Former quarterback Sammy Baugh, with cap, now coach of the New York Titans, watches as Tom Dimitroff throws a pass down field, during workout at camp in Durham, New Hampshire, on July 12, 1960. Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
The fledgling American Football League needed attention – and a strong national television contract – so naturally it turned to New York for one of its inaugural franchises.
Enter Harry Wismer, a colorful, volatile character with a long history as a sports announcer. In 1953, he had done play-by-play for the first prime-time, national NFL television package, Saturday nights on the DuMont Network.