Steelers ownership in turmoil Jul 8, 2008
Their share was acquired from the late Bert Bell, who briefly controlled ownership of the team. When Mr. Bell became the NFL commissioner, he sold the majority interest back to Art Rooney Sr. and 42 percent to Barney McGinley. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Looking Back: Meredith makes dandy trip to Plainview 04-20-2008 Apr 20, 2008
He was a two-time all-American at SMU in 1958 and 1959, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, two-time All-Pro selection, 1966 Bert Bell Award recipient and NFL Player of the Year in 1966. Meredith now resides in Santa Fe, N.M., with his wife, Susan. (Plainview Daily Herald, TX)
Law on their side again? Mar 2, 2008
Law on their side again. Local Search Site Search. (Boston Globe)
Walken in to claim his pudding pot Feb 16, 2008
" (In the past, the names of Boston ballplayers, including Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn, and Kevin Youkilis have shown up on the list, as did Upton Bell's father, former NFL commissioner Bert Bell.) We're told the show, which has been optioned by Insomnia Media, will be pitched to several networks, including Bravo and A&E. Even if he doesn't become as popular as Tim Gunn of "Project Runway," Cahill said he'll be satisfied. "We have some very nice rewards for people," he said. "I think people would... (Boston Globe)
Postgame handshakes: NFL's touchy subject Dec 16, 2007
It was Chirkinian who got screamed at, by his boss at CBS, Bill McPhail, who in turn had gotten an earful from the NFL commissioner, Bert Bell, for getting such a tight close-up of the punch. "[Bell] had a rule," said Chirkinian. (Boston Globe)
Analysis: NFL's injury report questionable in its own right Nov 23, 2007
The NFL injury report dates from 1947, when it was mandated by then-commissioner Bert Bell because of an incident the previous season. It "had to do with a player who was injured and (unexpectedly) didn't play in the game," Aiello says. (USA Today -- Sports)
Rooney considers himself ‘last man standing’ Nov 6, 2007
Dan Rooney can remember the long-ago days before Goodell and Paul Tagliabue and Pete Rozelle before him when Elmer Layden and Bert Bell were NFL commissioners, network TV coverage was only a dream, and, later, when games were always blacked out in the home team market. Rooney helped reshape the league when he and his father agreed to move the Steelers from what now is the NFC, composed mostly of pre-1967 NFL members, into the newly formed AFC, made up mostly of former AFL clubs. (Somerset Daily American, PA)
Ed Bouchette on the Steelers: Dan Rooney's book 'Family Business' Nov 4, 2007
There's barely a paragraph on why he fired Tom Donahoe as director of football operations in 2000 instead of coach Bill Cowher, although there is this gem: "Bill didn't want Donahoe in the coaches' meetings because he thought Tom was a spy. Tom thought Bill was finished as an NFL coach.'' There's also nothing about how Rooney pressured coach Chuck Noll into firing some of his coaches in 1988, including a demotion of Tony Dungy from defensive coordinator to secondary coach, a move Dungy refused... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA -- Sports)
From the PG Archives: Rooney Tells How Big Deal Was Arranged Sep 21, 2007
Bert Bell Chief Negotiator With Thompson in Sale Of Local Eleven. "Prez" Art Rooney has lost his title. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA -- Sports)
Overexposed NFL gets down to business tonight Sep 6, 2007
Tonight on your television, actual consequential NFL football, which, though it's now down to about 2. 8 percent of all NFL-related programming, still reliably delivers an entertainment wallop. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Philadelphia Eagles Unveil 75th Season Celebration Apr 26, 2007
The blue and yellow colors were the first colors worn by the Eagles, after the Frankford Yellow Jackets went bankrupt and the NFL awarded the Philadelphia franchise to a syndicate headed by former University of Pennsylvania teammates Lud Wray and Bert Bell for an entry fee of $2,500. Also on hand at the announcement were NFL Films' Ray Didinger, author of The Eagles Encyclopedia, and retired Eagles executive Jim Gallagher, who served in the organization from 1946 to 1995. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Dapper Dan Lifetime Achievement Award: Dan Rooney Apr 9, 2007
Art Rooney sold the Steelers to Alexis Thompson on Dec. 9, 1940, but regained ownership for a Pittsburgh franchise the following April when, after buying half of the Philadelphia Eagles with Bert Bell, he and Bell swapped franchises with Thompson. "I was very interested in the Steelers as soon as I became aware,'' Dan Rooney said. "In fact, when that business came up that we were selling the team, I was really concerned. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA -- Sports)
PENSIONS IN PRO SPORTSAn age-old issue for all the big leagues Mar 18, 2007
" The NFL has upgraded its retirement program in the past decade, but those benefits will not trickle down to old-timers. The Players Association negotiated a 401(k) plan in 1993 (also common in other sports), in which teams put in $2 for every $1 a player contributes. And an annuity was added in 1998, from which a 10-year veteran could earn more than $100,000 annually. These numbers stand in stark contrast to the benefits for players who competed before '93 and had only the "Bert Bell Plan"... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Maxwell Football Club 70th Anniversary Award Press Conference and Banquet March 2, 2007 at Harrah's Atlantic City Feb 15, 2007
Professional football awards go to LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers, winner of the 48th Annual Bert Bell Award for Professional Player of the Year; and New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton, winner of the 18th Annual Greasy Neale Award for Professional Coach of the Year. (Voters for the Pro Awards are NFL owners, football personnel, head and assistant coaches as well as members of the Maxwell Football Club, national media, both electronic and print, and local media. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Commissioner at ease Feb 3, 2007
We ve also had others like Joe Carr, Elmer Layden and Bert Bell before Pete [Rozelle] and Paul [Tagliabue] came along. Then Rooney searched his 74-year-old mind to say, The advice I ve always given to every commissioner is that, whatever you do, just be yourself. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
Making Us All Proud Jan 30, 2007
So I've lived, played, worked and enjoyed pro football through four NFL commissioners: Bert Bell, Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue and now Roger Goodell. I have seen the NFL go from 12 teams to 32 teams and from 34 men on a squad in the 1950s to 45 today with progress in just about every category of the game including the number of black assistant coaches. (Human Events Online)
Coughlin extended Jan 11, 2007
Tomlinson, this year's NFL MVP, won the Bert Bell Award as professional player of the year and Payton, already The Associated Press Coach of the Year, was the 18th winner of the Earle "Greasy" Neale Award as the top coach in pro football. In December, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn won the Maxwell Award as the college football player of the year and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano was chosen coach of the year. (The Standard-Times, MA)
Coughlin Remains In Charge Of Giants Jan 11, 2007
" Mara and co-owner Jonathan Tisch gave the 60-year-old coach a one-year contract extension through 2008, an agreement reached just days after the Giants were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. However, injuries to seven-time Pro Bowler Michael Strahan and leading receiver Amani Toomer, dumb mistakes and a subpar second half by quarterback Eli Manning led to a 2-7 finish that caused fan unrest and put Coughlin's job in jeopardy after New York's 23-20... (Tampa Bay Online, FL -- Sports)
Coughlin extended by Giants Jan 11, 2007
Tomlinson won the Bert Bell Award as the pro player of the year, and Payton the Earle "Greasy" Neale Award as the top coach in pro football. Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. (Boston Globe -- Sports)
