Joseph Carr
Encyclopedia
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. The "Panhandles" were one of the largest draws in early professional football, starring the Nesser Brothers
, and were nearly unbeatable at home in Indianola Park
. He helped to reorganize the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in 1921, and moved the offices from Canton
to Columbus, Ohio. This league would be renamed the National Football League
in 1922, and Carr served as its president from 1921 until his death in 1939. He was elected to the Helms
Hall of Fame in 1950 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1963, and is the only non-player in both halls. Carr also served as president of the American Basketball League (ABL) from 1925 to 1928, and was also president of the Columbus Senators
(baseball) team from 1926 to 1931. He is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery south of Columbus.
The NFL's original Most Valuable Player
award was named for Carr in 1938
.
immigrants Michael and Margaret Carr. Joe had six siblings Bridget (born 1867), John Aloysius (born 1869), James (born 1872), Mary Therese (born 1874), Michael Lawrence (1877), and Edward (born 1883).
Joseph played a variety of sports while he was growing up in southeast Columbus. Joe's formal education consisted of five years at St. Dominic’s Elementary School. At the age of 13 he went to work at a local machine shop to help support his family, who was struggling. By the age of 20, he was hired as a journeyman machinist at the Panhandle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad
. In 1900, Carr became the assistant sports editor of the Ohio State Journal
, one of the three major newspapers in Columbus at the time. He was especially well known for his boxing
stories. He held the position for six years.
, who had just started the Chicago White Sox
of the American League
. By using employees from the railroad, Carr fielded a team named the Panhandle White Sox, but Joe called them the Famous Panhandle White Sox. The team gained national attention as one of the country's best semi-pro teams. In 1904, Carr attempted to reorganize the Columbus Panhandles football team which was also organize through the railroad in 1901. However the team just played two games. However Carr tried again in 1907 and the Columbus Panhandles were finally reborn and existed as a franchise until 1922.
Carr had two ways of keeping the team afloat for 16 seasons. The first idea came while he was organizing his football team. Carr knew that he needed an attraction to get people to come to the games. This led him to recruit what is considered the most unusual family ever to play professional sports, the Nesser family. Over the years, ten family members played professional football, seven brothers Al
, Frank
, Fred
, John
, Phil
, Ray
and Ted
. The final three members were Ted’s son Charlie
, a nephew, Ted Hopkins
, and a brother-in-law John Schneider
. Over the next two decades the Nesser family became the backbone of the Panhandle franchise.
Carr would take out ads by describing his Panhandles as the toughest professional team in football, led by the famous Nesser brothers. This was done to attract interest from local fans so they would want to come out and cheer for their hometown heroes. This resulted in the Panhandles becoming a big draw for home teams, and team owners went out of their way to schedule them.
Another way to keep the Panhandles afloat, was for the team to use a railroad company benefit. Since all his players were employees of the railroad, Carr scheduled mostly road games. His athletes would simply use their passes to ride the train for free. Carr saved the team money on travel expenses and stadium rental by playing mostly road games. While the Panhandles' overall record is only mediocre, Carr's promotional skills made them one of the best known early teams in the country.
who could use and his name recognition to promote the new league. With help from the Panhandles, the APFA fielded 14 franchises that first year and crowned the Akron Pros
as its first champion with an 8–0–3 record. At the April 1921 meeting, Carr then replaced Thorpe as the league president. In 1922, he helped changed the name of the league to the National Football League.
The NFL's concern over the threat of gamblers affecting the outcome of a game dated to at least 1933. During his tenure, Carr let managers and owners know that anyone involved in a betting scam would be permanently banned from the NFL.
to professional football.
The first major challenge to Carr's authority came at the end of the 1921 season
. The Green Bay Packers
, admitted to having used college players under assumed names. Carr proclaimed the act not only a violation of association rules but a breach of the public's trust. The Packers were forced to resign from the league. However a few months later, a group headed by future Hall of Famer Curly Lambeau
applied for and was granted the Green Bay franchise.
When Red Grange
, a star player at the University of Illinois, turned pro by joining the Chicago Bears
, immediately after his final college football game, the league became the center of criticism from college officials everywhere. Ernie Nevers another All-American player did the same thing a few days later. To help ease tensions and promote the professional game in the college circles, Carr established a rule prohibiting college players to sign with professional teams until after their class had graduated. These decisions gave the NFL credibility and much needed support from the colleges and universities from across the country.
