Simple fragile 4 page lineup & roster booklet for the game between the Kansas City Cowboys and the Buffalo Bison Rangers played in Buffalo NewYork.
Condition is Fair to Good with vertical center crease on covers along with soiling, light stains & edge wear. Pages inside are complete & Very Good.
KC defeated Buffalo in a hard fought contest 2-0.
Sold as described. Questions certainly answered.
Sold & shipped for FREE in the USA only.
Fans of the Buffalo Bills & Kansas City Chiefs might enjoy this as well.
The1926 NFL seasonwas the seventhregular seasonof theNational Football League. The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding theBrooklyn Lions, theHartford Blues, theLos Angeles Buccaneers, and theLouisville Colonels, withRacine Tornadoesre-entering.Cleveland Bulldogssat out the season, theRock Island Independentsdefected to the upstartAmerican Football League, and theRochester Jeffersonssuspended operations for the final time (eventually folding in early 1928). TheAkron Prosre-branded as theAkron Indians, the Duluth Kelleys as theDuluth Eskimosand theBuffalo Bisonas theBuffalo Rangers(the team also used the names \"Texas Rangers\" and \"Buffalo Cowboys\")
The Buccaneers, Eskimos, Colonels andBuffalo Rangerswere \"showcase teams,\" the first efforts for the league to reach beyond the northeast and midwest. The Buccaneers, a response to the AFL\'sLos Angeles Wildcats, represented the state ofCalifornia; the Eskimos the far northern plains, while the Colonels represented theSouthern United Statesand the Rangers represented the state ofTexasand other areas of theSouthwestern United States.The four teams (except the Rangers) all played primarily astraveling teams. Three of the four teams only lasted one season; the Buccaneers and Colonels both folded while the Rangers reverted to their previous status as the Bison, and only the Eskimos returned for 1927.
In mid-November, Brooklyn merged with the AFL\'sBrooklyn Horsemenand stayed in the NFL, playing one more game as the Lions before changing its name to the Brooklyn Horsemen for the last three games (all shutout losses).
TheFrankford Yellow Jacketswere named the NFL champions after finishing the season with the best record.
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On May-23-16 at 07:13:04 PDT, seller added the following information:The 4 teams listed on the inside of the front cover are not colleges but local Buffalo New York high schools. The venue was most likely \"Bison Stadium\" home of the Buffalo Bisons Baseball Club. Thanks for asking.
On May-24-16 at 12:58:56 PDT, seller added the following information:1926 Buffalo Rangers season
1926Buffalo RangersseasonHead coachJim KendrickHome fieldBison StadiumResultsRecord4–4–2Division place9thNFL
←1925- Buffalo Rangers
- 1927→
The1926Buffalo Rangersseasonwas their seventh in theleague. The team improved on theirprevious outputof 1–6–2, winning four games.[1]They finished ninth in the league.
Background[edit]In response to the creation of theLos Angeles Buccaneers, the revival of theLouisville Colonelsas well as theAFL I\'sLos Angeles Wildcats, Buffalo (under new coach Jim Kendrick) changed its name for one year to theBuffalo Rangers, also known as theTexas Rangers. The team, although remaining based in Buffalo, would consist mostly of players from the state ofTexasand theSouthwestern United States. (Coincidentally, there was—and is—a city known asBuffalo, Texas.)[2]The team had little to lose; after the retirement of star player and part-ownerTommy Hughittafter the 1924 season, the team slid to 1–6–2 in 1925.
Although the team returned to .500 play, sporting a 4–4–2 record (the best record the team would have without Hughitt), the experiment was not continued after 26, 1926Akron IndiansW 7–02October 3, 1926Dayton TrianglesL 3–03October 9, 1926atFrankford Yellow JacketsL 30–04October 17, 1926atDayton TrianglesW 7–65October 24, 1926Los Angeles BuccaneersT 0–06October 31, 1926atPottsville MaroonsL 14–07November 7, 1926Columbus TigersW 26–08November 14, 1926atHartford BluesW 13–79November 21, 1926Kansas City CowboysL 2–010November 28, 1926atPottsville MaroonsT 0–0Standings[edit]NFL standings
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- Note:Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.On May-24-16 at 13:00:58 PDT, seller added the following information:
Kansas City Blues/Cowboys
Kansas City Blues-CowboysFounded1924Folded1926Based inKansas City, Missouri,United StatesLeagueNational Football LeagueTeam historyKansas City Blues (1924)
Kansas City Cowboys (1925–26)Team colors
Black, White
Head coachesLeRoy AndrewsHome field(s)Traveling TeamKansas City, Missourihad aNational Football Leagueteam prior to theChiefsthat operated under two different names: TheBluesin 1924 and theCowboysfrom 1925–1926. The Blues competed as atraveling team, playing all of their NFL games in other cities\' stadia in their only year under that name.LeRoy Andrewsacted as the team\'splayer-coach.
