And the hits for Rutgers just keep on coming

[NickyNewark]

I almost shed a tear reading your post. It took a VERY long time for pro football to catch on. The 1958 and 1959 Colts and Giants championship games seems to be what captivated the national audience. Boston had multiple failed NFL franchises. I can name at least three off the top of my head. There was also the NY Brickley Giants in 1921. NYC's first attempt at a pro franchise.

The first pro game in NYC was the Buffalo All-Americans vs the Canton Bulldogs at Polo Grounds. That game drew the largest crowd of the season for the All-Americans and the Bulldogs. The Canton Bulldogs had Jim Thrope as a player and coach and lost. Though the 1920 Buffalo All-Americans are co-champions by today's tie-breaking rules, they would have been named champions in 1920 had they not lost to the Canton Bulldogs at home two weeks before due a FG with less than 4 minutes left or beaten the Akron Pros in the last game of the season, when some players were fatigued due to their obligations to the Union Club of Phoenixville, a legendary independent team that eight Buffalo All-Americans players played for, as well. Anyone who is very deep into pro football history would know the Buffalo All-Americans, the Union Club of Phoenixville and the Canton Bulldogs are a huge part of early pro football history lore. To my knowledge, the NFL (or APFA) was the first pro league to have African-Americans play professionally.

For anyone who wants some fun stuff to read and/or research:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_lore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Club_of_Phoenixville

Up until the championship games between the Baltimore Colts and the NY Giants, college football ruled the land. College football was even more well attended than Major League Baseball for years.

@In those day's(college heyday)team's like Fordham, Manhatten, and Army were big power's...even the Ivies were big back then!

 

[Adios]

@In those day's(college heyday)team's like Fordham, Manhatten, and Army were big power's...even the Ivies were big back then!

Even Lehigh and Lafayette were huge back then. The paradigm has almost completely shifted from private schools to very large public schools. Notre Dame won their first national championship in 1924. Players from that 1924 ND team had a contract to play the best eastern NFL franchise in 1925, which ended up being the Pottsville Maroons. The Frankford Yellow Jackets thought it would be them, so they did everything they could to sabotage the Maroons' championship claim. The Maroons won on a last minute FG. The crowd was stunned and the legitimacy of the NFL was established. Here's the boot used to kick the game-winning FG.

The 1925 Chicago Cardinals were awarded the championship by the NFL and refused it, making note of their loss at home to the Maroons, 21-7. That was the de-facto championship game. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Pottsville.

After Charles Bidwell, a friend of Al Capone and part-owner of the Bears, bought the Cardinals franchise, he quickly claimed the 1925 championship. The Pro Football Hall of Fame wants that boot, but the owner said only on the condition the Maroons are awarded the 1925 championship. The Bidwells responded by saying the owner can "keep the smelly boot".

Notre Dame can talk all they want but they are forever the school that put professional football ahead of college football. Because they lost to a team that came from what was perceived as an inferior league.

Some of those Notre Dame players played for the Waterbury/Hartford Blues in 1925. I am not sure about 1926 when the Blues were actually in the NFL. Two UConn players were on the 1926 Blues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Blues

The NY Giants second game ever was in New Britain, CT in 1925.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The story about the 58 championship, is that Carol Rosenbloom had a cool $1million in 1958 dollars (which would be a GIANT chunk of money in today's dollars) spread among bookies in the big east coast cities that were working through Las Vegas. Baltimore was giving? getting? 3 points - not sure which - they were supposed to win by at least 3 points for Rosenbloom to win, otherwise he pushed. The game went to OT. Events go down, and eventually Unitas moves the Colts to field goal range and a 2nd and long situation. Week Ewbank - who never, ever got in the way of Unitas' play calling on the field - very uncharacteristically calls a time out. Unitas trots over to the sideline, gets a couple of words, and goes back out in the huddle. They call a long pass play that is completed to about the 5 or 6 yard line. Then Ameche runs it in for the famous video footage, and Colts win by 6. Story is the Unitas had called the run play in the huddle, adn was going to run it there and on third if necessary, to protect the ball, and put the field goal unit out and win the game, but Rosenbloom needed 6 not 3, and got the signal to Ewbank who called TO. Told Unitas they needed the touchdown. Unitas comes out and changes the play call.

