American Association (football)
Encyclopedia
| Sport | American Professional Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
| Founded | 1936 1936 in sports -American football:* Minnesota Golden Gophers are the National college football champions* Green Bay Packers defeated Boston Redskins 21–6 for the NFL championship... |
| First Season | 1936 1936 in sports -American football:* Minnesota Golden Gophers are the National college football champions* Green Bay Packers defeated Boston Redskins 21–6 for the NFL championship... |
| Last Season | 1950 1950 in sports -American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 30–28 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners – college football champions.* Coaches Poll established to rank top 20 American college football teams-Association football:... |
| Claim to Fame | highest level pre-World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... minor football league |
| No. of teams | varied from 6 (1940,1948–1950) to 9 (1937) - - |
| Disbanded | 1950 |
The American Association (AA) was a professional American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
league based in New York City. Founded in 1936 as a minor league
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...
with teams in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, the AA extended its reach to Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
prior to the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After a four-year hiatus, the league was renamed American Football League as it expanded to include teams in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In 1947, the Richmond Rebels of the Dixie League
Dixie League (football)
The Dixie League was a professional American football league founded in 1936 as the South Atlantic Football Association, with six charter member teams in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D. C.. Like the American Association , its popularity rivaled that of the established National Football League...
purchased the assets of the defunct AFL Long Island Islands… and jumped leagues (causing the demise of the DL).
The American Association was the first minor football league with a working arrangement with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as a system of farm clubs, beginning with the purchase of the Stapleton Buffaloes (which played one game as the New York Tigers) by New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
owner Tim Mara
Tim Mara
Timothy James "Tim" Mara was the founder and administrator for the New York Giants of the National Football League. The Giants', under Mara, would win NFL championships in 1934, 1938, and 1956 and divisional titles in 1933, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1958, 1959.-Early life:Mara was born into poverty...
in 1937.
In the late 1930s and 1940s, the league enjoyed popularity comparable to that of the more established NFL, despite being in direct competition. In 1949 and 1950, the league was adversely affected by instability of membership. After starting its last season with six teams, only two league members were surviving at the end of the year.
Origin of league
The American Association was formed after a proposal by Edwin Simandi, manager of the OrangeOrange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
Tornadoes football team. Members of the defunct Eastern League (1932) and Interstate League (1933) became charter members of the new AA as the owner of the Passaic
Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
Red Devils, Joe Rosentover, became the league’s president. The original lineup consisted of four teams from New York (Mt. Vernon
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
Cardinals, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
Bay Parkways, New Rochelle
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
Bulldogs, and White Plains
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
Bears) and four from New Jersey (Orange Tornadoes, Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
Panthers, Passaic Red Devils, and Stapleton Buffaloes, the last of which consisted mostly of the remains of the defunct Staten Island Stapletons
Staten Island Stapletons
The Staten Island Stapletons also known as the Staten Island Stapes were a professional American football team founded in 1915 that played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1930. The team was based in the Stapleton section of Staten Island. Under the shortened nickname the "Stapes"...
). The formation of the league was announced in June 1936.
From 1936 to 1937, there was at least one "groupie" team that never joined the league, but played the bulk of its games against AA franchises: the Harlem Brown Bombers, a barnstorming
Barnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
/traveling team
Traveling team
In professional team sports, a traveling team is a member of a professional league that never or rarely competes in its home arena or stadium. This differs from a barnstorming team in that the latter does not compete within a league or association framework...
that consisted entirely of black players
Black players in American professional football
Details of the history of black players in American professional football depend on the professional football league considered: the National Football League , which evolved from the first professional league, the American Professional Football Association, or the American Football League, , a...
and was coached by Fritz Pollard
Fritz Pollard
Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was the first African American head coach in the National Football League . Pollard along with Bobby Marshall were the first two African American players in the NFL in 1920...
