Pete Rozelle was starting his fourth year as NFL Commissioner in 1963. He had yet to truly make his mark on the league, but that would all soon change. Gambling will always be a great concern of any professional sports league. The public has to be able to trust what they see on the field. Those concerns were reaching a boiling point in the late '50s and early '60s. Rozelle had to make a move. He did.
Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras were two of the biggest stars in the NFL at the time. They also had some questionable, in the eyes of the league, friends. Those associations put both stars under the microscope. They were being watched. Hornung even had his phone tapped. Karras was about to become part owner of a Detroit bar called Lindell's AC. His partners were brothers Jimmy and Johnny Butsicaris. Jimmy Butsicaris was a known gambler. Nothing too substantial but he knew some people. Karras, always on the hunt for fine Greek food, was a frequent diner at the Grecian Gardens. An establishment allegedly owned by underworld people. These associations put Karras square in the sites of Rozelle. The FBI and local law enforcement were watching. All of this was purely innocent to Karras. If he even knew what his friends were up to, he didn't seem to care. They were his friends. He loved the food, drink and atmosphere at these places. Both Lions management and Rozelle warned Karras about his associations and the Lindell's venture, in particular. Karras continued to care little since he wasn't doing anything wrong. With Lindell's, he was looking to make some money, legitimately, beyond football. Karras did make casual bets with Butsicaris on football games. There may have been no turning back when Karras befriended known mobster Tony Giacalone. This friendship included a "party bus" ride back to Detroit after a preseason game against Cleveland in 1962. Giacalone was at the wheel. Other Lions were on board, but the league zeroed in on Karras. Following the '62 season the Lions were in Florida preparing to play the Steelers in the short lived Playoff Bowl. While there, several Lions including Karras, John Gordy, Gary Lowe, Joe Schmidt, Wayne Walker, Sam Williams and Night Train Lane were watching the Packers-Giants NFL Championship game. They placed bets. A few weeks later at the Pro Bowl, Karras was invited to appear on the Brinkley Journal news program about gambling in the NFL. He mentioned his casual gambling. Instead of the entire interview which painted a bland picture of his gambling, an incriminating, edited version of the interview appeared on the Huntley-Brinkley Report. Rozelle exploded.
Hornung's gambling and associations were much more blatant and severe. From his days at Notre Dame, everyone wanted to be around Hornung. He had no filters or reservations. If it was fun, he was doing it. Hornung openly gambled. He even had a steady bookie, Barney Shapiro. Hornung's gambling was mild compared to many. He never won or lost more than $2,000 in a year, but it was certainly far more serious than that of Karras. Hornung also hung out with serious gangsters like Manny Skar, Gil Beckley and to a lesser degree Sam Giancana. Hornung was walking on the ledge and the league knew about it. He was about to fall off. Shortly after the '62 Championship game, which Hornung's Packers won, Rozelle met with several players. Hornung and Karras were at the top of the list. On April 17, 1963 , Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were suspended from the NFL indefinitely.
Players must not enter drinking or gambling resorts or associate with gamblers or other notorious characters.
This was in every player contract in 1963, probably still is. Karras and Hornung were clearly in violation of this. Karras may not have been aware that his friends were a bit shady. Hornung knew it and liked it. The two players were suspended for gambling not for their associations. Pete Rozelle had made his mark. Karras and Hornung were big fish among the players. No one was safe and everyone had to follow the rules. The suspensions lasted exactly one year when both players were reinstated April 17, 1964.
Hornung was clearly heading toward a fall, but Karras receiving the same punishment was a bit severe. Even Hornung was surprised that Karras was suspended. So many players were betting on games and everyone knew it. It didn't seem fair to single out Karras. At worst, his betting was casual. Some of his contacts were suspect and he certainly made some questionable decisions, but he was mostly guilty of being naive. His offenses were nowhere near the level of Hornung's. The repercussions of the suspensions were huge. The most obvious at the time was the line that Rozelle had drawn in the sand. He had the power to punish and showed that he would. Other repercussions are more speculative. The Packers had won the two previous Championships. Hornung was a large part of the offense, the team. It's likely that a Hornung led team could have won in '63 and possibly even in '64. That would have resulted in the Packers winning seven straight championships. Unbelievable. The most unfortunate result of the suspensions is the apparent blacklisting of Karras from the Hall of Fame. He may have been the the most dominant defensive tackle of his generation and one of the best of all time. Both teammates and opponents alike are shocked that he is not honored in Canton. Even Hornung had to wait about 15 years to be inducted. But you can't keep out the Golden Boy. Finally, this set Rozelle on his path. The Commissioner has to make tough decisions for the betterment and protection of the game. This was one. Rozelle is arguably the best commissioner in the history of professional sports. This was his opening volley.
No comments:
Post a Comment