Art Folz
Encyclopedia
Arthur F. Folz was a professional football
player who played with the Chicago Cardinals
of the National Football League
from 1923
until 1925
. He is best known for a role he played in a scandal that involved Folz hiring a group of high school football players
from his alam mater, Chicago
's Engelwood High School, to play for the Milwaukee Badgers
, against the Cardinals. During the recruitment, Folz reportedly told the high schoolers that the game was a "practice game" and would in no part affect their amateur
status.
The plan would ensure an inferior opponent for Chicago. The game was then used to help prop up their win-loss percentage and as a chance of wrestling away the 1925 NFL Championship away from the first place Pottsville Maroons
. For his involvement, Folz was barred from playing football in the NFL for life by NFL President Joseph Carr
. However in 1926, Folz's lifetime ban was lifted, probably to prevent him from going the first American Football League
, however he chose not to return to pro football.
The scandal also played a role in the 1925 NFL Championship controversy
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played with the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of 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...
from 1923
1923 NFL season
The 1923 NFL season was the 4th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time, all of the clubs that were considered to be part of the NFL fielded teams. The new teams that entered the league included the Duluth Kelleys, the St. Louis All Stars , and a new Cleveland Indians team...
until 1925
1925 NFL season
The 1925 NFL season was the 6th regular season of the National Football League. Five new teams entered the league: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Pottsville Maroons, Providence Steam Roller, and a new Canton Bulldogs team...
. He is best known for a role he played in a scandal that involved Folz hiring a group of high school football players
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...
from his alam mater, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Engelwood High School, to play for 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...
, against the Cardinals. During the recruitment, Folz reportedly told the high schoolers that the game was a "practice game" and would in no part affect their amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
status.
The plan would ensure an inferior opponent for Chicago. The game was then used to help prop up their win-loss percentage and as a chance of wrestling away the 1925 NFL Championship away from the first place 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...
. For his involvement, Folz was barred from playing football in the NFL for life by NFL President Joseph Carr
Joseph Carr
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...
. However in 1926, Folz's lifetime ban was lifted, probably to prevent him from going the first American Football League
American Football League (1926)
The first American Football League , sometimes called AFL I, AFLG, or the Grange League, was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C...
, however he chose not to return to pro football.
The scandal also played a role in the 1925 NFL Championship controversy
1925 NFL Championship controversy
The 1925 National Football League Championship, officially held by the Chicago Cardinals, has been the subject of controversy since it was awarded. The controversy centers around the suspension of the Pottsville Maroons by NFL commissioner Joseph Carr, which prevented them from taking the title.The...
.