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From "The League. The rise and decline of the NFL":
The last person to see Carroll Rosenbloom alive was one Raymond Tanguay, a middle-aged French-Canadian tourist. Tanguay was standing on the beach. Rosenbloom was at least 150 yards out to sea, screaming for help. The Canadian charged into the water and fought his way out to where C.R. was, but his heroism was to no avail. Tanguay later estimated that Rosenbloom had been floating face down for 5 minutes before he reached him. "I took out a piece of wood," he remembered. "Three times I put the man on the wood, but every time the big rough wave take the man again into the water. I don't know how far out I was, but the people looked far, far away. I wanted to save him. I did everything I could, but it was not enough. I didn't catch him at a good time. The water was too much rough."
Someone called the Golden Beach police about 2:00 PM and the chief and another officer rushed down to the water. "When we got to the beach," the chief reported, "we saw two men in heavy surf about 150 yards from the beach. One man was trying to support the other. We took off our clothes and went in the water, but by the time we got there, the other man was near exhaustion. There was no apparent sign of life [in Rosenbloom] when we got to him." Before Rosenbloom's body could be brought ashore, the rescuers were dragged almost 150 yards north along the face of the beach by the heavy seas.
Georgia Rosenbloom was notified shortly thereafter. According to one source close to the Rosenbloom's, her first call was to Hugh Culverhouse, owner of the Tampa franchise and executor of Rosenbloom's estate. Culverhouse soon notified Rozelle. The commissioner, in turn, notified the rest of the league. "Everyone was very shocked that Carroll had died like that," remembered Rozelle. "No one could understand the drowning because Carroll had lived there in Golden Beach off and on for several years. They couldn't understand it." Gene Klein's response was typical. "I was shocked," he admitted. "Carroll wasn't a strong swimmer. It's hard to fathom him going out in the ocean in those circumstances." Still somewhat stunned, Rozelle spoke with the press that afternoon. "Carroll Rosenbloom played a major role in the growth and success of the NFL," the commissioner observed, "both through the teams he produced and through his active participation in the league's decision making process. We had some differences over things in the League that he felt affected his team adversely. I was very pleased that in the recent months it was considered past and gone and we had a very close relationship."
Steve Rosenbloom learned of his father’s death after returning to the Rams offices on Pico Blvd. from an errand in the San Fernando Valley. When he walked in, Steve's pregnant wife, Renee, was there crying. Renee had got the news earlier but had been unable to find him. Steve immediately prepared to fly to Florida for a private funeral in accordance with Jewish ritual. First he met with members of the Rams coaching and office staff. "There's no danger of any changes," Steve reassured them. "C.R. wanted the team to remain with the Rosenbloom family and he's taken great care to make certain it would."
Most Assumed the franchise would now pass to Steve.
Like many assumptions about Carroll, it was off the mark. In fact, Rosenbloom left behind no sole heir to his football team. As part of a private trust activated before Carroll's death, Steve was charged with "managerial and operational" responsibility for the Rams, but actual controlling ownership was left to his widow, Georgia, who inherited seventy percent of the clubs stock. The remaining thirty percent was split equally among C.R.'s three children from his first marriage and his two from his second. “He wanted Georgia to have the income and status," Steve explained, "and he wanted me to run it. Carroll was into continuity. He wanted the Carroll Rosenbloom philosophy to carry on."
Georgia, however, did not see herself in quite so passive a chief executive role. "I know what Carroll wanted," she pointed out to the LA Times several days after C.R.'s death. "Carroll knew he would live through me. He still runs the Rams. I'm just an extension of Carroll Rosenbloom. I don't want to sound kooky, but I feel as close to him as ever. We were never apart, you know. We talked over everything. It was Carroll's wish that the Rams continue as a closely knit family operation and I look forward to working with Steve."
The two-headed organization Carroll Rosenbloom left behind was on shaky ground from its first day. Steve thought Georgia had been "good for my father", but was not otherwise close to his stepmother. At the family funeral in Florida, he was put off even further. "She was already into talking about the will," he claimed. "I thought it was in poor taste at best." When Steve asked to see his father’s body before it was cremated, Georgia objected and Steve viewed it anyway. Steve was even more upset by her behavior at the service itself. To start with, Georgia was more than an hour late and kept everyone else waiting, including Carroll's siblings, all in there seventies or older. Her attitude, according to Steve, was "less than the grieving widow. She was a grade B actress at best and she couldn't pull it off. She could have pretended to care at least. She didn't even talk to Carroll’s brothers."
