ROSEMONT, Ill. – When the NFL last realigned its divisions, owners literally had to give blood to finalize a deal.

Art Modell, who then owned the Cleveland Browns, had to be hospitalized because of internal bleeding as the league assembled its owners. At the time, Modell carried the title of being the president of the NFL. He took this position seriously, but the timing couldn't have been worse for harmony. The NFL was merging with the American Football League against their wishes.

	Art Modell got NFL's last realignment moving by agreeing to switch his Browns to the AFC.

"We didn't know who the other owners were," Modell said. "It was a shotgun marriage."

NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle was getting nowhere pushing the process. "I was pushing for a 13 and 13 alignment; others were pushing for 16 and 10," Modell said. "Owners objected to it." Objected and objected and objected.

To create a two-conference, one-league set up for the 1970 season, some one had to sacrifice from the established group of NFL owners. There were 16 of them, and 10 were from the upstart AFL. About a decade earlier, Giants owner Wellington Mara made the sacrifice that propelled the success of this league. He agreed to sacrifice the riches of a New York franchise and share television and ticket revenues with his NFL partner.

From his hospital bed, Modell took one for the league.

"As the president of the league, I thought it should have been a last in, first out, and the three teams we added to the NFL before expansion were from domed stadiums – Minnesota, New Orleans and Atlanta," Modell said. "The meeting was going on forever. We had people sleeping on carpeted floors in Pete Rozelle's office. Finally, Art Rooney of the Steelers and Wellington Mara came up to my room in the hospital and I told them what I was going to do.

"I said I'd move the Browns to the AFC if the Steelers and Baltimore Colts came with me. It was the only thing that got it together."

Even then, it still took Rozelle's secretary drawing names from an office vase to get realignment accomplished.

Owners have assembled here in Chicago at an airport Hyatt to finalize realignment, and it's amazing to see the difference. The upset is that the final vote won't be until Wednesday, which really prolongs the process. One owner winked that those interested can book return flights Wednesday night. In other words, commissioner Paul Tagliabue knows he has the votes to pass Option A1, which pretty much only negatively affects the Seahawks and Cardinals making the reluctant move to the NFC West and the Jacksonville Jaguars accepting two new rivals – the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts – in an AFC South that also features the Tennessee Titans.

Why is this process so much easier than 30 years ago?

	“	It's no longer a matter of who has the bigger gate or who has the bigger paycheck. That part of it is over with. The important thing in this process was back in January when we voted to pool the visiting teams' share. That had been a big stumbling block. ”
		— Art Modell, Ravens owner

"It's because we share everything equally," Modell said. "It's no longer a matter of who has the bigger gate or who has the bigger paycheck. That part of it is over with. The important thing in this process was back in January when we voted to pool the visiting teams' share. That had been a big stumbling block."

The recent Raiders trial gave fans the chance to see some of the most recent revenue figures in the sport for 31 teams. Prior to taxes and debt service, virtually everyone made money, and there is nothing wrong with that. Unlike baseball, pro football thrives because there is enough money to go around and not just let a handful of teams make profits.

"We're 32 fat-cat Republicans who vote socialistic," Modell said.

Thirty years after fighting the shotgun marriage with the AFL, the longtime NFL owners are fighting to keep San Diego, Oakland, Kansas City and Denver – four former AFC teams with a 40-year history together – in the same division. Those same owners are fighting to make sure the Dolphins don't lose their rivalry with the Bills and Patriots.

That's why this 24-hour period of change in the NFL is mixed with fun recollections of history and optimism for the future. As bad as the fans of the Cardinals and Seahawks feel about moving away from longtime division rivals, they will be comforted by the reality that their teams will be playing in new stadiums. New stadiums mean enhanced revenues that allow coaches and general managers to continue to field competitive teams.

Except for stadium problems in Minnesota, New Orleans and San Francisco, the NFL is completing a cycle in which three quarters of their teams are in or moving into plush new state-of-the-art stadiums.

Franchise values have soared into the $700 million range, so it's bringing in a new brand of owners. Some are brash. But the fact that there is revenue sharing takes some of the edge off them and eventually convinces them to make long-term decisions for the good of the league.

"Ownership is different and values are different," Modell said. "Ownership has changed. You don't have the oldtimers around any more. I'm the most senior NFL owner when you consider that when I came in to the league my friend Wellington Mara wasn't really running the Giants. It was his father at the time. A lot of the new owners don't have that sense of history.

"They talk about the bottom line. The only line that was a concern to me 40 years ago was the line of scrimmage."

Modell is in his final couple years of ownership. He's getting out in a couple of years, but watching this realignment process is a tribute to the Modells, the Rooneys, the Maras, the Halases and others who formed this league.

They set a legacy that stressed competing on the field should take priority over competing for every dollar. Football is indeed a team sport.

John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.