rockpile Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 As KRC pointed out to me in conversation, the first meeting was actually two weeks earlier. I knew that and was happy to see someone else did too! No commentary - just some history: The National Football League is formed as the American Professional Football Association in Canton, Ohio on September 17, 1920. The Akron Pros finished undefeated and are the first champions of the league. The admission fee was $100 per team. The teams pledged not to use any student player who still had collegiate eligibility left, as the good will of the colleges was believed to be essential to survival. The teams also agreed not to tamper with each other's players. Jim Thorpe, a player-coach for one of the teams, became president of the league during its first year. The American Professional Football Association gave way in 1922 to the National Football League (NFL). Red Grange, the famous halfback from the University of Illinois, provided a tremendous stimulus for the league when he joined the Chicago Bears in 1925 and toured the United States that year and the next. His exciting play drew large crowds. Thereafter, professional football attracted larger numbers of first-rate college players, and the increased patronage made the league economically viable. Strategically, the early NFL game was hardly distinguishable from college football at that time. There was no attempt to break away from collegiate playbooks or rule books. For 13 years the NFL followed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Rules Committee recommendations. In the league's early years, players considered the low-paying NFL a part-time job and held other jobs during the day. Thus, while college coaches could drill their players daily for hours, professional football coaches arranged practices in the evenings, sometimes only three or four times a week. reference one reference two Rocknote: Three original franchises were from WNY - Buffalo, Rochester and Tonawanda The Tonawanda Kardex? Defunct NFL teams 1920-1952 The following is a list and brief history of teams that at one time played in National Football League. In some cases it is hard to tell if a team change its nickname from year to year or if it was a completely new team. It was also not uncommon for two or more teams to have the same nickname during the same season. Please note the purpose of the list is for NFL teams that no longer exist. The last NFL team to fold was in 1952. Also the Colts and Giants teams that are listed on this page are not the current teams in the league today. • Akron Pros • Akron Indians • Baltimore Colts (1950) • Boston Bulldogs • Boston Yanks • Brooklyn Lions • Brooklyn Dodgers • Brooklyn Tigers • Buffalo All Americans • Buffalo Bisons • Buffalo Rangers • Canton Bulldogs • Chicago Tigers • Cincinnati Celts • Cincinnati Reds • Cleveland Tigers • Cleveland Indians • Cleveland Bulldogs • Columbus Panhandles • Columbus Tigers • Dallas Texans (1952) • Dayton Triangles • Detroit Heralds • Detroit Panthers • Detroit Tigers • Detroit Wolverines • Duluth Kelleys • Duluth Eskimos • Evansville Crimson Giants • Frankford Yellow Jackets • Hammond Pros • Hartford Blues • Kansas City Blues • Kansas City Cowboys • Kenosha Maroons • Los Angeles Buccaneers • Louisville Brecks • Louisville Colonels • Milwaukee Badgers • Minneapolis Marines • Minneapolis Red Jackets • Muncie Flyers • New York Giants (1921) • New York Yankees • New York Bulldogs • New York Yanks • Newark Tornadoes • Oorang Indians • Orange Tornadoes • Pottsville Maroons • Providence Steam Roller • Racine Legion • Racine Tornadoes • Rochester Jeffersons • Rock Island Independents • Staten Island Stapletons • St.Louis All Stars • St.Louis Gunners • Toledo Maroons • Tonawanda Kardex • Washington Senators reference three Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick in* england Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 You know I could support a team called the Buffalo Rangers. It sounds cool.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsGuyInMalta Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 From this day forward, I'm a Columbus Panhandles fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 You know I could support a team called the Buffalo Rangers. It sounds cool.... 34647[/snapback] My all-time favorite is the Pottsville Maroons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick in* england Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 My all-time favorite is the Pottsville Maroons. 34653[/snapback] YES!! I can imagine the forums from the fans... You're meant to run on 3rd and short, YA MAROOONS!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick in* england Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 How about being a Muncie Flyers fan?