1921 Buffalo All-Americans season
Encyclopedia
The 1921
Buffalo All-Americans
season was their second in the league
. The team matched their previous output
of 9-1-1, going 9-1-2 against league opponents, and losing the league title to the Chicago Staleys
in a disputed tiebreaker.
co-founder Lud Wray
, also played for the Philadelphia Quakers
, an independent club based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Since Philadelphia was subject to blue laws
in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania
, the Quakers had to play their games on Saturdays, as opposed to the Sundays used by the APFA, including Buffalo. The Buffalo players played for Philadelphia on Saturday, then traveled back to Buffalo for Sunday's game. A few days before Buffalo played Canton, the league found out about violation of league policy, and made the players choose which team they wanted to play for. Five, including Wray, chose to stay with the Quakers, blaming the Buffalo management for "blowing the whistle
." Buffalo was able to hire players from the Detroit Heralds, who folded midseason, to complete their roster.
after the end of the season), led by wide receiver George Halas
, and the Buffalo All-Americans, led by quarterback Tommy Hughitt
, were the two top teams in the league; each playing all of their games at home, Buffalo and Chicago amassed 6-0 records in league play. On Thanksgiving 1921, Buffalo played one of its only road games of the season, in Chicago, and prevailed 7-6. Chicago demanded a rematch.
The All-Americans agreed to rematch the Staleys on December 4, again in Chicago, on the condition that the game would be considered a "post-season" exhibition game
not to be counted in the standings; had it not, Buffalo would have had an undefeated season and won the title. (Buffalo had played, and defeated, the Akron Pros
just one day prior.) Chicago defeated Buffalo in the rematch by a score of 10-7. Halas rebutted that the second game was played on December 4 (well before teams typically stopped playing games in those days), and the Staleys played two more games against top opponents, the Canton Bulldogs
and Chicago Cardinals after the second Buffalo game (though, at the time of the Buffalo-Chicago matchup, Chicago had played three fewer games than Buffalo).
The league counted the All-Americans game in the standings, against Buffalo's wishes, resulting in Buffalo (9-1-2) and Chicago (9-1-1) being tied atop the standings. The league then implemented the first ever tiebreaker: a rule, now considered archaic and removed from league rulebooks, that states that if two teams play multiple times in a season, the last game between the two teams carries more weight. Thus, the Chicago victory actually counted more in the standings, giving Chicago the championship. Buffalo sports fans have been known to refer to this, justly or unjustly, as the "Staley Swindle," and have cited it as the first evidence of a sports curse on the city.
Game in italics was against an non-NFL team, is therefore not counted in league standings.
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....
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...
season was their second in the 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...
. The team matched their previous output
1920 Buffalo All-Americans season
The 1920 Buffalo All-Americans season was their inaugural season in the league. The team finished 9-1-1, enough for third place in the league. It was one of only four teams to finish the 1920 season....
of 9-1-1, going 9-1-2 against league opponents, and losing the league title to the Chicago Staleys
1921 Chicago Staleys season
The 1921 Chicago Staleys season was their second regular season completed in the young American Professional Football Association. The club posted a 9-1-1 record under head coach/player George Halas earning them a first place finish in the team standings and their first league championship. The...
in a disputed tiebreaker.
Philadelphia Quakers moonlighting controversy and absorption of Detroit Heralds
During the 1921 season, several of the Buffalo All-Americans, most notably future Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia 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...
co-founder Lud Wray
Lud Wray
James R. Ludlow "Lud" Wray was a professional American football player, coach, and co-founder, with college teammate Bert Bell, of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was the first coach of the Boston Braves in 1932 and of the Eagles, 1933-1935...
, also played for the Philadelphia Quakers
Union Quakers of Philadelphia
The Union Quakers of Philadelphia were a professional independent football team, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1921. The team evolved from a number of pro players who played with the Union Club of Phoenixville during their 1920 season. During their only season of operation, the club won...
, an independent club based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Since Philadelphia was subject to blue laws
Blue Laws
The Blue Laws of the Colony of Connecticut, as distinct from the generic term "blue law" that refers to any laws regulating activities on Sunday, were the initial statutes set up by the Gov. Theophilus Eaton with the assistance of the Rev. John Cotton in 1655 for the Colony of New Haven, now part...
in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the Quakers had to play their games on Saturdays, as opposed to the Sundays used by the APFA, including Buffalo. The Buffalo players played for Philadelphia on Saturday, then traveled back to Buffalo for Sunday's game. A few days before Buffalo played Canton, the league found out about violation of league policy, and made the players choose which team they wanted to play for. Five, including Wray, chose to stay with the Quakers, blaming the Buffalo management for "blowing the whistle
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
." Buffalo was able to hire players from the Detroit Heralds, who folded midseason, to complete their roster.
