Six defunct NFL teams with incredible histories
Growing up, ‘Back To The Future’ was one of my favourite movies; I dreamed of having Doc’s DeLorean! I’d make a couple of financially beneficial stops and check out some football.
The first stop would be to take in a game in Canton, Ohio. The Bulldogs are one of five or six NFL champions who most British fans may never have even heard of, so I thought it would be a good idea to go back in time and introduce the teams who won it all, then lost a whole lot more!
Akron Pros
Dating back 1908 the club was established after several club acquisitions and mergers. Previous names include the Akron Indians and Akron Burkhardts (after the brewing company who acquired the club). In 1919 the club’s new owner, Art Ranney (not to be confused with Rooney) settled on the Pros. Ranney would go on to be named the NFL’s first secretary-treasurer.
The Pros became the first NFL champions in 1920 by a record of 8-0-2. This was disputed by other clubs and eventually it was awarded following a vote. The season also witnessed the first ever NFL trade between clubs when the Buffalo All Americans purchased Bob Nash from the Pros for just $300. I’m sure Lamar Jackson and his mom would be more than happy with this offer!
In the following years the teams record, finances and attendances nosedived. Following a rebrand the team disbanded 1927.
The Pros have one player in the Hall of Fame. Fritz Pollard was Born in 1894 and became one of the first African American football players in the NFL alongside Bobby Mitchel in 1920. The following year in Akron he became the first African American head coach. Sadly, he passed on in 1986, before his induction nine years later.
Canton Bulldogs
Back to Canton now and a visit to League Field to watch the Bulldogs. Established in 1904 (as the Athletic Club) the team won a total of 3 championships (1916,1917,1919) during 2 stints in the Ohio league.
The club joined the NFL in 1920 and won 2 NFL championships in 1922 and 1923. During this period the team were unbeaten with a record of 21-0-3.
Despite the success, the teams’ finances were in bad shape. Less than a year after their championship win, the club was purchased by the owner of the Cleveland Indians Sam Deutsch.
Cleveland Bulldogs
The story of the Cleveland Bulldogs can best be described as complex! The story begins when Sam Deutsch formed the Cleveland Indians in 1923. The name has been used 3 times in the NFL (and once in the MLB). It’s unclear if he purchased the naming rights from the team that were active between 1916 and 1921. The new club finished fourth with 3 wins, 1 loss and 3 ties.
After the first season the opportunity to purchase the financially crippled Canton Bulldogs presented itself. Deutsch wasn’t interested in the team however the chance to obtain the players was too hard to pass up. Presumably to keep the Canton players sweet the name was changed to the Bulldogs in time for the 1924 kick-off.
The business move worked, and the Bulldogs won the championship with a Record of 7 wins 7 losses and a tie! As with the Pro’s the championship was disputed, this time by the Bears who believed an expedition game win for Chicago counted – but the dispute was overalled.
In 1925 money became a serious issue that forced Deutsch to sell the Canton Bulldogs naming rights. The “new” Canton Bulldogs took to the field in the same year before permanently withdrawing after the 1926 season.
The sale didn’t help matters in Cleveland and with bankruptcy looming they stumbled through the season with a record of 5 wins, 8 losses and a tie. With limited funds the team was unable to compete in 1926 but managed to return in 1927 finishing 4th. With debts still mounting the franchise was sold and rebranded the Detroit Wolverines.
The end to the Wolverines happened the same way the Cleveland Bulldogs started. Tim Mara was desperate to acquire quarterback Benny Friedman but ether wouldn’t or couldn’t trade for him. So his simple solution was to purchase the entire club and amalgamate it into his team. The New York Giants.
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Decatur Staley’s don’t make this list because after winning the NFL championship they moved to Chicago and became the Bears you see today! Some say the same thing happened in Philadelphia between the Yellow Jackets and the Eagles. Yet despite using the Jackets uniform as a throwback the teams are totally different. They never played in the same stadium, never had the same owners, and shared one player, Art Koeninger.
The Jackets started life in 1899 as the Frankford Athletics Association and for many years were considered one of the leading independent football teams. The Jackets weren’t a founding member of the NFL having gained their place in 1924. Prior to entry the club had a record of 6-2-1 over NFL teams between 1922 and 1923. That’s the equivalent of Notts County playing against Premiership teams! The NFL had to let them join.
In today’s NFL and with modern rules regarding standings, history would have seen the Jackets NFL champions in their first season with a record of 11-2-1 in league, and 6-1-0 in non-league play. The following year in 1925 the club ended the season with 13 wins and 7 losses, good enough for 7th in the standings!
One year later in 1926 the team finally made it to the top, becoming undisputed champions with a record of 14-1-1. No team matched this until the Dolphins 17-0 perfect season in 1972! If you exclude the Super Bowl and playoffs the Jackets tied game made the difference for the regular season record. This wasn’t beaten until the 49ers 15-1 1984 season.
The team continued to play with mixed results. A second and third place in 1928 and 1929 was overshadowed by two losing seasons. The poor results mixed with the great depression all but wiped out the clubs’ finances and the team closed operations 1931.
Providence Steam Roller
Forget the Patriots, in the ‘20’s New England was dominated by the Steamrollers. The team was started by members of a local newspaper in 1916. Like Frankford the team began as an independent and rapidly began to dominate the local leagues. Early games against NFL opponents gave them a winning record and by 1925, they were accepted.
Despite the first few years being mediocre the team showed steady improvement year on year. In 1928 the team won its only NFL championship with a record of 8-1-2. The teams only loss was to the resurgent Yellow Jacket. If your lucky enough to own a championship watch awarded to the players, then it’s worth checking your insurance with one selling for $4,962 in 2008.
In the seasons that followed the club went into melt down. Almost immediately key names on the team left for a variety of different careers including insurance sales and boxing. Results attendances and finances became strained. By 1933, after missing 2 seasons, the club operations were suspended.
The club did manage to get into the NFL records after hosting the first game, at night under floodlights. Between November the 5th and November the 10th the club also became the first and only NFL team to play 4 games, losing 3 and tying 1, despite the losing record the feat was impressive and will probably never be matched!
Pottsville Maroons
The club may or may not have won the 1925 NFL championship (depending on who you ask). To cut a very long story short Pottsville were suspended for playing an All-star team in the Yellow Jackets financial region. Meanwhile the Chicago Cardinals (today in Arizona) scheduled 2 additional games against disbanded teams, winning both They were then sanctioned but awarded the title anyway. For the record the Maroons beat the Cardinals in 1925!
It took a new owner in 1933 to formally accept the title, with the same family still running the show today they still insist it belongs to them! The residents of Pottsville still disagree and haven’t let it go ether. In 1963 and 2003 the NFL investigated the case with owners voting to uphold the decision. It still didn’t go away when, in 2006 a statistician compared records and found the Maroons to be champions. Former president George Bush also commented on the case to ESPN!
Today the argument still goes on and Pottsville may still have the last laugh, in Arizona the “Pottsville curse” is still talked about and tagged to the team with only one championship since in 1947. 2023 isn’t looking to great ether!
