40 years ago, Nixon pressured NFL to lift blackout rule

freeagent

Six-man pro
Just some history on NFL on TV. I remember in my youth living forty miles from Green Bay (and no cable ... just CBS-2, ABC-11, NBC-5 and PBS, which was hard to get on the UHF dial ... and an outside antenna); the Packers home games from Green Bay were always blackedout (Milwaukee games could be carried), although the Packers sometimes would lift the restriction for playoff games, as I do remember watching the Ice Bowl on TV.

In some of the Nixon tapes, here's a story on how Nixon tried to get Pete Rozelle (NFL Commissioner) to lift the blackout for playoff games. However, Rozelle didn't take the bait and instead went with Congress' plan to require blackouts to be lifted for all games that are sold out 72 hours in advance.

40 years ago, Nixon pressured NFL to lift Packers playoff blackout

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgazette ... RONTPAGE|s

There's also a neat article on the Press Gazette's website about the 1000 Yard Club; every year, there was a charity in Menasha, Wis. (about 30 miles from GB) that would host all the 1000 yard rushers in the NFL, have a parade, etc. Started at Fuzzy Thurston's club/restaurant, The Left Guard (he ended up starting up a chain of them around the state). Max McGee was his partner and the restaurant in Manitowoc (next to my hometown) was The Left End. I think i went there once in the 70s, but drove past it hundreds of times and can still remember the neon sign of Max in catching the football pose (as opposed to Max chasing the broads, which was his and Paul Hornings' usual routine).
 
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