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NFL Report: The
Commissioner's View -- Fall 2000
NFL 2000–a
year that invites us to step into the future while saluting the
past–presents an ideal opportunity to celebrate the legacy of Kansas City
Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, a man who has spent his life creating the future of
sports.
This year
marks the fortieth anniversary of Lamar Hunt’s founding of the American
Football League in 1960 and the thirtieth anniversary of the AFL’s merger
with the NFL in 1970. These were two of the most significant events in the
growth of pro football in the twentieth century. They reflect the remarkable
creative vision of Lamar Hunt, who always is trying to piece together
something exciting for sports fans.
Above all,
Lamar Hunt is a fan. He loves all sports, especially football, and the
enduring values of sports. There is nothing he wants to do more than share
his passion with others.
Lamar and his
partners in organizing the AFL were dubbed “The Foolish Club” in 1960. A
foolish venture? Hardly. It brought pro football to new places and
anticipated an exploding interest in the game that led to the AFL-NFL
merger.
Either in
courtroom appearances or Congressional testimony I was involved in during
the 1970s, I relived with Lamar his negotiations with Cowboys general
manager Tex Schramm for the AFL-NFL merger. One of the most important
elements of the merger was the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, as it was
initially called.
Lamar Hunt’s
Kansas City Chiefs played in the first one and won the fourth. And it was
Lamar who gave the game the distinctive name it carries today after he
observed his kids playing with a toy called “Super Ball.” Lamar’s creative
inspiration turned “Super Ball” into the NFL’s “Super Bowl.”
Lamar not
only had a major hand in creating the modern NFL, he also built a model
franchise in the Kansas, which boasts a visionary Arrowhead Stadium that
remains state-of-the-art 30 years after it was built.
“I really
enjoy the challenge of start-up operations,” he once said. “I think there’s
more of an appeal to creating things.”
That
statement goes to the heart of Lamar’s unique ability to see the big
picture. He thinks not just about a team or teams, but about leagues and
entire sports. And he thinks about them not just on a national or regional
basis, but on an international basis.
More than any
other single individual, Lamar Hunt has internationalized interest in
sports. Better than anyone, he understands the core interests that people
share in competitive sport and has developed ways to make them appealing and
attractive across multiple sports on an international basis. And he is still
at it as a key member of our International Committee. As he once said
modestly: “I think if I have any talent, it’s in the area of the
show-business aspect of sports.”
Other people
contribute to globalization through television or other technology. Lamar
has done it through an understanding of how sport reaches across diverse
cultures. He did it in football, soccer, and tennis. That is why he is in
the Hall of Fame of all three sports. He’s also been involved in pro
basketball and hockey.
There has
never been anyone with a greater love of sports. And no one who has done
more to build and expand football and other sports around the world. With
NFL 2000 calling to mind the journey from one century to another, here’s a
well-deserved salute to Lamar Hunt, sports visionary for all time. |