Book about the AFL/NFL merger

[TrueBeliever]

This is kind of a weird story.

Two or three years ago I got an e-mail from Amazon.com recommending a book called Merger & Mayhem which was to detail the 1966 merger talks between the AFL and the NFL, culminating in the first Super Bowl. I tried to pre-order the book, but it was listed as "currently unavailable" or something. Then when I tried a few days later, suddenly the book wasn't even listed on Amazon. I did a search on that name and kept getting a book about Wall Street; I did a search on the author's name and found some other sports books he had written, but (obviously) not this one.

So I e-mailed Amazon and asked what the story was. I got a "talks a lot but doesn't say much" response that was non-committal on when or even if the book would become available. Every so often after that I would check on it, but after a while I just forgot.

Well Friday night I was browsing in a bookstore when I came across two books about the AFL I hadn't seen before. I didn't buy them, but when I got home I looked them up on Amazon and added them to my "Wish List" so maybe my wife or my brother will get them for me for Christmas.

As I was looking at one of them, The Birth of the New NFL: How the 1966 NFL/AFL Merger Transformed Pro Football,a bell started ringing in my head - the author's name (Larry Felser) sounded familiar, and the book's description reminded me of the "lost" book I had tried to get years ago (which I hadn't even thought of in ages.) So I dug around in my e-mail and sure enough, I still had the original message and sure enough, it was the same author.

I guess it's not that big of a mystery - any number of things could have caused the book to "vanish". Maybe the original publisher went bankrupt, or there was a dispute between the author and the publisher, or someone interviewed for the book disputed how they were quoted, etc. Just another one of those things in life where you only find something long after you've quit looking for it.

I love reading about the AFL.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

This is kind of a weird story.


I love reading about the AFL.

Emmis Press went out of business in 2006 when the book was slated to come out for the 40th anniversary.

Emmis Books closing down - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

http://www2.loot.co.za/shop/product.jsp?lsn=1578602726.

 

[Pats726]

This is kind of a weird story.

Two or three years ago I got an e-mail from Amazon.com recommending a book called Merger & Mayhem which was to detail the 1966 merger talks between the AFL and the NFL, culminating in the first Super Bowl. I tried to pre-order the book, but it was listed as "currently unavailable" or something. Then when I tried a few days later, suddenly the book wasn't even listed on Amazon. I did a search on that name and kept getting a book about Wall Street; I did a search on the author's name and found some other sports books he had written, but (obviously) not this one.

So I e-mailed Amazon and asked what the story was. I got a "talks a lot but doesn't say much" response that was non-committal on when or even if the book would become available. Every so often after that I would check on it, but after a while I just forgot.

Well Friday night I was browsing in a bookstore when I came across two books about the AFL I hadn't seen before. I didn't buy them, but when I got home I looked them up on Amazon and added them to my "Wish List" so maybe my wife or my brother will get them for me for Christmas.

As I was looking at one of them, The Birth of the New NFL: How the 1966 NFL/AFL Merger Transformed Pro Football,a bell started ringing in my head - the author's name (Larry Felser) sounded familiar, and the book's description reminded me of the "lost" book I had tried to get years ago (which I hadn't even thought of in ages.) So I dug around in my e-mail and sure enough, I still had the original message and sure enough, it was the same author.

I guess it's not that big of a mystery - any number of things could have caused the book to "vanish". Maybe the original publisher went bankrupt, or there was a dispute between the author and the publisher, or someone interviewed for the book disputed how they were quoted, etc. Just another one of those things in life where you only find something long after you've quit looking for it.

I love reading about the AFL.

I saw a book a few yaers ago about the AFL...and mentioned the all star game that moved and teh racism that existed at the time and how the league (AFL) had to be pushed to do something. Can not remember it at all. Having lived through that era..I will have to read about that as the merger was so so IMPORTANT to what the NFL has become. Was more an AFL fan than an NFL..but a LOT had to do with teh GIANTS being pushed down NE's throat. I never saw Jim Brown play live..but he was my gave football player...I did see Unitas..which was really nice..even though he easily could have lost the game I saw to the Pats.

 

[TrueBeliever]

Emmis Press went out of business in 2006 when the book was slated to come out for the 40th anniversary.

Emmis Books closing down - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

http://www2.loot.co.za/shop/product.jsp?lsn=1578602726.

Ah-ha! I figured it was something like that.

And 726 - Another interesting point is that the AFL owners (or at least Lamar Hunt and Al Davis) wanted to have two separate leagues run by one office like baseball does, but the NFL absolutely refused. I have to wonder what that would have been like. Would they have had interleague play in the regular season? Would they have adopted rules like the DH so each league would have had its own style of play?

 

[Pats726]

Ah-ha! I figured it was something like that.

And 726 - Another interesting point is that the AFL owners (or at least Lamar Hunt and Al Davis) wanted to have two separate leagues run by one office like baseball does, but the NFL absolutely refused. I have to wonder what that would have been like. Would they have had interleague play in the regular season? Would they have adopted rules like the DH so each league would have had its own style of play?

Since you have read a lot about that era..do u recall what book I was referecing?? I think it had a dark cover...and had a lot of input from past AFL players..I saw it once about a year ago..never picked it up..but I skimmed it and it looked good.
Hmmm...THAT is an interesting point..I know that when it DID happen that it was a BIG thing...it was needed..absolutely..but I REALLY woudl have hated two leagues like that...NOT good at all...(I hate the DH and that the baseball leagues are..even though it's been like that for many decades.) They did adopt two of the better rules..which I give the NFL credit..the 2 pt conversion which was ALL AFL...and having the clock om the field the official clock. Can you REALLY believe that the NFL never had that?? When you think of it now..it's blatantly silly.
Now...there were rumors of a merger way before..2 years before it happened..or there abouts...but..apparently they broke down. What is interesting is that really NONE of teh inside scoop ever came out when it was going on..THANKS ..this book seems really interetsing.

 

[Pats Fanatic]

Reminds me of a really great HBO documentary they did in the 1990's about the AFL. It was called "Rebels with a Cause: Story of the AFL" I know I have it recorded some were.

 

[TrueBeliever]

Reminds me of a really great HBO documentary they did in the 1990's about the AFL. It was called "Rebels with a Cause: Story of the AFL" I know I have it recorded some were.

Yep, I do too. It was first shown in 1995.

 

[TrueBeliever]

Since you have read a lot about that era..do u recall what book I was referecing??

Hmm... the only one I can think of with a dark cover is Ed Gruver's The American Football League: A Year-by-Year History.

 

[Pats726]

Hmm... the only one I can think of with a dark cover is Ed Gruver's The American Football League: A Year-by-Year History.

I will try to find it the next time I'm in a book store..it was new about a year ago..but looked pretty good.

 

[TrueBeliever]

I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing then. The book I'm referring to was first published in 1997 (I got hold of it a year later.) You should check Amazon.