What took so long? Bell might have been the best, toughest, most imaginative commissioner ever, any era, any sport.
"I think he's the greatest," Lyons said. "Right up there with baseball's Kenesaw Mountain Landis. They faced the same problems, dealing with the haves and the have-nots among the owners.
"Landis had the Black Sox scandal. Bell, in his first year, had the Giants' gambling scandal (Merle Hapes and Frank Filchock were approached to fix a game)."
Some background. Born into a wealthy Philadelphia family, saddled with a first name that reeked of aristocracy, De Benneville, Bell called himself Bert, played 5 years of football at Penn (don't ask), quarterbacked the team that went to the 1917 Rose Bowl (honest), bought a pro football franchise for $2,500 and named the team Eagles after the symbol of FDR's National Recovery plan, merged it briefly with the Steelers to form the Steagles, sold the team to 100 businessmen, had a green light to buy the team back, a plan that ended with his death in the north stands at Franklin Field.
Whew. Lyons puts instituting the annual college player draft at the top of a crowded list of Bell's achievements. Back in the day, the Bears, Giants, Packers and Redskins dominated the league. The other franchises were gurgling in red ink.
Bell owned the Eagles in 1935 when they finished 2-9. Named himself head coach to slash payroll. Told the other owners the league was only as strong as its weakest link. Said he knew first hand the agonies of a weak link.
Proposed creating a list of college seniors and drafting in inverse order, worst team first, best team last. Had to convince Chicago's George Halas, a fierce spokesman for the "haves."