, played seven games against AA teams over two years, compiling a 1-4-1 record.http://web.archive.org/web/20060319231337/www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=t45black
1936
While the league did not have official divisions, several sources show the membership divided into a “New York Division” (NY) and a “New Jersey Division” (NJ). Teams are ranked by win percentage.| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paterson Panthers (NJ) | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 | 59 | 13 |
| Brooklyn Bay Parkways (NY) | 4 | 2 | 2 | .667 | 86 | 32 |
| New Rochelle Bulldogs (NY) | 3 | 2 | 1 | .600 | 30 | 40 |
| Mt. Vernon Cardinals (NY) | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 37 | 42 |
| Orange Tornadoes (NJ) | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 | 54 | 55 |
| Passaic Red Devils (NJ) | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 | 33 | 76 |
| White Plains Bears (NY) | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 27 | 40 |
| Stapleton Buffaloes (NJ) | 1 | 4 | 1 | .200 | 26 | 54 |
Playoffs: Brooklyn 18, New Rochelle 0; Paterson 10, Orange 0 (Mt. Vernon declined to participate in playoffs)
Championship: Brooklyn wins title after Paterson withdraws (Paterson stays in the league)
In the first game of a series between the AA champion and the winners of the Dixie League
Dixie League (football)
The Dixie League was a professional American football league founded in 1936 as the South Atlantic Football Association, with six charter member teams in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D. C.. Like the American Association , its popularity rivaled that of the established National Football League...
, the Washington Pros (Dixie League) defeated the Brooklyn Bay Parkways (American Association) 13-6 in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, January 1, 1937. It was the last time that an American Association team lost to a team in the Dixie League in a football game.
1937
Passaic dropped out (stadium issues) and was replaced by the Brooklyn Bushwicks and the DanburyDanbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
Trojans; the Brooklyn Bay Parkways were renamed the Brooklyn Eagles; the Orange Tornadoes moved to Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
; and the Stapleton Buffaloes officially “moved” to Manhattan to become the New York Tigers, a traveling team
Traveling team
In professional team sports, a traveling team is a member of a professional league that never or rarely competes in its home arena or stadium. This differs from a barnstorming team in that the latter does not compete within a league or association framework...
that lasted only one game. Although Passaic dropped out, owner Rosentover continued serving as AA president, a position he would hold for another 13 years, until the dissolution of the league.
While the league was “unofficially divided” into two divisions in its first year, the realigned American Association was put into two official divisions for 1937: a Northern and a Southern division. For the 1937 season only, standings were based on two points per win and one point per tie.
Point totals do not include 1-0 forfeit scores.
Northern Division
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Plains Bears | 3 | 2 | 1 | .600 | 19 | 49 | 7 |
| Danbury Trojans | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 58 | 0 | 6 |
| New Rochelle Bulldogs | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 62 | 65 | 6 |
| Brooklyn Bushwicks | 1 | 4 | 1 | .200 | 17 | 74 | 3 |
| Mt. Vernon Cardinals | 1 | 6 | 1 | .143 | 14 | 88 | 3 |
Southern Division
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Tornadoes | 6 | 1 | 3 | .857 | 96 | 31 | 15 |
| Paterson Panthers | 4 | 1 | 1 | .800 | 95 | 7 | 9 |
| Brooklyn Eagles | 4 | 3 | 1 | .571 | 35 | 62 | 9 |
| New York Tigers | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
Championship: Newark 3, Paterson 3 (co-champions declared when Paterson refused to play an overtime period)
1938
Gone were Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, and White Plains; the CliftonClifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...
Wessingtons received the rights to White Plains’ 1937 team and joined the AA for 1938; and the Brooklyn Bushwicks moved to Union City, New Jersey
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
, and became the Rams. Tim Mara
Tim Mara
Timothy James "Tim" Mara was the founder and administrator for the New York Giants of the National Football League. The Giants', under Mara, would win NFL championships in 1934, 1938, and 1956 and divisional titles in 1933, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1958, 1959.-Early life:Mara was born into poverty...
, New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
owner, purchased the Stapleton franchise, moved it to Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, and made it the first farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
in professional football – Bill Owen (brother of Steve Owen
Steve Owen
Steven Richard "Steve" Owen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Martin Kemp.-Backstory:Prior to his arrival in Albert Square, Steve owned and managed a number of bars and nightclubs across southern Britain...
) managed the team. A number of former New York Giant players were on the New Jersey team, including Ken Strong
Ken Strong
Elmer Kenneth Strong, Jr. was a college and professional American football player. After a college career as multi-year All-American at New York University, he went on to play professional football. As a halfback with a 14-year career he played from 1929–1937, 1939, 1944-1947...
