1921 NFL Championship controversy
On the 4th of December 1921, a train pulled into Chicago carrying the Buffalo All-Americans football team. They had just defeated the Akron Pros by a score of 14 to 0 and boarded an overnight journey to face their rivals. The game was supposed to be an exhibition match that would not count toward league standings. Buffalo owner Frank McNeil made this clear to local media before the trip began. He told reporters that the result would have no bearing on who held the American Professional Football Association title. Yet the outcome changed everything for both franchises.
Buffalo finished the regular season with ten wins and two losses while Chicago ended with nine wins and three losses. Their only meeting occurred on Thanksgiving when the All-Americans defeated the Staleys. After the December 4 rematch, Chicago claimed they now held the lead in total victories. The final records showed Buffalo at ten wins and two losses and Chicago at nine wins and three losses plus one tie. Ties did not count in APFA standings during that year so both teams appeared tied in official records. The league had no fixed end date which allowed games to continue indefinitely after the regular schedule concluded.
Frank McNeil scheduled his team's last home game against Akron on December 3 then arranged an all-night train ride to Chicago. He intended the next day's contest as a post-season exhibition match only. George Halas challenged Buffalo to play again despite the original loss. McNeil agreed but insisted the game remain off the record books. He released players borrowed from the defunct Detroit Tigers except for lineman Clarence Steamer Horning. Horning scored the only points for Buffalo by recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown. Despite these efforts the All-Americans lost the rematch 10 to 7.
The executive committee created a new rule stating that rematches counted more than first matchups between the same opponents. This decision gave the championship to Chicago based on their second victory over Buffalo. The rule relied on an obsolete tradition where multiple meetings meant the later game held greater weight. Halas argued the aggregate score of 16 to 14 favored his Staleys while McNeil maintained exhibitions should not count. The league applied this tiebreaker immediately in 1921 and kept it until 1933 when they finally abolished it permanently.
The Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup was supposed to be awarded to the winner of the 1921 season. No trophy ever arrived at either team's doorstep after the controversy erupted. It is now believed the cup was lost during the administrative chaos surrounding the dispute. Neither Buffalo nor Chicago received possession of the rotating prize established the previous year. The absence of the physical award left both sides without official recognition despite their competing claims.
The league forced itself to place a finite end date on each season to prevent future disputes like this one. In 1926 Chicago attempted similar tactics against the Cleveland Bulldogs but the league disallowed it. A playoff game became necessary when Chicago and Portsmouth Spartans tied for first in 1932 with no applicable tiebreaker rules. The NFL Championship Game turned permanent in 1933 after dividing into Eastern and Western divisions. This standardized schedule also formally abolished the greater weight rule that had favored later
games over earlier ones.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Who won the 1921 NFL Championship controversy?
The Chicago Staleys won the 1921 NFL Championship based on a new rule created by the executive committee. This decision gave the championship to Chicago because their second victory over Buffalo counted more than the first matchup.
When did the 1921 NFL Championship game take place?
The decisive rematch occurred on the 4th of December 1921 when a train pulled into Chicago carrying the Buffalo All-Americans. The league applied this tiebreaker immediately in 1921 and kept it until 1933 when they finally abolished it permanently.
Why was there no trophy awarded for the 1921 NFL season?
No Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup ever arrived at either team's doorstep after the controversy erupted. It is now believed the cup was lost during the administrative chaos surrounding the dispute between Buffalo and Chicago.
How did the 1921 NFL standings determine the winner?
The league used an obsolete tradition where multiple meetings meant the later game held greater weight. Frank McNeil insisted the December 4 rematch remained off the record books but the executive committee ruled rematches counted more than first matchups.
What happened to the 1921 NFL playoff rule after the controversy?
The NFL Championship Game turned permanent in 1933 after dividing into Eastern and Western divisions. This standardized schedule also formally abolished the greater weight rule that had favored later games over earlier ones.