Taxi squad question

[afan56]

I was thinking about what to do about Danny Ware and hating to part with anyone on the roster, which led to the idea of "hiding" someone. In the old days there was talk of teams stashing players to keep them for themselves and I wondered if it could still be done. If the plkayer wished to stay with his team, he could become unavailable for contact until he was reinstated. What do you think?

Does this seem to be true as the origin of the term?


"From the Wikipedia Entry on Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride, founder on the Cleveland Browns.... reference the 4th paragraph below:

Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride (20 March 1888-10 November 1972) was the founder of the Cleveland Browns professional football team. McBride was a wealthy businessman who made a fortune investing in and operating real estate holdings in Chicago, Cleveland and Florida, in taxicab companies in Cleveland, Akron and Canton, Ohio, in a printing company, and in a horse-racing news wire syndicate, before taking an interest in the fledgling sport of professional football.

McBride became a rabid football fan in 1940 after taking in a college football game at the University of Notre Dame where McBride's son was a student. After Dan Reeves rejected his 1942 offer to buy the NFL's Cleveland Rams, in 1944 McBride became involved in Arch Ward's newly created All-America Football Conference.

McBride aggressively promoted his new team and spared no expense. He hired Paul Brown when Brown was still coaching at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station during World War II, paying Brown $20,000 per year plus 15% of the profits, plus $1,000 per month until the end of the war.

McBride contributed to the lexicon of football with the term "taxi squad." Browns' players who were not on the active roster, due to injury or other reason, were temporarily put on the McBride's payroll as taxi drivers."

[Painter]

Around 1989, the League began reducing offseason roster size while also cracking down on the stashing of players on what was by then known as the "developmental squad"- practice squad, today. Players who are declared to be injured either go through PUP status which provides a window of opportunity for a return during the season, or are placed on Injured Reserve and become ineligible to play or practice for the duration of the season. And, of course, players on the ps are not shielded against loss; they can be signed by any other team willing to place them on their regular 53 man roster.

Cheers!

[MightyGiants]

Thanks Afan, I didn't know where that term had come from.

[President Rick]

I'd heard long ago that the taxi squad term referred to the practice of those plaers going to the games in cabs rathetr than the team bus because they weren't on the official roster.  maybe, maybe not.  this browns' explanation is very plausible.

[jimv]

The wikipedia description of "Taxi Squad" as printed by afan56 IS the correct version.  All the teams had a "Taxi Squad" back in the 40s & 50s.  I can't remember when they actually turned into "Practice Squads."