he was a guiding force in afl policies that ensured success, such as gate and television revenue sharing. as one of only three afl owners to be on relatively solid financial ground (along with hunt and bud adams), wilson lent the financially troubled oakland raiders $400,000 and was also willing to lend money to billy sullivan of the new england patriots. wilson helped keep those franchises afloat, likely saving the entire league from folding (the afl was unique among professional football leagues in that not a single afl franchise folded in its history). in november 1963, wilson along with then raiders general manager al davis lobbied successfully to have afl games postponed the sunday after president john f. kennedy's assassination; nfl games were played as scheduled.