April 17, 1963: NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle has discovered that 2 of the League's biggest stars, Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, had been betting on NFL games, and, as was said at the time, "associating with undesirable persons." Both men confessed, and accepted their punishment: Suspension for the entire upcoming season.
Hornung's coach, Vince Lombardi, put his foot down, and told Hornung that he couldn't gamble anymore, not even on his hometown's signature sporting event: He could not go back to Louisville and so much as attend the Kentucky Derby. Lombardi also told him to stay away from Las Vegas. Hornung agreed.
"Rozelle should have suspended me," he said many years later. "He could have suspended a lot of others, too. A lot of guys bet like I did. I'd bet $100, and never more than $500. The Commissioner was making a point, and the older I got, the more I understood."
At the end of the calendar year, given the way he handled the gambling situation, the ongoing conflict with the American Football League, and the decision over whether to play the regularly-scheduled games on the weekend after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Sports Illustrated named Rozelle its Sportsman of the Year. He remains the only Commissioner, of any league, so honored. (Unlike the Time magazine Person of the Year, which is for the person who most affects the news, for good or ill, SI, owned by Time, does consider its distinction, now named the Sportsperson of the Year, to be an award.)
Having had each man's full cooperation, Rozelle reinstated both Hornung and Karras for the 1964 season. Lombardi defied the rumor that he would trade Hornung, and welcomed him back, asking only that he report to Packer camp 2 months early to get back into shape.
Lombardi told the media, "You have to know what Hornung means to this team. I have heard and read that he is not a great runner or a great passer or a great field-goal kicker, but he led the league in scoring for three seasons. In the middle of the field, he may be only slightly better than an average ballplayer, but inside the 20-yard line, he is one of the greatest I have ever seen. He smells that goal line."
Hornung also did things off the field that Lombardi valued, such as reaching out to newly-acquired players. He would take them along to his speaking engagements, and split his fee with them.
During his suspension, Karras turned to professional wrestling. Upon returning, he served as captain for a pregame coin toss, and the referee told him to call it. Karras told him, "I'm sorry, sir: I'm not permitted to gamble."
But the suspensions did have a long-term effect on each player's reputation. Hornung was not elected to the College Football Hall of Fame until 1985, his 20th year of eligibility; and not to the Pro Football Hall of Fame until 1986, his 15th year. Karras wasn't elected to the College Football Hall until 1991, his 25th year; and to the Pro Football Hall until 2020, his 45th, and more than 7 years after his death. At least Hornung lived to receive both of the honors in question.
Of course, neither man bet on his own sport. Pete Rose did. And both Hornung and Karras confessed immediately, and cooperated. Rose didn't. Which is why he is not in his sport's Hall of Fame.
Neither Hornung nor Karras had any hard feelings toward Rozelle. When the Commissioner retired in 1989, after 29 seasons in charge, Hornung wrote him a letter calling him "the best commissioner of any sports league."
*
April 17, 1963 was a Wednesday. These baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers, 4-2 at Yankee Stadium. Don Mossi outpitched Ralph Terry. Al Kaline went 0-for-4, but Gus Triandos hit a home run for the Tigers. For the Yankees, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Roger Maris did not play. Hector Lopez and Elston Howard hit home runs.
* The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 5-0 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Jim O'Toole pitched a 5-hit shutout. Frank Robinson went 0-for-1 with 3 walks. Pete Rose, who made his major league debut 9 days earlier, did not play in this game.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-4 at Fenway Park in Boston. Brooks Robinson went 1-for-4. Carl Yastrzemski went 1-for-4.
* The Milwaukee Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-5 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Hank Aaron went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
* The Los Angeles Angels beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-0 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Don Lee pitched a 3-hit shutout. Harmon Killebrew did not play.
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-3 at Busch Stadium (formerly Sportsman's Park) in St. Louis. Stan Musial and Carl Sawatski hit home runs for the Cards; Roberto Clemente, Donn Clendenon and Smoky Burgess for the Bucs.
* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs beat the Chicago Cubs, 1-0 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Bill "Moose" Skowron, recently acquired by the Dodgers from the Yankees for pitcher Stan Williams, singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
* The Houston Colt .45s beat the San Francisco Giants, 2-1 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Jim Campbell won the game with a home run in the top of the 13th inning. Willie Mays went 0-for-5 with a walk.
* The Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Athletics were rained out at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The game was made up the next day, and the White Sox won, 3-0. Ray Herbert pitched a 3-hit shutout.
* And the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Senators were rained out at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader on June 14. The Senators won the opener, 5-2. The nightcap took 19 innings, before the Indians won, 3-2, on a home run by Willie Kirkland.
Football was out of season. Game 3 of the NBA Finals was played, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics, 119-99. But the Celtics won the series in 6 games. The next night, the Stanley Cup was won by the Toronto Maple Leafs, who beat the Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, to win the Finals in 5 games.
No comments:
Post a Comment