1.
San Francisco Giants
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The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball franchise based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, and renamed three years later to the New York Giants, the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League West division. As one of the longest-established and most successful baseball teams. The team was the first major team based in New York City. They have won 23 NL pennants and have played in 20 World Series competitions – both NL records, the Giants eight World Series championships rank second in the National League and are tied for fourth overall. The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times –14 times in New York, six in San Francisco –, the Giants franchise has the most Hall of Fame players in all of professional baseball. The Giants rivalry with the Dodgers is one of the longest-standing, the teams began their rivalry as the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, respectively, before both franchises moved west for the 1958 season. The Giants have won six pennants and three World Series championships since arriving in San Francisco and those three championships have come in 2010,2012, and most recently in 2014, having defeated the Kansas City Royals four games to three during the 2014 World Series. The Giants began as the baseball club founded by millionaire tobacconist John B. Day and veteran amateur baseball player Jim Mutrie, the Gothams, as the Giants were originally known, entered the National League in 1883, while their other club, the Metropolitans played in the American Association. Nearly half of the original Gotham players were members of the disbanded Troy Trojans, Louis Browns in a pre-modern-era World Series. They repeated as champions the year with a pennant and Championship victory over the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. It is said that one particularly satisfying victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Mutrie. From then on, the club was known as the Giants, the Giants original home stadium, the Polo Grounds, dates from this early era. It was originally located north of Central Park adjacent to 5th and 6th Avenues and 110th and 112th Streets, the Giants were a powerhouse in the late 1880s, winning their first two National League Pennants and World Championships in 1888 and 1889. But nearly all of the Giants stars jumped to the upstart Players League, whose New York franchise was named the Giants. The new team built a stadium next door to the Polo Grounds
2.
Steve Owen (American football)
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Stephen Joseph Owen was an American football player and coach. He earned a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as head coach of the National Football Leagues New York Giants from 1930 to 1953 and his personal style was memorable for the odd congruence of gravelly voice and easy disposition to go with his perpetual tobacco chewing. While working on a ranch, he attended Phillips University in Enid. He supplemented his income at that time as a wrestler under the pseudonym Jack OBrien. Owen served in the U. S. Army training corps in World War I and he started to play pro football in 1924, at $50 a game, for the NFLs Kansas City Cowboys. After playing for the Cowboys and then the Cleveland Bulldogs in 1925, he was sold to the New York Giants in 1926 for $500, joining his brother Bill. After a futile attempt to get a cut of the price from Kansas City coach Leroy Andrews, he later said of the sale. But in those days, a fat hog was a lot more valuable than a fat tackle, I was going to New York even if I had to walk there. His leadership became clearly evident during the 1927 season as captain of a team outscored opponents 197–20, went 11–1–1. In 1930, he was promoted to co-player-coach for the two games of the season with another future Hall of Famer, Benny Friedman. The 2–0 finish was a premonition of Owens future long-term success as head coach starting the following season. In an unusual move for the time, he didnt sign a contract with owner Tim Mara. He would coach the next 23 years on a handshake, the team slipped to 8–5 in 1934, but still made the NFL championship game again. Facing the 13–0 Chicago Bears, the Giants came in as huge underdogs, the icy conditions and 9 °F weather led to an adjustment between halves that became a memorable part of National Football League lore. More than seven decades later, the contest is still remembered as the sneakers game, New York appeared in four more season-ending NFL title clashes under Owen, but lost them all. An early World War II Three Stooges short referred to them when Moe sarcastically asked a hulking adversary, Owen was the host of Pro Football Highlights on the DuMont Television Network from 1951 to 1953. After the Giants slipped to 3–8 in 1953, Owen announced his retirement as head coach days before the end of the regular season, ending his 28 years at field level with the Giants. As the final minutes ticked away in his last game as Giant coach and his record as head coach was 150–99–17 and his 150 wins are still the most in franchise history
3.
Tim Mara
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Timothy James Tim Mara was the founder and administrator of the New York Giants of the National Football League. The Giants, under Mara, won NFL championships in 1927,1934,1938, and 1956 and divisional titles in 1933,1935,1939,1941,1944,1946, and 1958. Mara, the son of Elizabeth and John Mara, a policeman, at the age of 13, he quit school in order to find work to support his mother. His first job was as an usher in a theater and he then worked as a newsboy selling newspapers on the streets. This job brought him contact with many of New York’s bookmakers. He soon became a runner for the bookies, earning five percent of the bets he collected, by age 18, he was an established bookmaker himself. In 1925, the NFL was in need of a franchise in a city market that could be used to showcase the league. The NFLs President, Joseph Carr, traveled to New York to offer boxing promoter Billy Gibson a franchise, Gibson, the former owner of the NFLs last New York franchise, the New York Brickley Giants, refused the offer. However he referred Carr to his friend Tim Mara, while Mara did not know much about football, Maras friend, Dr. Harry March, did. This backing led Mara to purchase the NFL franchise for New York at a cost of $500, $500 then is worth about $12,458.00 in 2013. Mara and March, even signed Jim Thorpe to play several games in order to boost attendance. However many of the New York sports fans still took to college football, during the Giants first season, attendance was so poor that Mara lost over $40,000. To tap into New Yorks college football fans, Mara tried to sign ex-college football superstar Red Grange only to find that he already was a member of the Chicago Bears. However still looking for a way to cash in on Granges popularity, the gate receipts totalled $143,000 for that one game against Grange and the Bears, and Mara recovered all of his losses for the 1925 season. In 1926, Grange and his manager, C. C, Pyle, formed the first American Football League with a New York franchise named the Yankees to compete with the Giants. New Yorks coach Bob Folwell and star tackle, Century Milstead and this led Mara to increase the salaries of all his players by $50 a game to prevent them from leaving the Giants, too. He also signed many players to full-season contracts, Mara suffered $60,000 in financial losses that season. However all but four of the AFL franchises finished the 1926 season, Mara then challenged the AFL champion Philadelphia Quakers to a game and they accepted
4.
Polo Grounds
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The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963. The third Polo Grounds, built in 1890 and renovated after a fire in 1911, is the one generally indicated when the Polo Grounds is referenced. It was located in Coogans Hollow and was noted for its distinctive shape, very short distances to the left and right field walls. As the name suggests, the original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876, in baseball, the original Polo Grounds was home to the New York Metropolitans from 1880 until 1885, and the New York Giants from 1883 until 1888. The Giants played in the second Polo Grounds for part of the 1889 season and all of the 1890 season, and at the third and fourth Polo Grounds from 1891 through 1957. The Polo Grounds was also the field of the New York Yankees from 1913 until 1922. It hosted the 1934 and 1942 Major League Baseball All-Star Games, in football, the third Polo Grounds was home to the New York Brickley Giants for one game in 1921 and the New York Giants from 1925 to 1955. The New York Jets of the American Football League played at the stadium from the inaugural season of 1960 through 1963. Other sporting events held at the Polo Grounds included soccer, boxing, the last sporting event at the Polo Grounds was a football game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills on December 14,1963. Shea Stadium opened in 1964 and replaced the Polo Grounds as the home of the Mets and Jets, the Polo Grounds was demolished over a period of four months that year and a public housing complex, known as the Polo Grounds Towers, was built on the site. The original Polo Grounds stood at 110th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, directly across 110th Street from the northeast corner of Central Park. The venues original purpose was for the sport of polo, and its name was merely descriptive, not a formal name. For this purpose the ownership built a second diamond and grandstand at the park, dividing it into eastern and western fields for use by the Giants and Metropolitans respectively. Polo Grounds I thus hosted its first Major League Baseball games in 1883 as the stadium of two teams, the American Association Metropolitans and the National League Gothams. George Cricket Grounds on Staten Island in 1886, the original Polo Grounds was used not only for Polo and professional baseball, but often for college baseball and football as well—even by teams outside New York. The earliest known surviving image of the field is an engraving of a game between Yale University and Princeton University on Decoration Day, May 30,1882. Yale and Harvard also played their traditional Thanksgiving Day game there on November 29,1883, New York City was in the process of extending its street grid into uptown Manhattan in 1889. Plans for an extended West 111th Street ran through the Polo Grounds, City workers are said to have shown up suddenly one day and begun cutting through the fence to lay out the new street
5.