, who was barred from the NFL club until 1939 after defecting to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (1936 AFL)
The New York Yankees of the second American Football League was the second professional American football team competing under that name. It is unrelated to the Yankees of the first AFL , the Yankees of the third AFL, the Yankees of the American Association and the Yankees of the All America...
of the second American Football League in 1936.
In the lineup of the Brooklyn Eagles was a reserve guard who eventually made his mark as a head coach: Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
. The Clifton Wessingtons featured tailback Joe Liliard, the last African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
NFL player before the imposition of a color line in 1936.
Down to seven teams, the league decided to scrap the divisional alignment for 1938. In addition, there were no plans for championship playoffs: the championship was determined strictly by winning percentage (ignoring tie games).
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey City Giants | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 | 133 | 7 |
| Danbury Trojans | 4 | 1 | 1 | .800 | 67 | 26 |
| Paterson Panthers | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 114 | 60 |
| Brooklyn Eagles | 3 | 5 | 1 | .375 | 81 | 70 |
| Union City Rams | 2 | 5 | 1 | .286 | 52 | 121 |
| Newark Tornadoes | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 | 28 | 119 |
| Clifton Wessingtons | 1 | 5 | 1 | .167 | 27 | 199 |
No playoffs: Jersey City was declared league champions
1939
A year after Tim Mara bought the Jersey City Giants and used it as a farm team for his New York Giants NFL franchise, the AA underwent more change in 1939. Gone was Clifton, but the league returned to a two-division, eight team format as the Wilmington Clippers and the Providence Steamroller (independent teams in 1937 and 1938) joined the AA. Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
owner George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
purchased the Newark Tornadoes and renamed them the Bears (Wilmington protested the Bears’ use of Sid Luckman
Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman, known as Sid Luckman, was an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1939 to 1950...
in a playoff game, which the Bears won, 13-6, to win the Southern Division title).
Northern Division
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paterson Panthers | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 145 | 115 |
| Providence Steamroller | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 | 53 | 89 |
| Danbury Trojans | 0 | 5 | 1 | .000 | 26 | 114 |
| Brooklyn Eagles | 0 | 7 | 1 | .000 | 26 | 140 |
Southern Division
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Bears | 6 | 2 | 1 | .750 | 122 | 71 |
| Wilmington Clippers | 9 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 158 | 66 |
| Jersey City Giants | 7 | 3 | 1 | .700 | 148 | 52 |
| Union City Rams | 2 | 5 | 2 | .286 | 82 | 113 |
Championship: Newark 27, Paterson 7
1940
Brooklyn, Danbury, and Union City dropped out in the offseason; the Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
Indians join the league for the 1940 season… and was promptly raided by members of the new American Football League and lost four starters. The rest of the American Association was similarly hurt by defections to the new league (the Boston Shamrocks
Boston Shamrocks
The Boston Shamrocks can be:* , a Ladies Gaelic Football Team*Boston Shamrocks , an American football team*Boston Shamrocks , a basketball exhibition team...
, champions of the AFL in both 1940 and 1941, got the bulk of its roster by raiding the Indians and the Steamroller).
Back to only six teams, the AA instituted a Shaughnessy playoff system, with the fourth-place team facing the first-place team and the second- and third-place teams meeting in semifinal matches, with the winners facing each other in a championship game.
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey City Giants | 6 | 3 | 1 | .667 | 104 | 46 |
| Paterson Panthers | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 106 | 133 |
| Wilmington Clippers | 5 | 4 | 1 | .556 | 139 | 64 |
| Newark Bears | 5 | 5 | 1 | .500 | 136 | 121 |
| Long Island Indians | 5 | 5 | 1 | .500 | 88 | 123 |
| Providence Steamroller | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | 41 | 127 |
Standings include two forfeits by Providence; the point totals do not. Providence dropped out of the league November 12, 1940, but was expected to return for the 1941 season.
Playoffs: Newark and Long Island tied for the last playoff spot. The two teams played to a 0-0 tie on December 1, 1940. A rematch scheduled for December 5 was cancelled due to snow; the league broke the tie with a best three-of-five coin toss, which Newark won to enter the playoffs.