Pro Football Hall of Famers[edit] - Steve />On May-24-16 at 13:06:30 PDT, seller added the following information:
Steve Owen (American football).Steve OwenOwen circa 1930Position:Tackle,guardPersonal informationDate of birth:April 21, 1898Place of birth:Cleo Springs, OklahomaDate of death:May 17, 1964(aged66)Place of death:Oneida, New YorkHeight:5ft 10in (1.78m)Weight:237lb (108kg)Career informationHigh school:Aline (OK)College:PhillipsCareer historyAs player:
- Hartford Blues(1925)
- Cleveland Bulldogs(1925)
- Kansas City Cowboys(1925)
- New York Giants(1926–1931)
- New York Giants(1933)
As coach:New York Giants(1930–1953)
Head coach- Philadelphia Eagles(1956–1957)
Assistant coach - Toronto Argonauts(1959)
Head coach - Calgary Stampeders(1960)
Head coach - Saskatchewan Roughriders(1961–1962)
Head coach - Syracuse Stormers(1963)
Head coach
Career highlights and awardsNFL Championship(1927,1934,1938)- Giants career wins record (151)
- NFL 1920s All-Decade Team
Head coaching recordRegular season:NFL: 151–100–17 (.595)
WIFU/CFL: 21–27–3 (.441)Postseason:NFL: 10–2 (.833)
WIFU/CFL: 0–4 (.000)Career:NFL: 161–102–17 (.605)
WIFU/CFL: 21–31–3 (.409)Player stats atPFRCoaching stats atPFRPro Football Hall of FameStephen Joseph Owen(April 21, 1898 – May 17, 1964)[]was anAmerican footballplayerandcoach. He earned a place in thePro Football Hall of Fameashead coachof theNational Football League\'sNew York Giantsfrom1930to1953.[
Owen\'s skill at designingdefenses, his fundamentals-centered approach to the game and his innovative \"A formation,\" a variation on thesingle-wing, also helped hisoffensesthrive and were key to his success. His personal style was memorable for the odd congruence of gravelly voice and easy disposition to go with his perpetualtobaccochewing.
Early life[Born inCleo SpringsinOklahoma Territory, Owen was raised in an area known as theCherokee Strip, where his original goal was to become ajockey, a dream denied by his 5ft 11in (1.80m), 230lb (104kg) frame that earned him the nickname \"Stout Steve.\"
While working on acattle ranch, he attendedPhillips UniversityinEnid, where he was an all-around athlete in 1917-18. He supplemented his income at that time as a professionalwrestlerunder the pseudonym \"Jack O\'Brien,\" a ruse to preserve his amateur status.
Football career[]Owen served in theU.S. Armytraining corps inWorld War I, then returned to coach for a year at Phillips before going to work in oil fields in various parts of the Southwest. He started to play pro football in 1924, at$50 a game, for the NFL\'sKansas City Cowboys(who played all their games on the road!). After playing for the Cowboys and then theCleveland Bulldogsin1925, he was sold to theNew York Giantsin1926for $500, joining his brotherBill. After a futile attempt to get a cut of the purchase price from Kansas City coachLeroy Andrews, he later said of the sale:[4]
I had seen a lot of fat hogs go for more than they paid for me. But in those days, a fat hog was a lot more valuable than a fat tackle. I was going to New York even if I had to walk there.
His leadership became clearly evident during the1927season ascaptainof a team that outscored opponents 197–20, went 11–1–1 and won the NFL title.
