In the late 1950s, several cities across the United States were earmarked for possible expansion for the National Football League (NFL). Not that the league was going to expand – in fact it was adamant about not expanding into new territories. The current owners liked their tidy league and travel was accommodating since the league was basically Eastern and Midwestern cities only.
Over the years several wealthy businessmen had inquired about being owners of an NFL team, mainly expansion into their hometowns. What the NFL told them instead was that if they wanted into the league they needed to purchase an existing team.