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Baltimore Colts (1947-50)
Encyclopedia
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football
team based in Baltimore, Maryland
. The first team to bear the name Baltimore Colts, they were members of the All-America Football Conference
(AAFC) from 1947–1949, and then joined the National Football League
(NFL) for one season before folding. In 1953, the franchise that had previously been the Boston Yanks (1944-48), New York Bulldogs (1949), New York Yankees (1950-51), and Dallas Texans (1952) revived the Baltimore Colts name; this team is now the Indianapolis Colts
.
The Colts' origin is with the Miami Seahawks
, one of the charter franchises of the AAFC. After playing a single disastrous season the Seahawks were confiscated by the league, and were purchased and reorganized by a group of businessmen as the Baltimore Colts. The new team struggled through the next three seasons, but managed to grow a sizable fan base in Baltimore. In 1949 the Colts were one of three AAFC teams, along with the San Francisco 49ers
and the Cleveland Browns
, to be brought into the NFL following the AAFC-NFL merger. They played only during the 1950 season before financial pressures forced them to fold.
had initially intended to place a team in Baltimore in its opening 1946 season, but its prospective owner, retired boxer George Tunney, was unable to secure a stadium deal. Failing in Baltimore, the league approved a bid by Miami, Florida
football boosters to place its eighth team in that city, and the Miami Seahawks
were born. From the first the Seahawks were beset with problems: a weak team with a difficult schedule, they drew little fan support and accumulated debts of up to $350,000, which owner Harvey Hester could not afford to repay. League commissioner Jim Crowley
expropriated the franchise, and the AAFC covered its overdue travel and payroll costs.
Five businessmen, led by Washington, D.C.
attorney Robert D. Rodenburg, made a bid to purchase the Seahawk's assets and reform the franchise in Baltimore. The AAFC quickly approved the deal, and the team was reorganized as the Baltimore Colts, a name chosen due to the city's long history of horse racing
and breeding. Due to the club's inherited talent drought, the Colts were permitted to recruit a player from each of the AAFC's four strongest teams. Nevertheless, the Colts struggled financially through the 1947 season, leading the owners to drop it. Sensing a crisis the AAFC supplied the Colts and the league's two other weakest teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers
and the Chicago Rockets
, with superior players; the team found new ownership, but its financial crisis was not resolved.
In 1948 both the AAFC and the NFL were struggling, and determined that the continued viability of professional football depended on a merger between the leagues. The leagues began negotiating a deal in which some AAFC teams would be brought into the NFL and the owners of others would be compensated for their interest. The Colts' owners insisted that their club be maintained in the merger, though their franchise was one of the weakest in the league. However, George Preston Marshall
, owner of the Washington Redskins
, initially refused to cooperate, as he felt a Baltimore team infringed on his market. Marshall finally relented in exchange for the Colts paying him $150,000 for the infringement. With this obstacle overcome, the merger was finalized, and the Colts, together with the San Francisco 49ers
and the Cleveland Browns
, were brought into the NFL.
In the 1950 AAFC Dispersal Draft
, the Colts restocked themselves primarily with players from the erstwhile Buffalo Bills
AAFC team. The Bills were arguably a better choice for entry into the NFL; they were in a more isolated market, had stronger attendance and performed better on the field, but league owners (namely George Halas
and Dan Reeves
) blocked the Bills' entry into the NFL. (The Bills were not the same as the modern Buffalo Bills
franchise, which joined the NFL in 1970.) The Colts were nominally part of the "National Conference;" however, unlike the other twelve teams, Baltimore was scheduled as a "swing team" and played every team in the NFL over the course of the 1950 season (whereas the other twelve teams played a double round robin schedule in their conference plus one crossover game with the opposing conference and a game with Baltimore).
Despite the addition of the Bills players, the Colts struggled through the 1950 season, ending with a record of 1-11-0. Facing a financial crisis, Colts owner Abraham Watner sold the team and its player contracts back to the NFL for $50,000, and the team officially folded. Still, however, fan support continued in many quarters; notably, the Baltimore Colts' Marching Band remained intact after the team folded (it has survived to the present day, and is now known as Baltimore's Marching Ravens
) and a Baltimore Colts fan club
continued to operate. Three years later another franchise, also named the Baltimore Colts
, came to Baltimore. This team relocated to Indianapolis
, Indiana
in 1984, and was renamed the Indianapolis Colts
. The supporting groups, including the fan club and marching band remained, however, again working to revive a team in Baltimore. In 1996, the Baltimore Ravens
were formed from the players and staff of the Cleveland Browns
, and these former Baltimore Colts' groups became affiliated with the Ravens. The Baltimore Colts name was briefly revived in 1994 when the Canadian Football League
created a Baltimore-based expansion team of that name; however, following a lawsuit from the NFL the name was changed to the Baltimore Stallions
.