In1930, he was promoted to co-player-coachfor the final two games of the season with another future Hall of Famer,Benny Friedman. The 2–0 finish was a premonition of Owen\'s future long-term success as sole head coach starting the following season.[5]In an unusual move for the time, he didn\'t sign a formal contract with ownerTim Mara. He would coach the next 23 years on a handshake. He retired as a player following the1931season, except for a brief comeback in1933, helping the Giants go 11–3 and get to the title game, the first of eight appearances the Giants would make during his tenure.
After football-playing careerThe team slipped to 8–5 in1934, but still made the NFL championship game again. Facing the 13–0Chicago Bears, the Giants came in as huge underdogs and trailed 13–3 at halftime. The icy conditions and 9°F weather led to an adjustment between halves that became a memorable part ofNational Football League lore. A friend of the Maras owned a nearby shoe warehouse, and opened it on that freezing Sunday afternoon to supply the entire team with new sneakers for better footing on the frozen turf than they had had with conventional cleats, enabling them to run off 27 unanswered points in the second half for a 30–13 win and the team\'s first title. More than seven decades later, the contest is still remembered as \"the sneakers game.\"
Despite the institution of theNFL draftdue to the continued dominance of the Bears and Giants, the Giants returned to the championship game in1935and won their second and last title under Owen in1938, 23-17 over theGreen Bay Packersdespite being outgained in yardage 379–208, with nine points on two blocked punts the margin of victory. New York appeared in four more season-ending NFL title clashes under Owen, but lost them all. An earlyWorld War IIThree Stoogesshortreferred to them when Moe sarcastically asked a hulking adversary, \"Did you ever play footborl for da Giants?!\"
In1950, the Giants faced a powerful new foe with the arrival of theAll-America Football ConferencechampionCleveland Browns, who consigned them to runner-up finishes in each of the next three seasons although Owen\'s \"umbrella defense\" that shut down passing attacks made life miserable for the first-place Browns as New York won four of their six regular-season meetings, but dropped a defensive playoff struggle with them after finishing tied with the Browns for the Eastern Division title at the end of the 1950 season by the baseball-like score of 8-3 (thanks to a Cleveland safety) for the privilege of meeting the Western Division championLos Angeles Ramsin the title game, which the Browns won by two points on a go-ahead field goal in the closing seconds, after trailing virtually the entire game.
Owen was the host ofPro Football Highlightson theDuMont Television Networkfrom 1951 to 1953.
After the Giants slipped to 3–8 in1953, Owen announced his retirement as head coach days before the end of the regular season, ending his 28 years at field level with the Giants.[2][6]As the final minutes ticked away in his last game as Giant coach, a late-game loss to eventual championDetroit, television cameras showed him standing alone on the sidelines in tears. His record as head coach was 150–99–17 (.596) and his 150 wins are still the most in franchise history.
After the GiantsOwen remained with the Giants as head scout. During the1954season, he served as a collegiate spring practice assistant, first atSouth Carolinaand then atBaylor. He returned to the collegiate ranks full-time in 1955 as an assistant coach at Baylor.Just weeks after the end of the1955season, thePhiladelphia EagleshiredHugh Devoreas head coach and added Owen as his assistant soon after.[8]But two seasons of struggling in Philadelphia led to the entire coaching staff\'s dismissal, and Owen eventually became a head coach yet again, this time on an interim basis with theCanadian Football League\'sToronto Argonautson September 21,1959.
The Argonauts declined Owen\'s offer to stay on as full-time head coach for1960, but retained him as a scout and advisor before he moved to the CFL\'sCalgary Stampederson August 23, 1960 as interim head coach, but as in Toronto Owen was replaced at the end of the season. On December 29 of the same year, he was named head coach of theSaskatchewan Roughriders, a CFL team that had won just once in 1960. Owen\'s1961team nearly reached the playoffs, then did sothe following yearand was voted CFL Coach of the Year.[9]But after suffering aheart attacklate in 1962, he resigned on January 6, 1963.
Unable to stay away from the sport, however, he soon came back as head coach of theUnited Football League\'sSyracuse Stormerson March 20, 1963, only to return to his beloved Giants that November to scout for them.
DeathOwen was stricken with a terminalcerebral hemorrhagein May 1964. After eight days in critical care, a great active life in football came to an end at age 66 on May 17 inOneida, New York.[1]He was buried at St. Patrick\'s Cemetery in Oneida.
Owen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of its fourth class in 1966, enshrined on September 17.