If Steve Rosenbloom was upset by what happened in Florida, the memorial ceremony Georgia staged back in LA positively turned his stomach. "C.R. didn't want a service," his son complained. "He told me and Georgia that at the same time. He didn't want a service, period. The thing she had was like a coming-out party. It was the sleaziest thing I've been to. There was dancing on the tennis court, for Christ's sake. It was no more Carroll than the man on the moon. It was pathetic."
Georgia’s memorial service was held on April 11 at Carroll's Bel-Air estate. According to the Los Angeles Times. "The tribute was handled as a celebration of life rather than morning over death. All the music was upbeat and the tone, as set by Mrs. Rosenbloom, was light and loving." The eulogies were given beneath a large green and white striped party tent erected on a broad grassy tier behind the house. The NFL was represented by Pete Rozelle, Al Davis, Art Modell, Tex Schram, Hugh Culverhouse, Gene Klein, Billy Sullivan, Eddie DeBartolo, Leonard Tose, Max Winter, Robert Irsey, Art Rooney, and several others. According to one NFL source, Rozelle had been asked to speak but "shied away from the circus atmosphere." Anaheim, where the Rams where still going, was represented by Mayor John Seymour. Los Angeles was represented by Tom Bradley. Hollywood was represented by Warren Beaty, Kirk Douglas, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Rod Steiger, and Henry Mancini.
All of them waited under the green and white tent almost an hour before Georgia finally made her appearance. She then kicked things off with a welcoming speech. “Carroll didn't want any tears," she said. "He didn't like sad songs or sad endings." Then Georgia turned the ceremony over to the master of ceremonies, comedian Jonathan Winters. "He was a special man," Winters observed of the departed. "He wanted the super bowl more than I did." Winters was followed by ten other eulogists, including a rabbi, a priest, three football players, two actors, and two owners of football teams. The two owner’s football owners were Art Modell and Al Davis. Of the two, Davis' remarks were by far the more memorable.
"Among the great people in my world," Al Davis observed, "Carroll Rosenbloom was the giant. It will never be over with me. Come autumn, and the roar of the crowd, I'll always think of him."
Afterward, the memorial service. According to the Times', became "a buffet party" on the Rosenbloom tennis court, complete with "string orchestra," "festive flower-laden tables," and "strolling musicians." Georgia Rosenbloom was a charming hostess. Steve Rosenbloom left early.
The last person to see Carroll Rosenbloom alive was one Raymond Tanguay, a middle-aged French-Canadian tourist. Tanguay was standing on the beach. Rosenbloom was at least 150 yards out to sea, screaming for help. The Canadian charged into the water and fought his way out to where C.R. was, but his heroism was to no avail. Tanguay later estimated that Rosenbloom had been floating face down for 5 minutes before he reached him. "I took out a piece of wood," he remembered. "Three times I put the man on the wood, but every time the big rough wave take the man again into the water. I don't know how far out I was, but the people looked far, far away. I wanted to save him. I did everything I could, but it was not enough. I didn't catch him at a good time. The water was too much rough."
Someone called the Golden Beach police about 2:00 PM and the chief and another officer rushed down to the water. "When we got to the beach," the chief reported, "we saw two men in heavy surf about 150 yards from the beach. One man was trying to support the other. We took off our clothes and went in the water, but by the time we got there, the other man was near exhaustion. There was no apparent sign of life [in Rosenbloom] when we got to him." Before Rosenbloom's body could be brought ashore, the rescuers were dragged almost 150 yards north along the face of the beach by the heavy seas.
Georgia Rosenbloom was notified shortly thereafter. According to one source close to the Rosenbloom's, her first call was to Hugh Culverhouse, owner of the Tampa franchise and executor of Rosenbloom's estate. Culverhouse soon notified Rozelle. The commissioner, in turn, notified the rest of the league. "Everyone was very shocked that Carroll had died like that," remembered Rozelle. "No one could understand the drowning because Carroll had lived there in Golden Beach off and on for several years. They couldn't understand it." Gene Klein's response was typical. "I was shocked," he admitted. "Carroll wasn't a strong swimmer. It's hard to fathom him going out in the ocean in those circumstances." Still somewhat stunned, Rozelle spoke with the press that afternoon. "Carroll Rosenbloom played a major role in the growth and success of the NFL," the commissioner observed, "both through the teams he produced and through his active participation in the league's decision making process. We had some differences over things in the League that he felt affected his team adversely. I was very pleased that in the recent months it was considered past and gone and we had a very close relationship."
