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NFL History 1930
- 1939
1930
Dayton,
the last of the NFL's original franchises,
was purchased by William B. Dwyer and John
C. Depler, moved to Brooklyn, and renamed
the Dodgers. The Portsmouth, Ohio, Spartans
entered the league.
The
Packers edged the Giants for the title, but the most
improved team was the Bears. Halas retired as a player
and replaced himself as coach of the Bears with Ralph
Jones, who refined the T-formation by introducing wide
ends and a halfback in motion. Jones also introduced
rookie All-America fullback-tackle Bronko Nagurski.
The
Giants defeated a team of former Notre Dame players
coached by Knute Rockne 22-0 before 55,000 at the Polo
Grounds, December 14. The proceeds went to the New York
Unemployment Fund to help those suffering because of
the Great Depression, and the easy victory helped give
the NFL credibility with the press and the public
1931
The NFL decreased to 10 teams, and halfway through
the season the Frankford franchise folded. Carr fined
the Bears, Packers, and Portsmouth $1,000 each for using
players whose college classes had not graduated.
The
Packers won an unprecedented third consecutive title,
beating out the Spartans, who were led by rookie backs
Earl (Dutch) Clark and Glenn Presnell.
1932
George Preston Marshall, Vincent Bendix, Jay O'Brien,
and M. Dorland Doyle were awarded a franchise for Boston,
July 9. Despite the presence of two rookies-halfback
Cliff Battles and tackle Glen (Turk) Edwards-the new
team, named the Braves, lost money and Marshall was
left as the sole owner at the end of the year.
NFL
membership dropped to eight teams, the lowest in history.
Official statistics were kept for the first time. The
Bears and the Spartans finished the season in the first-ever
tie for first place. After the season finale, the league
office arranged for the first playoff game in NFL history.
The game was moved indoors to Chicago Stad-ium because
of bitter cold and heavy snow. The arena allowed only
an 80-yard field that came right to the walls. The goal
posts were moved from the end lines to the goal lines
and, for safety, inbounds lines or hashmarks where the
ball would be put in play were drawn 10 yards from the
walls that butted against the sidelines. The Bears won
9-0, December 18, scoring the winning touchdown on a
two-yard pass from Nagurski to Grange. The Spartans
claimed Nagurski's pass was thrown from less than five
yards behind the line of scrimmage, violating the existing
passing rule, but the play stood.
1933
The NFL, which long had followed the rules of college
football, made a number of significant changes from
the college game for the first time and began to develop
rules serving its needs and the style of play it preferred.
The innovations from the 1932 championship game-inbounds
line or hashmarks and goal posts on the goal lines-were
adopted. Also the forward pass was legalized from anywhere
behind the line of scrimmage, February 25.
Marshall
and Halas pushed through a proposal that divided the
NFL into two divisions, with the winners to meet in
an annual championship game, July 8.
Three
new franchises joined the league-the Pittsburgh Pirates
of Art Rooney, the Philadelphia Eagles of Bert Bell
and Lud Wray, and the Cincinnati Reds. The Staten Island
Stapletons suspended operations for a year, but never
returned to the league.
Halas
bought out Sternaman, became sole owner of the Bears,
and reinstated himself as head coach. Marshall changed
the name of the Boston Braves to the Redskins. David
Jones sold the Chicago Cardinals to Charles W. Bidwill.
In
the first NFL Championship Game scheduled before the
season, the Western Division champion Bears defeated
the Eastern Division champion Giants 23-21 at Wrigley
Field, December 17.
1934
G.A. (Dick) Richards purchased the Portsmouth Spartans,
moved them to Detroit, and renamed them the Lions.
Professional
football gained new prestige when the Bears were matched
against the best college football players in the first
Chicago College All-Star Game, August 31. The game ended
in a scoreless tie before 79,432 at Soldier Field.
The
Cincinnati Reds lost their first eight games, then were
suspended from the league for defaulting on payments.
The St. Louis Gunners, an independent team, joined the
NFL by buying the Cincinnati franchise and went 1-2
the last three weeks.
Rookie
Beattie Feathers of the Bears became the NFL's first
1,000-yard rusher, gaining 1,004 on 101 carries. The
Thanksgiving Day game between the Bears and the Lions
became the first NFL game broadcast nationally, with
Graham McNamee the announcer for NBC radio.
In
the championship game, on an extremely cold and icy
day at the Polo Grounds, the Giants trailed the Bears
13-3 in the third quarter before changing to basketball
shoes for better footing. The Giants won 30-13 in what
has come to be known as the Sneakers Game, December
9.
The
player waiver rule was adopted, December 10.
1935
The NFL adopted Bert Bell's proposal to hold an
annual draft of college players, to begin in 1936, with
teams selecting in an inverse order of finish, May 19.
The inbounds line or hashmarks were moved nearer the
center of the field, 15 yards from the sidelines.
All-America
end Don Hutson of Alabama joined Green Bay. The Lions
defeated the Giants 26-7 in the NFL Championship Game,
December 15.
1936
There were no franchise transactions for the first
year since the formation of the NFL. It also was the
first year in which all member teams played the same
number of games.
The
Eagles made University of Chicago halfback and Heisman
Trophy winner Jay Berwanger the first player ever selected
in the NFL draft, February 8. The Eagles traded his
rights to the Bears, but Berwanger never played pro
football. The first player selected to actually sign
was the number-two pick, Riley Smith of Alabama, who
was selected by Boston.
A
rival league was formed, and it became the second to
call itself the American Football League. The Boston
Shamrocks were its champions.
Because
of poor attendance, Marshall, the owner of the host
team, moved the Championship Game from Boston to the
Polo Grounds in New York. Green Bay defeated the Redskins
21-6, December 13.
1937
Homer Marshman was granted a Cleveland franchise,
named the Rams, February 12. Marshall moved the Redskins
to Washington, D.C., February 13. The Redskins signed
TCU All-America tailback Sammy Baugh, who led them to
a 28-21 victory over the Bears in the NFL Championship
Game, December 12.
The
Los Angeles Bulldogs had an 8-0 record to win the AFL
title, but then the 2-year-old league folded.
1938
At the suggestion of Halas, Hugh (Shorty) Ray became
a technical advisor on rules and officiating to the
NFL. A new rule called for a 15-yard penalty for roughing
the passer.
Rookie
Byron (Whizzer) White of the Pittsburgh Pirates led
the NFL in rushing. The Giants defeated the Packers
23-17 for the NFL title, December 11.
Marshall,
Los Angeles Times sports editor Bill Henry, and promoter
Tom Gallery established the Pro Bowl game between the
NFL champion and a team of pro all-stars.
1939
The New York Giants defeated the Pro All-Stars 13-10
in the first Pro Bowl, at Wrigley Field, Los Angeles,
January 15.
Carr,
NFL president since 1921, died in Columbus, May 20.
Carl Storck was named acting president, May 25.
An
NFL game was televised for the first time when NBC broadcast
the Brooklyn Dodgers-Philadelphia Eagles game from Ebbets
Field to the approximately 1,000 sets then in New York.
Green
Bay defeated New York 27-0 in the NFL Championship Game,
December 10 at Milwaukee. NFL attendance exceeded 1
million in a season for the first time, reaching 1,071,200.
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