On May-24-16 at 13:17:05 PDT, seller added the following information:Buffalo inBuffalo,New York,United StatesLeagueBuffalo Semi-Pro Football League (1918)
New York Pro Football League(1919)
National Football League(1920–1929)Team historyBuffalo All-Stars (1915–1917)
Buffalo Niagaras (1918)
Buffalo Prospects (1919)
Buffalo All-Americans (1920–1923)
Buffalo Bisons (1924–1925)
Buffalo Rangers (1926)
Buffalo Bisons (1927–1929)Team colors
Black, Orange, White
Head coachesBarney Lepper(1917, 1919)
Tommy Hughitt(1918, 1920–1924)
Walt Koppisch(1925)
Jim Kendrick(1926)
Dim Batterson(1927)
Al Jolley(1929)Owner(s)Frank McNeil(1920–23)
Tommy Hughitt/Warren D. Patterson (1924–29)Other League Championship wins1918 City Champs
1919 New York Pro ChampsHome field(s)Buffalo Baseball Park(1915–1923)
Canisius College(1915–1923)
Bison Stadium(1924–1929)Buffalo, New Yorkhad a turbulent, early-eraNational Football Leagueteam that operated under three different names and several different owners between the 1910s and 1920s. The early NFL era franchise was variously called theBuffalo All-Starsfrom 1915 to 1917,[1]Buffalo Niagarasin 1918,[2]theBuffalo Prospectsin 1919,[3]Buffalo All-Americansfrom 1920–1923,Buffalo Bisonsfrom 1924–1925, 1927 and 1929, and theBuffalo Rangersin 1926. The franchise, experiencing financial problems in 1928, did not participate in league play that season.
History[Prior to the NFLBuffalo operated an early professional football circuit from at least the late 1800s onward. Among notable predecessors to the team discussed here were the Buffalo Oakdales, whose heyday was in the years 1908 and 1909 and who ceased operations c. 1915; the Cazenovias, who were New York\'s best team in 1910 and 1911; and the Lancaster Malleables, from the neighboring town ofLancaster, New York, who were the best team in the region in 1913 and 1914. These teams played each other and teams from nearby cities (for example, theRochester Jeffersons).
The All-Stars played from 1915 to 1917 under the leadership of Eugene F. Dooley; in 1917, Dooley, along withBarney Lepper, took the team on abarnstorming tourof midwestern pro football teams. In 1918, the city\'s teams were not allowed to play outside the area because of the1918 flu pandemic; Dooley and Lepper discontinued the All-Stars. Shoe salesman Warren D. Patterson, at the same time as this, formed a new team known as the Buffalo Niagaras, signing formerYoungstown PatriciansquarterbackErnest \"Tommy\" Hughittas his quarterback. As the Niagaras, the team won a city-wide championship in 1918, going undefeated with a 6–0–0 record (including a forfeit), having only one touchdown scored on them in any of their six games. They were one of the few upper-level teams still able to play games that year, with most of the top level teams (such as the Patricians,Canton BulldogsandMassillon Tigers) all having suspended operations due to the pandemic and/orWorld War Iplayer shortages; this allowed Buffalo to get a leg up on its Ohio competition and sign otherwise-unemployed players, setting a course for bringing the region on par with the Ohio League and the ultimate establishment of the NFL. With that, they could have theoretically staked a claim to being the best team in the nation, especially considering how the team would perform over the next three seasons, but theProfessional Football Researchers Associationis dismissive of any claim that does not come from theOhio League, and gives the mythical \"national title\" to theDayton Triangles, who also went undefeated that year. When theNew York Pro Football Leaguereopened in 1919, the team, now reorganized into a franchise known as the Prospects, defeated theRochester Jeffersonsfor the league title in a two-gameThanksgiving weekend tournament. The two teams tied the Thanksgiving Day game, but Buffalo handily defeated Rochester 20–0 the following Sunday.
