Commissioner: The Legacy of Pete Rozelle

In The Commissioner, John A. Fortunato looks at how Rozelle elevated the NFL from a disparate, 12-team league in 1960 to the colossus it is today. He also critiques a number of Rozelle's more controversial decisions, such as the gambling suspensions of Alex Karras and Paul Hornung in 1963 and his decision to play games on the Sunday following the Kennedy assassination the same year. Rozelle also endured two players' strikes (one of which involved the controversial use of replacement players) and an antitrust action brought against him by the USFL. Finally, an entire chapter is devoted to his battles, both in and out of court, with Raders' owner Al Davis.