As the father of the NFL Draft, and a key figure in the NFL’s marriage with national television, Bert Bell had a major impact on today’s NFL. Bell was the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles when, in 1935, he proposed an annual player draft to even the playing field for less wealthy franchises. The inaugural draft was held the following year with teams with the worst records picking first. From 1946 to 1959, Bell served as NFL commissioner. During that time, he instituted a TV policy in which local home games were blacked out to improve attendance while high-profile matchups between non-local teams were televised. Sellouts and TV audiences increased, which improved the league's popularity. Other important policies included recognizing the NFL Players Association, establishing anti-gambling codes, creating sudden death overtime and facilitating a merger that brought the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers into the NFL.