New York Giants
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The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference East division. The team plays its games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants hold their training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925 and their championship tally is surpassed only by the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Throughout their history, the Giants have featured 28 Hall of Fame players, including NFL Most Valuable Player award winners Mel Hein, Frank Gifford, Y. A. Tittle, and Lawrence Taylor. The teams heated rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933, the Giants played their first game as an away game against All New Britain in New Britain, Connecticut, on October 4,1925. They defeated New Britain 26–0 in front of a crowd of 10,000, the Giants were successful in their first season, finishing with an 8–4 record. In its third season, the finished with the best record in the league at 11–1–1 and was awarded the NFL title. In 1930, there were many who questioned the quality of the professional game. In December 1930, the Giants played a team of Notre Dame All Stars at the Polo Grounds to raise money for the unemployed of New York City and it was also an opportunity to establish the skill and prestige of the pro game. Knute Rockne reassembled his Four Horsemen along with the stars of his 1924 Championship squad and told them to score early, Rockne, like much of the public, thought little of pro football and expected an easy win. But from the beginning it was a one-way contest, with Friedman running for two Giant touchdowns and Hap Moran passing for another, when it was all over, Coach Rockne told his team, That was the greatest football machine I ever saw. I am glad none of you got hurt, the game raised $100,000 for the homeless, and is often credited with establishing the legitimacy of the professional game for those who were critical. It also was the last game the legendary Rockne ever coached, in a 14-year span from 1933 to 1947, the Giants qualified to play in the NFL championship game 8 times, winning twice. During this period the Giants were led by Hall of Fame coach Steve Owen, the period also featured the 1944 Giants, which are ranked as the #1 defensive team in NFL history. a truly awesome unit. They gave up only 7.5 points per game and shut out five of their 10 opponents, though they lost 14-7 to the Green Bay Packers in the 1944 NFL Championship Game. The famous Sneakers Game was played in this era where the Giants defeated the Chicago Bears on an icy field in the 1934 NFL Championship Game, the Giants played the Detroit Lions to a scoreless tie on November 7,1943
6.
National Football League
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The National Football League is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. The NFL is one of the four professional sports leagues in North America. The NFLs 17-week regular season runs from the week after Labor Day to the week after Christmas, with each team playing 16 games, the NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season, the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. S. The NFLs executive officer is the commissioner, who has authority in governing the league. The team with the most NFL championships is the Green Bay Packers with thirteen, the current NFL champions are the New England Patriots, who defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34–28 in Super Bowl LI. Another meeting held on September 17,1920 resulted in the renaming of the league to the American Professional Football Association, the league hired Jim Thorpe as its first president, and consisted of 14 teams. Only two of these teams, the Decatur Staleys and the Chicago Cardinals, remain, the first event occurred on September 26,1920 when the Rock Island Independents defeated the non-league St. Paul Ideals 48–0 at Douglas Park. On October 3,1920, the first full week of league play occurred, the following season resulted in the Chicago Staleys controversially winning the title over the Buffalo All-Americans. In 1922, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League, in 1932, the season ended with the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans tied for first in the league standings. This method had used since the leagues creation in 1920. The league quickly determined that a game between Chicago and Portsmouth was needed to decide the leagues champion. Playing with altered rules to accommodate the playing field, the Bears won the game 9–0. Fan interest in the de facto championship game led the NFL, beginning in 1933, the 1934 season also marked the first of 12 seasons in which African Americans were absent from the league. The de facto ban was rescinded in 1946, following public pressure, the NFL was always the foremost professional football league in the United States, it nevertheless faced a large number of rival professional leagues through the 1930s and 1940s. Rival leagues included at least three separate American Football Leagues and the All-America Football Conference, on top of regional leagues of varying caliber. Three NFL teams trace their histories to these leagues, including the Los Angeles Rams
7.
Los Angeles Rams
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The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team that play in the National Football League. The Rams franchise was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in the short-lived second American Football League before joining the NFL the next year, in 1946, the franchise moved to Los Angeles. The Rams franchise remained in the area until 1994, when they moved to St. Louis. The Rams franchise returned to Los Angeles in 2016, Reeves threatened to end his relationship with the NFL and get out of the professional football business altogether unless the Rams transfer to Los Angeles was permitted. A settlement was reached and, as a result, Reeves was allowed to move his team to Los Angeles, consequently, the NFL became the first professional coast-to-coast sports entertainment industry. From 1933, when Joe Lillard left the Chicago Cardinals, through 1946, after the Rams had received approval to move to Los Angeles, the Rams entered into negotiations to lease the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Rams were advised that a precondition to them getting a lease was that they would have to integrate the team with at least one African-American, subsequently, the Rams signed Kenny Washington on March 21,1946. The signing of Washington caused all hell to break loose among the owners of the NFL franchises, the Rams added a second black player, Woody Strode, on May 7,1946, giving them two black players going into the 1946 season. The Rams were the first team in the NFL to play in Los Angeles, the upstart All-America Football Conference had the Los Angeles Dons compete there as well. Reeves was taking a gamble that Los Angeles was ready for its own football team –. Reeves was proved to be correct when the Rams played their first pre-season game against the Washington Redskins in front of a crowd of 95,000 fans, the team finished their first season in L. A. with a 6–4–1 record, second place behind the Chicago Bears. At the end of the season Walsh was fired as head coach, the Coliseum would be the home of the Rams for more than 30 years, but the facility was already over 20 years old on the day of the first kickoff. In 1948, halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Rams helmets, Kelley had an early evening talk show on L. A. radio station KMPC, that was considered by most sports enthusiasts as highly entertaining. Kelley was generally considered a Legend and a professional, one of the great radio. At the beginning of the 1951 World Championship game after the kickoff, Kelley was able to cite every player on the prior to the first snap from scrimmage. The Rams first heyday in Southern California was from 1949 to 1955, during this period, they had the best offense in the NFL, even though there was a quarterback change from Bob Waterfield to Norm Van Brocklin in 1951. The defining Offensive players of this period were wide receiver Elroy Hirsch, Van Brocklin, teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Tom Fears, Hirsch helped create the style of Rams football as one of the first big play receivers. During the 1951 Championship season, Hirsch posted a then stunning 1,495 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns, the popularity of this wide-open offense enabled the Los Angeles Rams to become the first pro football team to have all their games televised in 1950
8.
Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers compete in the National Football League, as a club of the leagues American Football Conference North division. Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC, Pittsburgh has won more Super Bowl titles and hosted more conference championship games than any other NFL team. The Steelers have won 8 AFC championships, tied with the Denver Broncos and they share the record for most conference championship games played in with the San Francisco 49ers. The Steelers share the record for second most Super Bowl appearances with the Broncos, and Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers lost their most recent championship appearance, Super Bowl XLV, on February 6,2011. The Steelers were founded as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8,1933, by Art Rooney, taking its name from the baseball team of the same name. The ownership of the Steelers has remained within the Rooney family since its founding, the current owner is Arts son, Dan Rooney, who has given much control of the franchise to his son Art Rooney II. The Steelers enjoy a large, widespread fanbase nicknamed Steeler Nation, the Steelers currently play their home games at Heinz Field on Pittsburghs North Side in the North Shore neighborhood, which also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Built in 2001, the stadium replaced Three Rivers Stadium which hosted the Steelers for 31 seasons, prior to Three Rivers, the Steelers had played their games in Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL first took to the field as the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20,1933, through the 1930s, the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than.500. Prior to the 1940 season, the Pirates renamed themselves the Steelers, during World War II, the Steelers experienced player shortages. They twice merged with other NFL franchises to field a team, during the 1943 season, they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles forming the Phil-Pitt Eagles and were known as the Steagles. In 1944, they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as Card-Pitt and this team finished 0–10, marking the only winless team in franchise history. The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in 1947 and this forced a tie-breaking playoff game at Forbes Field, which the Steelers lost 21–0. The Steelers also received a $3 million relocation fee, which was a windfall for them, the Steelers history of bad luck changed with the hiring of coach Chuck Noll for the 1969 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers 1974 draft was their best ever, no team has ever drafted four future Hall of Famers in one year. They also enjoyed a regular season streak of 49 consecutive wins against teams that would finish with a record that year. The Steelers suffered a rash of injuries in the 1980 season, the 1981 season was no better, with an 8–8 showing
9.
