GREEN BAY 'COUNTY SEAT' OF GRID SECTOR
DEC 12 (Green Bay) - Green Bay is the "county seat" of the new National division of the National-American Football league. There won't be any courthouse, but there will be a judge, so to speak - Emil R. Fischer, the Green Bay man who was appointed president of the National division when the NFL and All-American conference officially merged at 2:30 Friday afternoon. Selection of Fischer by League Commissioner Bert Bell means that the headquarters of the National division will be in Green Bay. The headquarters of the American division will be in Cleveland - home of Daniel Sherby, an official of the Cleveland Browns. Fischer's new assignment will not interfere in any way with his duties as president of Green Bay Packers, Inc. - a post he has held since 1947. Fischer has been assured of that by Bell. What are Fischer's duties in his new capacity? The new prexy will call presidents of the National division together periodically to discuss matters within the division, Fischer said today. Any problems that cannot be worked out, of course, will be referred to the pro football czar in Philadelphia...MAKEUP OF DIVISIONS: What about disputes and touchy problems within the division? "We'll (the National division) try to iron them out first. If we can't, the dispute or what not will be taken directly to Mr. Bell," Fischer pointed out, adding that "the commissioner naturally is the last word in professional football matters." National division meetings, of course, will be held in Green Bay. "I don't see how I can make my headquarters anywhere else," Fischer smiled. Green Bay was still buzzing today with comments on the dramatic merger, which ended a four-year war of dollar bills between the two circuits. The "marriage" came about after only 48 hours of courting between Bell and a representative of the conference, J. Arthur Friedlund. The chief talk centered around the makeup of the two divisions. Though the commissioner must still work out the two sectors with club officials, the usual report or rumor had the two divisions made up as follows: National - Green Bay, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Pittsburgh. American - Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago Cardinals, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York Bulldogs...STARTS SEPT. 17, 1950: The new league season will start Sunday, Sept. 17, 1950. Bell indicated today that each team in the new circuit will be idle at least once during the season when the merged loops begin functioning next fall. In each division, six teams will play home and home schedules, allowing for 10 games of the proposed 12-game card. One game will be played against a "natural rival" from the other division for the 11th game. Baltimore will play every other league team once to complete the 12th game for all. The next big step will be the league's draft meeting scheduled for Philadelphia in January. At that time, the 13 clubs will hold a complete new draft (NFL clubs had drafted three player each earlier) and players of the now defunct Buffalo Bills, Chicago Hornets and Los Angeles Dons will be "distributed"...WON'T PLAY FOR PEANUTS: The players are watching the new setup with particular interest. Though Bell feels that the new organization ends the ruinous price war for choice material, he believes that "it doesn't mean the men will play for peanuts." "Economic conditions will take care of everything," he said. "I have no idea what range the new player salaries will take, because that can now be decided by the owners in terms of only the player's drawing and earning power." He added, "The players won't be caught in any squeeze."
THE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL MERGER
DEC 12 (Green Bay) - The merger of the two professional football leagues means a lot to Green Bay and to every other city where professional football is played. In fact, it is a great thing for all elements of professional football including the players. There is a tendency on the part of some to regard the merger as a life-saver for Green Bay and as a means of reducing player salaries. The truth is that every city in each league could see ruin ahead unless the cut-throat competition was ended. Many players had been able to boost their earnings because of the unlimited bidding for talent between the two leagues but that was not good for all players. A salary scale that threatened the existence of many teams was certainly not good for anyone. Green Bay will share in the general benefits which will come to all members of the new league. A great many players will become available through the elimination of some clubs and the consolidation of others. This should make it possible for the Packers to build a much stronger team next year. However, Green Bay was singled out for special honor and prestige when E.R. Fischer, president of the Packer corporation, was named president of the National division of the new league. No one knows yet what the division of the league will be or what the duties of the president of the divisions will entail. It may take a season or two of actual operation to determine such details. Nevertheless, it must be plain to all that Green Bay is rated as an important anchor post in the new structure, and that the leaders of professional football have put a high rating on the character and ability of Mr. Fischer. These are honors which Green Bay is happy to receive as it pushes forward with its own particular football problems which are still of major proportions.
CLEVELAND LUKEWARM TO PRO FOOTBALL PEACE
DEC 12 (Cleveland) - Professional football's peace is not a full fledged fact so far as Cleveland's Browns are concerned. Paul Brown, dapper coach and general manager of the club which Sunday won its fourth straight All-America conference title, said Monday the Browns might not field a team next fall. "Unless we get out of last week's merger of the American and National leagues what we need in personnel to fill our gaps," he said, "plus a place in the division with the better clubs, we'll not be interested in the new league and we'll be out of business." Brown said his contract with owner Arthur (Mickey) McBride - a personal contact - gave him complete control over football policy. He added that McBride would concur should he decide to fold the tent here. "We've earned the right to play the top clubs, the ones that will draw," Brown said. "Cleveland is entitled to see the best. Our fans want to see us against Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and the Detroit Lions - and that's the division we want in if the league is split up that way." Brown also indicated the peace agreement was not a merger, but a capitulation by some of the All-America clubs and he feared that in future matters the three All-America survivors might be on the sort end of a 10-3 vote.
BERT BELL QUOTED AS FAVORING 16 TEAMS
DEC 12 (Buffalo) - Bert Bell, commissioner of the new National-American Football league, was quoted by the Buffalo Courier-Express Sunday as saying that he would like to find enough "sound franchises" to