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New York Giants (Brickley's)
Encyclopedia
New York Giants was a professional football
team with the American Professional Football Association
(now NFL) whose only season played was in 1921
. The team has also been referred to as Brickley's Giants and Brickley's Brooklyn Giants. The Brickley's Giants was the first of 17 professional football teams to represent New York City
at one time or another. The team was originally founded in 1919 by Charles Brickley
, who received All-American honors while at Harvard
. Brickley's Giants played two games in their only season, losing to the Buffalo All-Americans
, 55-0, and the Cleveland Tigers
, 17-0. It was the second shortest lived franchise in NFL history, behind only the Tonawanda Kardex
, who played only one game in the same 1921 season.
professional baseball
team, and coached by Brickley, a Halfback
who was generally considered the finest kicker of his day. Home games were to be played at the Polo Grounds
.
The team was originally formed with the intent of competing in 1919. However after the team's first practice, the 1919 schedule, that began with an opening day game against the Massillon Tigers
, was scratched because of conflict with New York's blue law
s. In 1919 the city allowed professional baseball on Sunday and the Giants thought the law would also apply to football. However, it was ruled that professional football was still outlawed on Sundays, so the team disbanded.
. Aside from Brickley, the team had no college stars. Joining Charles with the Giants was his brother George Brickley
, who played baseball as an outfielder
with the Philadelphia Athletics. The 1921 version of the team played several exhibition games, but only two league games, losing to the Buffalo All-Americans in October, and again to the Cleveland Tigers that December. In between games between NFL clubs, the Giants played a number of non-league games against lesser teams. The franchise played two seasons as an independent and folded after the 1923 season. During their 1921 season
, the Giants played their home games at Commercial Field
and Ebbets Field
, both located in Brooklyn, and the Polo Grounds, located in Manhattan
.
, Joseph Carr
traveled to New York City to offer Billy Gibson a franchise. Gibson was chosen by Carr since he had owned the league's last New York franchise, the Brickley Giants. However, Gibson refused the offer for a new franchise, but he did refer Carr to a friend of his, Tim Mara
. Mara then established the modern-day New York Giants
franchise.
Other than the name, there is no relation between the Brickley Giants and the modern New York Giants franchise.
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 with the American Professional Football Association
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...
(now NFL) whose only season played was in 1921
1921 NFL season
The 1921 APFA season was the 2nd regular season of the National Football League, which was then called the American Professional Football Association....
. The team has also been referred to as Brickley's Giants and Brickley's Brooklyn Giants. The Brickley's Giants was the first of 17 professional football teams to represent New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at one time or another. The team was originally founded in 1919 by Charles Brickley
Charles Brickley
Charles Edward Brickley was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Johns Hopkins University in 1915, at Boston College from 1916 to 1917, and at Fordham University in 1920 with Joseph DuMoe as co-coach, compiling a career college football record of 22–9...
, who received All-American honors while at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Brickley's Giants played two games in their only season, losing to the Buffalo All-Americans
Buffalo (NFL)
Buffalo, New York had a turbulent, early-era National Football League team that operated under three different names and several different owners between the 1910s and 1920s...
, 55-0, and the Cleveland Tigers
Cleveland Indians (NFL)
The Cleveland Indians was a professional football team in the National Football League for the 1931 season. The 1931 team was a league-sponsored club that only played games on the road. The NFL intended to locate this team permanently in Cleveland...
, 17-0. It was the second shortest lived franchise in NFL history, behind only the Tonawanda Kardex
Tonawanda Kardex
The Tonawanda Kardex was an American football team active between 1916 and 1921. It played its games in City of Tonawanda, New York, a suburb of Buffalo with close ties to North Tonawanda, New York where American Kardex was founded...
, who played only one game in the same 1921 season.
1919 team
The team was sponsored by the New York GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team, and coached by Brickley, a Halfback
Halfback (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...
who was generally considered the finest kicker of his day. Home games were to be played at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
.
The team was originally formed with the intent of competing in 1919. However after the team's first practice, the 1919 schedule, that began with an opening day game against the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
, was scratched because of conflict with New York's blue law
Blue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
s. In 1919 the city allowed professional baseball on Sunday and the Giants thought the law would also apply to football. However, it was ruled that professional football was still outlawed on Sundays, so the team disbanded.
1921 team
The team regrouped in 1921, with the financial backing from boxing promoter, Billy GibsonBilly Gibson (boxing)
William J. Gibson was a boxing promoter and manager for Benny Leonard , Gene Tunney , Paulino Uzcudun, and featherweight Louis Kaplan. He was also the owner of the short-lived New York Brickley Giants of the National Football League. Gibson began his career in boxing as a promoter in Bronx...
. Aside from Brickley, the team had no college stars. Joining Charles with the Giants was his brother George Brickley
George Brickley
George Vincent Brickley was an outfielder for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913. He was born in Everett, Massachusetts.- Baseball career :...
, who played baseball as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with the Philadelphia Athletics. The 1921 version of the team played several exhibition games, but only two league games, losing to the Buffalo All-Americans in October, and again to the Cleveland Tigers that December. In between games between NFL clubs, the Giants played a number of non-league games against lesser teams. The franchise played two seasons as an independent and folded after the 1923 season. During their 1921 season
1921 New York Brickley Giants season
The 1921 New York Brickley Giants season was their sole season in the American Profession Football Association . The team finished the season with a 0-2 league record, and tied for eighteenth place in the league. Overall the team posted a 5-3 record, when taking non-league games into account...
, the Giants played their home games at Commercial Field
Commercial Field
Commercial Field is a 2,112-acre athletic field located in the Wingate neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was home to the Commercial High School soccer, football, and baseball teams from around 1906. Other schools, such as Boys High, also called Commercial Field their home from time to time, as did...
and Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
, both located in Brooklyn, and the Polo Grounds, located in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Legacy
In 1925 the NFL was in need of a franchise in a large city market that could be used to showcase the league. NFL PresidentNational 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...
, Joseph Carr
Joseph Carr
Joseph "Joe" F. Carr was the president of the National Football League from 1921 until his death in 1939. Carr was born in Columbus, Ohio. As a mechanic for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Columbus, he directed the Columbus Panhandles football team in 1907 until 1922...
traveled to New York City to offer Billy Gibson a franchise. Gibson was chosen by Carr since he had owned the league's last New York franchise, the Brickley Giants. However, Gibson refused the offer for a new franchise, but he did refer Carr to a friend of his, 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...
. Mara then established the modern-day 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...
franchise.
Other than the name, there is no relation between the Brickley Giants and the modern New York Giants franchise.
Season-by-season
| Year | W | L | T | Finish | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18th | Charles Brickley |