NFL
| colspan="6" align="center" | Baltimore Colts
|-
| 1947
|| 2 || 11 || 1 || 4th AAFC East || --
|-
| 1948
|| 7 || 7 || 0 || 2nd AAFC East || Lost Eastern Division Championship Buffalo
28, Baltimore 17
|-
| 1949
|| 1 || 11 || 0 || 7th AAFC || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Merged into NFL
|-
| 1950
|| 1 || 11 || 0 || 7th National || --
|-
!Totals || 11 || 40 || 1
|colspan="2"|
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...
team based in Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The first team to bear the name Baltimore Colts, they were members of 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...
(AAFC) from 1947–1949, and then joined 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...
(NFL) for one season before folding. In 1953, the franchise that had previously been the Boston Yanks (1944-48), New York Bulldogs (1949), New York Yankees (1950-51), and Dallas Texans (1952) revived the Baltimore Colts name; this team is now the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
The Colts' origin is with the Miami Seahawks
Miami Seahawks
The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference for one season, 1946, before folding...
, one of the charter franchises of the AAFC. After playing a single disastrous season the Seahawks were confiscated by the league, and were purchased and reorganized by a group of businessmen as the Baltimore Colts. The new team struggled through the next three seasons, but managed to grow a sizable fan base in Baltimore. In 1949 the Colts were one of three AAFC teams, along with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, to be brought into the NFL following the AAFC-NFL merger. They played only during the 1950 season before financial pressures forced them to fold.
History
The All-America Football ConferenceAll-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...
had initially intended to place a team in Baltimore in its opening 1946 season, but its prospective owner, retired boxer George Tunney, was unable to secure a stadium deal. Failing in Baltimore, the league approved a bid by Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
football boosters to place its eighth team in that city, and the Miami Seahawks
Miami Seahawks
The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference for one season, 1946, before folding...
were born. From the first the Seahawks were beset with problems: a weak team with a difficult schedule, they drew little fan support and accumulated debts of up to $350,000, which owner Harvey Hester could not afford to repay. League commissioner Jim Crowley
Jim Crowley
James Harold "Jim" Crowley was an American football player and coach. He gained fame as one-fourth of the University of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield where he played halfback from 1922 to 1924. After a brief career as a professional football player, Crowley turned to coaching...
expropriated the franchise, and the AAFC covered its overdue travel and payroll costs.
Five businessmen, led by Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
attorney Robert D. Rodenburg, made a bid to purchase the Seahawk's assets and reform the franchise in Baltimore. The AAFC quickly approved the deal, and the team was reorganized as the Baltimore Colts, a name chosen due to the city's long history of horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and breeding. Due to the club's inherited talent drought, the Colts were permitted to recruit a player from each of the AAFC's four strongest teams. Nevertheless, the Colts struggled financially through the 1947 season, leading the owners to drop it. Sensing a crisis the AAFC supplied the Colts and the league's two other weakest teams, 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...
and the Chicago Rockets
Chicago Rockets
The Chicago Rockets was an American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During the 1949 season, the team was known as the Chicago Hornets...
, with superior players; the team found new ownership, but its financial crisis was not resolved.
In 1948 both the AAFC and the NFL were struggling, and determined that the continued viability of professional football depended on a merger between the leagues. The leagues began negotiating a deal in which some AAFC teams would be brought into the NFL and the owners of others would be compensated for their interest. The Colts' owners insisted that their club be maintained in the merger, though their franchise was one of the weakest in the league. However, George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall was the owner and president of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League from 1932 until his death in 1969.-Contributions:...
, owner of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, initially refused to cooperate, as he felt a Baltimore team infringed on his market. Marshall finally relented in exchange for the Colts paying him $150,000 for the infringement. With this obstacle overcome, the merger was finalized, and the Colts, together with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, were brought into the NFL.
