The NFL = Otis Day's Night Club .... 38 Years Ago... WHO KNEW?

The NFL = Otis Day’s Night Club

It was a classic scene from a classic movie – Animal House. Animal House The Movie came out in 1978. It was “set” in 1962 at mythical Faber College.

The movie was shot on location at Univ Oregon in Eugene OR; but could have been anywhere in America… in 1962. It’s immediate box office appeal and quick ascension to “classic” status was that Faber College is where 95% of baby boomers “went to college”.

It chronicled the hi-jinks of the boys of Delta Tau Chi a.k.a “The Deltas”. Everyone who went to college in the 60s” knew “The Deltas”.

95%+ of NFL owners “went to college” in the 50s-60s. Since “Albert” is the only human being I’ve ever known who has never seen Animal House, I am assuming most of you and EVERY NFL OWNER has seen the movie.

Everyone has a favorite scene from Animal House…. “toga party”… “food fight”… “The horse in Dean Wormer’s office”… “the parade”… etc. My favorite scene has always been “May we dance wif yo dates?”.

The prequel to “… dance wif you dates” is the opening party scene at The Deltas’ fraternity house. An all-black band – Otis Day & The Knights – were performing for the all-white fraternity boys and their dates with classic MoTown “frat party” favorites. A grand time was being had by all.

The band was getting well-paid for that era, and the revelers were reveling.

Over in Big Fraternity Court at UNCCH in the 60s… Otis Day & The Knights were Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts… or The Isley Brothers… or innumerable all-black cover bands.

If you were black and at a UNCCH frat party “in the 60s” you were either “with the band”… or you were Charlie Scott or one of 4-5 AfAm trailblazers on the FB team…. Ricky Lanier, James Webster, Judge Mattocks…

The performers (can we call them “gladiators”?) saw the situation for what it was. Did the frat boys et al (let’s call them “spectators”) see the situation for what it was? Some probably did… many were likely oblivious. The ability to “be oblivious” comes in really handy in many aspects of “Life”.

STOP: OK, BobLee, you sly dog you… you’re comparing this to your incredibly spot-on Gladiators VS Spectators analogy of the Evolution of Football and Basketball in America aren’t you? …

MOI? I’m just describing a movie. What conclusions you might draw are yours. You have a RIGHT (YIKES, more RIGHTS !!) to your own conclusions.

Anyhoo… back to Otis & The Deltas in 1962.

Lets give our Deltas names. Let’s name them Jerry Jones… Arthur Blank… Stan Kroenke… John Mara… Alex Spanos… Jerry Richardson and 26 other names you can get by googling NFL Owners.

Everything was hunky dory when Otis’ band came on Delta turf to perform. The white kids paid the black performers… everybody “knew their place”. Everybody “played their assigned roles”.

Then one night, The Deltas (NFL Owners) took “a road trip”. They and their dates piled into Flounder’s brother’s “big ol’ Buick” or whatever and drove to wherever for a night of post-adolescent “naughty adventure”.

They come upon a roadside night club (“a road house” but not Dalton’s Double Deuce… DEFINITELY NOT The Double Deuce). The marquee said “Otis Day & The Knights”.

Hey, it’s our man Otis… let’s go see “our man Otis”!

So Jerry and Jerry and Arthur and Stan and their fellow NFL Fraternity brothers stroll into the club. …. Uh Oh!

It is as “UN-diverse” a setting as the Delta House… EXCEPT the UN-diversity has flipped 180.

A picture = 1,000 words… Here are the two videos of the scene…

Video #1… “Boone, we’re the only white people in here… we’re gonna die…” – LINK

Video #2… “May we dance wif yo dates? – LINK

That big ol’ Buick full of scared spitless Deltas / NFL owners trying to escape Otis’ club is The NFL circa September 2017.

In Otis’ club… everyone “knew their place” … but it was a very different place.

Lets take this truly incredible analogy to its obvious conclusion… (the movie left out this part)

When Jerry, Jerry, Stan, Arthur, et al get back to the friendly confines of Faber and to “their house” they find that “it ain’t their house” any more.

Otis Day & The Knights now own it and have changed the locks. Their house is now THEIR HOUSE. …. YEE HA!

I’m gonna let you buddies and babes take it from here to wherever you wanna go with it.

Is all this “good” or is all this “bad” … or is it “Just The Way It Is”. Remember… Animal House was filmed way back in 1978. …39 Years Ago! WHO KNEW!

I never was much for Frat Parties, or The NFL. So, I am just sittin’ here thinkin’…