David Rosenthal

Right.

So they're keeping this to rookies.

But still, pretty quickly, contracts for rookies get into the close to million-dollar range, which is way more than the veterans are making.

It starts causing all these problems.

And by the beginning of 1966...

The owners group in the NFL realizes that, hey, the AFL isn't going away.

And this is not going to be like last time.

We're going to have to play ball with these guys, literally.

Oh, this is so fun.

What happens next is like a Godfather film.

So a few of the most influential owners come to Roselle in 1966.

And they say, the way things are going with the AFL, we're not going to beat them.

This draft situation with the rookies is out of control.

The contracts we're paying, we're losing too much money.

This is going to kill the league if we keep the war going.

We've got to get to a truce, which that means we're going to have to merge.

So we're going to direct you, Rozelle, to go start merger negotiations with the AFL.

Rozelle doesn't want to do it.

He thinks they can win.

He wants to fight, but he's like, okay, I work for you.