NFL EXPANSION 1937-1970

[Shoelessjoe]

Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams-The Cleveland Rams started out playing in what is known as the second American Football League in 1936. The first American Football League was organized by C. C. Pyle featuring Red Grange in 1926 and folded after one season. The Rams were scheduled to play for their league's championship that first season against the Boston Shamrocks. Boston's owner never paid the Rams for their regular season game earlier in Boston and also hadn't paid his players for several games. The Shamrock players refused to travel to Cleveland without being paid the money owed to them. Boston's owner announced to the press the game was canceled because of the weather without consulting with the league or the Rams. The Shamrocks were awarded the league championship due to their higher winning percentage. The game would've made the season profitable for the Rams. The Rams, feeling betrayed by Boston and the league, announced they were leaving the league and started negotiations to join the NFL. The NFL had been playing with an odd number(9) of teams for a few years, and Joe Carr, the commissioner, wanted a tenth team to have an even schedule. The Rams had the 2nd best winning percentage and were in better financial condition than most of the AFL. The Cleveland Rams were chosen and joined the NFL in 1937. After losing the Rams, the 2nd AFL folded before the end of its 2nd season.

Side note- The league wouldn't allow the Rams to move to Los Angles or Dallas until they threatened to leave the NFL. In 1945, as league champions, the NFL was afraid they'd join the AAFC which was starting its first season in 1946, giving the new league instant credibility so they allowed the Rams to move to prevent them from joining the new league.

Jim, great thread.  The movement of the Rams to LA led to the league integration of African American players to the objections of the Washington owner George Preston Marshal who was know to be a racist.  Apparently the Rams were going to play their games in the LA Coliseum which was owned by the city.  The city wouldn't let them play there unless they integrated their team.  As they say, the rest is history.

[NapoleonBlownapart]

Jim - thank you for this very cool thread.  I will have to dig out my copy of David harries "the rise and decline of the NFL" from 1986.  He has a chapter titled "NFL expansion" that is very interesting. briefly, in the late 1960's Memphis TN and its Liberty Bowl stadium was considered the frontrunner for an NFL team, others lagging well behind included Portland Ore, Seattle WA, Tampa Bay FL, Jacksonville FL, Charlotte NC, Birmingham AL & San Antonio TX.  The NFL spent millions of bucks in studies and by the mid 70's the front runners were the eventual 27 & 28 teams, Tampa Bay & Seattle.  Amazing they never went back to Memphis for an expansion team albeit a 1 year home for the Oilers in 1997. 

[Giant Jim]

Jim - thank you for this very cool thread.  I will have to dig out my copy of David harries "the rise and decline of the NFL" from 1986.  He has a chapter titled "NFL expansion" that is very interesting. briefly, in the late 1960's Memphis TN and its Liberty Bowl stadium was considered the frontrunner for an NFL team, others lagging well behind included Portland Ore, Seattle WA, Tampa Bay FL, Jacksonville FL, Charlotte NC, Birmingham AL & San Antonio TX.  The NFL spent millions of bucks in studies and by the mid 70's the front runners were the eventual 27 & 28 teams, Tampa Bay & Seattle.  Amazing they never went back to Memphis for an expansion team albeit a 1 year home for the Oilers in 1997.

Although I lived thru the WFL, I haven't read up on if that league influenced the 1976 expansion to Seattle and Tampa yet. Memphis had one of the best teams in the WFL and I believe it was considered. I'd love for someone to add the early history of Seattle and Tampa to this thread and the 1995 expansion. I might add how the oldest teams entered one day. (Giants, Bears, Redskins, etc) Glad you enjoyed.

[jimv]

Although I lived thru the WFL, I haven't read up on if that league influenced the 1976 expansion to Seattle and Tampa yet. Memphis had one of the best teams in the WFL and I believe it was considered. I'd love for someone to add the early history of Seattle and Tampa to this thread and the 1995 expansion. I might add how the oldest teams entered one day. (Giants, Bears, Redskins, etc) Glad you enjoyed.