Semifinal games: Jersey City 7, Newark 6; Wilmington 11, Paterson 8
Championship: Jersey City 17, Wilmington 7
1941
While Tim Mara sold the New Jersey Giants, the team was sold to the owners of the Cleveland RamsCleveland Rams
The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio.The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. The NFL considers the franchise as a second incarnation of the previous Cleveland Rams team that was a charter member of the second American Football League...
, setting off a sequence of arrangements that tied the membership of the AA (except Providence) with the NFL. The raiding of the AA by the AFL continued, with Wilmington and Providence being particularly hard hit. The Steamroller’s losing seven players forced the team to drop out of the league. The AA found a replacement team with a connection with the AFL: the New York Yankees.
The 1941 New York Yankees was not the same team as the 1940 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...
. The latter was team of the AFL that was sold to Douglas Hertz in late 1940, but the AFL revoked the franchise in August 1941 in response to a financial controversy on the part of Hertz. The team was then sold to a group headed by William Cox (who later became the president of the AFL) as preparations for the new season had begun (under the new regime, the name of the team was changed to the New York Americans). Hertz then formed a new barnstorming
Barnstorming
Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus. Barnstorming was the first major form of civil aviation in the history of flight...
team, called it the New York Yankees, and started playing independent teams in the American northeast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
before accepting the invitation to join the American Association. The team left the league after losing all six of their games… and folded after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
ushering in the United States’ participation in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Island Indians | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 176 | 45 |
| Paterson Panthers | 6 | 2 | 2 | .750 | 142 | 72 |
| Wilmington Clippers | 4 | 3 | 2 | .571 | 120 | 77 |
| Jersey City Giants | 4 | 4 | 2 | .500 | 47 | 99 |
| Newark Bears | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 62 | 105 |
| Providence Steamroller | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 7 | 24 |
| New York Yankees | 0 | 6 | 0 | .000 | 13 | 143 |
Playoffs: Wilmington 33, Paterson 0; Long Island 7, Jersey City 6
Championship: Wilmington 21, Long Island 13
1942
The Hartford Blues were expected to replace the New York Yankees for the 1942 season; the Churchill Pros (based in Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
) were enlisted to replace Providence when the team became the new Springfield Steamroller.
American Association president John Rosentover announced in August 1942 that the American Association was following the lead of the third American Football League, that the league was suspending operations due to World War II. While the member teams played on in an informal assemblage, the AA remained officially out of action until 1946.
American Football League (1946-1950)
In the autumn of 1945, after the surrender of Japan in World War II, the American Association returned to business, unlike the third American Football League. John Rosentover remained league president, the five teams that finished the 1941 AA season (Jersey City, Long Island, Newark, Paterson, and Wilmington) returned to the fold, but the two franchises that were supposed to join the league in 1942 (Hartford and Springfield) did not survive the league's layover.Neither did the third American Football League, which had originally announced intentions of resuming play after the war. So the American Association adopted a new name upon resumption of operations: American Football League. The league renewed its working relationship with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, with whom a compact with the Dixie League
Dixie League (football)
The Dixie League was a professional American football league founded in 1936 as the South Atlantic Football Association, with six charter member teams in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D. C.. Like the American Association , its popularity rivaled that of the established National Football League...
and the Pacific Coast Professional Football League
Pacific Coast Professional Football League
The Pacific Coast Professional Football League , also known as the Pacific Coast Football League and Pacific Coast League was a professional American football league based in California, USA, and competed from 1940 through 1948 in sports...
prohibited the participation of players signed to “outlaw leagues” (originally directed toward the third AFL, but, starting 1946, applied to the newly-formed All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
). On March 24, 1946, the formalization of the compact, the Association of Professional Football Leagues
Association of Professional Football Leagues
The Association of Professional Football Leagues was a compact formed in 1946 among the National Football League and three minor leagues of professional American football: the American Association , the Dixie League, and the Pacific Coast Professional Football League...
was announced by PCPFL president (and Association chairman) J. Rufus Klawans.
1946
The resurrected league had three new entries for the first post-war season: the ScrantonScranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
Miners, Newark Bombers (replacing the Bears, which moved to Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
), and the Bethlehem Bulldogs
Bethlehem Bulldogs
The Bethlehem Bulldogs were an American Association football team that played from 1946 to 1950. They played in the league's Western Division through 1947, until the league dissolved the divisions and became a one-division circuit....
