American Football League (1936)
Harry March announced plans for a new professional football league on the 12th of November 1935. Fifteen cities bid for charter franchises in the following months. On the 11th of April 1936, eight teams received approval to join the American Football League. Boston, Cleveland, Jersey City, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, and Syracuse were the original awardees. Within three months, Jersey City, Providence, and Philadelphia withdrew from the competition. Rochester was granted a franchise just weeks later. That new team moved to Brooklyn without an available stadium. The league operated as a players' organization where veterans managed their own clubs. March served as president until October when he resigned. James Bush took over leadership of the struggling enterprise.
Most AFL franchises built rosters by raiding nearby NFL teams during the first season. The New York Yankees targeted crosstown rivals like the Giants and Pirates. Pittsburgh Americans signed former Pirates Ben Smith and Loran Ribble. Cleveland Rams hired head coach Damon Wetzel from the Chicago Bears backfield. The Boston Shamrocks avoided plundering the Redskins roster despite their struggles. Jersey City, Providence, and Philadelphia pulled out within months of starting. Rochester received a franchise after those withdrawals. Two weeks later, that franchise transferred to Brooklyn with no home field ready. The Brooklyn Tigers moved to Rochester in mid-November 1936. They changed names to the Rochester Tigers and played at Red Wing Stadium. Another AFL team had failed in that city mere weeks before. The Tigers limped through the 1937 season before fading away completely. Mike Palm coached the team while owning it alongside Harry Newman.
George Kenneally led the offensive powerhouse known as the Boston Shamrocks in 1936. The team finished third in the standings but beat both Cleveland and New York on consecutive weeks. Boston won the league championship with an eight-win, three-loss record. Fenway Park and Braves Field hosted their home games throughout the season. The following year, player defections devastated the squad. The Shamrocks struggled to finish with just two wins against seven losses. Owner Bill Scully lost thirty-seven thousand dollars during the 1937 campaign. The team folded along with the entire league at the end of that season. Their success in 1936 nearly matched attendance figures for the Redskins who moved to Washington the next year. George Preston Marshall used this pressure to relocate his own franchise. The Shamrocks remained a memory of what could have been if finances held steady.
Los Angeles Bulldogs became the first professional football team to play home games on the West Coast. They defeated Philadelphia Eagles as an independent team in 1936 before joining the AFL. Gilmore Stadium hosted their matches with average attendance reaching fourteen thousand fans per game. This drew twice as many spectators as any other team in the league. Los Angeles did not lose or tie a single game during their one season. They finished with an eleven-win perfect record to win the league title. Gus Henderson led the team through this historic run. The Bulldogs played all away games in the first half of the season. They stayed home for the second half to complete their demolition of opponents. When the league collapsed, they continued as an independent club into 1938. Later they joined the American Professional Football Association and became charter members of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League in 1940.
Homer Marshman owned the Cleveland Rams while playing at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The team competed in the AFL for only one season finishing fifth overall. Their five wins, two losses, and two ties gave them a .714 winning percentage. The Rams fielded one of the league's most potent offenses alongside Boston. Sid Gillman served as a rookie end during his sole professional season. When the NFL announced expansion plans, Marshman applied for a franchise there. Representatives from Houston and Los Angeles also sought entry. The Rams left the AFL after 1936 to join the more established league. A group from Los Angeles replaced them in the original roster. The modern Los Angeles Rams trace their lineage directly back to these players. They remain the only team from this league still existing today.
Out-of-town newspapers rarely covered activities within the new American Football League. Coverage appeared as bare-bones score mentions inserted as page filler. Pittsburgh Americans drew only twenty-five hundred customers per home game at Forbes Field. Syracuse Braves attracted less than five thousand fans before moving to Rochester. Brooklyn had no home stadium until following the Braves to that city. Three weeks into the 1937 season, poorly drawing teams began collapsing. The Pittsburgh Americans folded after just three games. Defending champion Boston was virtually gutted by player raids from NFL teams. Eastern powers lost their draw while western teams struggled to survive. Average attendance figures dropped sharply across the eastern half of the country. The lack of press attention contributed heavily to financial instability throughout the organization.
J. J. Schafer became the third president of the league in early 1937. He added Jack Dempsey and Bing Crosby to its board of directors. The league restocked franchises with a Cincinnati team and a touring group from Los Angeles. The entry of the Los Angeles Bulldogs helped lead directly to the league's collapse. They overwhelmed opponents as the only team with a winning record. While the Bulldogs maintained fourteen-thousand fan attendance, other teams suffered losses. Shamrocks owner Bill Scully noted his team lost thirty-seven thousand dollars alone. The rest of the league fared even worse financially. Optimism faded quickly after the start of the 1937 campaign. The second American Football League closed up shop at the end of that year. Its influence on American sports proved greater than realized at the time. It introduced major league football to the West Coast for the first time. The Cleveland Rams evolved into today's Los Angeles Rams franchise. The Boston Redskins moved to Washington partly due to pressure from AFL success. Paul Brown revived the Bengals name twenty-seven years later for an expansion team.
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Common questions
When did Harry March announce plans for the American Football League 1936?
Harry March announced plans for a new professional football league on the 12th of November 1935. Fifteen cities bid for charter franchises in the following months.
Which teams won championships in the American Football League 1936 season?
The Boston Shamrocks finished third in the standings but beat both Cleveland and New York to win the league championship with an eight-win, three-loss record. The Los Angeles Bulldogs also won the league title with an eleven-win perfect record after defeating Philadelphia Eagles as an independent team in 1936 before joining the AFL.
What happened to the Brooklyn Tigers franchise during the American Football League 1936 operations?
Rochester received a franchise just weeks later that moved to Brooklyn without an available stadium. The Brooklyn Tigers moved to Rochester in mid-November 1936 where they changed names to the Rochester Tigers and played at Red Wing Stadium.
How many fans attended games for the Los Angeles Bulldogs in the American Football League 1936?
Gilmore Stadium hosted matches with average attendance reaching fourteen thousand fans per game. This drew twice as many spectators as any other team in the league while the team did not lose or tie a single game during their one season.
Why did the American Football League 1936 collapse after the 1937 campaign?
Three weeks into the 1937 season poorly drawing teams began collapsing because out-of-town newspapers rarely covered activities within the new American Football League. Average attendance figures dropped sharply across the eastern half of the country and the lack of press attention contributed heavily to financial instability throughout the organization.