Bert Bell was not just an NFL commissioner, he was one of the league’s key architects. On Any Given Sunday was the first full biography of a man whose fingerprints are all over the modern NFL, even if his name isn’t. As commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959, Bell helped transform a fragile postwar football league into a credible national competition. This book, published in 2009 to mark the 50th anniversary of his death, pieces together Bell’s unlikely journey from wealthy Philadelphia playboy to a commissioner who quite literally gave his life to the game.
Before taking over the league, Bell co-founded the Philadelphia Eagles and later served as co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His understanding of the sport from both sides of the table, as executive and team owner, shaped many of his decisions as commissioner. He introduced the NFL Draft in 1936, now seen as a masterstroke of competitive balance. He oversaw the league’s first national television deals and introduced sudden-death overtime, helping to make pro football one of the most watchable and marketable sports in America.
Bell’s belief in parity was central to his philosophy. He wanted every fan to believe that, as he put it, “on any given Sunday,” their team could win. That vision still underpins the league’s scheduling and financial structures today.
Title: On Any Given Sunday: A Life of Bert Bell
Author: Robert S Lyons
First published: Temple University Press, 2009
Buy the Book: Amazon US | Amazon UK
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But Lyons also explores Bell beyond the rulebook. His marriage to Broadway star Frances Upton, his struggles with alcohol, his friendships with presidents, and his flair for negotiation are all covered. Bell was a deeply committed commissioner, dying of a heart attack while watching the Eagles play the Steelers – the two teams he had helped to build.
With access to Bell’s family, league archives and extensive interviews, Robert S. Lyons has produced a detailed portrait of a man whose legacy deserves far more recognition than it typically receives. For readers interested in how the NFL became the behemoth it is today, On Any Given Sunday is an essential starting point.
THE AUTHOR
Robert S. Lyons was a journalist and editor before becoming Director of News and Public Affairs at Villanova University, where he also taught journalism. In addition to On Any Given Sunday, he has wrote on subjects ranging from collegiate sports to Philadelphia history. He died in 2013, aged 73.
REVIEWS
“An excellent analysis of Bell’s major contributions to the NFL’s survival and its transformation into a major professional sports league.”
Richard C Crepeau, NFL Football
“Robert S. Lyons’ flavorful biography captures the blustery and paternalistic Bell, portraying him as a man who worked relentlessly to keep the NFL alive and push it to thrive… One has to appreciate the long string of anecdotes and colorful details Lyons has dug up. Who knew, for instance, that Bell would calm tempers at owners’ meetings by taking out his false teeth and putting them in his water glass? More important, no book has detailed Bell’s contributions to the NFL so thoroughly.”
Philadelphia Inquirer
“On Any Given Sunday provides lots of stories about the days when Bert Bell had to get special permission for his team to even play on Sunday… when college football drew ten times the fans the pros drew… when nobody could have imagined the partnership between the NFL and network television that would eventually change the landscape of sports in the United States.”
WBUR