Bulldogs. As the games resumed, fan attendance returned to pre-war levels.
Eastern Division
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey City Giants | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 204 | 86 |
| Long Island Indians | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 104 | 124 |
| Newark Bombers | 2 | 7 | 1 | .222 | 99 | 166 |
| Paterson Panthers | 2 | 8 | 0 | .000 | 102 | 195 |
Western Division
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Bears | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 263 | 122 |
| Scranton Miners | 5 | 3 | 2 | .625 | 160 | 143 |
| Bethlehem Bulldogs | 5 | 4 | 1 | .556 | 203 | 172 |
| Wilmington Clippers | 1 | 7 | 2 | .125 | 57 | 184 |
Championship: Jersey City 14, Akron 13
1947
Akron left the AFL in early 1947, leaving Newark as the Chicago Bears’ primary farm team. Newark moved to Bloomfield, New JerseyBloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
, and became the Cardinals. Similarly, the Scranton Minors moved to Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
and became the Barons. The league retained its divisional setup despite having only seven teams.
Eastern Division
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paterson Panthers | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 152 | 111 |
| Bloomfield Cardinals | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 184 | 134 |
| Jersey City Giants | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 139 | 128 |
| Richmond Rebels | 3 | 3 | 1 | .500 | 112 | 105 |
| Long Island Indians | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 19 | 72 |
Western Division
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Bulldogs | 8 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 264 | 73 |
| Wilmington Clippers | 2 | 5 | 1 | .286 | 74 | 147 |
| Wilkes-Barre Barons | 0 | 9 | 0 | .000 | 77 | 251 |
The Long Island Indians dropped out after three games; they were replaced by the Richmond Rebels, which started the season competing in the Dixie League
Dixie League (football)
The Dixie League was a professional American football league founded in 1936 as the South Atlantic Football Association, with six charter member teams in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D. C.. Like the American Association , its popularity rivaled that of the established National Football League...
. The defection reduced the Dixie League to just three members, and another long-standing minor league (founded 1936) folded within a week.
Championship: Bethlehem 23, Paterson 7
1948
Bloomfield folded before the start of play in 1948 and the league scrapped its two-division setup for the upcoming season. The Shaughnessy playoff system was reinstated.Bethlehem was crippled by a pair of events prior to play. First, the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
ended their working arrangement with the Bulldogs and worked with Paterson instead; second, the league instituted a new rule limiting salaries to $2000 a game per team (in 1947, the Bulldogs averaged $5500 a week). After a 0-4 start blamed in part by salary dissention, owner Bob Sell released seven players. The team barely missed the playoffs despite playing the last six games with a 4-1-1 record.
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paterson Panthers | 7 | 1 | 2 | .875 | 224 | 103 |
| Richmond Rebels | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 164 | 142 |
| Wilmington Clippers | 5 | 4 | 1 | .556 | 148 | 137 |
| Jersey City Giants | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 154 | 168 |
| Bethlehem Bulldogs | 4 | 5 | 1 | .444 | 158 | 155 |
| Wilkes-Barre Bullets Wilkes-Barre Bullets The Wilkes-Barre Bullets were a professional football team in the American Association that played from 1948 to 1949.In 1948, they went 1-9, finishing in last place in the six-team league. In 1949, they went 3-7, finishing fifth in the league. They did not play the entire season in 1949 - the... |
1 | 9 | 0 | .100 | 57 | 200 |
Won-lost records include four Wilkes-Barre forfeit losses; point totals do not include them.
Playoffs: Wilmington defeated Richmond; Paterson beat Jersey City
Championship: Paterson 24, Wilmington 14
1949
With the dissolution of the Pacific Coast Professional Football LeaguePacific Coast Professional Football League
The Pacific Coast Professional Football League , also known as the Pacific Coast Football League and Pacific Coast League was a professional American football league based in California, USA, and competed from 1940 through 1948 in sports...
in 1948, the American Football League (formed as the American Association in 1936) became the sole remaining prewar minor league. Charter member Paterson had not missed a week of league play (except refusing to play the 1936 league championship game), and would not until the end of the league. For the first time since the end of World War II, there were no changes in membership prior to league play in 1949.