If you want to read up on the Giants, Bears, Redskins, get "The League," a book I've recommended several times.  It'll tell you all you want to know.

[NapoleonBlownapart]

Although I lived thru the WFL, I haven't read up on if that league influenced the 1976 expansion to Seattle and Tampa yet. Memphis had one of the best teams in the WFL and I believe it was considered. I'd love for someone to add the early history of Seattle and Tampa to this thread and the 1995 expansion. I might add how the oldest teams entered one day. (Giants, Bears, Redskins, etc) Glad you enjoyed.

Good call Jim!  Spot on. The Memphis Southman with HC John Mcvay was surely a reason the NFL bypassed Memphis.  the official reason was the Liberty Bowl was too small by 1975, with the Kingdome and Tampa promising 80K to only 40K for the Liberty.  Its also why Portland was rejected, not for WFL team that they had, but the Stadium was too small for NFL.  Charlotte and Jacksonville had WFL teams yet both were in the running for 1976 due to large stadiums available and lost out with the promise that next time....they waited 20 years for the next time LOL great thread again!

[Giant Jim]

If you want to read up on the Giants, Bears, Redskins, get "The League," a book I've recommended several times.  It'll tell you all you want to know.

Yes, I read it on your recommendation, great book. I want to one day post here how those teams and the Cards, Steelers, Eagles, Lions & Packers started similar to the above teams to round out this thread.

[Giant Jim]

Denver Broncos-Since the Giants are playing the Denver Broncos this week, I thought this would be a good time to expand on their origins. After baseball's Giants and Dodgers left for California, New York City wanted to get a an expansion team to bring back the National League or an existing one to relocate. When those efforts failed, William Shea started organizing a new major league, the Continental Baseball League. Unlike the NFL that flat out refused to acknowledge the AFL until it was too late, Major League Baseball agreed to expand with promise to add 8 teams, including  2 teams to the American League to start play in 1961 and 2 more to start in the National League in 1962. The Continental League dissolved before it started.

Bob Howsam, owner of the Denver Bears minor league baseball team was to be the would be the owner of the Denver Continental Baseball League team. He had his minor league stadium expanded for his team to play in the new major league before several owners of other teams bailed and the league collapsed. He needed to recoup the money he laid out to expand the stadium. Howsam, a baseball man from a baseball family, tried to get an NFL team and, as with others like Lamar Hunt, was turned down. Howsam's Denver team was an early signee to the AFL.

[Giant Jim]

Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs-Lamar Hunt's team in his new AFL was the Dallas Texans. When he announced his new league and team, the NFL immediately put an expansion team in Dallas and tried to get Hunt to become a limited partner to Clint Murchison Jr. This deal was similar to the one Hunt was offered to buy into the Cardinals, therefore unacceptable. He also didn't want to walk away from the others that invested money in their teams for the new league. The Chiefs were one of the better teams in the early days of the AFL and won the AFL Championship in 1962, in a double overtime win that was actually more exciting than the famous Giants/Colts game played 4 years earlier.

But Hunt knew the NFL would do whatever it had to, to keep the Cowboys going and successful, so after looking into several other cities, he moved the team to Kansas City. The Chiefs remained successful throughout the 10 seasons the league existed, losing the first super bowl, then winning the 4th, the year after the Jets big upset.

The Dallas Texans and Cleveland Rams both moved to new cities after winning their league's championship.

[Giant Jim]

Detroit Lions-The Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans joined the NFL in 1928 and moved to Detroit in 1934, where they changed their name to "Lions" to match baseball's Tigers and imply the King of the NFL. The Lions have had a long, steady rivalry with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers from their very first season right through today. They have another long standing rivalry with the Minnesota Vikings from the 1960's.

Well known players include Bobby Layne, Billy Sims and Barry Sanders.

Best known for hosting a game on Thanksgiving, the tradition started as an annual game against the Bears that first season in. In 1982, the Giants and the Lions played one of the most boring Thanksgiving games ever, but the game has become a classic as Lawrence Taylor almost single handily led the Giants to a come from behind victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhIxODINZvY&t=2s&ab_channel=johnsmith