Lepper teamed up with Hughitt and Patterson in early 1920 to create the Buffalo All-Americans, then quickly sold the team to Frank McNeil, a somewhat abrasive and aggressive owner who was able to get the team into the National Football League for its first season. However records indicate he may not have actually entered his team into the American Professional Football Association until 1921, the All-Americans are generally shown as the third-place team in league standings from that year. Patterson held on to the Prospects name and put together a lower quality team that played through 1923, including a 1922 game against the All-Americans themselves.[4]
The NFL[edit]Buffalo QB, head coach and part-ownerTommy Hughitt.The Buffalo All-Americans had success during its first couple of APFA seasons, posting a 9–1–1 regular season record in 1920 where they became the first professional NFL team to win by margins of 20 or more points in each of its first four games, an asterisked record which was not tied until the2007 New England Patriots\'offense duplicated the feat against other (all) professional and league teams on October 1, 2007;[5]the asterisked record is because in the early NFL, the All-Americans played several non-league opponents in their first four wins in 1920.[6]Like the 1990s-eraBuffalo Billsseven decades later (and the 1960s-era Bills four decades later), the 1918–21 All-Americans team is often considered one of the best professional teams to have never won an NFL championship. Even though they didn\'t officially win any championships, there are two championships that are disputable, in 1920 and 1921.
The Buffalo-Phoenixville connection[edit]Unique for a professional football team, the All-Americans had a sharing agreement with theUnion Club of Phoenixville, a side project managed by All-Americans playerHeinie Miller. Miller would take himself and seven other All-Americans toPhoenixville, Pennsylvaniato play games on Saturdays (Pennsylvania hadblue lawsthat prevented play on Sunday), and then return to Buffalo on Sundays. This sharing agreement lasted into 1921 when Miller formed the newUnion Quakers of Philadelphia, but All-Americans owner Frank McNeil put a halt to the agreement halfway through the 1921 season after the Quakers played theCanton Bulldogsand wore out the All-Americans players. Five All-Americans left the team to play for the Quakers full-time; Buffalo had the pickings of the then-defunctDetroit Tigersto replenish their roster.
First trade in the NFL[edit]In 1920, theAkron Prosheld theBuffalo All-Americansto a scoreless tie in front of only 3,000 fans. At the game, Akron owners,Frank NiedandArt Ranneyagreed to sellBob Nashto Buffalo for $300 and five per cent of the gate, in the first known player deal between NFL clubs.[7]
1920 Championship issue[edit]Along with theDecatur Staleysand Akron Pros, Buffalo claimed a share of the 1920 league title. That same season the Pros held the best record in the league, and only had to avoid losing a game. Meanwhile Buffalo and the Staleys had to win in order to capture the AFPA Championship. The Pros were able to hold the Staleys to a scoreless tie atCub Park. However the Pros still had to play the All-Americans who were fresh from a 7–3 win over theCanton BulldogsatNew York City\'sPolo Grounds.[8]Despite Buffalo\'s confidence going into the match, the Pros also held the All-Americans to scoreless tie.
Both the All-Americans and the Staleys complained about the championship, arguing that Akron had only tied, but not defeated them. However,Joseph Carr(then serving only as owner of hisColumbus Panhandlesteam) moved at the league\'s meeting in April 1921 to give Akron the sole title and the rights to theBrunswick-Balke Collender Cup. The motion was accepted, and Buffalo finished in third place, with Chicago in second place.[7]
According to modern NFL tie-breaking rules, the 1920Buffalo All-Americanswould be co-champions.[9]They would be tied with theAkron Prosin win percentage, 9½ wins to 1½ losses (.864), both teams beating out theDecatur Staleys, who would have a season that counted 11 wins to 2 losses (.846).
\"Staley Swindle\"[edit]For more details on this topic, seeStaley Swindle.On November 27, 1921, the All-Americans claimed the AFPA title with a record of 9–0–2. However, for reason still unknown, owner Frank McNeil agreed to play two more games. He did tell the Buffalo media that the two games were exhibitions and would have no bearing on the team\'s claim to the AFPA title. Meanwhile,George Halasand theChicago Staleys, manage to capture second place in the AFPA in1921, with their only loss of the season against Buffalo. Meanwhile McNeil scheduled the two additional games against the Akron Pros and Chicago, in back-to-back games. The first game was scheduled for December 3 against the tough Akron Pros, after which his team would take an all-night train toChicagoto play the Staleys the next day.
