As a history buff, it’s intriguing to ponder the ‘what ifs’ and near realities of the past. This narrative revolves around the Kennedy family’s brush with owning the Dodgers, which could have seen JFK as their president, potentially altering his political trajectory to the White House.
An intriguing story written by Alex Schiffer for Front Office Sports discusses a meeting in the summer of 1950. Walter O’Malley, the co-owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was returning to Connecticut with Branch Rickey, who managed the team’s front office and was also a part-owner. Before leaving his hotel Rickey had breakfast with Joseph Kennedy, the former ambassador, at the Biltmore Hotel in New York City, a family name that would become iconic in American politics.
Joe Kennedy had a plan
At the time, Kennedy considered it a sound investment to buy into the Dodgers; as a fervent baseball fan, the prospect of owning a team was certainly enticing. However, 18 years later, in 1968, O’Malley suggested Kennedy’s motivation was different, involving his son John, often called Jack. In a July issue of the Saturday Evening Post that year, in an article titled “A Visit with the Artful Dodger,” O’Malley claimed that the Kennedy family patriarch was concerned that John’s health issues might hinder his political prospects, and owning the Dodgers could serve as a fallback if his son’s 1952 Senate campaign failed.
One doesn’t need to be a history enthusiast to know that Kennedy was successful in his campaign, first becoming a U.S. Senator and then, in 1960, the President, defeating Richard Nixon. While JFK was a fan of Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, his political pursuits took precedence over any involvement with running the team.
Although Kennedy never became the president of the Dodgers, his role was pivotal in enabling us to watch the World Series and other major sports events on television or via streaming. He was a central figure in the national legislation that has shaped our current sports viewing practices and the broadcasting capabilities of professional sports leagues.
JFK came through for sports fans in all leagues that opened the doors for media rights deals of today
Before 1960 each team in pro sports and college sports could create their own networks with teams like the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins had the largest in the NFL. The NBA, NHL and other leagues worked to create their own deals causing the leagues to try keep them under one tent.
The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, signed into law by President Kennedy on September 30, 1961, amended antitrust laws. This act permitted professional sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL to collectively sell their broadcasting rights and negotiate television contracts on a league-wide basis.
The legislation was enacted in response to a judicial decision that found the NFL’s approach to negotiating television rights in breach of antitrust regulations. This measure, by permitting leagues to collectively sell television packages, aimed to maintain competitive equity and financial security across all teams, particularly those in smaller markets.
This opened up opportunities for sports leagues to significantly profit by consolidating their television rights collectively, rather than as individual teams. It also allowed leagues to work with networks in getting top dollar for big events like the World Series.
In the end, it might have been for the best that the Kennedys didn’t purchase the Dodgers, and JFK’s greatest sporting achievement was helping fans watch their favorite sports regardless of where they live. This remains JFK’s most significant contribution to sports fans.
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