The NFL - has a very sordid history among bootleggers, gamblers, horse track owners, and casino owner interests.

 

[Adios]

The NFL - has a very sordid history among bootleggers, gamblers, horse track owners, and casino owner interests.

The Maras are still involved in gambling. And so are the Bidwells.

 

[NickyNewark]

Even Lehigh and Lafayette were huge back then. The paradigm has almost completely shifted from private schools to very large public schools. Notre Dame won their first national championship in 1924. Players from that 1924 ND team had a contract to play the best eastern NFL franchise in 1925, which ended up being the Pottsville Maroons. The Frankford Yellow Jackets thought it would be them, so they did everything they could to sabotage the Maroons' championship claim. The Maroons won on a last minute FG. The crowd was stunned and the legitimacy of the NFL was established. Here's the boot used to kick the game-winning FG.

The 1925 Chicago Cardinals were awarded the championship by the NFL and refused it, making note of their loss at home to the Maroons, 21-7. That was the de-facto championship game. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Pottsville.

After Charles Bidwell, a friend of Al Capone and part-owner of the Bears, bought the Cardinals franchise, he quickly claimed the 1925 championship. The Pro Football Hall of Fame wants that boot, but the owner said only on the condition the Maroons are awarded the 1925 championship. The Bidwells responded by saying the owner can "keep the smelly boot".

Notre Dame can talk all they want but they are forever the school that put professional football ahead of college football. Because they lost to a team that came from what was perceived as an inferior league.

Some of those Notre Dame players played for the Waterbury/Hartford Blues in 1925. I am not sure about 1926 when the Blues were actually in the NFL. Two UConn players were on the 1926 Blues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Blues

The NY Giants second game ever was in New Britain, CT in 1925.

@Butch,I enjoyed your knowledgeable post and enlightening me on history I was unaware of!I'm concerned the game we love will be hijacked by the "rainbow types" and all the football we see will be unrecognizable or 2 hand touch!Connecticut was always a home away from home for the Giant"s...remember the Yale Bowl home?Thank's for reminding me that other's still love the game as much as we do!Whats more AAmerican than football?What ever happened to boxing?But thats another story!btw,big boot lol!

 

[NickyNewark]

The story about the 58 championship, is that Carol Rosenbloom had a cool $1million in 1958 dollars (which would be a GIANT chunk of money in today's dollars) spread among bookies in the big east coast cities that were working through Las Vegas. Baltimore was giving? getting? 3 points - not sure which - they were supposed to win by at least 3 points for Rosenbloom to win, otherwise he pushed. The game went to OT. Events go down, and eventually Unitas moves the Colts to field goal range and a 2nd and long situation. Week Ewbank - who never, ever got in the way of Unitas' play calling on the field - very uncharacteristically calls a time out. Unitas trots over to the sideline, gets a couple of words, and goes back out in the huddle. They call a long pass play that is completed to about the 5 or 6 yard line. Then Ameche runs it in for the famous video footage, and Colts win by 6. Story is the Unitas had called the run play in the huddle, adn was going to run it there and on third if necessary, to protect the ball, and put the field goal unit out and win the game, but Rosenbloom needed 6 not 3, and got the signal to Ewbank who called TO. Told Unitas they needed the touchdown. Unitas comes out and changes the play call.

The NFL - has a very sordid history among bootleggers, gamblers, horse track owners, and casino owner interests.

@Carl,very interesting stuff!Amazing what some of the people we look up to did to rise on the social ladder!Thank's for the info/story and I don't doubt a word of it!!

