Pro Football in the 1960s (Paperback)

Patrick Gallivan

ISBN 10: 1476678316 / ISBN 13: 9781476678313

Published by McFarland & Co Inc, Jefferson, NC, 2020

About this Item

Paperback. The 1960s were a tumultuous period in U.S. history and the sporting world was not immune to the decade's upturn of tradition. As war in Southeast Asia, civil unrest at home and political assassinations rocked the nation, professional football struggled to attract fans. While some players fought for civil rights and others fought overseas, the ideological divides behind the protests and riots in the streets spilled into the locker rooms, and athletes increasingly brought their political beliefs into the sports world. This history describes how a decade of social upheaval affected life on the gridiron, and the personalities and events that shaped the game. The debut of the Super Bowl, soon to become a fixture of American culture, marked a professional sport on the rise. Increasingly lucrative television contracts and innovations in the filming and broadcasting of games expanded pro football's audiences. An authoritarian old guard, best represented by the revered Vince Lombardi, began to give way as star players like Joe Namath commanded new levels of pay and power. And at last, all teams fielded African American players, belatedly beginning the correction of the sport's greatest wrong. The 1960s were a tumultuous period in US history and the sporting world was not immune. As war in Southeast Asia, civil unrest at home and political assassinations rocked the nation, professional football struggled to attract fans. This book describes how a decade of social upheaval affected life on the gridiron. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781476678313

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Pro Football in the 1960s (Paperback)
• Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc, Jefferson, NC
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1476678316
• ISBN 13: 9781476678313
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The 1960s were a tumultuous period in U.S. history and the sporting world was not immune to the decade's upturn of tradition. As war in Southeast Asia, civil unrest at home and political assassinations rocked the nation, professional football struggled to attract fans. While some players fought for civil rights and others fought overseas, the ideological divides behind the protests and riots in the streets spilled into the locker rooms, and athletes increasingly brought their political beliefs into the sports world.

This history describes how a decade of social upheaval affected life on the gridiron, and the personalities and events that shaped the game. The debut of the Super Bowl, soon to become a fixture of American culture, marked a professional sport on the rise. Increasingly lucrative television contracts and innovations in the filming and broadcasting of games expanded pro football's audiences. An authoritarian old guard, best represented by the revered Vince Lombardi, began to give way as star players like Joe Namath commanded new levels of pay and power. And at last, all teams fielded African American players, belatedly beginning the correction of the sport's greatest wrong.

About the Author

Patrick Gallivan is a longtime member of the Pro Football Researchers Association and has written numerous articles for their publication The Coffin Corner. He lives in San Antonio, Texas.