44-502: Los Angeles Wildcats is a name shared by several American football teams from Los Angeles: Los Angeles Wildcats (AFL) , a team that played in the American Football League of 1926 Los Angeles Wildcats (Minor League AFL) , a team that played in the American Football League of 1944 Los Angeles Wildcats (XFL) , an XFL team that began play in 2020 Topics referred to by
88-604: A sports agent who represented star back Red Grange . Pyle's application for a National Football League franchise in New York was rejected because Tim Mara , owner of the New York Giants , objected to Pyle's proposed intrusion into the Giants’ territory. Armed with a five-year lease at Yankee Stadium , Pyle subsequently announced the formation of the American Football League as a showcase for his client. The league
132-687: A traveling team . The AFL folded after the season and the Independents were rejected in their attempt to rejoin the NFL. They played as a semi-pro team in 1927, and then went out of business. From their inception until their last season, the Independents played at Douglas Park in Rock Island, Illinois, from 1907 to 1925. In 1926, in what became their final year of existence, the Independents moved to Browning Field in neighboring Moline, Illinois . Both locations are still in use today. Douglas Park
176-623: A message to Jimmy Conzelman from Flanigan, it read: "Coughlin was fired! The new coach was Conzelman!" This act marked the first and only time an owner hired a new coach in the middle of a game. In 1922, Flanigan sold the contract of Ed Healey , to Halas and the Chicago Bears for $ 100. However, Healey soon became a star for the Bears and would later be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964. In 1923 , Flanigan left
220-458: A professional American football team, based in Rock Island, Illinois , from 1907 to 1926. The Independents were a founding National Football League franchise. They hosted what has been retrospectively designated the first National Football League game on September 26, 1920, at Douglas Park . The Independents were founded in 1907 by Demetrius Clements as an independent football club. Hence,
264-522: A third (the Chicago Bulls ). The three teams and league champion Philadelphia Quakers were the only four teams (of the original nine) still in existence at the end of league play on December 12, 1926. Upon the completion of a barnstorming tour, the Wildcats closed up shop after only one year of existence. As the team began league play, it became evident that Wilson was not the only weapon that
308-764: A traveling team nominally representing Los Angeles and headed by Wilson. The team would be based in Moline, Illinois (home of the Rock Island Independents , which jumped from the NFL to the AFL) and would have no home stadium. Virtually all of the players of the team attended colleges sited west of the Rocky Mountains . The team was owned by C. C. Pyle and Red Grange , who also owned another AFL team (the New York Yankees ) and had stock in
352-523: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Los Angeles Wildcats (AFL) The Los Angeles Wildcats (also reported in various media as Pacific Coast Wildcats , Los Angeles Wilson Wildcats and Wilson's Wildcats ) was a traveling team of the first American Football League that was not based in its nominal home city but in Chicago, Illinois (it trained in Rock Island ). Coached by Jim Clark ,
396-650: Is likely that Canton's player/coach Jim Thorpe and owner Ralph Hay felt that Flanigan could not deliver on his $ 5,000 guarantee. However, the Independents still had defeated the Columbus Panhandles 49–0 and the Indians 17–0 that season. In 1919, the season prior to the establishment of the National Football League , they claimed to be "Champions of the USA". The invitation to Canton led to
440-567: Is located at 16th Street and 23rd Avenue in Moline, Illinois. The Independents shared the stadium with the minor league baseball Moline Plowboys . Today, Browning Field is home to Moline High School sports teams and the adjacent Wharton Field House is the former home of the National Basketball Association 's Tri-Cities Blackhawks , today's Atlanta Hawks . A second, unrelated, "Rock Island Independents" played at
484-474: Is located at the corner of 18th Avenue and 9th Street in Rock Island, Illinois. Douglas Park was also the home of the minor league baseball Rock Island Islanders during the Independents era. Today, the site has baseball field and a playground. The Quad City 76ers Semi Pro Baseball Club has called Douglas Park home since 1986. Rock Island Post 200 also plays some home games at Douglas Park. Douglas Park also hosts annual "rivalry" games. The Rockton Showdown features
SECTION 10