Washington Redskins
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The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Redskins compete in the National Football League as a member of the National Football Conference East division. The Redskins have played more than 1,000 games since 1932, the Redskins have won five NFL Championships. The franchise has captured 14 NFL divisional titles and six NFL conference championships, the Redskins were the first team in the NFL with an official marching band, and also the first team to have a fight song, Hail to the Redskins. The team began play as the Boston Braves in 1932, based in Boston, before relocating to Washington, the Redskins won the 1937 and 1942 Championship games, as well as Super Bowls XVII, XXII, and XXVI. They also played in, and lost, the 1936,1940,1943 and they have made 24 postseason appearances, and have an overall postseason record of 23–18. All of the Redskins league titles were attained during two 10-year spans, from 1936 to 1945, the Redskins went to the NFL Championship six times, winning two of them. The second period lasted between 1982 and 1991 where the Redskins appeared in the seven times, captured four Conference titles. The Redskins have also experienced failure in their history, the most notable period of general failure was from 1946 to 1970, during which the Redskins posted only four winning seasons and did not have a single postseason appearance. During this period, the Redskins went without a winning season during the years 1956–1968. In 1961, the franchise posted their worst regular season record with a 1–12–1 showing, since 1992, the Redskins have only won the NFC East three times, made five postseason appearances, and had nine seasons with a winning record.85 billion. They also set the NFL record for attendance in 2007. The team name and logo have been the subject of controversy, with lawsuits being filed by Native American groups who consider the team name, polls conducted in the 2010s have shown a lack of major support among fans for a name change. The team originated as the Boston Braves, based in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1932, at the time the team played in Braves Field, home of the Boston Braves baseball team. The following year the club moved to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, to round out the change, Marshall hired William Lone Star Dietz, who was part Sioux, as the teams head coach. However, Boston wasnt much of a town at the time. The Redskins relocated to Washington, D. C. in 1937, in their early years in Washington, the Redskins shared Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators baseball team. The Redskins played and won their first game in Washington, D. C. on September 16,1937, on December 5,1937, they earned their first division title in Washington against the Giants, 49–14, for the Eastern Championship
10.
History of the Chicago Cardinals
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The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois. This article chronicles the history during their time as the Chicago Cardinals from 1920 to 1959. In 1898, Chicago painting and building contractor Chris OBrien established an amateur Chicago-based athletic club football team named the Morgan Athletic Club, OBrien later moved them to Chicagos Normal Park and renamed them the Racine Normals, since Normal Park was located on Racine Avenue in Chicago. In 1901, OBrien bought used maroon uniforms from the University of Chicago and it was then that the team changed its name to the Racine Cardinals. The original Racine Cardinals team disbanded in 1906 mostly for lack of local competition, a professional team under the same name formed in 1913, claiming the previous team as part of their history. As was the case for most professional teams in 1918, the team was forced to suspend operations for a second time due to World War I. They resumed operations later in the year, and have operated continuously. At the time of the founding of the modern National Football League, in 1920, the team became a charter member of the American Professional Football Association, for a franchise fee of $100. The person keeping the minutes of the first league meeting, unfamiliar with the nuances of Chicago football, recorded the Cardinals as from Racine, the team was renamed the Chicago Cardinals in 1922 after a team actually from Racine, Wisconsin entered the league. That season the team moved to Comiskey Park, the Staleys and Cardinals played each other twice in 1920 as the Racine Cardinals and the Decatur Staleys, making their rivalry the oldest in the NFL. They split the series, with the team winning in each. In the Cardinals 7-6 victory over the Staleys in their first meeting of the season, each scored a TD on a fumble recovery. The Cardinals defeat of the Staleys proved critical, since George Halass Staleys went on to a 10-1-2 record overall, 5-1-2 in league play. The Akron Pros were the first ever champions, they finished with an 8-0-3 record, 6-0-3 in league play. Since the Pros merely had to tie the game in order to win the title, had the Staleys not lost to the Cardinals, they would have gone into that fateful game with an 11-0-1 record, 6-0-1 in league play. As it was, it all but assured that the Staleys/Bears, in 1922, the Staleys, now renamed the Bears, went 9-3-0, losing to the Cardinals twice. The Bears still edged the Cardinals for 2nd place in the league, in 1923 and 1924, the Bears got the better of the Cardinals all three times the two teams played. But in 1925, the Bears went 0-1-1 against the Cardinals with the tie meaning the Cardinals were only a ½ game in front of the Pottsville Maroons heading into their fateful 1925 showdown
11.
Cleveland Browns
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The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns compete in the National Football League as a club of the American Football Conference North division. The Browns play their games at FirstEnergy Stadium, which opened in 1999, with administrative offices and training facilities in Berea. The Browns official colors are brown, orange and white and they are unique among the 32 member franchises of the NFL in that they do not have a logo on their helmets and are the only team named after a specific person, original coach Paul Brown. The franchise was founded in 1945 by businessman Arthur B, McBride and coach Paul Brown as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference. The Browns dominated the AAFC, compiling a 47–4–3 record in the four active seasons. When the AAFC folded after the 1949 season, the Browns joined the National Football League along with the San Francisco 49ers, from 1965 to 1995, they made the playoffs 14 times, but did not win another championship or appear in the Super Bowl in that period. In 1995, owner Art Modell, who had purchased the Browns in 1961, announced plans to move the team to Baltimore, Maryland. The Browns intellectual property, including name, logos, training facility, and history, were kept in trust. A new team would be established by 1999 either by expansion or relocation, the Browns were announced as an expansion team in 1998 and resumed play in 1999. Since resuming operations in 1999, the Browns have struggled to find success and they have had only two winning seasons, one playoff appearance, and no playoff wins. The franchise has also noted for a lack of stability with quarterbacks. To date, the Browns overall win-loss record since 1999 is 88–200, the Browns origins date to 1944, when taxicab magnate Arthur B. Mickey McBride secured the rights to a Cleveland franchise in the newly formed All-America Football Conference. S, early in 1945, McBride named 36-year-old Ohio State Buckeyes coach Paul Brown as the teams head coach and general manager and gave him a share in its profits. The move surprised and upset Buckeye fans, who had hoped he would resume his successful run at the school after the war, the name of the team was at first left up to Paul Brown, who rejected calls for it to be christened the Browns. The franchise and the Cleveland Plain Dealer then held a naming contest to publicize the team, in June 1945, a committee selected Panthers as the new teams name, named after a failed American Football League franchise in Cleveland which only lasted a single season in 1926. It is unclear whether Panthers was the highest vote-getter, or if it was second-highest behind Browns, however, the owner of the failed AFL Panthers franchise, General C. X. Zimmerman, indicated that he owned the name Cleveland Panthers, at this point, Paul Brown bowed to popular sentiment and agreed to the Browns name
12.
Philadelphia Eagles
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The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football franchise based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference East division. The franchise was established in 1933 as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets, when a group led by Bert Bell secured the rights to an NFL franchise in Philadelphia. Bell, Chuck Bednarik, Bob Brown, Reggie White, Steve Van Buren, Tommy McDonald, Greasy Neale, Pete Pihos, Sonny Jurgensen, the team has an intense rivalry with the New York Giants. This rivalry is the oldest in the NFC East and is among the oldest in the NFL and they also have a historic rivalry with the Washington Redskins, as well as their bitter rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys, which has become more high-profile in the last three decades. The team consistently ranks in the top three in attendance and has sold out every game since the 1999 season, in a Sports Illustrated poll of 321 NFL players, Eagles fans were selected the most intimidating fans in the NFL. Midway through the 1931 season, the Frankford Yellow Jackets went bankrupt, the Bell-Wray group had to pay an entry fee of $3,500 and assumed a total debt of $11,000 that was owed to three other NFL franchises. Neither the Eagles nor the NFL officially regard the two franchises as the same, citing the period of dormancy. Furthermore, almost no Yellow Jackets players were on the Eagles first roster, the Eagles, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the now-defunct Cincinnati Reds, joined the NFL as expansion teams. To accommodate football at Shibe Park during the winter, management set up stands in right field, some 20 feet high, these east stands had 22 rows of seats. The goalposts stood along the first base line and in left field, the uncovered east stands enlarged capacity of Shibe Park to over 39,000, but the Eagles rarely drew more than 25 to 30,000. The Eagles struggled over the course of their first decade, enduring repeated losing seasons, soon after, Bell and Rooney traded the Eagles franchise to Thompson and moved it to Pittsburgh, while Thompson moved the Steelers franchise to Philadelphia. By the late 1940s, head coach Earle Greasy Neale and running back Steve Van Buren led the team to three consecutive NFL Championship Games, winning two of them in 1948 and 1949. After the 1957 season, the Eagles moved from Connie Mack Stadium to Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania, Franklin Field would seat over 60,000 for the Eagles, whereas Connie Mack had a capacity of 39,000. The stadium switched from grass to AstroTurf in 1969 and it was the first NFL stadium to use artificial turf. In 1960, the Eagles won their third NFL championship, under the leadership of future Pro Football Hall of Famers Norm Van Brocklin and Chuck Bednarik, the head coach was Buck Shaw. The 1960 Eagles, by a score of 17–13, became the team to defeat Vince Lombardi. The Eagles had a good 1961 season and then fell on hard times in 1962
13.
Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference North division. The team plays its games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and called the Portsmouth Spartans, despite success within the NFL, they could not survive in Portsmouth, then the NFLs smallest city. The team was purchased and relocated to Detroit for the 1934 season and they are one of four current teams and the only NFC team to have not yet played in the Super Bowl. Aside from a change to maroon in 1948 instituted by then head coach Bo McMillin. The design consists of silver helmets, silver pants, and either blue or white jerseys, the shade of blue used for Lions uniforms and logos is officially known as Honolulu blue, which is supposedly inspired by the color of the waves off the coast of Hawaii. The shade was chosen by Cy Huston in 1935, houston, the Lions first vice president and general manager, said of the choice, They had me looking at so many blues I am blue in the face, Huston said about the selection. But anyway, its the kind of blue, I am told, there have been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the silver stripe patterns on the jersey sleeves, and changing the colors of the jersey numbers. White trim was added to the logo in 1970, in 1998, the team wore blue pants with their white jerseys along with grey socks but dropped that combination after the season. In 1999, the TV numbers on the sleeves were moved to the shoulders, in 1994, every NFL team wore throwback jerseys, and the Lions were similar to the jerseys used during their 1935 championship season. The helmets and pants were silver, the jerseys Honolulu blue with silver numbers. The team wore solid blue socks along with black shoes, the helmets also did not have a logo, as helmets were simple leather back then. The Lions also wore 50s-style jerseys during their traditional Thanksgiving Day games from 2001 to 2004 as the NFL encouraged teams to wear throwback jerseys on Thanksgiving Day, in 2003, the team added black trim to their logo and the jerseys. The face masks on the changed from blue to black with the introduction of the new color. Additionally, a home field jersey which makes black the dominant color was introduced in 2005. For 2008, the dropped the black alternate jerseys in favor of a throwback uniform to commemorate the franchises 75th anniversary. The throwback uniform became the teams permanent alternate jersey in 2009, the Lions officially unveiled new logo designs and uniforms on April 20,2009
14.
Vince Lombardi
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Vincent Thomas Vince Lombardi was an American football player, coach, and executive in the National Football League. The NFLs Super Bowl trophy is named in his honor and he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, the year after his death. Lombardi, while considered by many to be the greatest coach in history, is more significantly recognized as one of the greatest coaches. Lombardi began his career as an assistant and later as a head coach at St. Cecilia High School in Englewood. Lombardi was born on June 11,1913 in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn to Enrico Harry Lombardi, Harrys mother and father, Vincenzo and Michelina, emigrated from Salerno, Italy. Matties father and mother, Anthony and Loretta, emigrated from Vietri di Potenza, Harry had three siblings and Matilda had twelve. Vince would be the oldest of five children, Madeleine, Harold, Claire, the entire Lombardi and Izzo clan settled in Sheepshead Bay. Matildas father, Anthony, opened up a shop in Sheepshead Bay before the turn of the century. At about the time of Lombardis birth, Harry, and his brother, Eddie, throughout the Great Depression, Harrys shop did well and his family prospered. Lombardi grew up in a diverse, middle-class neighborhood. Church attendance was mandatory for the Lombardis on Sundays, Mass would be followed with an equally compulsory few hours of dinner with friends, extended family members, and local clergy. He was a boy at St. Outside of their neighborhood, the Lombardi children were subject to the rampant discrimination that existed at the time against Italian immigrants. As a child, Lombardi helped his father at his meat cutting business, at the age of 12 he started playing in an uncoached but organized football league in Sheepshead Bay. Lombardi graduated from the grade at P. S. He then matriculated with the Cathedral Preparatory Seminary a part of Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Brooklyn, at Cathedral, he played on the schools baseball and basketball teams, but his performance was hindered by his poor athleticism and eyesight. Against school rules, he continued to play football off-campus throughout his studies at Cathedral, after completing four years at Cathedral he decided not to pursue the priesthood. He enrolled at St. Francis Preparatory high school for the fall of 1932, there he became a Charter Member of Omega Gamma Delta fraternity
15.
Wellington Mara
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Wellington Timothy Mara was the co-owner of the New York Giants of the National Football League from 1959 until his death, and one of the most influential and iconic figures in the history of the NFL. He was the son of Tim Mara, who founded the Giants in 1925. Wellington was a boy for that year. Mara was born in Rochester, New York, the son of Elizabeth Lizette, a homemaker, Mara was an alumnus of Loyola School and Fordham University, both New York City Jesuit schools. In 1930, Timothy James Mara split his ownership interests between Wellington and his older brother Jack, soon after graduating from Fordham University, Wellington moved into the Giants front office as team treasurer and assistant to his father. He became the secretary in 1940. After fighting in World War II, he returned to the Giants as team vice president, when Jack, who had been president since 1941, died in 1965, Wellington became team president. For his first 37 years in the organization, he handled the franchises football decisions, however, his growing involvement in league affairs led him to turn over most of his day-to-day responsibilities to operations director Andy Robustelli in 1974. He didnt relinquish full control over the side of the operation until 1979. The Giants were hamstrung for several years by a relationship between Wellington and his nephew, Tim J. Mara, who inherited Jacks stake in the team upon Jacks death. By the 1970s, they almost never spoke to other. The Maras continued to close control over the Giants day-to-day operations long after most other owners had delegated such authority. Under Maras direction the New York Football Giants won six NFL titles, nine conference championships, the Giants have also accumulated the third highest number of victories in National Football League history. Mara was also liked by the Giants players, and was known to stick by them even when they struggled with off-the-field problems. Taylor has since lived a life style and credits Mara with helping him fight his addiction. The Wilson football used in NFL games prior to the AFL merger was nicknamed THE DUKE after Mara, for the 2006 season and beyond, a new version of THE DUKE has been used in NFL games. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997, Mara was married to Ann Mara. His granddaughters include actresses Kate Mara and Rooney Mara, in 2012, Mara was elected into the New Jersey Hall of Fame
16.
Fordham University
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Fordham University is a private, independent research university in New York City, founded by the Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841. It is the oldest Catholic institution of education in the northeastern United States. The colleges first president, John McCloskey, was also the first Catholic cardinal in the United States, after merging with Thomas More College in 1974, Fordham became a coeducational institution. Fordhams Bronx campus features some of the earliest examples of gothic architecture in North America. In addition to masters and doctoral degrees, Fordham awards the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science. In addition to locations, the university maintains a study abroad center in the United Kingdom and field offices in Spain. Fordhams notable alumni and faculty include numerous U. S, vice Chief of Staff of the Army, a U. S. Postmaster General, a U. S. Attorney General, a U. S, vice Presidential candidate, and a President of the United States. Fordham University has produced at least 119 Fulbright Scholars since 2003, Fordham was founded as St. Johns College in 1841 by the Irish-born coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of New York, the Most Reverend John J. Hughes. The college was the first Catholic institution of education in the northeastern United States. Rose Hill was the originally given to the site in 1787 by its owner, Robert Watts. The seminary was paired with St. Johns College, which opened at Rose Hill with a student body of six on June 21,1841, the Reverend John McCloskey was the schools first president, and the faculty were secular priests and lay instructors. In 1845, the church, Our Lady of Mercy, was built. The same year, Bishop Hughes convinced several Jesuit priests from the St. Marys Colleges in Maryland, in 1846, the college received its charter from the New York State Legislature, and roughly three months later, the first Jesuits began to arrive. Bishop Hughes deeded the college over but retained title to the seminary property, in 1847, Fordhams first school in Manhattan opened. The school became the independently chartered College of St. Francis Xavier in 1861 and it was also in 1847 that the American poet Edgar Allan Poe arrived in the village of Fordham and began a friendship with the college Jesuits that would last throughout his life. In 1849, he published his famed work The Bells, some traditions credit the colleges church bells as the inspiration for this poem. Poe also spent considerable time in the Fordham Library, and even stayed overnight
17.
