Sports Then and Now

The 1965 American Football League (AFL) All-Star Game was unlike any other in professional football history. Scheduled to be played in New Orleans on January 16, 1965, the game became a defining moment in the civil rights movement within sports. Instead of being remembered for what happened on the field, the 1965 AFL All-Star Game is remembered for what didn’t happen—the players’ refusal to participate due to racial discrimination they faced upon arriving in New Orleans. This protest, led by the league’s African American players, forced the AFL to relocate the game to Houston, marking one of the earliest instances of professional athletes taking a stand against racial injustice.

The AFL and the Significance of the 1965 All-Star Game

The AFL, founded in 1960 as a rival to the NFL, was known for being more progressive in its approach to racial integration. While the NFL had long-standing unofficial policies that limited Black players in certain positions, the AFL was more open to signing Black talent, giving opportunities to players who had been overlooked by the more established league. The 1965 AFL All-Star Game was meant to be a showcase of the league’s brightest stars, including many of its top Black athletes.

The game was originally set to take place at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, a city that had never hosted a major professional football event. For the AFL, choosing New Orleans as the host city was strategic—the league was looking to expand and hoped to establish a franchise in the Deep South. However, despite assurances from local officials that Black and white players would be treated equally, the reality was far different when the players arrived.

Racial Discrimination in New Orleans

When the African American players arrived in New Orleans, they quickly found themselves subjected to blatant racism. Many were denied cab service, refused entry into restaurants, and treated with open hostility by locals. This was a stark reminder that, despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964 having been passed just months earlier, segregation and discrimination were still deeply ingrained in parts of the country.

Some players initially brushed off the treatment, hoping to focus on the game. However, as more and more instances of discrimination occurred, frustration grew. Players like Cookie Gilchrist, Ernie Warlick, and Abner Haynes, who had already experienced racism throughout their careers, began discussing taking action. The tipping point came when Black players attempted to get cabs and were ignored in favor of white players or refused service outright.

Gino Cappelletti

In recognition of the start of football season, the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month is one of the original stars for the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.

In many ways, Gino Cappelletti epitomized the early years of the American Football League. While the NFL was becoming more specialized and tougher to break into, the AFL provided former college stars with a new place to play and its “wild west” mentality allowed players to contribute in a wide variety of ways. Read the rest of this entry →

John Hadl

Before Dan Fouts and Philip Rivers gained fame slinging the football down the field for the San Diego Chargers, the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month quarterbacked the high-flying lightning bolt offense during the 1960s.

Drafted by both the Detroit Lions of the NFL and San Diego Chargers of the AFL in 1962, John Hadl chose to join future Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman and the perennial AFL contending Chargers. Read the rest of this entry →

Otis Taylor

The December Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month was once famously shuffled out of a window during the AFL-NFL player wars and went on to become one of the top big-play receivers of his era.

After playing college football at the tiny, historically black, Prairie View A&M University, Otis Taylor was selected in the 1965 draft by both the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL and Philadelphia Eagles from the NFL. He ultimately signed with the Chiefs and became a key weapon for a Kansas City team that appeared in two of the first four Super Bowls. Read the rest of this entry →

Oakland Raiders managing partner Al Davis has passed away at the age of 82.

For all the jokes that have been made about the Oakland Raiders in recent years, there has always been a special aura around the “silver and black”. The reason for that was the man who built the Raiders practically from scratch, Al Davis. His death at the age of 82 is a huge loss not just for the Raiders, but for all of professional football.

Few could have predicted when the 33-year-old Davis became the youngest person in the history of professional football to hold the position of head coach and general manager at the same time that Davis would turn the Raiders into one of the iconic sports franchises in America.

Though he showed glimpses of brilliance immediately as the Raiders went 10-4 and Davis was named AFL Coach of the Year during his first season as head coach. He spent two more seasons as head coach and compiled an overall record of 23-16-3.

In April of 1966 Davis was named commissioner of the AFL, but his tenure would prove to be very short. While Davis was working to make the AFL stronger and more formidable in their competition with the NFL, other owners (without his knowledge) were working on an agreement to merge with the NFL. Davis ultimately opposed the merger because he felt the NFL was receiving excessive compensation from the AFL teams, but the merger still went through.

He ultimately resigned as commissioner and returned to the Raiders where he bought a 10 percent share of the team and became one of three general partners.  He also served as head of football operations as the Raiders played in Super Bowl II and continued to build a squad that would be among the best in football during the 1970s.

In 1972 he took control of the Raiders as managing general partner and served in that role until his death. Read the rest of this entry →

Lionel Taylor

It was 50 years ago that the October Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month became the first player in professional football history to catch 100 passes in a single season.

Reaching the century mark for receptions in a season has been accomplished by at least one NFL player in every season except one since 1990, but when Lionel Taylor caught 100 passes in just 14 games for the Denver Broncos it was an accomplishment that had never previously been approached.
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