1927 NFL season
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 19 – December 19, 1927 |
| Champions | New York Giants |
EskimosThe 1927 NFL season was the eighth regular season of the National Football League. It was preceded by an April 1927 purge of the financially weakest franchises from the league roster, with the total number of NFL teams ultimately dropping from 22 in 1926 to just 12 in 1927.
The 1927 season also saw the elimination of black players from NFL ranks, foreshadowing the racial color bar that would be in effect from 1934 to 1946.
The New York Giants were named NFL Champions in 1927, although no Championship Playoff game took place.
History
[edit]Relegation
[edit]In January 1927, an owners' meeting was held in New York City at which tentative plans were made to reorganize the NFL into two classes, "A" and "B", with weaker teams demoted to the second division.[1] With free entry into the NFL upon payment of a relatively minimal franchise fee, the size of the league had become unwieldy in the view of the most prominent league owners.[2] Some big city franchises held grand aspirations while other smaller market teams staggered on the edge of the financial abyss.
A follow-up meeting was held on April 23 and 24 in Cleveland's Statler Hotel to formalize these changes.[1]
In the call for the meeting issued to the owners, NFL Commissioner Joe F. Carr stated: "As you are aware, this meeting is for the purpose of taking final action on any plans that will be proposed for the reorganization of the league and we would suggest that you would come to discuss this proposition from every angle.[1]
Although the splitting of the league into tiers had been initially envisioned, following debate at the closed-door meeting it was resolved to continue the NFL as a single-tier league, albeit with financially struggling teams being removed from the league outright. The radical reduction from 22 to 12 teams was not prescribed, but rather, a more modest reduction to a 16 team NFL loop had been projected.[3] The "league guarantee fund" against financial default was simultaneously increased from $1,500 to $2,500 per team, with this amount payable to the league office by July.[3]
It wasn't until the National League's scheduling meeting held in Green Bay on July 16 and 17 that it was learned Commissioner Carr's vaunted "16-spoke wheel, composed entirely of first-class clubs"[3] had attenuated to just 12 franchises — most of which were losing money and a few of which remained on the brink.
The escalation of the guarantee deposit seems to have provided the impetus to drive the weaker teams from the field, with the local press breaking the news that "a year's football vacation" had been declared for "Milwaukee, Hammond, Detroit, Los Angeles, Louisville, Canton, Hartford, Rochester Kodaks, Brooklyn, Minneapolis Marines, and Kansas City."[4] Nor would the Columbus Panhandles, Akron Indians, or Racine Legion be part of the league in 1927.[3]
The Kansas City Cowboys were slated for a move to Cleveland, however,[3] where they became the 1927 iteration of the Cleveland Bulldogs.
The NFL would not again have as many as 22 teams until after the 1970 NFL–AFL merger.
Wilfrid Smith in the Chicago Tribune wrote that "the reduction formed a more compact circuit and provided better competition."[5] Smith opined that the "outstanding feature" of the 1927 NFL season was the debut of University of Michigan passing star Benny Friedman, who became one of the game's "best drawing cards."[5] Fittingly, the Cleveland-born Friedman was tapped — and handsomely paid — to become the field general of the reincarnated Cleveland Bulldogs franchise.[6]
Other team changes
[edit]In 1927 the NFL did absorb and integrate one complete franchise — the New York Yankees, owned by sports entertainment promoter C. C. Pyle and legendary back Red Grange — from the defunct American Football League. The rival league had been founded in a pique by Pyle the year previously when his proposal for a New York City franchise had been rejected. A debacle involving rival Brooklyn clubs had ensued. A mulligan was granted for 1927, with Pyle's Yankees taking the place of Brooklyn.
In addition, the Buffalo Rangers returned to the Buffalo Bisons name, although the team would be short-lived, suspending operations after five consecutive defeats to open the 1927 season.
Scheduling
[edit]The league held its annual owners' meeting dealing with scheduling for the forthcoming season on July 16–17 in Green Bay, Wisconsin — home of one of the "small town" franchises that survived the April 1927 owners' meeting.[7]
Rule changes
[edit]Official NCAA football rules were adopted at the April 1927 owners' meeting as the general laws for league play.[3] Goal posts were therefore moved to the end line, where they would remain until returned to the goal line in an attempt to increase scoring in 1933.
