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  Eddie DeBartolo Jr. Awarded His Place In Football Immortality  
  Will Be Enshrined In Hall Of Fame:   February 11, 2016 Edition  
Edward J. DeBartolo Jr.
     Eddie DeBartolo Jr., 69, who grew up in Boardman on Danbury Dr., and later on Southwoods Dr., ‘made it,’ on his fourth and final consideration, for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it was announced last Saturday night during nationally-televised ceremonies in San Francisco, Calif., on the eve of Super Bowl 50.
      Eddie, at the age of 31, and his father, American shopping mall pioneer Edward J. DeBartolo, bought 90 per cent of the San Francisco 49ers in 1977 for a little less than $17 million.
      ‘’When the 49ers were available, I contacted the Morabito ladies and made the deal. We paid less than $17 million for 90 percent. And then I turned the club over to Eddie and he’s done it. He has the whole financial obligation,” Mr. DeBartolo said of the deal.
      During the first years under Eddie, the Niners franchise didn’t win, spurring much criticism, including Italian slurs (actually printed by Bay Area sports writers). In just three years under Eddie, (with Head Coach Bill Walsh) the Niners won their first division title since the team had been founded in 1946. Going 13-3, the Niners silenced Eddie’s critics, despite the fact he raised general admission prices at old Candlestick Stadium to $12 each!
      In 1982, the DeBartolo-owned Niners won the first of their record five Super Bowl titles with a 26-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at the Pontiac Silverdome.
      In 1983, Eddie added his long-time friend and legal counsel from Youngstown, Carmen Policy as the Niners general counsel, and the pair had an uncanny ability ‘and luck’ to get the best of players and coaches, often times with ‘acute’ perceptions of NFL rules.
      Policy has credited Eddie many times with having the guts to hire Walsh in the face of stiff opposition among most members of the Niners family.
      At that time, NFL coaching salaries were not what they are today, and the Niners made an offer of $80,000 to Coach Walsh, who countered with a request near some $225,000. So the story goes, upon hearing Walsh’s demand, Eddie declared, “Great, get him here.” Before hiring the coach, Walsh made several trips to DeBartolo Corp. headquarters on Market St. in Boardman, where Eddie used to have his home office.
      And so began a run of victories and titles that made the Niners the ‘Team of the 80s,’ and included Super Bowl crowns in 1990 and 1995.
      Eddie and his family shared their successes on the gridiron in the Mahoning Valley, hosting gala celebrations here in Boardman with each title. Perhaps the most memorable was held May 5, 1989 at Mr. Anthony’s famous banquet hall.
      With the successes on the field, Eddie hit some bumps in the road, including the biggest bump, a 1997 attempt to get a casino license in Louisiana, that included a $400,000 bribe sought by Gov. Edwin Edwards. The incident drew the ire of the federal government, and a $1 million fine and led to a decision to turn control of the Niners to his sister, Denise.
      For a time, Eddie moved his local offices across the street from DeBartolo Corp. headquarters to the Southwoods Executive Complex..
      “I just figured there was more to do with my life at that time,” Eddie told a sports writer. “I had succeeded and done a lot with the 49ers. It meant the world to me, but I just figured... that it would be best for me to be a grandfather, a good husband and a dad and do what I wanted to do, maybe travel a little bit and spend more time with my family.”
      Eddie DeBartolo Jr. was a pioneer as a member of one of America’s most exclusive clubs---pro football owners.
      He wasn’t afraid to spend money to better his team. But he didn’t just spend money buying good players.
      Under his tenure, the Niners built the newest and most modern training facility in the NFL in 1988 (named in honor of his mom, and called the Marie P. DeBartolo Sports Complex). He added sports psychologists to the staff to help his players deal with the unique issues they face. He provided players with their own rooms during away games. He treated his players as family.
      He became so popular in the Bay Area a restaurant on the famed wharf had a special room named in his honor.
      Along the way, Eddie, like his father and sister, became legendary for the many kindnesses he provided to those in need.
      After his tenure with the Niners, Eddie relocated to Tampa, Fla., re-starting his businesses enterprises there. He also bought a ranch in Kalispel, Montana, where he now spends about half of his time. Every year the ranch plays host to a now legendary Fourth of July event.
      And DeBartolo, who ran his football team like it was a family, still maintains strong ties with his former players, including hosting lavish reunion events.
      Despite the bumps, Eddie was an incredible owner, one who has never forgotten those who helped him along the way.
      “There’s nothing I can do about the past. I guess whatever happens and whatever good I did in the past, whatever bad I did in the past, it all goes together. It’s like baking a loaf of bread and when it comes out of the oven, people say he deserves it or he doesn’t deserve it,” Eddie told an Associated Press columnist prior to his selection to Pro Football’s Hall of Fame.
      Under Eddie, the 49ers won 13 division titles, made 16 playoff appearances, advanced to the NFC championship game 10 times, and became the first franchise ever to win five Super Bowls.
      Nuf said!
      PICTURE: EDWARD J. DeBARTOLO JR. EARNED SELECTION to the National Football League’s Hall of Fame last Saturday. DeBartolo-led San Francisco 49ers teams became the first team to win five Super Bowls. He will be enshrined in August during ceremonies in Canton, Oh. From the early 1980s through the 1990s, DeBartolo presided over a team that had the winningest decade in football history.
 
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