De facto championship game
The Chicago Staleys (to be renamed the Chicago BearsChicago 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...
after the end of the season), led by wide receiver George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, and the Buffalo All-Americans, led by quarterback Tommy Hughitt
Tommy Hughitt
Ernest Fredrick Hughitt , was a National Football League utility player and coach. He was also an All-American quarterback for the University of Michigan in 1913....
, were the two top teams in the league; each playing all of their games at home, Buffalo and Chicago amassed 6-0 records in league play. On Thanksgiving 1921, Buffalo played one of its only road games of the season, in Chicago, and prevailed 7-6. Chicago demanded a rematch.
The All-Americans agreed to rematch the Staleys on December 4, again in Chicago, on the condition that the game would be considered a "post-season" exhibition game
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
not to be counted in the standings; had it not, Buffalo would have had an undefeated season and won the title. (Buffalo had played, and defeated, 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...
just one day prior.) Chicago defeated Buffalo in the rematch by a score of 10-7. Halas rebutted that the second game was played on December 4 (well before teams typically stopped playing games in those days), and the Staleys played two more games against top opponents, the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
and Chicago Cardinals after the second Buffalo game (though, at the time of the Buffalo-Chicago matchup, Chicago had played three fewer games than Buffalo).
The league counted the All-Americans game in the standings, against Buffalo's wishes, resulting in Buffalo (9-1-2) and Chicago (9-1-1) being tied atop the standings. The league then implemented the first ever tiebreaker: a rule, now considered archaic and removed from league rulebooks, that states that if two teams play multiple times in a season, the last game between the two teams carries more weight. Thus, the Chicago victory actually counted more in the standings, giving Chicago the championship. Buffalo sports fans have been known to refer to this, justly or unjustly, as the "Staley Swindle," and have cited it as the first evidence of a sports curse on the city.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | September 25, 1921 | McKeesport Olympics McKeesport Olympics The McKeesport Olympics were a professional football team from McKeesport, Pennsylvania from 1896 until around 1940. The Olympics were considered one of the top football teams in Pennsylvania from 1910 until 1919.... |
W 28-0 |
| 1 | October 2, 1921 | Hammond Pros Hammond Pros The Hammond Pros from Hammond, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1926 as a traveling team.-History:The Pros were established by Paul Parduhn and Dr. Alva Young who was a boxing promoter, owner of a racing stable and a doctor and trainer for a semi-pro football team... |
W 17-0 |
| 2 | October 9, 1921 | Columbus Panhandles Columbus (NFL) The Columbus Panhandles were a professional football team from Columbus, Ohio who played in the "Ohio League" and later the American Professional Football Association, later renamed the National Football League... |
W 38-0 |
| 3 | October 16, 1921 | New York Brickley Giants | W 55-0 |
| 4 | October 23, 1921 | Rochester Jeffersons Rochester Jeffersons The Rochester Jeffersons from Rochester, New York played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1925.Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of the century , the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing... |
W 28-0 |
| 5 | October 30, 1921 | at Detroit Tigers | W 21-0 |
| 6 | November 6, 1921 | Cleveland Indians 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... |
W 10-6 |
| 7 | November 13, 1921 | 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... |
T 0-0 |
| 8 | November 20, 1921 | Canton Bulldogs Canton Bulldogs The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918... |
T 7-7 |
| 9 | November 24, 1921 | at Chicago Staleys | W 7-6 |
| 10 | November 27, 1921 | 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... |
W 7-0 |
| 11 | December 3, 1921 | 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... |
W 14-0 |
| 12 | December 4, 1921 | at Chicago Staleys | L 10-7 |
Game in italics was against an non-NFL team, is therefore not counted in league standings.
