David Rosenthal

Wild.

So this new league, proto-NFL, formed in 1920 with 14 teams and about as much instant legitimacy as you could get from Jim Thorpe.

They pretty quickly become the biggest professional football league in America.

There's not a lot of stiff competition.

Yes.

But...

That said, the 20s and really the 30s too, it's an uphill battle, shall we say.

So it was an uphill battle for a couple of reasons.

One, even despite all their efforts, the stigma of professional football really does not wear off, especially in the 20s.

So after the NFL is formed and starts getting publicity in 1922, then Michigan... Sorry, Ben, Michigan.

Then...

Michigan head football coach Fielding Yost gives a very widely reported speech in New York City where he's talking about the new league.

And he says that, quote, pro football robs the great American game of many of its greatest character building qualities.

The ideals of generous service, loyalty, sacrifice, and wholehearted devotion to a cause are all taken away.

Now, of course, he's partisan because he's a college football coach, but this really was still the prevailing sentiment.

Yep.

The other problems the NFL face are most of these teams are based in kind of small towns.

Yeah.

There was no TV.

There was no internet.