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Post by jdodez on Oct 16, 2021 9:42:17 GMT -5
I've posted this crew photo before, but I think I mistakenly identified it as 1971. I'm now thinking it's 1970, the first year of the combined AFL-NFL. The crew photo shows (L to R) Ray Dodez, George Kennard, Tommy Bell, Tom Kelleher, Fritz Graf, and Bill Summers.
Kelleher and Graf were our course both legendary officials in the 1960s. Both started officiating pro football in 1960, with Graf spending his first year in the newly formed AFL before jumping to the NFL in 1961. Bell started in 1962. I haven't found any crew lists from the 1960s, so I'm not sure when Kelleher, Graf, and Bell started working regularly together as a crew. Kennard was a rookie in 1970.
Summers and Dodez joined the AFL in 1967 and 1968 respectively, coming in as part of the AFL expansion with the addition of the Cincinnati Bengals to the weekly schedule in 1968. The AFL-NFL merger had been underway since it the agreement was signed in 1966, so officials hired in the AFL knew they had a great chance of being hired for the modern enlarged NFL in 1970.
I'm sure Art McNally and Mel Hein, supervisors of officials for the National and American Conferences respectively, were giving a great deal of thought to how the crews from the different leagues would be combined. There were a number of preseason "exhibition games" in 67-69 where officials from the different leagues were assigned to work together. My father Ray Dodez' first game with Tommy Bell was an August, 1968 exhibition game played in Morgantown, WV between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
For Dodez, Summers, and Kennard, joining a crew with Bell, Kelleher, and Graf must have been like attending graduate school for officials!
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Post by jc on Oct 16, 2021 21:30:58 GMT -5
jdodez from the vintage 1970 crews:
7 Tommy Bell
87 George Kennard
74 Ray Dodez
85 Bill Summers
25 Tom Kelleher
34 Fritz Graf
1971 crew list was:
7 Tommy Bell
87 George Kennard
74 Ray Dodez
16 Royal Cathcart
25 Tom Kelleher
34 Fritz Graf
Royal Cathcart replaced Bill Summers at LJ
So it was 1970...
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Post by footballref13 on Oct 18, 2021 1:39:00 GMT -5
I've posted this crew photo before, but I think I mistakenly identified it as 1971. I'm now thinking it's 1970, the first year of the combined AFL-NFL. The crew photo shows (L to R) Ray Dodez, George Kennard, Tommy Bell, Tom Kelleher, Fritz Graf, and Bill Summers.
Kelleher and Graf were our course both legendary officials in the 1960s. Both started officiating pro football in 1960, with Graf spending his first year in the newly formed AFL before jumping to the NFL in 1961. Bell started in 1962. I haven't found any crew lists from the 1960s, so I'm not sure when Kelleher, Graf, and Bell started working regularly together as a crew. Kennard was a rookie in 1970.
Summers and Dodez joined the AFL in 1967 and 1968 respectively, coming in as part of the AFL expansion with the addition of the Cincinnati Bengals to the weekly schedule in 1968. The AFL-NFL merger had been underway since it the agreement was signed in 1966, so officials hired in the AFL knew they had a great chance of being hired for the modern enlarged NFL in 1970.
I'm sure Art McNally and Mel Hein, supervisors of officials for the National and American Conferences respectively, were giving a great deal of thought to how the crews from the different leagues would be combined. There were a number of preseason "exhibition games" in 67-69 where officials from the different leagues were assigned to work together. My father Ray Dodez' first game with Tommy Bell was an August, 1968 exhibition game played in Morgantown, WV between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
For Dodez, Summers, and Kennard, joining a crew with Bell, Kelleher, and Graf must have been like attending graduate school for officials!
Unfortunately Kennard didn't last long. Was gone after 2 seasons and number was replaced by Don Wedge in 1972. Guess Kennard didn't do well? |
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