In the 1950 AAFC Dispersal Draft
1950 AAFC Dispersal Draft
The National Football League held a dispersal draft on June 2, 1950 for players from the All-America Football Conference teams of the Brooklyn-New York Yankees, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Hornets, and Los Angeles Dons...
, the Colts restocked themselves primarily with players from the erstwhile Buffalo Bills
Buffalo 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...
AAFC team. The Bills were arguably a better choice for entry into the NFL; they were in a more isolated market, had stronger attendance and performed better on the field, but league owners (namely 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...
and Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves (NFL owner)
Daniel "Dan" Reeves was the owner of the Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams from 1941 to his death in 1971.In addition to the controversial move of the Rams from Cleveland to Los Angeles, Reeves is remembered for being the first NFL owner to sign an African-American player in the post World War II era...
) blocked the Bills' entry into the NFL. (The Bills were not the same as the modern Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
franchise, which joined the NFL in 1970.) The Colts were nominally part of the "National Conference;" however, unlike the other twelve teams, Baltimore was scheduled as a "swing team" and played every team in the NFL over the course of the 1950 season (whereas the other twelve teams played a double round robin schedule in their conference plus one crossover game with the opposing conference and a game with Baltimore).
Despite the addition of the Bills players, the Colts struggled through the 1950 season, ending with a record of 1-11-0. Facing a financial crisis, Colts owner Abraham Watner sold the team and its player contracts back to the NFL for $50,000, and the team officially folded. Still, however, fan support continued in many quarters; notably, the Baltimore Colts' Marching Band remained intact after the team folded (it has survived to the present day, and is now known as Baltimore's Marching Ravens
Baltimore's Marching Ravens
Baltimore's Marching Ravens are the official marching band of the Baltimore Ravens football team. They were founded as the Baltimore Colts' Marching Band on September 7, 1947 and have continuously operated ever since even though the original Colts disbanded in 1950, leaving Baltimore without a...
) and a Baltimore Colts fan club
Fan club
A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
continued to operate. Three years later another franchise, also named the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, came to Baltimore. This team relocated to Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
in 1984, and was renamed the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. The supporting groups, including the fan club and marching band remained, however, again working to revive a team in Baltimore. In 1996, the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
were formed from the players and staff of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and these former Baltimore Colts' groups became affiliated with the Ravens. The Baltimore Colts name was briefly revived in 1994 when the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
created a Baltimore-based expansion team of that name; however, following a lawsuit from the NFL the name was changed to the Baltimore Stallions
Baltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
.
First round draft picks
AAFC- 1947 Elmer MadarElmer MadarElmer F. Madar was an All American football player at the University of Michigan in 1942 and 1946. Born in Sykesville, Pennsylvania, Madar played football at Northeastern High School in Detroit...
End Michigan - 1948 Bobby LayneBobby LayneRobert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
QB Texas - 1949 George Sims Back Baylor
NFL
- 19501950 NFL DraftThe 1950 National Football League Draft was held on January 20–21, 1950.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
Adrian BurkAdrian BurkAdrian Matthew Burk was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Baylor University and was drafted in the first round of the 1950 NFL Draft...
QB Baylor
Season-by-season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Baltimore Colts
|-
| 1947
1947 Baltimore Colts season
The 1947 Baltimore Colts season was their inaugural season in the AAFC. In their first season as a franchise, they finished last in their division, winning only two games.-Season schedule:-Division standings:-References:...
|| 2 || 11 || 1 || 4th AAFC East || --
|-
1948 Baltimore Colts season
The 1948 Baltimore Colts season was their second in the AAFC. The team improved on their previous season's output of 2-11-1, winning seven games. They qualified for the playoffs for the first and only time in franchise history.-Season schedule:...
|| 7 || 7 || 0 || 2nd AAFC East || Lost Eastern Division Championship Buffalo
Buffalo 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...
28, Baltimore 17
|-
| 1949
1949 Baltimore Colts season
The 1949 Baltimore Colts season was their third as a franchise and last season in the AAFC before moving to the NFL. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 7-7, winning only one game.-Season schedule:-League standings:...
|| 1 || 11 || 0 || 7th AAFC || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Merged into NFL
|-
| 1950
1950 Baltimore Colts season
The 1950 Baltimore Colts season was their fourth as a franchise and lone season in the NFL. The team matched their previous season's output of 1-11. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:...
|| 1 || 11 || 0 || 7th National || --
|-
!Totals || 11 || 40 || 1
|colspan="2"|