If ever there was a time when the world of athletics served as a reflection of the rest of our culture, 1960 would be that perfect example. Looking back 50 years later, its almost as if someone flipped a switch on December 31, 1959, touching off a series of events that would signal the end of the line for many iconic sports figures of the 1950’s, while introducing us to those who would shape the sports landscape for years to come. The parallels between what was happening in the world at large and the sporting life are amazing. Ponder the fact that the eight year presidency of Dwight D Eisenhower came to an end about three months after Casey Stengel was let go from his position as manager of the New York Yankees. Both Eisenhower and Stengel held the top job in their respected fields throughout most of the 1950’s. Both were three months past their 70th birthdays.As several major sports figures were stepping down in 1960, others were just getting started. Ted Williams played in his final Major League Baseball game in 1960, while Juan Marichal pitched in his first. The NFL Championship, played on December 26, 1960, saw the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Green Bay Packers 17-13. Both the winning quarterback, Norm Van Brocklin, and coach, Buck Shaw, retired after the game. The losing coach, Vince Lombardi, went on to become the most celebrated NFL head coach of all time. But two men, who would define their professions for many years to come, were virtually unknown on January 1, 1960.
One of the most significant moments in pro-football history happened nowhere near a field. On January 26, 1960, all 12 NFL franchise owners met to select a new commissioner. After 23 ballots, Pete Rozelle, an executive with the Los Angeles Rams organization, was chosen as a compromise candidate. Before long Rozelle would be among the most powerful men in all of sports, as he negotiated record TV contracts, established the model for the revenue sharing and helped engineer a merger with the rival American Football League. Rozelle remained commissioner for nearly 30 years.
The 1960 Rome Summer Olympics were a grand showcase for several great American athletes, including woman’s sprinter Wilma Rudolph and decathlon star Rafer Johnson. But it was a light-heavyweight boxer named Cassius Clay who demanded much of the attention, as his skill for talking seemed to match anything he could do in the ring. Winning the gold medal on September 5, 1960, Clay then turned pro, and became heavyweight champion of the world in February of 1964. By then, he had changed his name to Muhammad Ali, and the 1950’s seemed light years away.