In 1925 it was revealed that the Milwaukee Badgers
used four high school boys in a hastily arranged game
with the Chicago Cardinals. As a result, the Badgers were fined $500 and given 90 days to dispose of all assets and retire from the league. Though finding no evidence to suggest the Cardinals management was aware of the status of the four youths before the game, Carr nonetheless fined the club $1000 for participating in the game. Art Foltz, the Cardinals player who confessed to having made the “introductions", was banned from play in the NFL for life.
As in 1925, the Pottsville Maroons
, a first year NFL team, played an exhibition game against a team of former Notre Dame
stars including the famous "Four Horsemen
". The game was played at Philadelphia's Shibe Park, which was within the protected territory of the Frankford Yellow Jackets
, who were playing a league game just a few miles away at Legion Field
. On three occasions prior to the game, Carr reportedly warned the Pottsville management not to play the game, "under all penalties that the league could inflict”. Ignoring Carr's warnings, the game went on as scheduled. However the Maroons stated that Carr knew of the game and had allowed it to take place. For this act, the Pottsville Maroons were fined $500 and had their franchise forfeited; as a result, the team was stripped of their NFL title, which was given to the Chicago Cardinals. However Carr's decision and handling of the situation is still being protested by many sports historians, as well as by the people of Pottsville, Pennsylvania
, and controversy still lingers about who actually won the 1925 NFL Championship, since the Maroons had earlier beaten Chicago and were actually awarded the league championship before they were suspended.
as America’s favorite spectator sport. While nobody really took him seriously, he thought in time it could happen and devised a plan to make it happen.
Carr knew that the NFL’s success rested on franchise stability and second, those franchises had to be located in the biggest cities, just like those in major league baseball. This led Carr to move his league to the big city. He went out of his way to recruit financially capable owners to run those teams. Beginning with New York City
, the largest city in the country, Carr convinced Tim Mara
, a successful bookie, to start a club. The club became known as the New York Giants
and it is still partly owned by Mara's family.
He continued to recruit stable owners and eventually placed teams in larger cities by moving the Dayton Triangles
to become the Brooklyn Tigers in 1930, establishing the Pittsburgh Steelers
and Philadelphia Eagles
in 1933, moving the Portsmouth Spartans to become the Detroit Lions
, establishing the Cleveland Rams
in 1937, and the Washington Redskins
in 1937 after that franchise moved franchise from Boston
. By 1937 the National Football League and Major League Baseball were almost identical, with 9 out of 10 NFL franchises in MLB cities. Only Green Bay, Wisconsin
did not have a major league baseball team. By placing teams in big cities the NFL gained the stability it needed and established a game plan for a bright future.
was presented annually (from 1955–1978) to the NFL Player of the Year. Not to be confused with the Joe F. Carr Trophy which was the official National Football League MVP award from 1938–46. However, both trophies are named after Carr.
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...
from 1921 until his death in 1939. Carr was born 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...
. As a mechanic for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in Columbus, he directed the Columbus Panhandles football team in 1907 until 1922. The "Panhandles" were one of the largest draws in early professional football, starring the Nesser Brothers
Nesser Brothers
The Nesser Brothers were a group of football playing brothers who helped make up the most famous football family in the United States from 1907 until the mid-1920s...
, and were nearly unbeatable at home in Indianola Park
Indianola Park
Indianola Park was an amusement park that operated in the University District in Columbus, Ohio from 1905-37.-Location:The entrance to Indianola Park was at N. 4th St. and E. 19th Ave. The park itself covered approximately and extended from E. 18th Ave. north to E. Norwich Ave. and east from N....
. He helped to reorganize the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in 1921, and moved the offices from Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
to Columbus, Ohio. This league would be renamed the National Football League
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...
in 1922, and Carr served as its president from 1921 until his death in 1939. He was elected to the Helms
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
Hall of Fame in 1950 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame
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...
in 1963, and is the only non-player in both halls. Carr also served as president of the American Basketball League (ABL) from 1925 to 1928, and was also president of the Columbus Senators
Columbus Red Birds
The Columbus Red Birds was the name of a top-level minor league baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio, in the American Association from 1931 through 1954. The Columbus club, a member of the Association continuously since 1902, was previously known as the Columbus Senators — a typical...
(baseball) team from 1926 to 1931. He is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery south of Columbus.