Red Blaik
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Earl Henry Red Blaik was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and United States Army officer. He served as the football coach at Dartmouth College from 1934 to 1940 and at the United States Military Academy from 1941 to 1958. His Army football teams won three national championships in 1944,1945 and 1946. Blaik was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1964, Blaik was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of William Blaik, a blacksmith and carriage maker who emigrated from Glasgow, Scotland in 1883. In 1901 the family moved to Dayton, Ohio, where his father became a contractor, following his graduation in 1920, Blaik served in the United States Cavalry for two years. After his military service, Blaik married and worked in the business with his father. During the 1924 and 1925 seasons, Blaik worked as a assistant coach for Miami University. For a few months in 1926, he accepted a position on the staff of University of Wisconsin–Madison head football coach George Little. In 1927, Blaik became a coach at the United States Military Academy until 1930 when he was accepted on the staff as a full-time assistant coach. In 1934, Blaik was hired as football coach at Dartmouth College. At Dartmouth he coached for seven seasons and compiled a record of 45–16–4 and he coached one Hall of Fame player at Dartmouth, Bob MacLeod. In 1941, Blaik was tapped to be head coach for the United States Military Academy. The latter was a condition Blaik made as a requirement for him to accept the position, the United States Naval Academy did not have the same restrictions and the Army surgeon general was persuaded to drop the requirement for football players. At West Point, Blaik coached for 18 seasons compiling a 121–32–10 record, in 1946, Blaik was selected as the AFCA Coach of the Year. In 1948, he one of the first college coaches to implement a two-platoon system. Blaik was also one of the first coaches to analyze the game play-by-play, charting a team’s tendencies on every down with the use of game film. During his tenure at West Point, Blaik coached three Heisman trophy winners, Doc Blanchard in 1945, Glenn Davis in 1946 and Pete Dawkins in 1958, legendary fighter pilot Colonel Robin Olds also served as an assistant coach to Blaik. Dietzel, while at LSU, and Murray Warmath, while at Minnesota, gillman, while head coach of the San Diego Chargers won an AFL championship
18.
Murray Warmath
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Murray Warmath was an American football player and coach. He served as the football coach at Mississippi State University from 1952 to 1953 and at the University of Minnesota from 1954 to 1971. In 1960, Warmath led the Minnesota Golden Gophers to a share of the Big Ten Conference title, an appearance in the Rose Bowl, and a national championship, the following season, Minnesota placed second in the Big Ten Conference and returned to the Rose Bowl. Warmaths 1967 squad captured a share of a second Big Ten championship, Warmath played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under legendary coach Robert Neyland. After graduation from college, Warmath was the coach for one season. Warmath then spent two seasons as coach at Mississippi State University before resigning at the end of the 1953 season to take the Minnesota job. After coming to Minnesota, Warmath had immediate success, leading the Gophers to a 7–2 record in his first season, while at Minnesota, Warmath became one of the most successful coaches in Gophers history, leading the team to two Big Ten titles and two Rose Bowls. Warmath is the last Gophers coach to win a national championship, while coach, Warmath became known as a catalyst for social change, as he was one of the first major college coaches to take multiple black athletes in a single recruiting class. Quarterback Sandy Stephens, who was installed as the quarterback as a sophomore in 1959, was the first black All-American quarterback. With the national exposure of his appearances, Warmath was able to recruit other top black athletes including future NFL stars Bobby Bell, Carl Eller. Following the 1971 season, Cal Stoll was hired as coach of the Gophers, Warmath stayed in that role until 1978 when he took a job with the Minnesota Vikings as an assistant coach, a position he held for two seasons before becoming a regional scout for the team. In 18 seasons at Minnesota, Warmaths teams amassed an 87–78–7 record and he compiled a career record of 97–84–10. In 1992, Warmath worked with author Mike Wilkinson to publish a biography entitled The Autumn Warrior in which he recounts his 65-year association with football. Warmath remained in Minnesota after he retired from coaching and made public appearances well into his 90s, the Gophers locker room at Minnesotas TCF Bank Stadium, which opened in 2009, is named after Warmath. Warmath died on March 16,2011 at the retirement community in Bloomington, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton declared March 21,2011, the date of his funeral at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Edina, Minnesota, Murray Warmath Day. List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association Murray Warmath at the College Football Data Warehouse Murray Warmath at Find a Grave
19.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
20.
East Rutherford, New Jersey
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East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is an suburb of New York City, located 7 miles west of Midtown Manhattan. Under the terms of an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 17,1889, the new township took its name from a spring in the community. On March 28,1894, the Borough of East Rutherford was created, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day, while there was no change in its borders, the name and form of government were changed. The borough was the second formed during the Boroughitis phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, East Rutherford is the home of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which includes Meadowlands Arena and MetLife Stadium, and was previously the location of Giants Stadium. MetLife Stadium is home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and hosted Super Bowl XLVIII, Giants Stadium, which hosted the Giants and Jets until 2009, was also the original home of the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. East Rutherford is the municipality with fewer than 10,000 residents to have been home to five professional sports teams simultaneously. The borough is the site of the American Dream Meadowlands project, if it were to be completed it would be the second largest mall in the state behind the Westfield Garden State Plaza. According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had an area of 4.052 square miles. The Passaic River is the boundary, and the Hackensack River is the eastern boundary. The area in which East Rutherford is located is the valley of the Passaic, carlton Hill is an unincorporated community located within the township. As of the census of 2010, there were 8,913 people,3,792 households, the population density was 2,403.2 per square mile. There were 4,018 housing units at a density of 1,083.4 per square mile. [[Hispanic |Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17. 54% of the population,33. 5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11. 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the family size was 3.06. In the borough, the population was out with 18. 1% under the age of 18,8. 6% from 18 to 24,33. 2% from 25 to 44,26. 6% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37.8 years, for every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 92.5 males, the Census Bureaus 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $62,471 and the median family income was $71,357
21.
History of the New York Giants
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The New York Giants, an American football team which currently plays in the National Football Leagues National Football Conference, has a history dating back more than 80 seasons. The Giants were founded in 1925 by Tim Mara in the then five-year-old NFL, Mara owned the team until his death in 1959, when it was passed on to his sons, Wellington and Jack. During their history, the Giants have won eight NFL championships, in just its third season, the team finished with the best record in the league at 11–1–1 and was awarded the NFL title. In a 14-year span beginning in 1933, New York qualified to play in the NFL championship game eight times, winning twice. They did not win another championship until 1956, aided by several future Hall of Fame players such as running back Frank Gifford, linebacker Sam Huff, from 1958 to 1963, the Giants played in the NFL championship game five times, but failed to win. The 1958 NFL Championship game, in which they lost 23–17 in overtime to the Baltimore Colts, is credited with increasing the popularity of the NFL in the United States, the Giants registered just two winning seasons from 1964 to 1980 and were unable to advance to the playoffs. From 1981 to 1990, the qualified for the postseason seven times and won Super Bowls XXI. The teams success during the 1980s was aided by head coach Bill Parcells, quarterback Phil Simms and Hall of Fame linebackers Lawrence Taylor, New York struggled throughout much of the 1990s as Parcells left the team, and players such as Simms and Taylor declined and eventually retired. They returned to the Super Bowl in 2000, but lost to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV, the Giants upset the heavily favored New England Patriots in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. Season by season timeline of the New York Giants franchise including the name, changes of Home Field, Postseason Championships Seasons. The Giants were founded in 1925 by original owner Tim Mara with an investment of $500, legally named New York Football Giants to distinguish themselves from the baseball team of the same name, they became one of the first teams in the then five-year-old National Football League. In 1919, Charles Stoneham, the owner of the New York Giants baseball team, had organized and promoted a professional team to be called the New York Giants. The team folded before its first game, the New York Football Giants played their first game against All New Britain in New Britain, Connecticut on October 5,1925. Although the Giants were successful on the field in their first season, going 8–4, overshadowed by baseball, boxing, and college football, professional football was not a popular sport in 1925. They were in financial straits until the eleventh game of the season, when Red Grange. This gave the Giants a much needed influx of revenue, New York finished 11–1–1 in 1927. Their league-best defense posted 10 shutouts in 13 games, New coach Earl Potteiger led the team into a late-season game against Chicago with first place on the line. New York won 13–7 in what lineman Steve Owen called the toughest, roughest football game I ever played, then they won their final two regular season games to secure their first championship
22.