#1732773221000528-677: The American Football League (AFL) after Pyle was denied ownership of an NFL franchise in New York City . In what proved to be a fatal move, after the 1925 season Johnson moved the team to the American Football League. Johnson felt that the American Football League, which featured Red Grange , would out-perform the NFL. The Independents then signed Elmer Layden , one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame for 1926. Founding American Football League teams for 1926 were
572-589: The American South and West . The two teams competed in Atlanta (a 7–7 draw), Birmingham, Alabama (a 14–3 Yankees win), Dallas, Texas (a 17-14 Yankees win), Beaumont, Texas (a 34–0 Wildcats win), and San Antonio (a 20–14 Yankees win) before traveling to California for games against the independent Hollywood Generals (whom the Wildcats defeated, 26–7, in Wrigley Field of Los Angeles ) and
616-549: The Boston Bulldogs , Brooklyn Horsemen , Chicago Bulls , Cleveland Panthers , Los Angeles Wildcats , Newark Bears , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Quakers and the Rock Island Independents. Rock Island left the NFL to join the new league. The Independents also moved from Douglas Park in Rock Island to Browning Field in neighboring Moline, Illinois for the 1926 season. The Independents were
660-480: The National Football League (NFL). On October 16, 1921, the Independents battled back from a 7–0 deficit against the Chicago Cardinals to lead 14–7 in the second quarter. The comeback was sparked by two touchdowns , scored by player-coach Frank Coughlin . Flanigan then ordered the team's tackle , Ed Healey relieve Coughlin. Once Coughlin was safely on his way toward the sideline, Healey delivered
704-760: The Philadelphia Quakers were the last teams remaining, with only the Quakers reporting a profit. Only two official AFL games were left to play in December 1926. On the 5th, the Wildcats shut out the Bulls 5–0 on a frozen field in Comiskey Park, while the Bulls hosted the Yankees the following Sunday as the visiting team wrapped up the 1926 season of the American Football League with a 7–3 victory. At
748-561: The Providence Steam Roller for the 1927 NFL season. Wilson was not the only 1926 Wildcat to join an NFL roster for the 1927 season: Flaherty continued to play until 1935 (taking 1930 off to teach college football), then became head coach of the Washington Redskins in 1937. He became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. Rock Island Independents The Rock Island Independents were
792-433: The 1910 team went undefeated and were not scored on in five games. Many of the players from the 1910 team reunited in 1912 and, under Coach John Roche, the Independents won eight games without giving up a score. Walter Flanigan was the owner of the Independents 1915 to 1923. Dale Johnson then owned the team from 1924 until it folded, along with the rest of the American Football League in 1926. Walter Flanigan had joined
836-517: The American Football League folded or otherwise left the league. Immediately after tying the Chicago Bulls in Comiskey Park , the team trekked to Toronto ’s Maple Leaf Stadium for a game with the New York Yankees , who also played games on back-to-back days. The Yankees won, 29–0. It was not the first weekend in which the Wildcats played on consecutive days (they actually did so on three other weekends); their Thanksgiving Day contest with
880-648: The Bulls (a scoreless tie) was their third in a five-day stretch. By the end of October, the Cleveland Panthers and Newark Bears had closed up shop; the Brooklyn Horsemen merged with their NFL cousins, the Brooklyn Lions , in early November, and the Boston Bulldogs , a team that was subsidized by Pyle's money, dropped out. In the four weeks following the departure of Cleveland and the exit of Boston, scheduling “holes” were filled by
924-580: The Independents as a backup end in 1912. For the following two seasons, he served as the team's assistant manager, under then-manager Jack Roche. In 1915, Flanigan became the owner of the team and later promoted the Independents by scheduling two home games in 1917 against the Minneapolis Marines . This contest helped the Independents gain legitimacy. Rock Island lost to the Marines by a score of 7–3 in front of over 6,400 fans at Douglas Park in
SECTION 20
#1732773221000968-754: The Independents being invited to the September 17, 1920 historic meeting on the formation of the National Football League. The National Football League was formed over the course of two meetings in 1920. On August 20, 1920, an initial meeting was held by representatives of the Akron Pros , Canton Bulldogs , Cleveland Tigers , and Dayton Triangles . The meeting was held at the Jordan and Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio and resulted in
