Note: There were three other and unrelated major Professional Football leagues of the same name in the United States: one in
1926| class="infobox" width="280" cellspacing="0" style="font-size: 90%;"|-! colspan="2" style="font-size: medium;" | {| class="infobox" width="280" cellspacing="0" style="font-size: 90%;"|-! colspan="2" style="font-size: medium;" |...
, one in
1940-1941The 1940-1941 edition of the American Football League, also known known as the AFL III, was a major Professional Football league created when the Cincinnati Bengals, Columbus Bullies, and Milwaukee Chiefs were lured away from the American Professional Football Association The 1940-1941 edition of...
, and the most successful edition, from
1960 through 1969The American Football League was a major Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when it merged with the established National Football League . The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. Several minor leagues with the same name have existed, including one based in the American South and Southwest (
1934The 1934 edition of the American Football League was a short-lived minor professional football league with teams based in the American South and Southwest. The first of several minor leagues with the same name, the 1934 was also one of the first involving teams not located in the American Midwest...
), one in the American Midwest (
1938-1939The 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...
), and one on the Pacific Coast (
1944The Northwest War Industries League, later renamed the American Football League, was a professional football league based on the West Coast of the United States that played for two nonconsecutive seasons during World War II....
). The
American AssociationThe American Association was a professional American football league based in New York City. Founded in 1936 as a minor league with teams in New York and New Jersey, the AA extended its reach to Providence, Rhode Island prior to the onset of World War II...
changed its name to the American Football League in 1946.
| American Football League (1936) |
| Sport |
American Professional FootballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
|
| Founded |
1935 1935 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* Detroit Lions defeat 26-7 New York Giants for the NFL championship* SMU Mustangs national college football champions...
|
| First Season |
1936 1936 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* Minnesota Golden Gophers are the National college football champions* Green Bay Packers defeated Boston Redskins 21–6 for the NFL championship...
|
| Last Season |
1937 1937 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* First Cotton Bowl is played in Dallas, Texas.* Washington Redskins win the NFL title in their first year at Washington after moving from Boston...
|
| Claim to Fame |
2nd competitor of National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest 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 its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
|
| No. of teams |
6 |
| Last champions |
Los Angeles Bulldogs The Los Angeles Bulldogs were a professional American football team that competed from 1936 to 1948...
|
| Disbanded |
1937 |
Sometimes called
AFL II, the second
American Football League (AFL) was a professional
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
league that operated in 1936 and 1937. The AFL operated in direct competition with the more established
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest 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 its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
(NFL) throughout its existence. While the American media generally ignored its operation (often relegating game coverage to "page filler" status), the second AFL was the first "home" of the Cleveland Rams, which joined the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest 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 its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
after one year in the AFL.
In 1937, the
Los Angeles BulldogsThe Los Angeles Bulldogs were a professional American football team that competed from 1936 to 1948...
, the first professional football team to play its home games on the West Coast, also became the first professional football team to win a league championship with a perfect record (no losses, no ties) - 11 years before the
Cleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are an American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They play in the AFC North division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . The original Cleveland Browns began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
(
AAFCThe 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, produced one of pro football’s greatest...
) and 35 years before the
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a professional football team based in the Miami, Florida metropolitan area. They play home games at Land Shark Stadium, in the suburb of Miami Gardens. They are headquartered at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility in Davie, Florida. The Dolphins belong to the Eastern...
(NFL) accomplished the same feat.
Origin of League
The brainchild of former
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
personnel director
Harry MarchDr. Harry A. March, the man credited with convincing Tim Mara to purchase a National Football League franchise for New York City, was 64 years old when he died in Canton, Ohio, June 10, 1940. March was born in New Franklin, Ohio, attended Mount Union College and George Washington Medical School...
, plans for the formation of the second American Football League were announced on November 15, 1935. Fifteen cities bid for charter franchises for the new league, and on April 11, 1936, eight (Boston,
ClevelandCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border...
,
Jersey CityJersey City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population of Jersey City was 240,055, making it New Jersey's second-largest city, behind Newark. As of the Census Bureau's 2007 estimate, the population had grown to 242,389...
,
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
,
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-most-populous city in the United States.In 2008, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the metropolitan area's population of 5.8 million made it the country's fifth-largest...
