
The New Orleans Saints are a team built by
Congress

Without the New Orleans Saints, the NFL
today would not be possible

The 1965 AFL All-Star game in New Orleans
was the subject of a major, successful civil
rights boycott – the first in professional
sports.

The New Orleans Saints were formed as a
result of the anti-trust exemptions given to
Pro Football by Congress upon the merger of
the NFL and the AFL in 1966.
Rep. Hale Boggs (the #3 leader in the US
House) and Sen. Russell Long made a deal
with the NFL to give New Orleans a team… if
the legislation passed.
 Anti-Trust exemptions give certain businesses the
ability to have a monopoly (or exist without
competition) because these unique businesses
cannot succeed with total market competition.
Anti-Trust MUST be approved by Congress.
 Anti-Trust for the NFL applies to many aspects of
the business of pro football including broadcast
rights, free agency for players and licensed
merchandise.


The NFL is one of several
leagues to operate
between 1920 and 1950.
As leagues fail, their
best, most profitable
teams are absorbed into
the NFL.
Teams are in the
Northeast and Midwest,
no teams south of
Washington DC.











Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers
Washington Redskins
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions
St. Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
Baltimore Colts
Cleveland Browns
San Francisco ‘49ers

Oil millionaire Lamar Hunt, at
age 27 already one of the richest
men in Texas, wants an NFL
team in Dallas.

The NFL says they do not want
to expand and will not allow
Hunt to purchase the Chicago
Chargers and move them to
Dallas.

Lamar Hunt won’t take “no” for
an answer… and forms the rival
American Football League (AFL).








Dallas Texans (now
Kansas City Chiefs)
Houston Oilers
New England Patriots
New York Titans
Oakland Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Denver Broncos
Buffalo Bills

Hunt knew that
televising an entire
football season and not
just a few games would
lead to a nationwide
audience who already
loves the college game –
and more money for
professional football.

AFL signs a 5 year
exclusive contract with
ABC to televise their
season.

AFL puts player names
on jerseys and the
official time on the
scoreboard!

AFL Teams recruit from a new
source of untapped talent…
Historically Black Colleges and
Universities.

Lamar Hunt went to many
Grambling State University
games at the Cotton Bowl and
focused on this untapped talent.

NFL Teams had no more than 5
black players each – the AFL
welcomed every talented player
and many teams were close to
50% black – in the early ‘60’s.

This makes their league
highly successful – a true
rival to the NFL.
Willie Lanier – from
Morgan State to the
Kansas City Chiefs
Abner Haynes,
first AFL Rookie
of the Year

New Orleans businessmen want an AFL team and offer to host the
All-Star Game to show how strong a market it would be for a pro
football team.

After the 22 black AFL players on the All-Star teams experience
discrimination from segregationist laws and practices in the week
leading up to the 1965 AFL All-Star game in New Orleans, they
decided to boycott the game.

The All-Star game was moved to Houston – on 2 days notice!

Following this, AFL players, led by Jack Kemp, voiced opposition
to expanding to New Orleans.

New Orleans was unable to get the football team it wanted from
the planned AFL expansion.

"The American Football League is
progressing in great strides, and the
Negro players feel they are playing a
vital role in the league's progression.
They are being treated fairly in all
cities in the league.
"However, because of adverse
conditions and discriminatory
practices experienced by Negro
players while here in New Orleans,
the players feel they cannot perform
100 percent as expected in the AllStar Game and be treated
differently."

In 1966, the NFL
realizes that the AFL
presents a REAL
threat… and proposes
a merger.

This would have the
NFL operate as two
conferences but ONE
league.

At the end of
the season,
there would be
a world
championship
–named the
“SUPER
BOWL” by
Lamar Hunt.

As the NFL’s commissioner
Pete Rozelle lobbied
Congress for anti-trust
protections, Louisiana’s
powerful Rep. Hale Boggs
and Sen. Russell Long, made
a deal:
Boggs
Long
 YOU get your law…
 New Orleans gets a team
Rozelle
For Rozelle and the NFL, this was “an offer you can’t
refuse”.
Without these Louisiana Politicians, the law would
not pass. The League would not exist.
President Johnson signed the Anti-Trust exemption
which has been upheld many times by the
Superme Court.

The announcement
comes on All Saints
Day.

The name had to be
approved by the
Archdiocese of New
Orleans.

New Orleans is a
member of the NFL.

Conferences are re-named NFC and AFC.

League expands teams until they have 24 in
1970.

More teams are added in the ’90s and ‘00s
until the league has 32 teams.

Anti-Trust can be a 2
way street for
businesses – you get
protections, but your
business depends on
the will of Congress.

NFL players and
executives testify
regularly before
Congress.
Roger Goodell and Mike Ditka, 2009
hearing about NFL retirement benefits.

The unique role of Louisiana and the New Orleans
Saints in the formation and success of the NFL was
THE key reason the NFL agreed to keep the team
in New Orleans, IF the fan support was there.

Louisiana responded, selling out the Dome for the
first time in YEARS in 2006.

There were HUGE concerns about the Superdome
but its old architecture has proven to be a potent
weapon, creating the loudest stadium in the
League.

The New Orleans Saints,
the team Congress
created, are finally in the
SUPER BOWL!!

As you have learned
today, the Saints have
always been “America’s
Team”.