1012-519: The Independents defeated the Muncie Flyers 45–0 at Douglas Park in the first full week of APFA league play. 3,100 fans were in attendance as Arnie Wyman, former Minnesota great, made his debut for the Islanders, scoring three touchdowns. This might have been the first NFL game ever played between two NFL teams, however, NFL historical records don't indicate the kickoff time for this game or
1056-504: The Independents hosted the first official game featuring a team from the APFA. Thus, the Independents' Douglas Park became the site of the first ever National Football League contest. Just nine days after the league had formed, on September 26, 1920, the Independents defeated the St. Paul Ideals 48–0 in the first contest involving a member team of the APFA. A week later, on October 3, 1920,
1100-432: The Independents in 1924 and the team went 5–2–2 in league play. After the 1925 season , Thorpe formed a team composed primarily of his teammates from the Rock Island Independents, that would play several games throughout Florida . In a 1926 New Year's Day football exhibition, Thorpe's " Tampa Cardinals " played against the Chicago Bears led by Red Grange . The game itself was billed as a clash of old vs. new, with Grange,
1144-555: The Independents to concentrate on his real estate and insurance businesses. In 1923, Flanigan sold the Independents to Dale Johnson , a local businessman. Johnson hired Vince McCarthy , the Independents' back-up quarterback as the new general manager . With Rock Island High School alumni and Olympian Sol Butler joining the squad, Rock Island went 2–3–3 in 1923, and rebounded to post winning seasons in 1924 and 1925 . Jim Thorpe , considered "the World's Greatest Athlete", joined
1188-499: The Independents. One of the first professional football teams, the Independents were founded in 1907 by Demetrius Clements as an independent football club. The independent team had no athletic club affiliation, no social club ties and no corporate company backing or sponsorship. As a result, the team was named the "Independents." The Independents played in Douglas Park (1907–1925) and Browning Field (1926). After its founding,
1232-622: The NFL's traveling team, the Los Angeles Buccaneers (the Wildcats won, 17–0, in a game played in San Francisco ). With the dissolution of the American Football League (Pyle's Yankees were preparing to join the NFL under an arrangement with New York Giants owner Tim Mara, who acquired the assets of the defunct Brooklyn Horsemen ), the Wildcats ceased to exist after the game in San Francisco. Wildcat Wilson joined
1276-478: The Wildcats had. Coach Jim Clark had the versatile Mal Bross for either rushing and receiving duties; ends Ray Flaherty and Jim Lawson dutifully caught passes from Wilson, while Duke Morrison ran when Wilson did not take the ball. Furthermore, no fewer than four Wildcats handled the kicking job at one time or another. Originally scheduled to play only 10 games, the Wildcats played additional contests as last-minute “fill-in” opponents as one team after another in
1320-611: The baseball teams from Alleman and Rock Island High Schools. The Battle for the Douglas Cup features Rock Island and Moline High Schools. And, the Veterans Cup Classic features the American Legion teams from Rock Island and Moline. Douglas Park hosts an annual tribute football game to the Independents, played in retro uniforms and using early football rules. Browning Field, the Independents' home in 1926,
1364-568: The first game on November 4. The two teams played again on November 18 and Rock Island lost again, 33–7, in the second game in front of 4,500 fans. However, World War I and the military draft put a temporary halt to Flanigan's plans of expanding the team into new markets. In 1919, Flanigan hired Rube Ursella of the Minneapolis Marines to serve as a player-coach . Ursella brought several other Minneapolis players with him. These new players would help improve play and help secure
Los Angeles Wildcats - Misplaced Pages Continue
1408-763: The first meeting, plus the Decatur Staleys , Chicago Cardinals , Massillon Tigers , Hammond Pros , Muncie Flyers , Rock Island Independents and Rochester Jeffersons . The minutes of this meeting are in Pro Football Hall of Fame archives. The league was renamed to the American Professional Football Association (APFA), and the number of teams was expanded, with league play to begin in 1920. The newly formed league elected Jim Thorpe as its first President and consisted of 14 teams. The Buffalo All-Americans , Chicago Tigers , Columbus Panhandles , and Detroit Heralds joined
1452-557: The formation of the American Professional Football Conference (APFC). A second and considerably larger meeting was held on September 17, 1920. The meeting was again at Canton owner Ralph Hay 's Hupmobile dealership in Canton and Independents owner Walter Flanigan was present to represent the Independents. Representatives of eleven teams were present at the second meeting: the four teams from