The NFL's original Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award was named for Carr in 1938
1938 NFL season
The 1938 NFL season was the 19th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the New York Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship Game.-Major rule changes:...
.
Early life
Carr was born in Columbus, Ohio, on October 22, 1880 or he was born on October 23, 1879 and was baptized Joseph Francis Karr on November 2, 1879. He was the son of IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants Michael and Margaret Carr. Joe had six siblings Bridget (born 1867), John Aloysius (born 1869), James (born 1872), Mary Therese (born 1874), Michael Lawrence (1877), and Edward (born 1883).
Joseph played a variety of sports while he was growing up in southeast Columbus. Joe's formal education consisted of five years at St. Dominic’s Elementary School. At the age of 13 he went to work at a local machine shop to help support his family, who was struggling. By the age of 20, he was hired as a journeyman machinist at the Panhandle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. In 1900, Carr became the assistant sports editor of the Ohio State Journal
The Columbus Citizen-Journal
The Columbus Citizen-Journal was a daily morning newspaper in Columbus, Ohio published by the Scripps Howard company. It was formed in 1959 by the merger of The Columbus Citizen and The Ohio State Journal. It shared printing facilities, as well as business, advertising, and circulation staff in a...
, one of the three major newspapers in Columbus at the time. He was especially well known for his boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
stories. He held the position for six years.
Sports career
In 1901 Carr organized and promoted a baseball team. He had always admired Charles ComiskeyCharles Comiskey
Charles Albert "The Old Roman" Comiskey was a Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League and later owned the Chicago White Sox...
, who had just started the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. By using employees from the railroad, Carr fielded a team named the Panhandle White Sox, but Joe called them the Famous Panhandle White Sox. The team gained national attention as one of the country's best semi-pro teams. In 1904, Carr attempted to reorganize the Columbus Panhandles football team which was also organize through the railroad in 1901. However the team just played two games. However Carr tried again in 1907 and the Columbus Panhandles were finally reborn and existed as a franchise until 1922.
Carr had two ways of keeping the team afloat for 16 seasons. The first idea came while he was organizing his football team. Carr knew that he needed an attraction to get people to come to the games. This led him to recruit what is considered the most unusual family ever to play professional sports, the Nesser family. Over the years, ten family members played professional football, seven brothers Al
Al Nesser
Alfred "Al" Louis Nesser was a professional American football offensive lineman. He played for 7 teams in the National Football League and the Cleveland Panthers in the first American Football League...
, Frank
Frank Nesser
Frank Nesser was a professional football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League. During his career he played mainly for the Columbus Panhandles, however he did also play for a little for the Akron Indians, whenever he was recruited by Indians manager, Peggy Parratt.Frank...
, Fred
Fred Nesser
Frederick W. Nesser was a professional American football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. He was also a member of the Nesser Brothers, a group consisting of seven brothers who made-up the most famous football family in the United States...
, John
John Nesser
John Nesser was a professional American football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles...
, Phil
Phil Nesser
Phillip Gregory Nesser born June 6, 1893) was a professional American football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles...
, Ray
Ray Nesser
Raymond Nesser was a professional American football player in the "Ohio League" prior to the formation of the National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles...
and Ted
Ted Nesser
Theodore Nesser Jr. was a professional football player-coach in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League. During his career he played mainly for the Columbus Panhandles, however he did also play for a little for the Massillon Tigers, Akron Indians, Canton Bulldogs and the Shelby...
. The final three members were Ted’s son Charlie
Charlie Nesser
Charles T. Nesser was a professional football player in the National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. Charlie played only season, 1921, in the NFL. He was son of Ted Nesser, a member of the infamous Nesser Brothers. During the 1921 season, six of the Nessers played for the Panhandles,...
, a nephew, Ted Hopkins
Ted Hopkins (American football)
Edward J. Hopkins was a professional American football player in the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. He was a teammate, of the Panhandles' infamous Nesser Brothers. However he was also a nephew to the brothers, since his mother Anna was their sister...
, and a brother-in-law John Schneider
John Schneider (American football)
John J. Schneider was a professional American football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. He played from around 1909 until 1921 with the Panhandles...
. Over the next two decades the Nesser family became the backbone of the Panhandle franchise.
