Posted on 11/02/2003 8:19:54 AM PST by P.O.E.
An old wrong may be about to be righted
IN THE 1920s, decades before the emergence of the international sensation known as the Super Bowl, the National Football League (NFL) was a loose collection of franchises sited not just in big cities but in small towns, too. Rock Island, Illinois and Muncie, Indiana had their teams, as well as Chicago and Detroit.
In 1925, the Pottsville Maroons, based in a coal-mining and textile-weaving town in east-central Pennsylvania, elbowed and tackled their way to the NFL championship—that is, until the league, to the eternal outrage of Pottsville, revoked the title on a technicality. Now, almost eight decades later, the dispute may finally be resolved—with any luck, in Pottsville's favour.
Wearing maroon jerseys (the only colour available at the local sporting-goods store), and with high-top shoes, leather maskless helmets and trousers padded with magazines, the Maroons beat the league's other strong team, the Chicago Cardinals, towards the end of the 1925 season. Believing its championship to be secure, Pottsville scheduled one more game, against a team of college all-stars from Notre Dame. Because college football was then far more popular than pro football, Pottsville decided to play the game in Philadelphia, which had a bigger stadium. But this rankled the NFL franchise in the city, which urged the league to strip Pottsville of its title. The league did so, and gave it to the Cardinals.
In Pottsville, frustration has festered ever since. The town is suffering anyway from the decline of anthracite coal and textiles, which has left it with 16,000 residents today, down from 25,000 in the 1920s. Since 1925, it has lobbied periodically for the title to be restored, and the league has always refused. But in May the governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, and the mayor of Pottsville, John Reiley, argued the Maroons' case before the NFL. A decision is expected any day.
It is still an uphill fight for Pottsville, but, when pressed, Maroons supporters hint at a compromise. After all this time, they will gladly settle for the honour of a co-championship
From their website (10/30/03):
No Title For Pottsville Maroons -- Again
It's been 75 years since the Pottsville Maroons football team strapped on the shoulder pads to do battle on the grid iron but on Thursday the club might have suffered it's biggest loss. For the third time, the National Football League owners voted 30 to 2 against reinstating the Maroons 1925 NFL championship. The team won the title in 1925 but had it stripped on a technicality.
At Thursday's owners meeting only the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers voted to return the title to the Maroons.
F click.
Posted on Mon, Aug. 25, 2003
American Indians formed Ohio NFL team in 1922
LaRue, Ohio, can claim the strangest team in the history of the National Football League.
In 1922, Walter Lingo organized an NFL team just to promote the Airedales he sold at his Oorang Dog Kennels.
He got the legendary Jim Thorpe to lead his Oorang Indians. The roster, composed entirely of American Indians, included names like Long Time Sleep, Joe Little Twig, Big Bear and War Eagle.
The team won just three games in two years, but Lingo was more interested in their pre-game and half-time performances. The players and Airedales gave demonstrations that included target retrieval, American Indian dances and tomahawk throwing.
The team attracted crowds at first, but the novelty soon wore off. The team disbanded after two seasons.
-- Paula Schleis
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.