The All-Americans defeated the Pros on December 3. They then rode to Chicago, where they disembarked the next day, worn out and in no condition to play the Staleys. The All-Americans then lost to the Staleys, 10–7. Meanwhile McNeil still believed his team was the AFPA\'s 1921 champion, and even invested in tiny gold footballs for his players to commemorate the achievement. However Halas declared that the title was Chicago\'s, basing his claim on his belief that the second game of the Buffalo-Chicago series mattered more than the first. He also pointed out that the aggregate score of the two games was 16–14 in favor of the Staleys. McNeil insisted the Buffalo All-Americans were the champions, still maintaining that the last two games his team played were merely exhibitions. It didn\'t matter. The league awarded the championship by a vote of the Association\'s executive committee in January 1922 to the Staleys.
This episode is referred to by several sports historians and Buffalo sports fans as the \"Staley Swindle.\" McNeil eventually went to his grave trying to get the league\'s decision overturned.[10]In their decision, based on a generally accepted (but now obsolete) rule that if two teams play each other more than once in a season, the second game counts more than the first, the executive committee followed established tradition. Had Buffalo not played the last game (or if it had not been counted as per Buffalo\'s wishes), they would have had an undefeated season and won the title.[11]
In both the 1920 and 1921 seasons, Buffalo played all of its games at home (the lone exceptions being the two 1921 matches in Chicago and one against theDetroit Tigers).
Buffalo Bisons[edit]Under the leadership of player-coachTommy Hughitt, the All-Americans, though they never equaled the success of the first two seasons, continued to post winning records in 1922 and 1923. Star running backOckie Anderson\'s knees deteriorated during the 1922 season, forcing his early retirement and beginning the team\'s decline. In 1924, owner Frank McNeil sold the team back to Hughitt and Warren D. Patterson, who immediately changed the team name toBisons(a stock name for Buffalo sports teams) and signed several players (Pete Calac,Benny BoyntonandJim Ailingerbeing among them) to make another run at the title. After starting the season 6–2, the team lost their last three to once again end up marginally above .500. Hughitt retired at the end of the season. After Hughitt\'s retirement at the end of the 1924 season, the team struggled for the rest of its lifespan.
However, on October 1, 1925, the Bisons managed to wrestleJim Kendrickfrom his contract with theHammond Prosand signed him to play for Buffalo. In 1925 the Bisons were led by formerColumbia Universitystar and Buffalo nativeWalter Koppisch. Prior to Kendrick joining the team, the Bisons were already 0–2 on the season. Kendrick\'s first game with Buffalo came on Sunday, October 4, 1925, against theRochester Jeffersons. With Kendrick in the line-up, the Bisons tied the Jeffersons and the Akron Pros in their next two games. A week later the Bisons defeated theColumbus Tigers, 17–6. However tragedy struck the team just a few days later when, team captain Walter Koppisch was injured in a car accident and was advised to sit out a few games to allow his injuries to heal.
A week later, the Bisons were defeated by theFrankford Yellow Jackets, 12–3. However the team was scheduled to play theNew York Giantsat the Polo Grounds, a few days later. The game was also going to be the first game back for Koppisch. However the Bisons, despite a strong defensive showing, could not generate their offensive potential. This game was Koppisch\'s last appearance in a Buffalo uniform. The team then lost their final two games of the season to theProvidence Steam Roller(10–0) and theChicago Cardinals(23–6).
In July 1926 it was announced that Walter Koppisch would not be returning to manage the Buffalo Bisons in the upcoming season. Meanwhile Jim Kendrick was announced to be taking over as the team\'s manager, and serving as aplayer-coach.[12]
Buffalo Rangers[edit]Jim Kendrick announced his \"Buffalo Rangers\" experiment, fielding an exhibition team of players fromTexasand theSouthwestern United Statesfor the 1926 season. His plan was that this exhibition squad would then represent Buffalo in the NFL. Because most of the players were Texans, the team was nicknamed the \"Rangers\" in deference to the state\'slegendary peacekeeping force.[12]Along with the West Coast\'sLos Angeles Buccaneersand the South\'sLouisville Colonels, it was one of three teams that represented cities outside the NFL\'s existing footprint.
