Digest

This episode of "Disgraceland" delves into the dark side of the NFL's history, revealing its deep connections to organized crime. The episode begins by exploring the league's origins, highlighting the involvement of mobsters and degenerate gamblers in its early days. It then focuses on the story of Carol Rosenblum, the owner of the Los Angeles Rams, and his alleged involvement in illegal betting and ticket scalping. The episode details the federal investigation into Rosenblum's activities and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death. The episode then shifts its focus to the mafia's influence on the NFL in the 1970s, highlighting the relationship between Alan Glick, a mafia frontman, and NFL figures like Al Davis and Don Shula. It recounts the murder of Tamara Ran, who was suing Glick for a real estate deal, and suggests that her death was related to her knowledge of Glick's mob connections. The episode concludes by discussing the NFL's efforts to distance itself from the mafia's influence and its current embrace of legalized sports betting.

Outlines

00:00:00

The NFL's Criminal Origins

This episode explores the NFL's history with organized crime, from its early days with mob-connected owners to the league's efforts to distance itself from the mafia in the 1970s and its current embrace of legalized sports betting.

00:00:34

Carol Rosenblum and the Los Angeles Rams

The episode delves into the story of Carol Rosenblum, the owner of the Los Angeles Rams, and his alleged involvement in illegal betting and ticket scalping. It details the federal investigation into Rosenblum's activities and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.

00:19:50

The Mafia's Influence on the NFL

The episode shifts its focus to the mafia's influence on the NFL in the 1970s, highlighting the relationship between Alan Glick, a mafia frontman, and NFL figures like Al Davis and Don Shula. It recounts the murder of Tamara Ran, who was suing Glick for a real estate deal, and suggests that her death was related to her knowledge of Glick's mob connections.

00:33:21

The NFL's Response to the Mafia's Influence

The episode discusses the NFL's efforts to distance itself from the mafia's influence and its current embrace of legalized sports betting.

00:38:11

Conclusion and Question of the Week

The episode concludes with a summary of the key points and a question of the week: which athlete in the history of sports has been the biggest disgrace and why?

Keywords

Q&A

• What was the NFL's involvement with organized crime in the early days of the league?

  The NFL was founded and run by degenerate gamblers, many of whom had connections to organized crime. This included owners like Art Rooney, Tim Mara, and Charles Bidwell, who were all inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame despite their questionable pasts.

• How did the NFL try to distance itself from organized crime in the 1970s?

  The NFL faced a crisis in the 1970s when it was revealed that several owners and players had business dealings with mob-connected figures like Alan Glick. The league forced these individuals to divest from their relationships with Glick, but Al Davis, the owner of the Oakland Raiders, refused to comply.

• What is the NFL's current relationship with gambling?

  The NFL has embraced legalized sports betting, which generates billions of dollars in revenue for the league. While the NFL is now too powerful to be corrupted by low-level mobsters, the league's history with gambling and organized crime remains a significant part of its story.

Show Notes