The NFL’s formulative 1950’s

[Chandler#81]

 

With last season officially being the centennial season, most know the NFL began play in August, 1920. But it was a regional sport anomaly, relegated to second level status among sports -notably baseball. It wasn’t until after WWII, when commercial air travel came into prominence, that it began to garner national attention. Early pioneers George P. Marshall and ‘Papa Bear’ George Halas had created interest in the sport and as new teams made homes west of the Mississippi in the late 40’s, articles began expanding in local newspapers. My father would regale me with tales of ‘Hollywood’ Bob Waterfield and ‘Crazy Legs’ Elroy Hirsch of the Los Angeles Rams, Brawlin’ Bobby Lane of Detroit, the NY Giants Defense and Otto Graham and Marion Motley on the new Cleveland team, the Browns of the defunct AAFC (our original League). 

The 50’s brought football out of the forest and into the limelight, surpassing Baseball as our favorite sport.

Here is the story.