Financial history of the New York Giants
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The New York Giants, an American football team which plays in the National Football League, have had a long, and at times turbulent financial history. The Giants were founded in 1925 by businessman and bookmaker Tim Mara with an investment of 500 US$, Mara passed ownership of the team on to his sons Wellington and Jack after the 1929 Stock Market Crash to insulate the team from creditors. At first the Mara sons owned the team in name only, Tim Mara remained involved in the teams operations until his death in 1959, when his sons assumed full control of the club. After Jacks passing in 1965, his son, Tim, took over his share of the team, although the Giants were successful on the field in their initial seasons, they struggled financially. A key event in history occurred in the 11th game of the Giants inaugural season. The Chicago Bears, led by running back Red Grange, came to town attracting a then pro football record 73,000 fans. The following year, Grange and his agent formed a league and stationed a competing team, led by Grange. Though the Giants lost $50,000 that season, the league folded and was subsumed into the NFL. After these initial struggles, the Giants financial status stabilized, by the early 1960s, the Giants had firmly established themselves as one of the leagues biggest attractions. However, rather than continue to receive their share of the league television revenue. Revenue sharing is still practiced in the NFL today, and is credited with strengthening the league. After struggling in the half of the 1960s and the entire 1970s. The Giants on-field product and business aspects improved rapidly following the hiring, in 1990, Jack Maras son, Tim, who was struggling with cancer at the time, sold his half of the team to Bob Tisch. This marked the first time in history the team had not been solely owned by the Mara family. In 2005, Wellington Mara, who had been with the team since its inception in 1925 when he worked as a ball boy and his death was followed two weeks later by the death of Tisch. The Giants are currently owned by the sons of Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch—John K. Mara, an estimate of the franchises current value places it at $1.2 billion. The Giants were founded in 1925 by Tim Mara, a bookmaker, businessman, and promoter, with an investment of US$500 after a meeting with league president Joseph Carr, and Harry March. Carr was sent to the east coast to find someone to put a team in a city there to help the struggling league
23.
Yankee Stadium (1923)
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Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in the Bronx, a borough of New York City. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees, one of the citys Major League Baseball franchises, from 1923 to 1973, the stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the home of the New York Giants football team from 1956 through the first part of the 1973–74 football season. It has also known as The Big Ballpark in The Bronx, The Stadium. The stadium was built from 1922 to 1923 for $2.4 million, Yankee Stadium opened for the 1923 MLB season and at the time, it was hailed as a one-of-a-kind facility in the country for its size. Over the course of its history, it one of the most famous venues in the United States, having hosted a variety of events. The stadium went through many alterations and playing surface configurations over the years, the condition of the facility worsened in the 1960s and 1970s, prompting its closing for renovation from 1974 to 1975. The renovation significantly altered the appearance of the venue and reduced the distance of the outfield fences, in 2006, the Yankees began building a new $2.3 billion stadium in public parkland adjacent to the stadium. The price included $1.2 billion in public subsidies, the design includes a replica of the frieze along the roof that was in Yankee Stadium. Monument Park, a Hall of Fame for prominent former Yankees, was relocated to the new stadium, Yankee Stadium closed following the 2008 baseball season and the new stadium opened in 2009, adopting the Yankee Stadium moniker. The original Yankee Stadium was demolished in 2010, two years after it closed, and the 8-acre site was converted into a park called Heritage Field, the new Yankee stadium opened in 2009 and is currently used by the NY Yankees. The Yankees had played at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan since 1913, however, relations between the two teams were rocky, with the Giants harboring resentment towards the Yankees. For the 1920 season, the Yankees acquired star slugger Babe Ruth and in his first year with his new team, by the middle of 1920, the Giants had issued an eviction notice to the Yankees, which was soon rescinded. In 1921, the Yankees won their first American League pennant and this exacerbated Giants owner Charles Stonehams resentment of the Yankees and reinforced his insistence that the Yankees find another place to play their home games. The Giants derisively suggested that the Yankees relocate to Queens or some other out-of-the-way place, tillinghast LHommedieu Huston and Jacob Ruppert, the Yankees owners since January 1915, decided to build their own stadium. They did so at considerable financial risk and speculation, Baseball teams typically played in 30, 000-seat facilities, but Huston and Ruppert invoked Ruths name when asked how the Yankees could justify a ballpark with 60,000 seats. The total bill for construction of the stadium was $2.5 million, Huston and Ruppert explored many areas for Yankee Stadium. Of the other sites being considered, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, consideration was also given to building atop railroad tracks on the West Side of Manhattan and to Long Island City, in Queens
24.
Yale Bowl
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The Yale Bowl is a football stadium in New Haven, Connecticut on the border of West Haven, about 1.5 miles west of the main campus of Yale University. The home of the Yale Bulldogs football team, it was built in 1913-14 with 70,896 seats, despite the renovations, no stadium in the United States is both older and larger than the Yale Bowl. The Yale Bowl is currently the largest university-owned stadium by capacity in the tier of college football. The Yale Bowl inspired the design and naming of the Rose Bowl, from which is derived the name of college footballs post-season games and the NFLs Super Bowl. In 1973 and 1974, it hosted the New York Giants of the National Football League while Yankee Stadium was being renovated, ground was broken on the stadium in August 1913. Fill excavated from the area was used to build up a berm around the perimeter to create an elliptical bowl. The façade was designed to echo the campuss Neo-Gothic design. It was the first bowl-shaped stadium in the country, and inspired the design of such stadiums as the Rose Bowl, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987 for its role in the history of American football. The Yale Bowls designer, Charles A. Ferry, for unknown reasons not to include locker rooms. Players must dress in the Smilow Field Center and walk 200 yards to the stadium, when the New York Giants of the National Football League played at the Yale Bowl in 1973 and 1974, its players disliked the arrangement, but Yale players reportedly enjoy the walk. Fans cheer for the team as it marches to the stadium while the Yale Band plays, by the 21st century, many of the outside retaining walls and portal entries were deteriorating. In the spring and summer of 2006, the received a partial renovation. A previous scoreboard was added in 1958 and replaced during the 2006 renovations, during the 1970s, the Bowl hosted several concerts. The Grateful Dead played a show here on July 31,1971. A1980 concert featuring the Eagles, Heart, and The Little River Band on June 14 proved to be the finale for the venue, as opposition from neighbors became increasingly vehement. A picture from this show can be seen in packaging of the vinyl edition of the Eagles double live album, issued later that year. A planned Paul McCartney concert was scheduled for June 1990, but because of opposition the New Haven show was cancelled. The stadium has hosted many matches over the years and served as home field for the Connecticut Bicentennials of the North American Soccer League during the 1976 and 1977 seasons
25.