Standings
| APFA | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Chicago Staleys 1921 Chicago Staleys season The 1921 Chicago Staleys season was their second regular season completed in the young American Professional Football Association. The club posted a 9-1-1 record under head coach/player George Halas earning them a first place finish in the team standings and their first league championship. The... |
9 | 1 | 1 | .900 | 128 | 53 | T-1 |
| Buffalo All-Americans | 9 | 1 | 2 | .900 | 211 | 29 | L-1 |
| Akron Pros 1921 Akron Pros season The 1921 Akron Pros season was their second in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 8-0-3, losing three games. They finished third in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
8 | 3 | 1 | .727 | 148 | 31 | W-1 |
| Canton Bulldogs 1921 Canton Bulldogs season The 1921 Canton Bulldogs season was their second in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 7-4-2, losing only two NFL games. They finished fourth in the league.-Schedule:* Games in italics are against non-NFL teams.-Standings:... |
5 | 2 | 3 | .714 | 106 | 55 | W-1 |
| Rock Island Independents 1921 Rock Island Independents season The 1921 Rock Island Independents season was their second in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous record against league opponents of 6-2-2, winning only four games. They finished fifth in the league.-Schedule:... |
4 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 65 | 30 | L-1 |
| Evansville Crimson Giants 1921 Evansville Crimson Giants season The 1921 Evansville Crimson Giants season was their inaugural in the National Football League. The team finished with a 3-2 record against NFL teams, and finished in sixth place in the standings.,-Schedule:* Games in italics are against non-NFL teams.... |
3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 89 | 46 | W-1 |
| Green Bay Packers 1921 Green Bay Packers season The 1921 Green Bay Packers season was their third season of competition and the first in the American Professional Football Association. The club posted a 3-2-1 record under player/coach Curly Lambeau, earning them seventh place finish.-Schedule:... |
3 | 2 | 1 | .600 | 70 | 55 | L-1 |
| Chicago Cardinals 1921 Chicago Cardinals season The 1921 Chicago Cardinals season was their second in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 6-2-2, winning only three NFL games... |
3 | 3 | 2 | .500 | 54 | 53 | T-1 |
| Dayton Triangles 1921 Dayton Triangles season The 1921 Dayton Triangles season was their second in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 5-2-2, winning only four games. They finished eighth in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
4 | 4 | 1 | .500 | 96 | 67 | L-1 |
| Rochester Jeffersons 1921 Rochester Jeffersons season The 1921 Rochester Jeffersons season was their second in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous record against league teams of 6-3-2, winning only two games. They finished tenth in the league. The Union Quakers were able to arrange a game with Rochester to make... |
2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 85 | 76 | W-2 |
| Cleveland Indians 1921 Cleveland Indians (NFL) season The 1921 Cleveland Indians season was their second in the National Football League. The team improved on their previous record of 2-4-2, winning three games. They finished eleventh in the league.-Schedule:* Game in italics is against a non-NFL team.... |
3 | 5 | 0 | .375 | 95 | 58 | L-1 |
| Washington Senators 1921 Washington Senators (NFL) season The 1921 Washington Senators season was their inaugural and only season in the league. The team finished 1-2, finishing in twelfth place in the league.-Schedule:* Games in italics are against non-NFL teams.-Standings:-References:... |
1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 21 | 43 | L-1 |
| Hammond Pros 1921 Hammond Pros season The 1921 Hammond Pros season was their second in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 2-5, winning only one game. They tied for thirteenth place in the league.-Schedule:*Games in italics are against non-NFL teams.... |
1 | 3 | 1 | .250 | 17 | 45 | L-2 |
| Minneapolis Marines 1921 Minneapolis Marines season The 1921 Minneapolis Marines season was their inaugural season in the National Football League. The team finished with a 1-3 record against league opponents, and tied for thirteenth place in the league.-Schedule:... |
1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 37 | 41 | L-1 |
| Cincinnati Celts 1921 Cincinnati Celts season The 1921 Cincinnati Celts season was their sole season in the National Football League. The team finished 1-3, and tied for thirteenth place in the league.-Schedule:* Games in italics are against non-NFL teams and do not count in the league standings.... |
1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 14 | 117 | L-2 |
| Detroit Tigers 1921 Detroit Tigers (NFL) season The 1921 Detroit Tigers season was their second in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 2-3-3 , winning only one game.... |
1 | 5 | 1 | .167 | 19 | 109 | L-5 |
| Columbus Panhandles 1921 Columbus Panhandles season The 1921 Columbus Panhandles season was their second in the newly formed American Professional Football Association . The team failed to improve on their previous output of 2-6-2, winning only one league game... |
1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | 47 | 222 | W-1 |
| Muncie Flyers 1921 Muncie Flyers season The 1921 Muncie Flyers season was their second and final season in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous record against league opponents of 0-1, losing two games. They tied for eighteenth place in the league... |
0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 28 | L-2 |
| Tonawanda Kardex 1921 Tonawanda Kardex season The 1921 Tonawanda Kardex season was their sole season in the National Football League, in which they played only game. The team finished 0-1 in league play, and tied for eighteenth place in the league.-Schedule:... |
0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 45 | L-1 |
| New York Brickley Giants 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... |
0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 72 | L-2 |
| Louisville Brecks 1921 Louisville Brecks season The 1921 Louisville Brecks season was their inaugural season in the National Football League. The team finished 0-2 against league teams, and tied for eighteenth place in the league.-Schedule:... |
0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 27 | L-2 |