Carr would take out ads by describing his Panhandles as the toughest professional team in football, led by the famous Nesser brothers. This was done to attract interest from local fans so they would want to come out and cheer for their hometown heroes. This resulted in the Panhandles becoming a big draw for home teams, and team owners went out of their way to schedule them.
Another way to keep the Panhandles afloat, was for the team to use a railroad company benefit. Since all his players were employees of the railroad, Carr scheduled mostly road games. His athletes would simply use their passes to ride the train for free. Carr saved the team money on travel expenses and stadium rental by playing mostly road games. While the Panhandles' overall record is only mediocre, Carr's promotional skills made them one of the best known early teams in the country.
The NFL
In 1920 the Panhandles joined the newly formed American Professional Football Association (APFA). Carr was involved in its formation of the league from the beginning. However there is no record of him attending any of the league's founding meetings. The title of league president first went to the legendary Jim ThorpeJim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
who could use and his name recognition to promote the new league. With help from the Panhandles, the APFA fielded 14 franchises that first year and crowned the Akron Pros
Akron Pros
The Akron Pros were a professional football team located played in Akron, Ohio from 1908–1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional...
as its first champion with an 8–0–3 record. At the April 1921 meeting, Carr then replaced Thorpe as the league president. In 1922, he helped changed the name of the league to the National Football League.
Schedule
Carr moved the Association's headquarters to Columbus, drafted a league constitution and by-laws, gave teams territorial rights, developed membership criteria for the franchises, and issued standings for the first time, so that the APFA would have a clear champion. The Association's membership increased to 22 teams. Carr first set a deadline for the season to be completed and a minimum number of league games to be played in order to win the league championship. This led to standardized schedules and prevented teams from scheduling non-league teams to pad their win columns.The NFL's concern over the threat of gamblers affecting the outcome of a game dated to at least 1933. During his tenure, Carr let managers and owners know that anyone involved in a betting scam would be permanently banned from the NFL.
Contracts
After taking office as President of the NFL, Carr began cleaning up the problems surrounding professional football. By 1925, he introduced a standard player’s contract, fashioned after the ones being used in pro baseball, so players couldn’t jump from one team to another. Carr also declared that players under contract from the previous season could not be approached by another team unless first declared a free agent, thus introducing the reserve clauseReserve clause
The reserve clause is a term formerly employed in North American professional sports contracts. The reserve clause, contained in all standard player contracts, stated that, upon the contract's expiration the rights to the player were to be retained by the team to which he had been signed...
to professional football.
Amateur issues
In the early days of professional football, the game was shunned by many in the college area. Fearing that the pro game tainted the college game, many college administrators forbade players to have anything to do with the pros. Carr would try to attack this problem and bring a peace between the pros and amateur ranks.Green Bay Packers
The first major challenge to Carr's authority came at the end of the 1921 season
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 Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, admitted to having used college players under assumed names. Carr proclaimed the act not only a violation of association rules but a breach of the public's trust. The Packers were forced to resign from the league. However a few months later, a group headed by future Hall of Famer Curly Lambeau
Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau was founder, player, and first coach of the Green Bay Packers professional American football team...
applied for and was granted the Green Bay franchise.
Grange rule
When Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
, a star player at the University of Illinois, turned pro by joining the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, immediately after his final college football game, the league became the center of criticism from college officials everywhere. Ernie Nevers another All-American player did the same thing a few days later. To help ease tensions and promote the professional game in the college circles, Carr established a rule prohibiting college players to sign with professional teams until after their class had graduated. These decisions gave the NFL credibility and much needed support from the colleges and universities from across the country.
Milwaukee Badgers
In 1925 it was revealed that the Milwaukee Badgers
Milwaukee Badgers
The Milwaukee Badgers were a professional American football team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that played in the National Football League from 1922 to 1926. The team played its home games at Athletic Park, later known as Borchert Field, on Milwaukee's north side...
used four high school boys in a hastily arranged game
1925 Chicago Cardinals-Milwaukee Badgers scandal
The 1925 Chicago Cardinals–Milwaukee Badgers scandal was a scandal centered around a 1925 game between the Chicago Cardinals and the Milwaukee Badgers of the National Football League. The scandal involved a Chicago player, Art Folz, hiring a group of high school football players to play for the...
with the Chicago Cardinals. As a result, the Badgers were fined $500 and given 90 days to dispose of all assets and retire from the league. Though finding no evidence to suggest the Cardinals management was aware of the status of the four youths before the game, Carr nonetheless fined the club $1000 for participating in the game. Art Foltz, the Cardinals player who confessed to having made the “introductions", was banned from play in the NFL for life.
