Pre-Merger NFL Appreciation Thread

[trackfan]

Remember the league before those upstarts from the AFL moved in? Who remembers the four divisions....weren't they Capitol, Century, Central, and Coastal, or something like that? What division was your team in?
My Rams were in the (very oddly configured) Coastal Division, along with the Baltimore Colts, SF 49ers, and I don't remember who else.

[WeRQ4U]

1. Vikes didn't enter the leauge until 1961.

NFL expansion.

[trackfan]

5. I hated the Vikings and Joe Kapp

when they beat the Rams, and Roman Gabriel, in 1969.

[WeRQ4U]

7. You rarely hear anyone hate the Vikings becasue they BEAT somenoe

They haven't won many big games.

[DelawareValleyDem]

2. Yep, and you had

the Steelers and the original Cleveland Browns in the league, too. I also remember the Playoff Bowl, t.n. Bert Bell Benefit Bowl (no wonder they abbreviated it.)

[trackfan]

4. I was going to add to my post to mention the Playoff Bowl

I hated the Playoff Bowl, because that's where the Rams ended up in 1967.

[BOSSHOG]

3. Pre Merger - two words - Chuck Bednarik

The leagues last 60-minute man. Lets see TO do CB for the iggles. Then he'd have a reason to whine about his contract.


http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Bednarik_Chuck.html

[On the Road]

6. "A Sixteen-Team, Four-Division Powerhouse"

I remember the TV spots describing the old NFL in those terms. Now it's twice the size.

[trackfan]

8. Did they feature the booming, god-like voice of John Facenda,

who narrated all those old NFL films?