,
PittsburghPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
,
ProvidenceProvidence is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the estimated second or third largest city in the New England region...
, and
SyracuseSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2000 census, the city population was 147,306, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the economic and educational hub of Central New...
) were awarded.
Within a few months, Jersey City, Providence, and Philadelphia pulled out and
RochesterRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. The Rochester metropolitan area is the second largest economy in New York State, behind the New York City metropolitan area. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and...
was granted a franchise. Two weeks later, the newest franchise was transferred to
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
even though there was no stadium available at the time.
The league was envisioned to be a
players leagueThe Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League , was a short-lived but star-studded professional American baseball league of the 19th century...
, with veteran players involved in the management of the participating teams. March served as the AFL's president until his resignation in October. He was succeeded by
James BushJames Arthur Bush was an English sportsman who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and represented England at rugby union.-Family:...
, president of the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees of the second American Football League was the second professional American football team competing under that name. It is unrelated to the Yankees of the first AFL , the Yankees of the third AFL, the Yankees of the American Association and the Yankees of the All America...
AFL franchise.
Most of the new AFL franchises were built on the raiding of nearby NFL franchises in the league's first season. While first-season AFL champion Boston did not plunder the roster of the struggling Redskins team, the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Americans had no such qualms with their crosstown rivals, the Giants and the Pirates. Similarly the Cleveland Rams signed their head coach,
Damon WetzelDamon Wetzel was a fullback for the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was also the first head coach of the Cleveland Rams when they played in the American Football League....
, from the backfield of the
Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the NFC North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Teams
Boston Shamrocks. The offensive powerhouse of the AFL in the 1936 season, the George Kennedy-led Shamrocks were in a three-way battle with Cleveland and New York for the league championship when Boston beat the other two on consecutive weeks at the end of the season. The following year, the Shamrocks were beset with player defections and struggled to a 2-7 record. Playing its home games at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
and
Braves FieldBraves Field was a baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium was home to the Boston Braves National League franchise from 1915–1952, when the team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
, the team folded along with the league at the end of the 1937 season.
Brooklyn Tigers. Awarded a franchise in 1936 although no home field was available in Brooklyn, the Tigers had a short, troubled existence. In mid-November, the team moved to Rochester (changing its name to the
Rochester Tigers) and played in
Red Wing StadiumSilver Stadium was a baseball stadium located at 500 Norton Street in Rochester, New York. It was the home stadium for the Rochester Red Wings of the International League from 1929 to 1996, and for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League for their final season in 1948...
despite the failure of another AFL based in that city mere weeks before. The team limped to the end of the 1937 season before fading into oblivion. The Tigers were coached by
Mike PalmRichard Paul Palm is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball pitcher who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox in the season 1948. He batted and threw right-handed....
, who owned the team along with
Harry NewmanHarry Lawrence Newman was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines , the New York Giants , and the Brooklyn/Rochester Tigers ....
.
Cleveland Rams. Owned by Homer Marshman and playing its home games in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Rams competed in the AFL for only one season (finishing second with a 5-2-2 record) with the league's stingiest defense and one of the league's two most potent offenses (along with Boston). When the NFL announced that it was willing to expand, Marshman applied for a franchise in the more-established league (along with representatives from
HoustonHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2008 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of...
and
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
). As a result, the Rams left the AFL for 1937 season, to be replaced by the people from Los Angeles whose NFL application was turned down. The 1936 Rams had
Sid GillmanSidney "Sid" Gillman was an American football coach and innovator. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or wide receivers at the sides of the line of scrimmage, made football into the modern game that it...
as a rookie end in his only season as an active professional player.
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees of the second American Football League was the second professional American football team competing under that name. It is unrelated to the Yankees of the first AFL , the Yankees of the third AFL, the Yankees of the American Association and the Yankees of the All America...
. The second New York Yankees football team for an
American Football League| class="infobox" width="280" cellspacing="0" style="font-size: 90%;"|-! colspan="2" style="font-size: medium;" | {| class="infobox" width="280" cellspacing="0" style="font-size: 90%;"|-! colspan="2" style="font-size: medium;" |...
was coached by
Jack McBrideJohn F. McBride was an American football player who played the positions of halfback, fullback, and quarterback in the National Football League . He was born in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. McBride played collegiately at Syracuse University where he finished second in the nation in scoring in his...
and featured the talents of star back
Ken StrongElmer Kenneth Strong, Jr. was a college and professional American football player. After a college career as multi-year All-American at New York University, he went on to play professional football. As a halfback with a 14-year career he played from 1929-1937, 1939, 1944-1947...
