Editing Bert Bell (section)

====Compromise with the NFLPA (1956–1957)====
In [[Radovich v. National Football League]], the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] ruled in Radovich's favor and declared the NFL was subject to antitrust laws,<ref>Coenen: 182; cf. Ruck; Patterson and Weber: 293</ref> and the implication was that the legality of the draft and [[reserve clause]] were dubious.<ref>Coenen: 182; cf. Lyons: 255–256</ref> Bell pressed a case in the media that the NFL should be exempted from antitrust regulations and proffered the league was a sport and not a business.<ref>Lyons: 261</ref> He invited an investigation from Congress with respect to the court's ruling.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PRsfAAAAIBAJ&dq=bert%20bell&pg=7199%2C6474989 |title=Pro Football Would Welcome Probe, Says NFL Commissioner Bert Bell | date=February 27, 1957 | work=[[The Tuscaloosa News]] | page = 8}}</ref> The [[United States House Committee on the Judiciary|House Judiciary]] committee, chaired by [[Emanuel Celler]]—who believed the draft was illegal and should be abolished, convened in July 1957 to discuss the ramifications of the Radovich decision.<ref>Carroll: 199</ref> [[Red Grange]] and Bell testified at the committee's solicitation and argued the draft was essential to the sport's success.<ref>U.S. House Committee III, 1957, p. 2596; cf. Carroll: 199</ref> Representatives of the NFLPA contradicted these statements and said the draft and the reserve clause were anti-labor, and it seemed as if Congress was going to accept their position.<ref name="L1947">{{cite news | first = Lloyd | last = Larsen | title = Bell's Player Recognition Could be Real Winner for Pro Football | date = August 2, 1957 | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QF4xAAAAIBAJ&dq=bert%20bell&pg=4279%2C997756 | work = The Milwaukee Sentinel | page = 2:3 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Faced with Congressional opposition, Bell formally recognized the NFLPA and declared he would negotiate with its representatives.<ref name="L1947"/>

However, Bell was speaking only for himself and without the auspices of the owners.<ref name="ROONEY 78">Rooney; Halaas and Masich: 78</ref> At the next owners' meeting, Rooney admonished they either had to recognize the NFLPA or remove Bell as commissioner.<ref name="ROONEY, 2007, p. 78.">Rooney; Halaas and Masich, 2007, p. 78.</ref> In order to do this, they had to agree in a vote that required a ''super-majority''.<ref>Ruck; Patterson and Weber: 294; cf. U.S. House Committee III, 1957, p. 2580a–2580at</ref> Bell unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the owners to permit the NFLPA to act as a bargaining agent for the players.<ref name="S_63 O_57">Staudohar, 1986, 63; cf. Oriard: 57</ref> However, he did reach a compromise with the owners to get them to acquiesce to some of the NFLPA's requests for salary standards and health benefits.<ref name="S_63 O_57"/>