Congress passed a bill allowing the NFL-AFL merger.
The chances are almost nil that there will be any celebration of the day October 21st in the National Football League’s New York City office or at the training facilities and offices of the 32 NFL franchises. But October 21st, 1966 is a significant day in NFL history. It was the day that the modern NFL and the Super Bowl were created. Congress passed a law called Public Law 89-800 with the National Football League-American Football League merger legislation added as a rider to an anti-inflation bill. No politician was going to vote against an anti-inflation bill. Public Law 89-800 allowed the National Football League to evade the Sherman Antitrust Act and become a football monopoly by adding the AFL teams.
When the two leagues announced a merger on June 8th, 1966, New Orleans became a political football. The merger needed Congressional approval first and there were two roadblocks, Louisiana Senator Russell Long and Louisiana Congressman Hale Boggs, two powerful players in both chambers. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle lobbied both and both said they didn’t see how a merger would benefit New Orleans. Eventually Rozelle got a deal together, a 1967 NFL expansion team for New Orleans in exchange for Long and Boggs’ support. It was a simple political ploy. Rozelle had something that Boggs wanted and Boggs could get his colleagues to support the merger with a promise from Rozelle of a franchise in New Orleans. There was some political maneuvering that kept the 15 NFL teams and nine AFL teams in their cities through 1970. New Orleans was awarded an NFL expansion team on November 1st, 1966 which happened to be All Saints Day. The legislation passed and was sent to President Lyndon Johnson who signed the measure on November 8th, 1966. A championship game between the two leagues was part of the deal.
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NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle cut a deal to get the merger approved
