Background 1921_NFL_Championship_controversy

the buffalo all-americans finished 1921 9-0-2 record; meanwhile, chicago captured second place loss coming against buffalo on thanksgiving. staleys refused play road games season except thanksgiving game against then-undefeated all-americans, had played of games @ home. chicago owner george halas challenged all-americans rematch. buffalo owner, frank mcneil, having scheduled team s last game december 3 against akron pros, agreed on condition considered post-season exhibition match , not counted in standings. mcneil made point of telling buffalo media 2 games exhibitions , have no bearing on team s claim apfa title; extent, mcneil released players had borrowed then-defunct detroit tigers nfl team play 1 last exhibition game under tigers banner (the same day staleys/all-americans matchup, tigers played detroit maroons; mcneil made 1 exception , kept lineman clarence steamer horning, incidentally score all-americans points in staleys rematch recovering blocked punt touchdown). scheduled game against staleys day after team s final game against akron. therefore, after game, scheduled december 3 against tough akron pros, mcneil s team take all-night train chicago play staleys next day.

the all-americans defeated pros, 14-0. boarded train chicago, worn out , in no real condition play staleys. furthermore, several of all-americans apparently bolted; all-americans had restocked roster officially defunct detroit tigers football team result of moonlighting controversy between all-americans , union quakers of philadelphia in november of year; however, tigers re-formed on december 4 (the same day all-americans faced chicago) , played non-league detroit maroons scoreless tie. all-americans lost staleys, 10-7. meanwhile, mcneil still believed team afpa s 1921 champion, , invested in tiny gold footballs players commemorate achievement. after all, loss, buffalo still 9-1-2, , chicago @ time still 8-1 -- half-game behind buffalo in standings (buffalo played more games earlier in season). if season ended day, buffalo still have won league title. chicago, however, saw opportunity, , swiftly scheduled 2 games in december: 1 against canton bulldogs, , other against crosstown rivals, chicago cardinals. winning both have propelled chicago 10-1, half-game ahead of buffalo , assuring team of championship. staleys defeated canton, 10-0, on december 11, managed reach scoreless tie cardinals on december 18. thus, 2 teams tied @ 9-1 (ties did not count in apfa standings @ time).

halas decided declare title belonged chicago , began persuade other owners in league give staleys title. halas based claim championship on belief second game of buffalo-chicago series mattered more first. pointed out aggregate score of 2 games 16-14 in favor of staleys. mcneil insisted buffalo champion , maintained last 2 games team played merely exhibitions. (notably, both all-americans , staleys disputed previous year s title, both overruled , brunswick-balke collender cup went akron pros.)

the league instituted first-ever tiebreaker championship. new rule stated rematch counts more first matchup, handed championship chicago. tiebreaker has since been discontinued nfl in favor of more complicated set. in decision, based on accepted (but obsolete) rule if 2 teams play each other more once in season, second game counts more first, executive committee followed established tradition. had buffalo not played last game (or if had not been counted per buffalo s wishes), have had undefeated season , won title.

meanwhile, mcneil went grave trying league s decision overturned. buffalo never again reached level of success did in 1918-1921 period; franchise barely stayed on .500 next 3 seasons, after team fell bottom of league in standings of rest of decade, suspending operations in 1927 , folding in 1929.