 

[Adios]

@Butch,I enjoyed your knowledgeable post and enlightening me on history I was unaware of!I'm concerned the game we love will be hijacked by the "rainbow types" and all the football we see will be unrecognizable or 2 hand touch!Connecticut was always a home away from home for the Giant"s...remember the Yale Bowl home?Thank's for reminding me that other's still love the game as much as we do!Whats more AAmerican than football?What ever happened to boxing?But thats another story!btw,big boot lol!

I don't think the gladiatorial element of football will be eliminated. If anything, the trend over the decades has been to open up the offense and score more points on a consistent basis.

The game is spreading around the world.

 

[NickyNewark]

I don't think the gladiatorial element of football will be eliminated. If anything, the trend over the decades has been to open up the offense and score more points on a consistent basis.

The game is spreading around the world.

Maybe so Butch but don't you miss the Deacon Jones "clothesline tackle" and the headslap?Rugged defense seem's to appeal more or less to us eastcoasters?Notice the wide open spreads are considered west coast offense?I still prefer the old 27/20 type games where all the 3 elements come into play O D and ST's!

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Great stuff
I would like to add a few:
The famous picture of Bloody Y.A. was after a hit by the Eagles Chuck Bednarnik 1960
Chuck was the last of the 2 way players OC and MLB.
The Roonys (best friends with the Mara's) won the Steelers in a card game over a couple of thousand dollars.
In the 1940's and early fififys you could walk into s game at the Polo Grounds. 1956 changed the giants into a big deal.
One year channel 3. Hartford carried the Browns as their home team as they were the most famous team at the time.
When pro football was first on TV it was a sideshow curiosity.
In fact I remember a trapese act. at half time of an eagle game.
I came from the valley so all of my friends were football centric.
But football was college football. We laughed at overweight old guys trying to play a kids game.
To most valley kids ND, Army, Navy, and Yale were their favotite teams.
Pro football might have been a Big deal in the Midwest but in the Northeast it was late to make it as a big time sport.
The game with the Colts and the great promotion of the sport.
Things like NFL films changed the landscape.



Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[NickyNewark]

@back then 50's/60's tv was so hungry for sporting content "circus" wrestling with performer's "acts" like Haystacks Calhoun and Wild Red Barry and his Australian kangaroo's were on in primetime hrs!!btw, good thread!

 

[Adios]

Deacon Jones was playing before I was alive.

 

[Adios]

Great stuff
I would like to add a few:
The famous picture of Bloody Y.A. was after a hit by the Eagles Chuck Bednarnik 1960
Chuck was the last of the 2 way players OC and MLB.
The Roonys (best friends with the Mara's) won the Steelers in a card game over a couple of thousand dollars.
In the 1940's and early fififys you could walk into s game at the Polo Grounds. 1956 changed the giants into a big deal.
One year channel 3. Hartford carried the Browns as their home team as they were the most famous team at the time.
When pro football was first on TV it was a sideshow curiosity.
In fact I remember a trapese act. at half time of an eagle game.
I came from the valley so all of my friends were football centric.
But football was college football. We laughed at overweight old guys trying to play a kids game.
To most valley kids ND, Army, Navy, and Yale were their favotite teams.
Pro football might have been a Big deal in the Midwest but in the Northeast it was late to make it as a big time sport.
The game with the Colts and the great promotion of the sport.
Things like NFL films changed the landscape.



Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

Pro football's perception back then (and maybe now with players like TO) was comparable to wrasslin'.

College football definitely has the upper hand in classiness. But DJ Dogpound might be the beginning of an ugly new trend.

 

[NickyNewark]

Deacon Jones was playing before I was alive.

@Hard to believe your understanding of early football history from someone who had to be born post "70"?I was born in Nov 51 and we (family) were the only young family on our block who owned a tv!I remember mom saying people would stand in front of appliance stores and stare in amazement at the new addition to living room's around the nation replacing the radio!I guess Deacon was probably playing college ball in the mid 60s?Or did you mean by playing pro?My youngest sister was born in "63"!She's living in Exeter,NH now!!