. Team president James Bush doubled as league president in the latter half of the 1936 season. Like the defending league champion Boston Shamrocks, the 1937 Yankees team was plagued by player defections to the NFL. Unlike the other New York Yankees football teams, the Yankees of AFL II had
two home stadia: Yankee Stadium and Triborough Stadium on
Randall's IslandRandall's Island is situated in the East River in New York City, part of the borough of Manhattan . It is separated from Manhattan island on the west by the river's main channel, from Queens on the east by the Hell Gate, and from the Bronx on the north by the Bronx Kill. It is joined to Ward's...
.
Pittsburgh AmericansThe Pittsburgh Americans were a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1936 until 1937. The team was a member of the major-league American Football League. When plans for the league were announced on November 15, 1935, fifteen cities bid for charter franchises...
. While the Americans were holding their own on the football field in 1936, they lagged the rest of the league in attendance (2500 average attendance for home games in
Forbes FieldForbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
); although the Americans survived the first season as a middle-of-the-pack AFL team, the team was folded after the third game in 1937. The Americans were not without stars: they signed former Pirates Ben Smith and Loran Ribble.
Syracuse BravesThe Syracuse Braves were a professional American football team that competed in the second American Football League in 1936 and 1937. Coached by Don Irwin and Red Badgro, the Braves played in Municipal Stadium, which had a capacity of only about 10,000 people...
. The existence of the Braves was doomed from lack of fan support while losing every game at
Municipal StadiumMacArthur Stadium was a stadium in Syracuse, New York. It was primarily used for baseball and was the home of Syracuse Chiefs before they moved to Alliance Bank Stadium in 1997. The ballpark had a capacity of 8,416 people when it opened in 1934. Its capacity was increased to 10,006 before it was...
(
Don IrwinDonald Emerson Irwin was an American football running back in the National Football League for the Boston/Washington Redskins. He played college football at Colgate University and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1936 NFL Draft....
and end
Red BadgroMorris Hiram "Red" Badgro was a professional American football end in the National Football League for the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and the Brooklyn Dodgers...
were the head coaches). The team moved to Rochester at midseason and called itself the
Rochester Braves for a few weeks before calling it quits. At the lone home game in
Red Wing StadiumSilver Stadium was a baseball stadium located at 500 Norton Street in Rochester, New York. It was the home stadium for the Rochester Red Wings of the International League from 1929 to 1996, and for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League for their final season in 1948...
(November 1, 1936) the second half was delayed 40 minutes by Braves players demanding back pay. The game was finished; the franchise folded immediately afterward. Soon afterwards, another AFL team (Brooklyn) followed the Braves to Rochester in an effort to survive the 1936 season.
Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati 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...
. Not related to the
current NFL franchiseThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Their first two seasons, 1968 and 1969, were as an American Football League franchise...
, the Bengals joined the AFL for the 1937 season. Playing at
Crosley FieldCrosley Field was a Major League baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970 and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
, the team was a steady draw despite the team having a losing record. When the league folded at the end of the year, the Bengals continued as an independent team for 1938, joined the short-lived minor American Professional Football Association for 1939, and became a charter member of
the third AFLThe 1940-1941 edition of the American Football League, also known known as the AFL III, was a major Professional Football league created when the Cincinnati Bengals, Columbus Bullies, and Milwaukee Chiefs were lured away from the American Professional Football Association The 1940-1941 edition of...
in 1940. Hal Pennington was the team's originator; he was also the first head coach and general manager of the Bengals.
Los Angeles BulldogsThe Los Angeles Bulldogs were a professional American football team that competed from 1936 to 1948...
. While an independent team, the Bulldogs defeated the
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1936. After being turned down for the NFL for the 1937 season, the Bulldogs joined the AFL and became the first professional football team to play its home games on the West Coast. Averaging 14,000 in attendance for its home games in
Gilmore StadiumGilmore Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Los Angeles, California. It was opened in May 1934 and demolished in 1952, when the land was used to build CBS Television City. The stadium held 18,000. It was located next to Gilmore Field...