Kendrick believed that if the players have no outside interests or anything to divert their minds from playing football, they can play better. The season\'s outcome would determine if his theory was correct.[13]
The Buffalo media alternately referred to the team as the \"Bison Rangers,\" combining the old name with the new so that fans might more easily identify with the team that was on its third name in seven years. The one-year experiment brought a 4–4–2 (.500) season. Buffalo expected Kendrick to return to field the Rangers for the1927 season, however he signed with the New York Giants, and most of the remaining players went their separate ways, citing their dislike for Buffalo\'s cold winters as the primary reason for not sticking around.[12]
Return of the Bisons and closure[edit]Dim Batterson, a local high school and college coach and an assistant with the team since 1925, was brought in to coach the 1927 season. After five games (all losses, all but one being a shutout), the team suspended operations and failed to finish the season. The team did not return to play in 1928, but returned in 1929 with formerOorang IndianAl Jolleyas coach. Among their players that year wasJess Rodriguez, the first Hispanic-American player in the NFL (theFrankford Yellow Jacketshad hiredIgnacio “Lou” Molinettwo years prior, but Molinet was a Cuban national). Much like in 1927, the Bisons failed to win a game until their final game, when in a case ofcosmic ironythey upset theChicago Bears19–7; thus, the very team that had spoiled theirundefeated seasonin 1921 saved them from the indignity of awinless seasonin 1929. With theGreat Depressionunderway, the Bisons folded, never to return again. During the season the Bisons set an NFL record of six consecutive games without ever having a lead in regulation play. The record was tied in 2012 by theKansas City Chiefs.[14]
With the exception of the three teams that have direct descendants still in the NFL—the Bears, Arizona Cardinals and Dayton Triangles (whose remains reside in the currentIndianapolis Colts), Buffalo was the longest-lived of the league\'s original 13 teams.
At least one further game against an NFL team was played in Buffalo in the wake of the Bisons\' failure: the independent Buffalo Bears narrowly lost, 8–6, to theCleveland Indiansin a 1931 contest. Buffalo would become a regular “neutral site” for NFL exhibitions from 1938 to 1958.
The team has no official relation to future Buffalo pro football franchises: theBuffalo IndiansandTigersof thethird American Football League, theBuffalo Bisonsof theAAFC, or theBuffalo Billsof today which was one of the newAFLteams (formation announced in 1959) that first played in 1960.
Players of note[edit]As of 2010, noPro Football Hall of Famersplayed for the All-Americans, Bisons or Rangers.
Members of the College Football Hall of Fame[edit]Benny Boynton- Ed Casey
- Walter Koppisch
Others[edit]Jim Ailinger(at the time of his death in 2001, the oldest surviving NFL alumnus)- Ockie AndersonTeammate ofFritz PollardonUnion Club of Phoenixvillein 1920 and disputed 1920 NFL champion.
- Pete CalacTeammate ofJim Thorpein 1920.
- Tommy Hughitt
- Heinie Miller
- Elmer Oliphant
- Paul Robeson
- Gus Sonnenberg
- Lud Wray
Season records[edit]SeasonTeamLeagueRegular seasonPost SeasonResultsReferencesFinishWLTBuffalo Kardexfor city title. State title disputed with Rochester Jefferons.[16]19171917NYPFL—341Won city title. Season cut short due toWorld War I.[17]Buffalo Niagaras19181918BSPFL†1st †500Named BSPFL Champions †[18]Buffalo Prospects19191919NYPFL†1st †911Named NYPFL Champions †[19]Buffalo All-Americans19201920APFA3rd911The APFA did not hold playoffs[20]19211921APFA1st912The APFA did not hold playoffs[21]19221922NFL9th541The NFL did not hold playoffs[22]19231923NFL8th543The NFL did not hold playoffs[23]Buffalo Bisons19241924NFL9th650The NFL did not hold playoffs[24]19251925NFL15th162The NFL did not hold playoffs[25]Buffalo Rangers19261926NFL9th442The NFL did not hold playoffs[26]Buffalo Bisons19271927NFL12th050The NFL did not hold playoffs[27]19281928NFLSuspended Operations19291929NFL10th171The NFL did not hold playoffsOn May-26-16 at 14:30:18 PDT, seller added the following information:Ernie Nevers Team Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos
Duluth Kelleys
Duluth EskimosFounded1923Folded1927Based inDuluth, Minnesota,United StatesLeagueNational Football LeagueTeam historyDuluth Kelleys(1923–1925)
Duluth Eskimos(1926–1927)
Orange Tornadoes(1929)
Newark Tornadoes(1930)Team colorsRed, White (Duluth Kelleys)Midnight Blue, White (Duluth Eskimos)
Head coachesJoey Sternaman(1923)
Dewey Scanlon(1924–1926)
Ernie Nevers(1927)Owner(s)Ole HaugsrudNamed forKelley-Duluth Hardware Store
Ernie NeversHome field(s)Athletic Park
Duluth, Minnesota, hosted a professionalfootballteam called theKelleys(officially the Kelley Duluths after the Kelley-Duluth Hardware Store) from1923to1925and theEskimos(officiallyErnie Nevers\' Eskimosafter their star player) from1926to1927in theNational Football League. After being atraveling teamduring most of their time as the Eskimos, they withdrew from the league after the 1927 season.