Shea Stadium
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Shea Stadium /ˈʃeɪ/) was a stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City. Built as a stadium, it was the home park of Major League Baseballs New York Mets from 1964 to 2008. Shea Stadium was named in honor of William A. Shea and it was demolished in 2009 to create additional parking for the adjacent Citi Field, the current home of the Mets. The origins of Shea Stadium go way back to the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants relocations to the U. S. west coast, OMalley preferred to pay construction costs himself so he could own the stadium outright. He wanted total control over revenue from parking, concessions, New York City, in contrast, wanted to build the stadium, rent it, and retain the ancillary revenue rights to pay off its construction bonds. Additionally, OMalley wanted to build his new stadium in Brooklyn, in 1960, the National League agreed to grant an expansion franchise to the owners of the New York franchise in the abortive Continental League, provided that a new stadium be built. Mayor Robert Wagner, Jr. had to wire all National League owners. On October 6,1961, the Mets signed a 30-year stadium lease, rent for what was originally budgeted as a $9 million facility was set at $450,000 annually, with a reduction of $20,000 each year until it reached $300,000 annually. The Mets inaugural season was played in the Polo Grounds, with plans calling for the team to move to a new stadium in 1963. In October 1962, Mets official Tom Meany said, Only a series of blizzards or some other unforeseen trouble might hamper construction and that unforeseen trouble surfaced in a number of ways, the severe winter of 1962–1963, along with the bankruptcies of two subcontractors and labor issues. The end result was both the Mets and Jets played at the Polo Grounds for one more year. After 29 months and $28.5 million, Shea Stadium opened on April 17,1964, the stadium opened five days before the 1964-65 New York Worlds Fair, across Roosevelt Avenue. Although not officially part of the grounds, the stadium sported steel panels on its exterior in the blue-and-orange colors of the Fair. The panels were removed in 1980, in accordance with New York City law, Shea Stadium was dismantled, rather than imploded. The company with the rights to sell memorabilia was given two weeks after the game to remove seats, signage and other potentially saleable and collectable items before demolition was to begin. The seats were the first, followed by other such as the foul poles, dugouts, stadium signage. After salvaging operations concluded, demolition of the ballpark began on October 14,2008, on October 18, the scoreboard in right field was demolished, with the bleachers, batters eye and bullpens shortly thereafter. By November 10, the field, dugouts and the rest of the field level seats had been demolished, by mid-December, all of the Loge level seats and a good portion of the Mezzanine level seating were gone as well, leaving only the outer shell remaining
26.
Giants Stadium
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Giants Stadium was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and primarily hosted sporting events and concerts in its history, the maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The structure itself was 756 feet long,592 feet wide and 144 feet high from service level to the top of the bowl and 178 feet high to the top of the south tower. The volume of the stadium was 64,500,000 cubic feet,13,500 tons of structural steel were used in the building process and 29,200 tons of concrete were poured. It was owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, in the early 1970s the New York Giants, who at the time were sharing Yankee Stadium with the New York Yankees baseball team, began looking for a home of their own. The Giants struck a deal with the fledgling New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority in 1971, the 1972 season was the Giants last full season in Yankee Stadium, as the ballpark was closed for a massive reconstruction following the end of the Yankees season. After spending two years in New Haven, the Giants would return to New York for one season in 1975 and shared Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens with the Yankees, New York Mets. The Giants finally moved into their new home on October 10,1976, eight years after Giants Stadium opened, it gained a second major tenant. The Jets lease at Shea Stadium had expired at the end of the 1983 season, the city of New York was unwilling to agree to his terms and Hess decided to move the Jets to the Meadowlands permanently. Their first game in Giants Stadium was on September 6,1984, the sharing of the stadium by both the Giants and Jets enabled it to break a record that had long been held by Chicagos Wrigley Field. Entering the 2003 season, its 28th, Giants Stadium had played host to 364 NFL games, the Giants season opening game with the St. Louis Rams tied the record, and the following week the Jets home opener against the Miami Dolphins broke it. Giants Stadium was closed following the 2009 NFL season following the construction of what is now MetLife Stadium in the parking lot. The stadiums final event was the January 3,2010 game featuring the Jets hosting the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football, a month after the game, demolition of the structure began and was completed on August 10,2010. Giants Stadium opened on October 10,1976, as 76,042 fans witnessed a loss by the Giants to the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants had played their first four games on the road that season. College football made its debut at Giants Stadium on October 23,1976, with Rutgers University defeating Columbia 47–0, the New York Giants played their season-opening home game in the stadium on September 18 of the 1977 season. The 1985 USFL championship game which turned out to be the last USFL game played was held at Giants Stadium. In the second week of the 2005 season, the New Orleans Saints used the stadium for a game against the Giants because of extensive damage to the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. One end zone was painted in Saints colors, Saints banners were hung on the walls around the sidelines, the game was rescheduled to a Monday night with a special start time of 7,30 PM EDT, preceding the other scheduled game on Monday Night Football
27.
MetLife Stadium
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MetLife Stadium is an American sports stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is part of the Meadowlands Sports Complex and serves as the stadium for two National Football League franchises, the New York Jets and the New York Giants. The stadium opened as New Meadowlands Stadium in 2010, in 2011, MetLife, an insurance company based in New York City, acquired the naming rights to the stadium. At a construction cost of approximately $1.6 billion, it is the most expensive ever built and is the second-largest stadium in the NFL in terms of seating capacity. MetLife Stadium is the only NFL stadium shared by two clubs, as Giants Stadium approached 30 years of age, it was becoming one of the older stadiums in the NFL. The Jets, who had been the tenants at the stadium, sought to have their own stadium built in Manhattan proper. Originally intended to be the 85, 000-seat main stadium for New Yorks bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, however, the West Side Stadium would have required significant public funding, which collapsed in 2005. The Jets then entered into a partnership with the Giants to build a new stadium in which the two teams would be equal partners. This idea originated at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, unlike Giants Stadium, MetLife Stadium can easily be converted from a Giants game to a Jets game or vice versa, within a matter of hours. The total linear length of louvers is exactly 50,000 meters or 163,681 feet, front row 50 yard line seats are 46 feet away from the sideline, which is the shortest distance of all NFL stadiums. To change the field decorations, two 4-person crews take appx,18 hours using forklifts and other machinery to remove the 40 sections of FieldTurf which make up the teams respective endzones. Unlike most NFL stadiums, the NFLs logo is painted at midfield, instead of the logo of one of the teams, also shortening the transition time. The replaceable team logos at midfield were removed in August 2010, unlike a number of other new NFL venues, MetLife Stadium does not have a roof, as proposals to include a roof failed, over a dispute for funding. Thus, indoor events such as the Final Four cannot be held at the facility,20 giant high-definition-ready light emitting diode pylons, located at the north and east entrances, display videos of the team currently in-house. The pylons measure approximately 54 feet high by 20 feet wide, inside, are four 30 feet by 116 feet high definition video displays, and hang from each corner of the upper deck. The new stadium has seating for 82,500 people, including 10,005 club seats and approximately 218 luxury suites, MetLife Stadium includes a total of four locker rooms, one each for the Giants and Jets, as well as 2 for visiting teams. The home teams have locker rooms on opposite ends of the stadium with a locker room adjacent to it. The two teams formed the New Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture, to build and operate the stadium
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Crunch Bunch
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The Crunch Bunch were the group of New York Giants football teams defensive linebackers in 1981,1982 and 1983, one of the NFLs best group of linebackers. They worked together as a unit and were known for their punishing, bone-jarring tackles, according to a New York Times article, the profits from the $5 poster became “pocket money” for the Giants linebackers. The Crunch Bunch was a spot for the otherwise dismal Giants. The four men developed bonds of friendship that lasted long after their careers ended. They talked on the phone frequently and got together several times each year to play golf, sign autographs, attend charity events, van Pelt was quoted in 2004, I feel as comfortable with as I do with my brothers. Obviously, your brothers are your brothers, but these three are probably the closest thing to them. Brian and I played 11 years together, lawrence being the guy, it didnt take long for him to fit right in and become one of the guys. I cant really explain why but theyre the only three I stay close with, the Crunch Bunch went to Puebla, Mexico, on October 26,2004, to promote Habitat for Humanity and assist 3,000 volunteers who were building 150 houses. While there, they met and talked with former president Jimmy Carter and his wife, the quartet attended many Giants games after they retired, but on September 30,2007, the Crunch Bunch guys were introduced prior to the game and recognized for their contribution to Giants football. They were also named honorary captains and watched the game from the Giants sideline, the teams new defense, dubbed the Sack Pack, put on a show and recorded 12 sacks of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Van Pelts death on February 17,2009, was a shock to the guys, Harry Carson commented, I am just so glad that I got to know the man more so than the athlete. He really was a great guy, brian Kelley stated, It was total devastation. Ive known Brad since 73 --36 years, ive known him longer than my wife and my kids. Football was 11 years of our life and we had 25 other years when we were together, did things together and still are doing them together, us and LT and Harry Carson. Its sort of like losing a limb because the four of us are so close, to lose one of us is tough. Its even tough to believe it happened, im just going to miss him, miss seeing him at Giants games, miss him calling me about stupid stuff
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Gatorade shower
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This includes all levels of play including Little League World Series, high school, college and professional teams. The tradition began with the New York Giants football team in the mid-1980s, burt insisted that Harry Carson dumped the Gatorade on Parcells, because Carson was a favorite and wouldnt get in trouble. The phenomenon gained national attention in the 1986 Giants season, Parcells was doused after 17 victories that season, culminating with Super Bowl XXI. Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was reported to be the first NBA coach to receive a Gatorade shower when his team won the 2008 NBA Finals. Paul Pierce dumped a cooler of red Gatorade over Rivers as the Celtics closed out Game 6 to clinch their first NBA title in 22 years. Then-Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson is the only NBA head coach to receive a Gatorade shower twice, dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle likewise received the honors when Mavericks celebrated their first NBA championship in 2011. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra received the treatment from Udonis Haslem when the Heat won the 2012 NBA Finals at the American Airlines Arena in 2012. Allen became ill shortly afterward and died of ventricular fibrillation six weeks later, Kentucky Wildcats coach Guy Morriss is one of few coaches ever to receive a Gatorade shower and lose a game. This occurred on November 9,2002, during the Bluegrass Miracle, coach Morriss was showered immediately before Marcus Randall threw a Hail Mary pass to Devery Henderson to win on the final play of the game. Many baseball players give a teammate who has just hit a home run, or a pitcher who has thrown a no-hitter. Salvador Pérez of the Kansas City Royals is known for giving a Gatorade shower to teammates after every win and notable away wins. In the AFL, players are given a shower if they win in their first game with their club. After Michigan State Universitys win over Penn State in 2010, Spartan players dumped a Gatorade bucket filled with green and this was done because of the cold temperature and Dantonios heart condition. The tradition has become a mainstay of the Super Bowl, so much so that numerous gambling websites have established various prop bets on situations during the game, as the tradition has evolved, not all showers are reserved for championship games. Generally, it happens during an interview, sometimes, the victim is the journalist. Another variation is shaving cream on the face, with a towel, ice Bucket Challenge Pieing Facebook page Living Well, Gatorade is 40 years old and still flowing strong First in Thirst on Amazon reader Additional Chicago Bears Angle
30.
