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The first biography ever written about the man who some considered the greatest commissioner in the history of professional sports
On Any Given Sunday
A Life of Bert Bell
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Foreword by Don Shula
Robert S. Lyons
Q&A with Robert S. Lyons, 2009
"It’s hard to believe that it’s been fifty years since Bert Bell’s death and that no one has ever chronicled the life of this remarkable man. Fortunately, Bob Lyons has finally filled the void with a fascinating, thoroughly researched biography that not only details the accomplishments of one of the finest commissioners in the history of professional sports but also offers a unique glimpse into a long-forgotten era of the National Football League."
—From the Foreword by Don Shula
Bert Bell, a native of Philadelphia, has been called the most powerful executive figure in the history of professional football. He was responsible for helping to transform the game from a circus sideshow into what has become the most popular spectator sport in America. In the first biography of this important sports figure, historian Robert Lyons recounts the remarkable story of how de Benneville "Bert" Bell rejected the gentility of a high society lifestyle in favor of the tougher gridiron and rose to become the founder of the Philadelphia Eagles and Commissioner of the National Football League.
Bell, who arguably saved the league from bankruptcy by conceiving the idea for the annual player draft, later made the historic decision to introduce "sudden death" overtime—a move that propelled professional football into the national consciousness. He coined the phrase "on any given Sunday" and negotiated the league’s first national TV contract. Lyons describes in fascinating detail Bell’s relationships with leading figures ranging from such Philadelphia icons as Walter Annenberg and John B. Kelly to national celebrities and U.S. Presidents. He also provides insight into Bell’s colorful personal life—including his hell-raising early years and his secret marriage to Frances Upton, a golden name in show business.
On Any Given Sunday is being published on the fiftieth anniversary of Bell’s death.
Reviews
"Bert Bell devoted his life to pro football. As the NFL’s first great commissioner, he shaped his time and the times to come. The rest walk in his footsteps. This book explains why."
—Steve Sabol, President, NFL Films
"Before Bert Bell, the NFL operated out of a closet, almost. Most of what you associate with pro football today began with Bert Bell."
—Dick Vermeil
Also available in e-book
About the Author(s)
 | For more than 35 years, Robert S. Lyons has covered professional and college sports for the Associated Press and has contributed articles to numerous national publications. He is the author of Palestra Pandemonium: A History of the Big Five, and co-author (with Ray Didinger) of The Eagles Encyclopedia (both Temple). He is the former director of the La Salle University News Bureau, editor of the university's alumni magazine, and an instructor in the school's Communications Department. |