1940 American Football League season
Encyclopedia
The 1940 American Football League season was the first season of the third American Football League. The league was formed when the New York Yankees
, Boston Bears
, and Buffalo Indians
were joined by the Cincinnati Bengals
, Columbus Bullies
, and Milwaukee Chiefs
of the minor
American Professional Football Association
(the mass defection doomed the minor league). After the announcement of the formation of the AFL (July 14, 1940), applications for membership by former APFA members St. Louis Gunners
and Kenosha Cardinals were rejected by the upstart league, which started with six members.
The Columbus Bullies were declared league champions after compiling a 8-1-1 record, just edging the 7-2 of the Milwaukee Chiefs.
Standings includes forfeits (Buffalo forfeited to New York due to the field being unplayable, November 17, 1940; Cincinnati forfeited to Buffalo due to injuries preventing the Bengals from fielding a complete team, November 24, 1940)
team:
New York Yankees (1940 AFL)
The New York Yankees of the third American Football League was the third professional American football team competing under that name. It is unrelated to the Yankees of the first AFL , the Yankees of the second AFL, and the Yankees of the All America Football Conference...
, Boston Bears
Boston Bears (AFL)
The Boston Bears were a professional American football team that competed in the third American Football League in 1940. Owned by Sheldon H. Fairbanks, the team played its home games in the Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts...
, and Buffalo Indians
Buffalo Indians
The Buffalo Indians were a professional American football team that competed in the third American Football League in 1940 and in 1941. The team played its home games in Civic Stadium in Buffalo, New York...
were joined by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals (AFL)
Cincinnati Bengals was the name of a short-lived professional football team that played in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is unrelated to the current Cincinnati Bengals. Originated by Hal Pennington , the team was formed as a member of the second American Football League in the 1937 season...
, Columbus Bullies
Columbus Bullies
The Columbus Bullies were a professional football team founded by Phil H. Bucklew in Columbus, Ohio in 1938. The Bullies started out as a member of the American Professional Football Association in 1939. Later, in 1940, the Bullies joined the Cincinnati Bengals and Milwaukee Chiefs in leaving the...
, and Milwaukee Chiefs
Milwaukee Chiefs (AFL)
The Milwaukee Chiefs were a professional American football team that competed in the third American Football League in 1940 and in 1941. The team played its home games in the Dairy Bowl in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
of the minor
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
American Professional Football Association
American Football League (1938)
The Midwest Football League was a minor professional American football league that existed from 1935 to 1940. Originally comprising teams from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, the league eventually expanded its reach to include teams from Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and California to...
(the mass defection doomed the minor league). After the announcement of the formation of the AFL (July 14, 1940), applications for membership by former APFA members St. Louis Gunners
St. Louis Gunners
The St. Louis Gunners, were an independent professional football team based in St. Louis, Missouri, who played the last three games of the 1934 National Football League season, replacing the Cincinnati Reds on the league schedule after the Reds' league membership was suspended...
and Kenosha Cardinals were rejected by the upstart league, which started with six members.
The Columbus Bullies were declared league champions after compiling a 8-1-1 record, just edging the 7-2 of the Milwaukee Chiefs.
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pct.= Winning Percentage, PF = Points for, PA = Points againstFinal 1940 standings
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Bullies Columbus Bullies The Columbus Bullies were a professional football team founded by Phil H. Bucklew in Columbus, Ohio in 1938. The Bullies started out as a member of the American Professional Football Association in 1939. Later, in 1940, the Bullies joined the Cincinnati Bengals and Milwaukee Chiefs in leaving the... |
8 | 1 | 1 | .889 | 134 | 69 |
| Milwaukee Chiefs Milwaukee Chiefs (AFL) The Milwaukee Chiefs were a professional American football team that competed in the third American Football League in 1940 and in 1941. The team played its home games in the Dairy Bowl in Milwaukee, Wisconsin... |
7 | 2 | 0 | .778 | 180 | 59 |
| Boston Bears Boston Bears (AFL) The Boston Bears were a professional American football team that competed in the third American Football League in 1940. Owned by Sheldon H. Fairbanks, the team played its home games in the Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts... |
5 | 4 | 1 | .556 | 120 | 79 |
| New York Yankees New York Yankees (1940 AFL) The New York Yankees of the third American Football League was the third professional American football team competing under that name. It is unrelated to the Yankees of the first AFL , the Yankees of the second AFL, and the Yankees of the All America Football Conference... |
4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | 138 | 138 |
| Buffalo Indians Buffalo Indians The Buffalo Indians were a professional American football team that competed in the third American Football League in 1940 and in 1941. The team played its home games in Civic Stadium in Buffalo, New York... |
