Throwback Thursday: Play On

Fifty years ago tomorrow, President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. It was one of the most tragic events in the history of this country. I didn't know the days before Kennedy was shot but I've experienced nearly every one since. I know that this country is a different place. How could it not be? Pete Rozelle was the 37-year old commissioner of the National Football League on November 22, 1963. He was in his fourth year on the job when he made the decision that he would forever regret. He decided that the NFL would play their games 48 hours after the President was killed.

While the games may have been 48 hours after the assassination, Rozelle had much less time to make his decision. He immediately sought the advice of his friend, White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger. He had the advice of the White House and the Kennedy family. He sought the counsel of others in his own office. Rozelle didn't make the decision wildly. He did all that he could to make what he thought was the right decision for the country, the Kennedy family and the NFL. Seeing that some of the stadiums were filled confirmed Rozelle's thoughts that many in the country might be in need of a break from the tragedy. Not all of the football players had their minds on the game. Obviously, with hindsight, Rozelle would have made a different decision. It seems that the decision that he made bothered him the rest of his life. It was a terrible time to learn on the job but he wasn't the only one that had to make the decision to play the games. Many colleges played their scheduled games less than 24 hours after the assassination. The Army-Navy game was played 15 days later. The NHL played their games. The NFL wasn't alone. One league that didn't play their games was the NFL's new rival, the American Football League. The AFL was praised for their decision to cancel their games. AFL Commissioner Joe Foss was out of the office when the decision had to be made. With counsel from Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, and likely others, Assistant Commissioner Milt Woodard made the call. The AFL was the right league in 1963.

I've always felt that Pete Rozelle has been too harshly judged for his decision to play football games so soon after the assassination of President Kennedy. His close relationship to the Kennedy White House, Salinger in particular, might have been the greatest factor in making what most decided was the wrong decision. Many close to the Kennedy family felt that JFK would have wanted the games to be played. I believe that Rozelle did what he truly felt the President would have wanted rather than what the nation really needed. In times of suffering as great as that in 1963, it's probably best to always leave the games for another day. It's difficult to imagine anyone ever finding fault with not playing games following a tragedy. If nothing else, Rozelle's apparent error in judgement has made the decision whether to play games following national tragedy easier for future league officials. Following 9/11, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue had a pretty safe precedent not to follow. He had more time to decide than Rozelle had in 1963 but I doubt that the decision to cancel was a difficult one. He also had his nation's President there for counsel if needed. Rozelle didn't have that.