Pottsville Maroons
As in 1925, 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...
, a first year NFL team, played an exhibition game against a team of former Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
stars including the famous "Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (football)
The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team...
". The game was played at Philadelphia's Shibe Park, which was within the protected territory of the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
, who were playing a league game just a few miles away at Legion Field
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
. On three occasions prior to the game, Carr reportedly warned the Pottsville management not to play the game, "under all penalties that the league could inflict”. Ignoring Carr's warnings, the game went on as scheduled. However the Maroons stated that Carr knew of the game and had allowed it to take place. For this act, the Pottsville Maroons were fined $500 and had their franchise forfeited; as a result, the team was stripped of their NFL title, which was given to the Chicago Cardinals. However Carr's decision and handling of the situation is still being protested by many sports historians, as well as by the people of Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Pottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north-west of Philadelphia...
, and controversy still lingers about who actually won the 1925 NFL Championship, since the Maroons had earlier beaten Chicago and were actually awarded the league championship before they were suspended.
Franchise stability
Carr also knew that for the league to survive, franchises needed to have a sense of stability. In his early years as president, NFL franchises constantly were setting up and then folding. From 1920 through 1932 more than 40 NFL franchises went through the league. The only two charter members to stay with the league by 1932 were the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Cardinals. In those first years, 19 teams lasted one year and 11 teams lasted two years. Carr envisioned the day the NFL could compete with Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as America’s favorite spectator sport. While nobody really took him seriously, he thought in time it could happen and devised a plan to make it happen.
Carr knew that the NFL’s success rested on franchise stability and second, those franchises had to be located in the biggest cities, just like those in major league baseball. This led Carr to move his league to the big city. He went out of his way to recruit financially capable owners to run those teams. Beginning with 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...
, the largest city in the country, Carr convinced 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...
, a successful bookie, to start a club. The club became known as the 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...
and it is still partly owned by Mara's family.
He continued to recruit stable owners and eventually placed teams in larger cities by moving the Dayton Triangles
Dayton Triangles
The Dayton Triangles were an original franchise of the American Professional Football Association in 1920. The Triangles were based in Dayton, Ohio, and took their nickname from their home field, Triangle Park, which was located at the confluence of the Great Miami and Stillwater Rivers in north...
to become the Brooklyn Tigers in 1930, establishing the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1933, moving the Portsmouth Spartans to become the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, establishing the Cleveland Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in 1937, and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in 1937 after that franchise moved franchise from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. By 1937 the National Football League and Major League Baseball were almost identical, with 9 out of 10 NFL franchises in MLB cities. Only Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
did not have a major league baseball team. By placing teams in big cities the NFL gained the stability it needed and established a game plan for a bright future.
Other sports
In 1925 Carr organized and served as the first president of the American Basketball League, although he had witnessed only two basketball games in his life. He, returned to baseball two years later as president of the Columbus Red Birds minor league club. 1933 saw Carr's most successful undertaking in professional baseball, when he was named director of the National Baseball Association's promotional department. Professional baseball in that year had only 12 minor leagues and many of them were in serious financial trouble. Given the order to “do something about it,” Carr took baseball's faltering minor league system and transformed it into a healthy 41-league operation by 1939.Trophies
The Joe F. Carr TrophyTouchdown Club of Columbus
The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of State Auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More than a decade later, his son Sam Nicola, Jr...
was presented annually (from 1955–1978) to the NFL Player of the Year. Not to be confused with the Joe F. Carr Trophy which was the official National Football League MVP award from 1938–46. However, both trophies are named after Carr.
Personal life
Carr married Josephine Marie Sullivan on June 27, 1911 at St. Dominic's Church in Columbus, Ohio. They had two children, Mary Agnes, (born October 13, 1913) and Joseph Francis Jr. (born October 1, 1915).Death
Carr remained league President until his death from a second heart attack on May 20, 1939 in his hometown of Columbus.Sources
- Roberts, Howard (1953). The Story of Pro Football. New York:Rand McNally and Company.
- Willis, Chris (2010). The Man Who Built the National Football League:Joe F. Carr. Lanham, MD:Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8108-7669-9
Further reading
- Ohio History Central: Profile
- The Columbus Panhandles