Little Giants
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Little Giants is a 1994 American family sports comedy film, starring Rick Moranis and Ed ONeill as brothers in a small Ohio town, coaching rival Pee-Wee Football teams. Danny OShea has always lived in the shadow of his brother, Kevin, a Heisman Trophy winner. They live in their hometown of Urbania, Ohio, Kevin coaches the local Pee-Wee Cowboys football team. Despite being the best player, Dannys tomboy daughter, Becky, also cut are her less-talented friends, Rashid Hanon, Tad Simpson, and Rudy Zolteck. After being ridiculed by the players who made the team. At first, Danny is reluctant to do so, but later accepts in an attempt to show Urbania that Kevin is not invincible, and that there is another OShea in town capable of winning. Kevin mockingly reminds him of the one town, one rule and with the help of the locals. Among Becky, Hanon, Tad, Rudy, and Nubie, Danny also gathers other children that have never given a chance. One such player is Junior Floyd, a quarterback who turns out to be the son of Dannys childhood crush. Becky slowly develops a crush on him and struggles with her feelings as a girl. Two old-timers, Orville and Wilbur, encourage the rivalry between Danny and Kevin by reporting to them that a new player, Spike Hammersmith, has just moved to Urbania. The deception is discovered and he switches over to Kevins more well-structured team. Kevin also encourages his daughter, Debbie, to be a cheerleader and later convinces Becky that a quarterback will want to date a cheerleader, realizing it is her best chance to win over Junior, she decides to quit the team and pursue cheerleading. Just as Dannys team start to lose hope, a bus arrives carrying NFL stars John Madden, Emmitt Smith, Bruce Smith, Tim Brown and they teach and inspire the young players into believing they can win. On the day of the game, Kevin chastises Danny into making an impulsive bet, if Danny wins, he gets Kevins Chevrolet dealership, if Kevin wins, he gets Dannys gas station. With this, they begin to make a big comeback with a series of outstanding, witnessing from the sidelines, an enraged Becky drops her pompoms and suits up for the game. She immediately makes an impact when she forces a fumble after a hit on Spike. In the games closing seconds with the tied at 21 all
31.
New York Groove
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New York Groove is a song written by English singer/songwriter Russ Ballard, which was a hit for two different artists, the band Hello in 1975, and Ace Frehley in 1978. The British glam rock band Hello first recorded the song in 1975, for their debut album, the song was a number nine hit in the UK, and subsequently reached number seven in Germany. Released as a single, the song made it to No.13 on the Billboard Hot 100 late that year, Frehley once told Rolling Stone magazine that his unique take on the song was inspired by his experience with hookers in New York Citys Times Square in the 1970s. New York Groove is the track on the 2012 Sweet album New York Connection. This version fuses Jay-Z and Alicia Keys song Empire State of Mind, the Ace Frehley recording appears in the following films, Idle Hands Los Enchiladas. The Ace Frehley recording was played in the 12th episode of season 3 of the TV show Californication and it was the opening theme for the first two seasons of the American cable television reality series NY Ink. It has been played on USA Network in a promo for the series White Collar and it was played in the 8th episode of season 5 of the HBO TV show Girls as Hannah Horvath and her boyfriend Fran leave New York in an RV. AT&T also used the Hello version of New York Groove in a 2012 commercial, the New York Giants use New York Groove at home games after scoring a touchdown as well as Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. The melody of the song inspired Argentine rock band Soda Stereo for writing the song Zoom for the album Sueño Stereo in 1995, the Iona Gaels, New York Mets and New York City Football Club use New York Groove after winning home games. The song has been used as the promotional music for the 2014 and 2015 TCS New York City Marathons. As Jake was drawn into the world of the Dark Tower from the NYC of 1977, he is most likely referring to the Hello version
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We Fly High
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We Fly High is a song by American hip hop recording artist, Jim Jones, released as the lead single from his third studio album, Hustlers P. O. M. E. The song is Jim Jones highest-charting single to date, charting at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and it was written by Max B and produced by Zukhan-Bey who produced his previous single, Baby Girl. The intro of the uses a sample of Mr. Cool by Rasputins Stash. The music video was directed by Dale Resteghini and Jim Jones, Camron, Juelz Santana, Max B and Stack Bundles make cameo appearances. Jones girlfriend, Chrissy Lampkin, and his manager, Yandy Smith, parts of the music video were filmed in front of a green screen. The official remix of the song features fellow American rappers T. I, diddy, Juelz Santana, Birdman and Young Dro. It is featured on Jim Jones compilation album A Dipset X-Mas, the album and digital download versions of the remix features an additional verse by Jermaine Dupri after Diddys verse. Other Versions We Fly High Brooklyn High We Fly High We Fly High We Fly High We Fly High Cassidy The remix video was directed by Dale Restighini and Jim Jones and it premiered on December 1 on Access Granted on BET. The video contains a verse from Juelz Santana that was recorded for the Beef Mix. The music video has cameos from Lil Wayne, DJ Drama, J. R. Writer, in the video, at the end while Jones is talking, he waves his hand in front of his face, in the style of Tony Yayo. Also, in parts of the video, Jones, Birdman, Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana appear with a red bandanna hanging from their right pocket. Soon after We Fly High was released, Jay-Z recorded a diss aimed at Jim Jones, entitled Brooklyn High, the chorus contains the vocals of Jones and others, but the phrase BALLIN. was replaced by Jay-Z yelling Brooklyn. The song is thought to be disrespectful of both Jones and Camron, another Dipset hip hop artist, Jim Jones has released a rebuttal to Jay-Zs song Brooklyn High also on the We Fly High beat. Less than a day after Jay-Zs retaliative record came out, Jim Jones, the songs popularity began throughout the US in October 2006 when the New York Giants Michael Strahan and fellow teammates began taking jump shots to celebrate sacks against the Washington Redskins. The song is popular across North America, when played in the clubs. The dance in the video along with the shot has been named the Fadeaway by Jones. WWEs Montel Vontavious Porter, is known to do the Fadeaway jump shot before dropping an elbow on his opponent, the crowd often cheers ballin before the elbow drop. Homicide celebrated with song after defeating Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Championship in his hometown of New York City at the Manhattan Center
