Page "American Football League" Paragraph 2

During the 1950s, the National Football League had grown to rival Major League Baseball as one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the United States.

One franchise that did not share in this newfound success of the league was the Chicago Cardinals, owned by the Bidwill family, who had become overshadowed by the more popular Chicago Bears.

The Bidwills hoped to relocate their franchise, preferably to St. Louis but could not come to terms with the league on a relocation fee.

Needing cash, the Bidwills began entertaining offers from would-be investors, and one of the men who approached the Bidwills was Lamar Hunt, son and heir of Texas millionaire oilman H. L. Hunt.

Hunt offered to buy the Cardinals and move them to Dallas, Texas, where he had grown up.

However, these negotiations came to nothing, since the Bidwills insisted on retaining a controlling interest in the franchise and were unwilling move their team to a city where a previous NFL franchise had failed in 1952.

While Hunt negotiated with Bidwills, similar offers were made by Bud Adams, Bob Howsam, and Max Winter.