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Rebels | 8 | 1 | 1 | .889 | 285 | 99 |
| Paterson Panthers | 6 | 3 | 1 | .667 | 192 | 141 |
| Bethlehem Bulldogs | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 154 | 138 |
| Wilmington Clippers | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 93 | 155 |
| Wilkes-Barre Bullets | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 81 | 112 |
| Jersey City Giants | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 | 68 | 228 |
Playoffs: Richmond 66, Wilmington 0; Paterson defeated Bethlehem
Championship: Richmond 35, Paterson 14
After winning three games in their first four games, Wilkes-Barre was hit by a rash of injuries in their games with Richmond and Paterson. Bob Edgerson, Bullets president, informed the league that the injuries would force him to cancel an upcoming game with Wilmington. Two days later, league president Joe Rosentover revoked the franchise. Rosentover then asked the independent Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
Vets if they could finish the Bullets’ schedule, but the team had disbanded for the season. The last four scheduled Wilkes-Barre games were declared forfeits.
Richmond owner Harry Seibold applied for an expansion franchise in the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
, which had lost a member when the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (AAFC)
The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...
and the Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)
The Brooklyn Dodgers was an American Football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1948. The team is unrelated to the Brooklyn Dodgers that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943...
merged for the 1949 season. No action was taken on the application as the AAFC merged with the NFL for the 1950 season. Richmond remained in the AFL.
1950
Although the Erie Vets could not complete Wilkes-Barre’s schedule in 1949, they did join the AFL for the 1950 season; in addition, the Wilmington Clippers left the league and were replaced by the Brooklyn Brooks. The league made an unsuccessful overture to the AAFC's Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills (AAFC)
The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...
, who had been rejected when the AAFC and the NFL merged, to have the Bills join the AFL. The league abandoned the Shaughnessy playoff system and opted to have only the top two finishers play for the championship. It turned out that only two teams were still playing at the end of the season.
Bethlehem called it quits in early October, having lost two games (one by forfeit); later that week, the Brooklyn franchise was revoked for failure to pay the entrance fee. After Joe Rosentover announced the revocation, he announced that none of the games involving the Bulldogs or the Brooks would not count (they are included below). A new league schedule was drawn up, but in early November, charter member Paterson was forced to close up shop because of a financial dispute.
Later that month, longtime league member Jersey City Giants (who entered the league in 1938 after its owners purchased the assets of charter member Stapleton Buffaloes) also called it quits after being crushed by each of the other two remaining teams in the league. Thus after nine weeks, Erie and Richmond were the last teams standing.
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Rebels | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 239 | 145 |
| Erie Vets | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | 154 | 142 |
| Paterson Panthers | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 | 94 | 76 |
| Jersey City Giants | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 | 83 | 137 |
| Brooklyn Brooks | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 21 | 63 |
| Bethlehem Bulldogs | 0 | 2 | 0 | .200 | 7 | 35 |
Includes forfeits by Brooklyn and Bethlehem (point totals exclude them); official league records officially have the games involving Brooklyn and Bethlehem stricken.
Championship: Richmond 35, Erie 7
With only two teams remaining in the league, the American Football League folded after the championship game.
See also
- Pacific Coast Professional Football LeaguePacific Coast Professional Football LeagueThe Pacific Coast Professional Football League , also known as the Pacific Coast Football League and Pacific Coast League was a professional American football league based in California, USA, and competed from 1940 through 1948 in sports...
- American Football League (1934)American Football League (1934)The 1934 edition of the American Football League was a short-lived minor professional football league with teams based in the American South and Southwest. The first of several minor leagues with the same name, the 1934 was also one of the first involving teams not located in the American Midwest...
- American Football League (1936)American Football League (1936)Sometimes called AFL II, the second American Football League was a professional American football league that operated in 1936 and 1937. The AFL operated in direct competition with the more established National Football League throughout its existence...
- American Football League (1938)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...
- American Football League (1940)American Football League (1940)American Football League, also known as the AFL III to distinguish it from earlier organizations of that name, was a major professional American football league that operated from 1940-1941...
- Atlantic Coast Football LeagueAtlantic Coast Football LeagueThe Atlantic Coast Football League was a minor football league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with NFL and AFL teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.For the...