1496-714: The league during the year. The Massillon Tigers from Massillon, Ohio was also at the September 17 meeting, but did not field a team in 1920. After the formation of the league, Flanigan was named to the committee that created the league's constitution. Today, only two of these franchises, the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears ) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals ), remain as NFL franchises. On September 26, 1920 ,
1540-409: The only NFL team to make the jump to the rival league. The AFL did not pay as much as the NFL did a year prior and Independents players left the team for bigger salaries with other NFL teams. As a result, the Independents ended their season with a 2–6–1 record. Coached by Johnny Armstrong , the Independents played their first three games at Browning Field and then played the rest of their 1926 games as
1584-627: The other APFA game played that day between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles in Dayton, Ohio . The Independents posted 4–2–1 records in the league's first year. They had the same record the next two seasons, with five of their six losses in three years coming to George Halas and the Decatur Staleys/Chicago Staleys/Chicago Bears . On June 24, 1922, the APFA changed its name to
1628-635: The rising star, taking on Thorpe, the aging legend. During the game Grange rushed for a 70-yard touchdown as the Bears notched a 17–3 victory at Plant Field in Tampa, Florida . The Independents' overall NFL record was 26–14–9, with five winning seasons in six years. After finishing fourth in 1920, their best overall finish in the National Football League standings was fifth, which they accomplished three times: in 1921 and 1922 under Jimmy Conzelman , and in 1924 under Johnny Armstrong . In 1926, football star Red Grange and his agent, C. C. Pyle , formed
1672-437: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Los Angeles Wildcats . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Los_Angeles_Wildcats&oldid=1033245054 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1716-595: The same time, in a snowstorm at the Polo Grounds , the league champion Quakers were crushed, 31–0, by the New York Giants in a game that marked the end of the American Football League, December 12, 1926. Two days after the end of the 1926 season (and of the AFL), the Wildcats and the New York Yankees started a series of exhibition games as the two Pyle-owned teams went on a barnstorming tour of
1760-591: The team an invitation to join the NFL. The Independents lost only to the Hammond Pros , led by George Halas in 1919. Flanigan then challenged the Canton Bulldogs to a "championship" game, offering a $ 5,000 guarantee if they would come to Rock Island for the game. But Canton, which had already won the " Ohio League " championship by defeating the Massillon Tigers , turned down the offer. It
1804-400: The team was designed to be a showcase for University of Washington star back George “Wildcat” Wilson . Compared to most traveling teams in professional football , the Wildcats were successful, compiling a 6–6–2 record in the only season of the team's – and the league's – existence. The existence of the Wildcats began with the 1926 formation of the American Football League by C. C. Pyle ,
Los Angeles Wildcats - Misplaced Pages Continue
1848-425: The team was named the "Independents." In 1926, the Independents left the NFL to become a charter member of the first American Football League , the only NFL team to do so. The Independents then folded along with the entire league in 1927. Pro Football Hall of Fame alumni Jimmy Conzelman (1920–1921), Joe Guyon (1924), Ed Healey (1920–1922), Duke Slater (1922–1926), and Jim Thorpe (1924–1925) played for
1892-452: The two traveling teams of the AFL, the Wildcats and the Rock Island Independents , until November 21, when the Independents – charter members of both the NFL and the AFL – joined the exodus from the younger league by calling it quits after a 3–0 loss to the Bulls. With only two weeks remaining in the season, the Wildcats, Yankees, and Bulls – three teams owned (or co-owned) by Pyle and Grange – and
1936-608: Was also a showcase for another Pyle client who was an All-American on the West Coast : Wildcat Wilson . Because of the limitations of train (or bus) travel, the National Football League extended only from the Atlantic coast westward to Kansas City, Missouri , and Pyle wanted to tap the talent of college football players along the Pacific. His solution was novel (and one that the more established NFL would copy quickly): establish
#0