George Mulligan
Encyclopedia
George Mulligan was the leading sports promoter in Connecticut
during the early 1900s. He was also the founder and owner of the Hartford Blues
of the National Football League
. The Blues, which were referred to as the Waterbury Blues, began as a semi-pro
football team in 1924, before joining the early NFL in 1926
.
In 1925, Mulligan signed Harry Stuhldreher
of Notre Dame's
Four Horsemen
as the first national star to ever play pro football in Connecticut. Mulligans offer to Stuhldreher play for the Blues was for $7,500, plus a $500 bonus. In 1925, he moved the Blues to Hartford and into Clarkin Field. In 1926 the NFL accepted Mulligan's Blues as one of its 22 franchises. The Blues finished the season with a 3-7-0 NFL record and 13th place.
However after the Blues' 1926 season, the NFL's owners voted to streamline the league and cut back from 22 to 12 teams. Red Grange's
New York Yankees
, from the first American Football League
were also to be included as one of the 12 teams. As a result, half of the 1926 NFL teams were scrapped, including the Hartford Blues. In 1927, he ran the Hartford Giants, a semi-pro team with many of the players from the Blues, however that team folded after the season.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
during the early 1900s. He was also the founder and owner of the Hartford Blues
Hartford Blues
The Hartford Blues of the National Football League played only in the 1926 NFL season, with a record of 3-7. The team was based in Hartford, Connecticut but played at the East Hartford Velodrome.-Origins:...
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...
. The Blues, which were referred to as the Waterbury Blues, began as a semi-pro
Semi-pro
Semi-pro may refer to:* a semi-professional athlete* Semi-Pro, a 2008 sports comedy starring Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, and Andre Benjamin...
football team in 1924, before joining the early NFL in 1926
1926 NFL season
The 1926 NFL season was the 7th regular season of the National Football League. The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Angeles Buccaneers, and the Louisville Colonels, with Racine...
.
In 1925, Mulligan signed Harry Stuhldreher
Harry Stuhldreher
Harry Augustus Stuhldreher was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played quarterback at University of Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924, where he was a three-time All-American and member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield...
of Notre Dame's
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...
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...
as the first national star to ever play pro football in Connecticut. Mulligans offer to Stuhldreher play for the Blues was for $7,500, plus a $500 bonus. In 1925, he moved the Blues to Hartford and into Clarkin Field. In 1926 the NFL accepted Mulligan's Blues as one of its 22 franchises. The Blues finished the season with a 3-7-0 NFL record and 13th place.
However after the Blues' 1926 season, the NFL's owners voted to streamline the league and cut back from 22 to 12 teams. Red Grange's
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...
New York Yankees
New York Yankees (NFL)
The New York Yankees were a short-lived professional American football team from 1926 to 1928. The team was a member of the first American Football League in 1926, and later the National Football League from 1927-1928. They played their home games at Yankee Stadium...
, from 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...
were also to be included as one of the 12 teams. As a result, half of the 1926 NFL teams were scrapped, including the Hartford Blues. In 1927, he ran the Hartford Giants, a semi-pro team with many of the players from the Blues, however that team folded after the season.