, the Bulldogs were drawing twice as many fans per game as the rest of the league. Los Angeles did not lose or tie a game in its one season with the AFL, the first
Professional FootballProfessional Football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country. Currently , there are three major Professional Football leagues in North America: the NFL and the UFL in...
team to win its league title with a perfect record. When the league folded at the end of the season, the
Gus HendersonElmer Clinton "Gus" Henderson , nicknamed "Gloomy Gus," was an American football coach best known for his collegiate career at the University of Southern California and the University of Tulsa...
-led Bulldogs continued on as an independent team before joining the minor league
American Professional Football AssociationThe 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...
in 1939 and becoming a charter member of the
Pacific Coast Professional Football LeagueThe Pacific Coast Professional Football League , also known as the Pacific Coast Football League and Pacific Coast League was a professional American football league based in California, USA, and competed from 1940 through 1948 in sports...
the following year.
Final 1936 standings
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|
| Boston Shamrocks |
8 |
3 |
0 |
.727 |
133 |
97 |
| Cleveland Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team has won three NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl.The Rams began...
|
5 |
2 |
2 |
.714 |
123 |
77 |
| New York Yankees The New York Yankees of the second American Football League was the second professional American football team competing under that name. It is unrelated to the Yankees of the first AFL , the Yankees of the third AFL, the Yankees of the American Association and the Yankees of the All America...
|
5 |
3 |
2 |
.625 |
75 |
74 |
| Pittsburgh Americans The Pittsburgh Americans were a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1936 until 1937. The team was a member of the major-league American Football League. When plans for the league were announced on November 15, 1935, fifteen cities bid for charter franchises...
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
.600 |
78 |
65 |
| Syracuse/Rochester Braves The Syracuse Braves were a professional American football team that competed in the second American Football League in 1936 and 1937. Coached by Don Irwin and Red Badgro, the Braves played in Municipal Stadium, which had a capacity of only about 10,000 people...
|
1 |
6 |
0 |
.147 |
51 |
113 |
| Brooklyn/Rochester Tigers |
0 |
6 |
1 |
.000 |
58 |
82 |
Final 1937 standings
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA |
|---|
| Los Angeles Bulldogs The Los Angeles Bulldogs were a professional American football team that competed from 1936 to 1948...
|
8 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
219 |
69 |
| Rochester Tigers The Rochester Tigers were a professional American football team that competed in the second American Football League in 1936 and 1937. Owned by Mike Palm and Harry Newman, the Tigers were originally awarded to Rochester as a charter member of the AFL, but were shifted to Brooklyn two weeks...
|
3 |
3 |
1 |
.500 |
94 |
115 |
| New York Yankees The New York Yankees of the second American Football League was the second professional American football team competing under that name. It is unrelated to the Yankees of the first AFL , the Yankees of the third AFL, the Yankees of the American Association and the Yankees of the All America...
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
.400 |
57 |
115 |
| Cincinnati Bengals 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...
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
.400 |
102 |
89 |
| Boston Shamrocks |
2 |
5 |
0 |
.286 |
76 |
98 |
| Pittsburgh Americans The Pittsburgh Americans were a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1936 until 1937. The team was a member of the major-league American Football League. When plans for the league were announced on November 15, 1935, fifteen cities bid for charter franchises...
|
0 |
3 |
0 |
.000 |
7 |
69 |
1937
Bill MooreWilliam Leonard Moore is an author and former UFO researcher. Prominent from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, he co-authored two books with Charles Berlitz, including The Roswell Incident - the first book written about the alleged Roswell UFO crash/retrieval...
, Los Angeles (end)
Bill Steinkinber, Cincinnati (tackle)
Pete Mehringer, Los Angeles (guard)
Lee Mulleneaux, Cincinnati (center)
Alex Drobnitch, New York (guard)
Harry Fields, Los Angeles (tackle)
Red FlemingRed Fleming was the 15th head college football coachfor the Virginia Military Institute Keydets located in Lexington, Virginiaand he held that position for the 1919 season.His career coaching record at VMI was 6 wins, 2 losses, and 0 ties. This ranks him...
