Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 15 › Conversation 015-122

Nixon phone call with Brocklin on Atlanta Falcons and George Meany

Tuesday, November 23, 1971 · 6:02 PM–6:05 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Brocklin, Norman VanConversation015-122 on Tape 15 (tape position 03:44:29–03:47:35)StartTuesday, November 23, 1971 at 6:02 PMEndTuesday, November 23, 1971 at 6:05 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 015-122 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called Atlanta Falcons coach Norman Van Brocklin to offer congratulations on a recent victory and to express personal appreciation for a telegram Van Brocklin sent supporting the President's recent confrontation with labor leader George Meany. The two discussed the Falcons' performance, their standing within the NFL's Western Division against teams like the 49ers and the Rams, and the development of the team's young roster. The conversation concluded with Nixon reiterating his support for the Washington Redskins while wishing Van Brocklin success in the remainder of the season.

  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Norman Van Brocklin
  • George Meany
  • NFL
  • Presidential sports fandom

Audio

Download MP3 · 4.3 MB

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Mr. President, I have Mr. Van Brocklin for you.
Mr. President, sir.
Hello.
Hello, Mr. President.
I wanted to just first do two things.
To congratulate you on your win last night.
I saw the first half.
Thank you, sir.
When I saw that field goal blocked and then one extra point blocked and another one apparently miffed after you had run up that fantastic yardage.
I didn't know what would happen, but I read in the paper you won them.
You've got a great running team there.
And this kid can throw, too, can't he?
This Barry.
Bob Barry's a good competitor.
Fine young team.
And second, I wanted to thank you for your wire that I got after my little confrontation with Mr. Meany.
That was very thoughtful of you.
Well, I meant every word of it, and I just admire you for your stance.
Well, you know, sometimes you've got to stand up on these things.
Yeah, by golly, it doesn't end up for a truffle.
That's right.
And I'm so proud of you.
I went about that, and everybody has their own feelings.
I appreciate it.
I'm proud of you for going in and taking them on.
I appreciate it very much.
You know, I was interested in the...
And the announcer, you know, it's that Monday night game, which I think is a superb idea for the viewing audience, at least, because that's about the best time I can look.
But the announcer said that if you were to win, that puts you in...
a position for the second spot in the wild card in the West, is that right?
Right.
Are you in the same league, of course, with the Rams and the 49ers?
We're one game behind now.
Now, which one of them do you play in the next four games?
We play San Francisco, the 13th game of the year out in San Francisco.
Right.
We opened with them.
We beat them in the opener.
Yeah.
We tied the Rams out there and lost to them here.
Tied the Rams there and lost to them, yeah.
So we're just one game back and we're getting a little...
Your team, I understand, they have three rookies.
The thing that impressed me about it was that fantastic running attack.
You must have some awfully good...
The unsung heroes, really, I have always felt, are that front line.
I mean, your offensive linemen, are they pretty strong?
Are they young guys?
Yeah, our whole team is very, very young.
And that's why we have those block extra points and field goals.
Sometimes we just mechanically.
But I'll tell you, the way they open the holes for those backs or something.
Yes.
Well, anyway, I congratulate you and wish you well, except when you play the Redskins, and I've got to be for the Redskins.
We don't play Georgia this year.
I know.
Well, you might in the playoffs.
Who knows?
You both might make it.
I hope they get there because they play the Rams, and that means that they will have beaten the Rams for us.
They'll do it.
I hope so.
Okay.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Good night.

NARA Description

On November 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Norman Van Brocklin talked on the telephone from 6:02 pm to 6:05 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-122 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 15-122

Date: November 23, 1971
Time: 6:02 pm - 6:05 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Norman Van Brocklin

The President talked with Van Brocklin.

[See also Conversation No. 623-24G]

     Atlanta Falcons game
          -Bob Berry

     Van Brocklin's telegram to the President
          -George Meany
          -Expression of support

     Falcons
          -Monday night schedule
          -Standing
          -Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco Forty-Niners
          -Schedule
               -Forty-Niners
               -Rams
          -Rookies
          -Age of players
               -Performance
           -Washington Redskins
               -George E. Allen
               -Rams

Also recorded on November 23, 1971

  • 015-121 5:58 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 5:58 pm to 5:59 pm.
  • 015-123 6:07 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
  • 623-025 6:07 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
  • 623-026 6:07 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
  • 623-027 6:07 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
  • 623-028 6:07 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
  • 623-029 6:08 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:08 pm and 6:10 pm.
  • 015-124 6:10 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and George E. Allen talked on the telephone from 6:10 pm to 6:14 pm.

All 49 conversations from November 23, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 015-122, November 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-122 (accessed October 27, 2026).