He soon became a runner for the bookies, earning five percent of the bets he collected and receiving tips from winners when he delivered their cash.

NFL President Joseph Carr traveled to New York to offer boxing promoter Billy Gibson a franchise.

[3] Mara and March even signed Jim Thorpe to play several half games in order to boost attendance.

However, still looking for a way to cash in on Grange's popularity, Mara scheduled a game against the Bears to be played at the Polo Grounds.

The gate receipts totaled $143,000 for that one game against Grange and the Bears, and Mara recovered all of his losses for the 1925 season.

In 1926, Grange and his manager, C. C. Pyle, formed the first American Football League with a franchise in New York, the Yankees, to compete with the Giants.

At the same time, Giants coach Bob Folwell and star tackle Century Milstead, left to join the AFL's Philadelphia Quakers.

When he couldn't make a deal for Friedman, Mara simply bought the entire Detroit franchise for $10,000.

For the next few years Mara had ultimate ownership of three NFL franchises; however, he never interfered with the management of any of the teams that operated under his leases.

During the Great Depression in 1930, New York Mayor Jimmy Walker approached Mara about playing a charity exhibition game, which he quickly agreed to do.

When the two leagues partially merged after the 1949 season, Mara demanded and got the best players from the combined New York-Brooklyn franchise that had operated in 1949.

His vast contributions to the NFL were recognized with his 1963 election to the charter class of 17 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.