Steve Rosenbloom learned of his father’s death after returning to the Rams offices on Pico Blvd. from an errand in the San Fernando Valley. When he walked in, Steve's pregnant wife, Renee, was there crying. Renee had got the news earlier but had been unable to find him. Steve immediately prepared to fly to Florida for a private funeral in accordance with Jewish ritual. First he met with members of the Rams coaching and office staff. "There's no danger of any changes," Steve reassured them. "C.R. wanted the team to remain with the Rosenbloom family and he's taken great care to make certain it would."
Most Assumed the franchise would now pass to Steve.
Like many assumptions about Carroll, it was off the mark. In fact, Rosenbloom left behind no sole heir to his football team. As part of a private trust activated before Carroll's death, Steve was charged with "managerial and operational" responsibility for the Rams, but actual controlling ownership was left to his widow, Georgia, who inherited seventy percent of the clubs stock. The remaining thirty percent was split equally among C.R.'s three children from his first marriage and his two from his second. “He wanted Georgia to have the income and status," Steve explained, "and he wanted me to run it. Carroll was into continuity. He wanted the Carroll Rosenbloom philosophy to carry on."
Georgia, however, did not see herself in quite so passive a chief executive role. "I know what Carroll wanted," she pointed out to the LA Times several days after C.R.'s death. "Carroll knew he would live through me. He still runs the Rams. I'm just an extension of Carroll Rosenbloom. I don't want to sound kooky, but I feel as close to him as ever. We were never apart, you know. We talked over everything. It was Carroll's wish that the Rams continue as a closely knit family operation and I look forward to working with Steve."
The two-headed organization Carroll Rosenbloom left behind was on shaky ground from its first day. Steve thought Georgia had been "good for my father", but was not otherwise close to his stepmother. At the family funeral in Florida, he was put off even further. "She was already into talking about the will," he claimed. "I thought it was in poor taste at best." When Steve asked to see his father’s body before it was cremated, Georgia objected and Steve viewed it anyway. Steve was even more upset by her behavior at the service itself. To start with, Georgia was more than an hour late and kept everyone else waiting, including Carroll's siblings, all in there seventies or older. Her attitude, according to Steve, was "less than the grieving widow. She was a grade B actress at best and she couldn't pull it off. She could have pretended to care at least. She didn't even talk to Carroll’s brothers."
If Steve Rosenbloom was upset by what happened in Florida, the memorial ceremony Georgia staged back in LA positively turned his stomach. "C.R. didn't want a service," his son complained. "He told me and Georgia that at the same time. He didn't want a service, period. The thing she had was like a coming-out party. It was the sleaziest thing I've been to. There was dancing on the tennis court, for Christ's sake. It was no more Carroll than the man on the moon. It was pathetic."
Georgia’s memorial service was held on April 11 at Carroll's Bel-Air estate. According to the Los Angeles Times. "The tribute was handled as a celebration of life rather than morning over death. All the music was upbeat and the tone, as set by Mrs. Rosenbloom, was light and loving." The eulogies were given beneath a large green and white striped party tent erected on a broad grassy tier behind the house. The NFL was represented by Pete Rozelle, Al Davis, Art Modell, Tex Schram, Hugh Culverhouse, Gene Klein, Billy Sullivan, Eddie DeBartolo, Leonard Tose, Max Winter, Robert Irsey, Art Rooney, and several others. According to one NFL source, Rozelle had been asked to speak but "shied away from the circus atmosphere." Anaheim, where the Rams where still going, was represented by Mayor John Seymour. Los Angeles was represented by Tom Bradley. Hollywood was represented by Warren Beaty, Kirk Douglas, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Rod Steiger, and Henry Mancini.
All of them waited under the green and white tent almost an hour before Georgia finally made her appearance. She then kicked things off with a welcoming speech. “Carroll didn't want any tears," she said. "He didn't like sad songs or sad endings." Then Georgia turned the ceremony over to the master of ceremonies, comedian Jonathan Winters. "He was a special man," Winters observed of the departed. "He wanted the super bowl more than I did." Winters was followed by ten other eulogists, including a rabbi, a priest, three football players, two actors, and two owners of football teams. The two owner’s football owners were Art Modell and Al Davis. Of the two, Davis' remarks were by far the more memorable.
"Among the great people in my world," Al Davis observed, "Carroll Rosenbloom was the giant. It will never be over with me. Come autumn, and the roar of the crowd, I'll always think of him."
Afterward, the memorial service. According to the Times', became "a buffet party" on the Rosenbloom tennis court, complete with "string orchestra," "festive flower-laden tables," and "strolling musicians." Georgia Rosenbloom was a charming hostess. Steve Rosenbloom left early.
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