2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | 45 | 138 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 | 53 | 187 |
Standings includes forfeits (Buffalo forfeited to New York due to the field being unplayable, November 17, 1940; Cincinnati forfeited to Buffalo due to injuries preventing the Bengals from fielding a complete team, November 24, 1940)
| Results of AFL games - 1940 season |
|---|
WEEK ONE 15 September, Red Bird Stadium, Columbus, Ohio: Milwaukee Chiefs 14, Columbus Bullies 2 WEEK TWO 22 September, Civic Stadium, Buffalo, New York: Milwaukee Chiefs 23, Buffalo Tigers 0 WEEK THREE 29 September, Civic Stadium, Buffalo: Buffalo Tigers 17, Cincinnati Bengals 7 WEEK FOUR 6 October, Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts: Boston Bears 29, Cincinnati Bengals 7 6 October, Yankee Stadium, New York: Columbus Bullies 23. New York Yankees 13 9 October, Civic Stadium, Buffalo: Columbus Bullies 17, Buffalo Tigers 7 9 October, Yankee Stadium, New York: New York Yankees 40, Cincinnati Bengals 13 WEEK FIVE 13 October, Fenway Park, Boston: Boston Bears 28, New York Yankees 7 13 October, Dairy Bowl, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Milwaukee Chiefs 49, Cincinnati Bengals 0 16 October, Red Bird Stadium, Columbus: Columbus Bullies 7, Milwaukee Chiefs 3 16 October, Civic Stadium, Buffalo: Boston Bears 10, Buffalo Tigers 0 WEEK SIX 20 October, Fenway Park, Boston: Boston Bears 20, Buffalo Tigers 0 20 October, Yankee Stadium, New York: New York Yankees 30, Milwaukee Chiefs 7 WEEK SEVEN 27 October, Fenway Park, Boston: Milwaukee Chiefs 14, Boston Bears 0 27 October, Red Bird Stadium, Columbus: Columbus Bullies 17, Cincinnati Bengals 7 WEEK EIGHT 3 November, Crosley Field, Cincinnati: Columbus Bullies 21, Cincinnati Bengals 2 3 November, Dairy Bowl, Milwaukee: Milwaukee Chiefs 10, Boston Bears 0 3 November, Yankee Stadium, New York: New York Yankees 17, Buffalo Tigers 0 WEEK NINE 10 November, Red Bird Stadium, Columbus: Columbus Bullies 13. Buffalo Tigers 7 10 November, Dairy Bowl, Milwaukee: Milwaukee Chiefs 30, New York Yankees 7 11 November, Crosley Field, Cincinnati: Cincinnati Bengals 17, Boston Bears 13 WEEK TEN 17 November, Civic Stadium, Buffalo: New York Yankees 1, Buffalo Tigers 0 (forfeit – unplayable field) 17 November, Red Bird Stadium, Columbus: Boston Bears 0, Columbus Bullies 0 (tie) 21 November, Red Bird Stadium, Columbus: Columbus 17, New York Yankees 16 21 November, Dairy Bowl, Milwaukee: Milwaukee Chiefs 30, Buffalo Tigers 13 21 November, Yankee Stadium, New York: Boston Bears 20, New York Yankees 7 WEEK ELEVEN 24 November, Crosley Field, Cincinnati: Buffalo Tigers 1, Cincinnati Bengals 0 (forfeit – Bengals unable to field team) Note: Two scheduled games were cancelled: New York-Cincinnati and Milwaukee-Cincinnati (both games scheduled to have been played in Cincinnati) |
1940 All-League Team
The league's coaches selected the all-leagueAll-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
team:
| Position | First Team | Second Team |
|---|---|---|
| End | Sherman Barnes, Milwaukee | Keith Ranspot Keith Ranspot Keith Ranspot is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for five seasons for the Chicago Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Boston Yanks.-References:... , Boston |
| Harlan Gustafson, New York | Joel Mason Joel Mason Joel Gregory Mason was a player in the National Football League.-Career:Mason played with the Chicago Cardinals during the 1939 NFL season. After two seasons away from the NFL, he would play four seasons with the Green Bay Packers... , Boston |
|
| Tackle | Ed Karpowich, Buffalo | Ralph Niehaus, Columbus |
| Bob Eckl Bob Eckl Robert Joseph Eckl was a professional American football player in the National Football League as a tackle for the Chicago Cardinals in 1945. Prior to that he played for the Milwaukee Chiefs of the third American Football League. In 1940 Eckl was elected to the All-AFL, with 1st team honors... , Milwaukee |
Alec Shellogg Alec Shellogg Alec Regis Shellogg was a professional American football player in the National Football League as well as the third American Football League. In 1939, he played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1940 and 1941 he played in the AFL for the Buffalo Indians/Tigers. He... , Buffalo |
|
| Guard | Jim Karcher Jim Karcher James Norman Karcher was an American football offensive lineman for the Boston/Washington Redskins in the National Football League and the Columbus Bullies in the American Football League, making the AFL All-League team for 1940. He played college football at Ohio State University.... , Columbus |
Vic Marino, Boston |
| Alex Drobnitch, Buffalo | Len Akin Len Akin Len Akin was a guard in the National Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1940 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and later played with the team during the 1942 NFL season. Prior to playing with the Bears he had also played with the Milwaukee Chiefs of the American Football... , Milwaukee |
|
| Center | Joe Alexus, Columbus | Joe Ratica, Boston |
| Back | Andy Karpus, Boston, QB | Bob Davis, Columbus |
| Bill Hutchinson Bill Hutchinson (American football) William David Hutchinson was a professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. Hutchinson played in two games for the New York Giants in 1942, completing one pass in four attempts. In those two games, he recorded 27 rushing yards in seven attempts... , New York, HB |
Ray Cole, Milwaukee | |
| Nelson Peterson Nelson Peterson Nelson Lane Peterson was an American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Rams. He attended West Virginia Wesleyan College.-References:... , Columbus, HB |
Lee Elkins, New York | |
| Al Novakofski, Milwaukee, FB | Paul Shu, Cincinnati |