Racial segregation
[edit]The league absorbed many players from defunct teams in 1927. This influx seems to have served as a pretext to force black players out of the league. Although five black players participated in the 1926 season (including future Hall of Famer Fritz Pollard), none played during the 1927 season.
There would be four more black players who would find a way into the league prior to 1933, after which time a color bar was established that would remain in place until 1946.
Teams
[edit]| Rejoined the NFL † | Merged from 1926 AFL * |
| Last active season ^ | Last season before hiatus, rejoined league later § |
Championship race
[edit]After seven weeks, the Chicago Bears were unbeaten at 5–0–1, followed by the once-beaten New York Giants (6–1–1) and Green Bay Packers (5–1–1). Two games played in New York City on Tuesday, November 8, changed the standings. The New York Yankees handed the Bears a 26–6 defeat, while the Giants beat Providence, 25–0. At 7–1–1, the Giants were in first place, while the Bears and Packers were tied for second (5–1–1). On November 20, the Bears beat the visiting Packers, 14–6, and, at 7–1–1, were within striking distance of the 8–1–1 Giants. Thanksgiving Day, however, saw the Bears lose at Wrigley Field to their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cardinals.
With three games left, the most important game of the regular season took place on November 27, at the Polo Grounds, where 15,000 turned out to watch the Bears (7–2–1) face the Giants (8–1–1). A Bears' win would have tied the teams for first place, but the Giants won, 13–7. The New York Giants and New York Yankees closed their seasons with a two-game series. At home at the Polo Grounds, the Giants beat the Yankees 14–0 to clinch the title on December 4, and then beat them again at the old Yankee Stadium on December 11, to finish at 11–1–1.
The New York Giants were named the NFL champions after finishing the season with the best record. The Giants performance was notable, particularly on defense. They allowed only 20 points in 13 games, including 10 shutout victories.
Standings
[edit]| NFL standings | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |||
| New York Giants | 11 | 1 | 1 | .917 | 197 | 20 | W9 | ||
| Green Bay Packers | 7 | 2 | 1 | .778 | 113 | 43 | W1 | ||
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 3 | 2 | .750 | 149 | 98 | W2 | ||
| Cleveland Bulldogs | 8 | 4 | 1 | .667 | 209 | 107 | W5 | ||
| Providence Steam Roller | 8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 105 | 88 | W3 | ||
| New York Yankees | 7 | 8 | 1 | .467 | 142 | 174 | L4 | ||
| Frankford Yellow Jackets | 6 | 9 | 3 | .400 | 152 | 166 | L1 | ||
| Pottsville Maroons | 5 | 8 | 0 | .385 | 80 | 163 | L1 | ||
| Chicago Cardinals | 3 | 7 | 1 | .300 | 69 | 134 | L1 | ||
| Dayton Triangles | 1 | 6 | 1 | .143 | 15 | 57 | L4 | ||
| Duluth Eskimos | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | 68 | 134 | L7 | ||
| Buffalo Bisons | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 8 | 123 | L5 | ||
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Pro Footballers Will Meet in Cleveland, Saturday: Final Action About Dividing League in Scheduled Business," Green Bay Press-Gazette, April 19, 1927, p. 16.
- ^ "Pro Football Meet Being Staged Today in Cleveland: Representatives of Some Twenty Clubs in National League Attending," Green Bay Press-Gazette, April 23, 1927, p. 19.
- ^ a b c d e f "Pro Football League Meeting Here July 16 and 17: About 16 Elevens to Compete in National Loop 1927 Gridiron Race," Green Bay Press-Gazette, April 25, 1927, p. 15.
- ^ "Twelve Clubs in National Football League This Season: Schedule Meeting is Held Here Over Week End; Grid Moguls See Rosy Outlook," Green Bay Press-Gazette, July 18, 1927, p. 15.
- ^ a b Wilfrid Smith (January 1, 1928). "Pro Football Enjoys Season of Prosperity". Chicago Tribune. p. 16. Archived from the original on April 9, 2017.
- ^ Friedman's straight salary of $18,000 for 1927 was the highest in the NFL, although the gate percentage worked into Red Grange's New York Yankees contract actually paid him substantially more. See: Murray Greenberg, Passing Game: Benny Friedman and the Transformation of Football. New York: Public Affairs, 2008; p. 140.
- ^ "Sport News and Views," Neenah Daily News-Times, April 27, 1927, p. 5.