The Kelleys, residing in the northernmost city in the NFL at the time, had the disadvantage of not being able to play at home during late November and early December, due to the harsh winters in northern Minnesota. This meant that Duluth either played unusually short seasons (they played only 16 games in three years as the Kelleys—seven in 1923, six in 1924 and three in 1925) or had to play on the road (as the Eskimos did, which allowed them to have much longer schedules). Duluth\'s best season came in 1924, when the Kelleys went 5–1. Under modern NFL tiebreaking procedures, the Kelleys would have won a share of the NFL title with the league championCleveland Bulldogs. (Assuming the league would have implemented a tiebreaker, it would be assumed Cleveland would have been given the title anyway, seeing that the Bulldogs played more games.) The contemporary percentage used to rank teams in the era, wins divided by the sum of wins and losses, put the Kelleys in fourth place.
The Kelleys lost their name sponsorship in 1926, but signed star running backErnie Nevers. The team renamed[citation needed]themselves Ernie Nevers\'s Eskimos in response to these developments. The 1926 NFL season saw an increased emphasis on traveling teams: theLos Angeles Buccaneersrepresented the West Coast, theLouisville Colonelsrepresented the Southeast, and theBuffalo Rangersrepresented Texas and the Desert Southwest. The Eskimos joined in on the trend, becoming a traveling team (assumably representing the far northern states) and allowing themselves to play a far longer season than the Kelleys did. After one home game at the beginning of the 1926 season, the Eskimos never played in Duluth again. The team finished in the middle of the NFL standings in 1926, prompting the Eskimos to continue the traveling team setup. In 1927, the results were far more negative: winning only one game, ownerOle Haugsrudsold the team back to the league at the end of the season.
When Haugsrud did this, part of the deal gave him first rights for any future NFL team inMinnesota. He passed on buying[citation needed]a stake in theMinneapolis Red Jacketsin 1929. However, when the NFL voted to expand in1960to theTwin Cities, Haugsrud was able to buy 10% of theMinnesota Vikings(90% of the team was owned by an ownership group that had originally planned to launch a separate team in theAmerican Football League).
Due to various transactions, the Kelleys/Eskimos have a tenuous link to the modern NFL.Edwin Simandl, a promoter inOrange, New Jersey; bought the defunct franchise for the1929 seasonand used it to promote his decades-oldOrange Tornadoesto the major leagues. The NFL, however, did not consider the Tornadoes to be the successors of the Eskimos. The Tornadoes moved toNewarkfor the1930 seasonbefore going back to the minors. When Simandl handed the franchise rights back to the league, it was understood that the first new expansion team of the 1931 season would receive the Tornadoes\' old franchise. Because of the Great Depression, no buyer was found, and the league ended up putting the franchise on the field as theCleveland Indiansunder collective ownership.
In 1932, aBostongroup received the next expansion franchise; strong circumstantial evidence indicates that it was awarded the assets of the failed Tornadoes/Indians organization.[1]This group used it to start the Boston Braves. In 1933, the team was renamed the Redskins, and in 1937 it moved toWashington, D.C.where it still plays as theWashington Redskins. However, due to the two-year period of dormancy, the Redskins and the NFL consider the Boston/Washington franchise as a separate organization dating to 1932, and not as a continuation of the Tornadoes--or for that matter, of the Eskimos/Kelleys.
The filmLeatherheadsis partially based on the story of the Duluth Eskimos.[2]
On May 18, 2015, local lawmakers of one town in theDuluth-Superiorarea passed a motion to bring the NFL back to the region via team relocation and also voted in favor of an outdoor football stadium despite no current means of financing it.[3]It is unclear if their proposal was ever formally submitted to the NFL.
