In fact, an awful lot of N.F.L. club owners have practically no influence on their players at all, simply because they're not full-time working owners.

Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (/rɵˈzɛl/; March 1 1926 – December 6 1996) was the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) from January 1960 to November 1989 when he retired from office. When he took office there were twelve teams in the NFL playing a twelve game schedule to frequently half-empty stadiums and only a few teams had television contracts. According to Howard Cosell in his book I Never Played the Game the owners took 23 ballots before settling on Rozelle as NFL Commissioner at a January 26 1960 meeting.

Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world. Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (/rɵˈzɛl/; March 1 1926 – December 6 1996) was the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) from January 1960 to November 1989 when he retired from office.