Moments in NFL History: New league, new names, new beginnings
Every year, league executives, owners, general managers and head coaches gather at the annual National Football League Owner’s Meetings to discuss major business, proposed rules changes and key events, such as deciding draft and Super Bowl host cities.
Over 100 years ago, the topics of discussion were slightly different.
It was on this date (June 24) in 1922 when three major changes occurred that affected professional football leagues and teams that played in them.
First, the National Football League (NFL) was born. Well, the National Football League had been in existence, but not by name. From September 1920, when professional football was formalized in Canton, the league was known as the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The name National Football League became official at the 1922 league meeting. The newly minted NFL moved away from the “association” style to more of a “membership” style league – with a new (and inflated) $500 membership fee.
“Back in 1922, one of the first signs the American Professional Football Association’s founders were really thinking about the big picture was when the team owners decided to ditch their old name. They figured “Association” sounded a bit too local and didn’t really scream ‘major league.,’ ” said Joe Horrigan, a football historian and senior advisor at the Hall of Fame. “So, to give the APFA a more national vibe, they changed their name to the National Football League.”
Team names also changed. At this meeting, the Chicago Staleys became the Chicago Bears, and the Racine Cardinals became the Chicago Cardinals.
This marked the first time in professional football that two NFL franchises both called the same city home. While the Chicago Bears still carry that name, the Racine Cardinals are now the Arizona Cardinals and have been the Phoenix and St. Louis Cardinals over the years.
The Bears and Cardinals are the oldest franchises still playing in the NFL.
Earlier in 1922, at a winter meeting, the APFA cracked down on professional teams paying college athletes to play on their teams. Most notably, the Green Bay Packers, coached by CURLY LAMBEAU, were implicated.
Lambeau had signed three players from Notre Dame to play for the Packers. Due to the illegality of these signings, owner John Clair chose to accept blame, and the Packers were kicked out of the league.
Fast forward to the meetings of June 24. The dust had settled on the college football player scandal, and the league wanted the Packers back. Under the name “Green Bay Football Club,” Lambeau made the trip to Cleveland for the meeting, applied for a “new” team with him as the “new” owner and brought the Packers back into the fold.
Every year, the game and the League go through changes – some big, some small. Each adaptation is designed to add an element of safety or excitement to the country’s most popular. And each is documented at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This article from the Hall of Fame Communications Team is part of recurring series celebrating memorable moments in NFL history.