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Just to add a few notes to Rock's excellent summary: -Rock is correct about the meeting before 9/17/1920. At the first meeting, the league was named the APFC (American Professional Football Conference). It was changed to APFA at the 9/17 meeting, and that is how it stayed until 1922 when it became the NFL. -Buffalo applied for a franchise in 1920, but there are no records stating that Buffalo was OFFICIALLY admitted in 1920. Since they played against APFA members, their record is commonly accepted in the standings. -Buffalo thought that they were APFA champions in 1921, but lost a tie-breaker to Chicago. When Buffalo ended their season, they played "exhibition" games against Akron and Chicago. They lost to Chicago, the day after playing Akron. Commonly accepted league rules at the time, weighed the second game played against an opponent greater than the first. Buffalo won the first game. The "exhibition" games counted in the final standings, because the league did not have an official end date. Therefore, Chicago wins the tie-breaker, as a result of winning the second game. There are a lot of interesting tidbits from that season, but that would take up too much bandwidth. -The Tonawanda Kardex was also referred to as All-Tonawanda in the local media. They had 3 games scheduled in 1921: 10/9/1921 Tonawanda 0 At All-Syracuse 0 10/30/1921 Tonawanda @ Rochester Scalpers (Cancelled) 11/6/1921 Tonawanda 0 At Rochester Jeffersons 45 -The Rochester Jeffersons started as a sandlot team in 1905. Leo Lyons joined the team in 1908, and gradually changed the team from amateur, to semi-pro, to pro. The team dissolved in 1925. -Buffalo's teams in the 1920's went by several different names: 1920-1923 Buffalo All-Americans 1924-1925 Buffalo Bisons 1926 Buffalo Rangers 1927, 1929 Buffalo Bisons God, I love this stuff. Thanks, Rock, for keeping this stuff alive. The sad part about this post, is I was able to do this from memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 You know I could support a team called the Buffalo Rangers. It sounds cool.... 34647[/snapback] It is too bad the team sucked in 1926. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick in* england Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 (edited) It is too bad the team sucked in 1926. 34660[/snapback] Well the Bills sucked in 2001 and 2003 but that didn't stop me.... Edited September 17, 2004 by Nick in England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark VI Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 From this day forward, I'm a Columbus Panhandles fan 34651[/snapback] Bandwagon fan. Giving up on the Louisville Brecks already... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 Just to add a few notes to Rock's excellent summary: God, I love this stuff. Thanks, Rock, for keeping this stuff alive. The sad part about this post, is I was able to do this from memory. 34659[/snapback] snipped your post only for brevity... Leo Lyons of the Rochester Jeffs also declined the chance to pickup up free agent (defensive end?) George Halas. Halas continued west, connected with the Decatur Staleys. When the Staley Syrup company decided to get out of football, Halas bought the team, moved them to Chicago, and renamed them the Bears. But you knew that Ken. You have forgotten more football history than I know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted September 17, 2004 Author Share Posted September 17, 2004 . -The Tonawanda Kardex was also referred to as All-Tonawanda in the local media. They had 3 games scheduled in 1921: 10/9/1921 Tonawanda 0 At All-Syracuse 0 10/30/1921 Tonawanda @ Rochester Scalpers (Cancelled) 11/6/1921 Tonawanda 0 At Rochester Jeffersons 45 34659[/snapback] IMPORTANT TRIVIA NOTE: As Ken illustrated = What NFL franchise only lost one game in its history? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailog80 Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Happy Birthday........Go Bills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 snipped your post only for brevity... Leo Lyons of the Rochester Jeffs also declined the chance to pickup up free agent (defensive end?) George Halas. Halas continued west, connected with the Decatur Staleys. When the Staley Syrup company decided to get out of football, Halas bought the team, moved them to Chicago, and renamed them the Bears. But you knew that Ken. You have forgotten more football history than I know! 34670[/snapback] Hell, at one time, I could recite the entire history of the Kardex Company, through all the mergers and buy-outs, to its present day form. I did that, because I was writing about the 1921 team, and was going to contact the company to see if they had info. I really need to find other hobbies. BTW, have you seen the WNY PFRA site yet? It is under construction but will be pretty good once I have time to complete it. I will be combining stuff from my various history sites into one massive site. Western New York Professional Football Researchers Association Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Well the Bills sucked in 2001 and 2003 but that didn't stop me.... 34663[/snapback] Point taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typical TBD Guy Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Wasn't there another Buffalo pro football franchise in the late 1940's? I think they were in the same defunct league that the Ravens and 49ers came from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Wasn't there another Buffalo pro football franchise in the late 1940's? I think they were in the same defunct league that the Ravens and 49ers came from. 34688[/snapback] Yes, the Buffalo Bisons/Bills of 1946-1949. They were members of the AAFC. WNY also had teams in the AFL of 1936 and 1937, and the AFL of 1940 and 1941. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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