, Boston (end)
Harry NewmanHarry Lawrence Newman was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines , the New York Giants , and the Brooklyn/Rochester Tigers ....
, Los Angeles (quarterback)
Don Geyer, Cincinnati (halfback)
Al Nichelini, Los Angeles (halfback)
Gordon Gore, Los Angeles (fullback)
Demise of the second AFL
While league champion contenders Boston, Cleveland, and the Yankees were consistent draws in 1936 (Boston nearly outdrawing the NFL rival Redskins, which moved to
WashingtonWashington, 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, founded on July 16, 1790...
the following year), the other four franchises presented problems for the AFL. Pittsburgh drew only 2500 customers per home game, Syracuse drew less than 5000 before moving to Rochester (and folding after one game), and Brooklyn didn't have a home until the team followed the Braves to Rochester. With the departure of two franchises (the Braves and the Rams), it was clear that change was in order for the AFL.
In the beginning of 1937, the league inaugurated its third president in less than 14 months, J. J. Schafer, added
Jack DempseyJack "Manassa Mauler" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records...
and
Bing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American popular singer and actor whose career stretched over more than half a century from 1926 until his death....
to its board, and proceeded to restock its franchise line-up with a franchise in a city in which an NFL franchise failed a mere three years earlier (
CincinnatiCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. The municipality is located north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border. The population within city limits was estimated to be 333,336 in 2008, making it the state's third largest city...
) and a touring team based in Los Angeles whose application to join the more established league was turned down in favor of the Rams.
Unlike the NFL, AFL teams tended to have local interest only. Out-of-town newspapers rarely covered the league's activities, and when they did, the coverage was usually a bare-bones mention of the scores inserted as page filler.
Three weeks into the 1937 season, the poorly-drawing Pittsburgh Americans gave up the ghost while the other eastern teams were suffering the results of player raids by NFL teams (defending champion Boston was virtually gutted, leaving it in no shape to repeat its success).
The entry of the Los Angeles Bulldogs into the league also helped lead to the league's demise. The new team simply overwhelmed the rest of the AFL as the only team with a winning record. The Bulldogs played all of its away games in the first half of the season and then finished the demolition as they stayed home for the second half. While the Bulldogs had attendance figures comparable to that of the 1936 Shamrocks and Yankees (about 14,000 per home game), the former eastern powers lost their draw. Shamrocks owner Bill Scully noted that the team lost $37,000 in 1937; the rest of the league (excluding Los Angeles) fared worse.
With the optimism that began the 1937 season gone, the second American Football League closed up shop at the end of the season.
After the second AFL
While the existence of the second American Football League was relatively brief, its influence in American sports was actually more than realized at that time. It introduced "
major leagueMajor League or major league, first coined by Major League Baseball, can refer to a number of things.-Team sports:* Major League Baseball, the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America....
" football to the West Coast, which had a team based in Los Angeles and played its games there (in contrast to the
Los Angeles BuccaneersThe Los Angeles Buccaneers were a traveling team in the National Football League during their one season 1926, ostensibly representing the city of Los Angeles, California...
, an NFL team that was actually based in Chicago). The success of the Boston Shamrocks was a prod for
George Preston MarshallGeorge Preston Marshall was the long-time owner and president of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League .-Contributions:...
to move his Boston Redskins south to Washington.
The AFL was the first "home league" of the Cleveland Rams, which continue to exist as the
St. Louis RamsThe St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team has won three NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl.The Rams began...
. The Los Angeles Bulldogs returned to the independent circuit in 1938, as did the Cincinnati Bengals, which joined the fledgling minor league, the
American Professional Football AssociationThe 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...
, in 1939 and became a charter member of the
third AFLThe 1940-1941 edition of the American Football League, also known known as the AFL III, was a major Professional Football league created when the Cincinnati Bengals, Columbus Bullies, and Milwaukee Chiefs were lured away from the American Professional Football Association The 1940-1941 edition of...
in 1940. The Bulldogs also joined the APFA for 1939, before becoming a charter member of the
Pacific Coast Professional Football LeagueThe Pacific Coast Professional Football League , also known as the Pacific Coast Football League and Pacific Coast League was a professional American football league based in California, USA, and competed from 1940 through 1948 in sports...
in 1940.