Bethlehem Bears
Encyclopedia
The Bethlehem Bears were an early professional football
team from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
. The team was formed by Michael "Gyp" Downey who served as player-coach
and the team's manager. The Bears competed in the Eastern League of Professional Football
in 1926.
, who won the 1924 Anthracite League
championship with the Pottsville Maroons
. He also won the 1925 NFL Championship with the Maroons before it was stripped from the team due to a disputed rules violation
.
, was widely expected to contend for the new league's championship. Beck suffered an injury in the second half of the game and Bethlehem was defeated in a 16-0 shut-out. However the Bears later rebounded in a 10-0 victory against the Clifton Heights Black & Orange
. A few weeks later the Bears defeated the Gilberton Catamounts, featuring future Hall of Famer
, Fritz Pollard
, 9-0. This win set up a championship scenario for a game between the Bears and the All-Lancaster Red Roses
.
The Bears ended the season with 6-2-2 record against league opponents and a post-season victory over All-Lancaster. Bethlehem felt that these actions were enough to legitimize their claim to an Eastern League championship. However there was some question regarding Bethlehem's claim to the championship. These questions may have been related to the introduction of several "ringers" into the Bears line-up for the team's final four games against Eastern League opponents. Local newspapers soon reported that the league awarded the title to the 5-2-3 All-Lancaster Red Roses. Presumably on the basis of that team's October victory over the second-place Gilberton Catamounts. After the season, Bethlehem offered the Pottsville Maroons
of the National Football League $4,000 to play them at home. The Bears then lost to Pottsville in a lopsided defeat.
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 from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
. The team was formed by Michael "Gyp" Downey who served as player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
and the team's manager. The Bears competed in the Eastern League of Professional Football
Eastern League of Professional Football
The Eastern League of Professional Football was a football league formed in 1926 by independent clubs from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Eastern League was a regional minor league that never intended to challenge either the National Football League or even Red Grange's new American Football...
in 1926.
Carl Beck
The best known member of the team's line-up was Carl BeckCarl Beck
Carl Linnwood Beck was a professional football player from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After attending high school, Beck attended the West Virginia University, Bucknell University and Lafayette College. He made his professional debut in the National Football League in 1921 with the Buffalo...
, who won the 1924 Anthracite League
Anthracite League
The Anthracite League, also referred to as the Anthracite Association, was a 1924 football league comprising teams based in eastern Pennsylvania. These teams were based in coal mining towns, hence the league name's reference to anthracite coal. The league lasted for just one season, before folding...
championship with the Pottsville Maroons
Pottsville Maroons
The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1920, they went on to play in the National Football League for four seasons, from 1925–1928...
. He also won the 1925 NFL Championship with the Maroons before it was stripped from the team due to a disputed rules violation
1925 NFL Championship controversy
The 1925 National Football League Championship, officially held by the Chicago Cardinals, has been the subject of controversy since it was awarded. The controversy centers around the suspension of the Pottsville Maroons by NFL commissioner Joseph Carr, which prevented them from taking the title.The...
.
1926 season
The Bears began their 1926 league season against the Coaldale Big GreenCoaldale Big Green
The Coaldale Big Green was an early professional football team based in Coaldale, Pennsylvania. The club played as an independent until joining the Anthracite League in 1924. After leaving the league in 1924, the team spent its 1925 season as an independent, then joined the short-lived Eastern...
, was widely expected to contend for the new league's championship. Beck suffered an injury in the second half of the game and Bethlehem was defeated in a 16-0 shut-out. However the Bears later rebounded in a 10-0 victory against the Clifton Heights Black & Orange
Clifton Heights Black & Orange
The Clifton Heights Orange and Black was a professional football team from Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, a town located just to the southwest of Philadelphia, from 1921 until around 1932. The team was operated by the Clifton Heights Athletic Association to compete against the other towns of...
. A few weeks later the Bears defeated the Gilberton Catamounts, featuring future Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
, 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...
, 9-0. This win set up a championship scenario for a game between the Bears and the All-Lancaster Red Roses
All-Lancaster Red Roses
The All-Lancaster Red Roses were an Eastern League of Professional Football team that played during the league's only year of existence, 1926. They finished third in the 10-team league with a 5-2-3 record...
.
1926 Championship controversy
The Bears and the Red Roses were the top two teams in the league. On November 28, 1926 both teams meet for a game that would most likely determine the league champion. The Bears won the 3-0 due to a last minute field goal by Downey.The Bears ended the season with 6-2-2 record against league opponents and a post-season victory over All-Lancaster. Bethlehem felt that these actions were enough to legitimize their claim to an Eastern League championship. However there was some question regarding Bethlehem's claim to the championship. These questions may have been related to the introduction of several "ringers" into the Bears line-up for the team's final four games against Eastern League opponents. Local newspapers soon reported that the league awarded the title to the 5-2-3 All-Lancaster Red Roses. Presumably on the basis of that team's October victory over the second-place Gilberton Catamounts. After the season, Bethlehem offered the Pottsville Maroons
Pottsville Maroons
The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1920, they went on to play in the National Football League for four seasons, from 1925–1928...
of the National Football League $4,000 to play them at home. The Bears then lost to Pottsville in a lopsided defeat.
1926 All-Eastern League Selections
The Bears players elected to be 1926 "All-Eastern League" selections, as announced by league president Herman Meyer.- Carl BeckCarl BeckCarl Linnwood Beck was a professional football player from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After attending high school, Beck attended the West Virginia University, Bucknell University and Lafayette College. He made his professional debut in the National Football League in 1921 with the Buffalo...
1st Team Right HalfbackHalfback (American football)A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive... - Mike GaffneyMike GaffneyMichael Victor "Mike" Gaffney is an Australian politician. He has been an Independent member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council since 2009, representing the seat of Mersey....
2nd Team Left End - Charlie Eastman 2nd Team Left GuardGuard (American football)In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....