Ben Gilbert

And the NFL time and time again has had their hand forced and then reacted really well to a new upstart.

And I really don't think this is like a business decision of we don't want more people taking our pie.

I think they sort of recognize that there could be more money made if you have more cities.

But it was more that the NFL owners at this point are a tight-knit fraternity of people who all...

think the same way, who respect the game, largely who owned the teams when they were massively loss-making.

And so they kind of don't want to let anyone into their club, even if it would be good for business.

And the NFL, as we know it today, is a business.

But at that point in history, it was really like each of these teams are kind of on their own island.

They're deeply competitive against other players.

They don't think of those people as fellow employees of the league.

It's more like we each have our own club, but the owners of each club sort of have this thing with each other, this fraternal bond.

And David, I am excited we are finally here.

The birth of the American Football League.

The AFL.

Yes, their competition with the NFL and really the era of national TV contracts.

This is the story of how the NFL became the league that we know today.

Yes, and thus begins the most successful attempt to challenge the NFL.

Yes, this one ended very differently than the AAFC did.

So at first, Bell and the NFL... They're sort of trying to be pretend supportive until it's legit threatening.

Yes.