day. I don't think it was a mistake I think it was a fitting tribute. JMHO
John F. Kennedy loved football. I think he would have wanted it that way. He was a great man. Gone way too soon.
The NFL is a business. Did other businesses shut down? Perhaps some small businesses did. But i doubt if any large businesses shut down...and the NFL is a large business.
Fans who were mourning simply didn't have to go to or watch the NFL games if they chose to do that.
I don't see it as a bad decision at all. Although Judith Exner may have been upset about it.
Until looking at this thread I did not recall that today is the anniversary of JFK's death in 1963 (56 years ago).
In another 10 or 20 years most people who were alive on 11-22-1963 will be dead and gone. His death is noted in history books as memories of the event continue to fade.
It is the same with other historical events, including D-Day (6-6-1944), Pearl Harbor (12-7-1941), Hiroshima (8-6-1945), Nagasaki (8-9-1945) [those events have not received much media coverage this decade] and it will be with others such events, including Apollo 11 (7-21-1969) [50 years ago this year it received media coverage, but going into the future it will also fade from the headlines].
Since Kennedy was Catholic, I love the old story about him when he was in Iowa just before their big game with Notre Dame. Someone asked him who he would be rooting for. Politician that he was, he replied. "I will be rooting for Iowa". A tremendous cheer went up. But he brought some people to laughter when he added, "But I will be praying for Notre Dame".
Not sure If anyone remembers or not but the NFL cancelled the Sunday Games right after 9/11.
9/11 was infinitely more important and tragic than the death of JFK.
100% Agreed. The world has not been the same since, I fear it never will be either.
Those 9/11 murderers, sadly there are countless others like them throughout the world, who would celebrate doing it again. It's a bad problem that isn't going away anytime soon.
So we will just have to stay vigilant and deal with it accordingly.
That’s the problem right there, we can all remain vigilant but ruthless psychopath’s that look like civilians make it that much harder. 😒
Lots of potential assassination and 9/11 scenarios have been thwarted over the years, many of which the general public will probably never know about.
The Secret Service, considering all the numerous possibilities out there, really does an outstanding job, as well as all law enforcement. 👍
Godspeed to all of them protecting the greatest nation on Earth 🇺🇸💪
Yes, those terrorist pilots went to school HERE IN THE U.S. to learn how to fly those planes!!!!!!
I remember that day vividly. I was sitting in my 2nd grade class, when a nun ran into the room and said 'The President has been assassinated!'. I remember my teacher, Sister Michelle, start crying immediately, along with other nuns and lay teachers. Pretty much all the adults in the school were sobbing at once. I knew what 'assassination'' meant, but I wasn't really sure what or who the President was...but I knew something very bad had happened. Such a strange day. Very, very sad.
As far as the NFL goes, I guess the show must go on.
Dave
This thread seemed to disappear.