Columbus Bullies
Encyclopedia
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
(APFA) in 1939. Later, in 1940, the Bullies joined the Cincinnati Bengals
and Milwaukee Chiefs
in leaving the APFA and becoming charter members of a new American Football League
. Playing in Red Bird Stadium, the Bullies
won both AFL Championships prior to ceasing operations when the AFL disbanded due to World War II
. The Bullies defeated the Milwaukee Chiefs in 1940, and the New York Americans in 1941 in the only two AFL Championships.
The Bullies are one of only two major league American football teams to have ever lost to a current Canadian Football League
team; the Bullies lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
(then an amateur team in the WIFU) in a 1941 game; the Bullies responded, however, by defeating Winnipeg twice in the next two games of the three game series.http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/01-02-002.pdf (The other American team to lose to a Canadian team is the modern Buffalo Bills
, who lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
in 1961.)
Phil H. Bucklew
Phil H. Bucklew was a former professional football player who went on to become a Navy officer. He served in one of the Navy's first special warfare units during World War II...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
in 1938. The Bullies started out as a member of the 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...
(APFA) in 1939. Later, in 1940, the Bullies joined 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...
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...
in leaving the APFA and becoming charter members of a new American Football League
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...
. Playing in Red Bird Stadium, the Bullies
won both AFL Championships prior to ceasing operations when the AFL disbanded due to 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...
. The Bullies defeated the Milwaukee Chiefs in 1940, and the New York Americans in 1941 in the only two AFL Championships.
The Bullies are one of only two major league American football teams to have ever lost to a current 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....
team; the Bullies lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
(then an amateur team in the WIFU) in a 1941 game; the Bullies responded, however, by defeating Winnipeg twice in the next two games of the three game series.http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/01-02-002.pdf (The other American team to lose to a Canadian team is 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...
, who lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in 1961.)
APFA
| Year | W | L | T | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 8 | 1 | 1 | .889 |
AFL
| Year | W | L | T | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 8 | 1 | 1 | .889 |
| 1941 | 5 | 1 | 2 | .833 |