Special Sub-Topic: History of NFL Franchises Authored by: napoleon321 Sub-topic of: NFL Historical

Which 2006 franchise was the oldest in professional football history?

Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals started playing professional football in 1899 in Chicago under the name of the Morgan Athletic Club.

The first recorded NFL season occurred in 1920. Only two of those franchises existed in 2006. One was the Chicago Bears. But they weren't called the Bears, and they weren't in Chicago in 1920. What were the Bears called in 1920?

Decatur Staleys. The Bears started in Decatur and named after their owner, A.E. Staley. Staley sold the franchise to George Halas in 1920.

Which team entered the league in 1921?

Green Bay Packers. The Packers were an independent team and joined the league in 1921. The city of Green Bay set up a non-profit corporation to operate the team.

The initial name of the Detroit Lions was the Spartans. What city did they start in?

Portsmouth, OH. The Spartans franchise was purchased by Dick Richards in 1934 and moved to Detroit to be renamed the Lions.

The Boston Braves entered the NFL in 1932. What were they called in 2006?

Washington Redskins. The name Braves only lasted for the franchise's initial year, and in 1937, owner George Marshall decided to move his team to Washington D.C.

The Rams franchise entered the league in 1937. What city hosted the Rams for their early years?

Cleveland. The Rams played in Cleveland from 1937-1945, and moved to Los Angeles for the 1946 season.

Art Rooney was the legendary long-time owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But what other team did he also partially own for a brief period of time?

Philadelphia Eagles. In 1940, Rooney sold the Pittsburgh franchise to Alexis Thompson. He then bought part interest in Bert Bell's Philadelphia Eagles. Soon after the turn of the new year, Bell and Rooney traded the Eagles to Thompson for the Pirates.

World War II took a toll on the NFL. The Steelers were forced to merge with the Eagles in 1943. They also had to merge with another team in 1944. What team did they combine with that year?

Cardinals. The result of the 1943 merger was the famous "Pennsylvania Steagles", which went a respectable 5-4-1.

One team was actually forced to suspend operations for a year during World War II. Who was forced to take this drastic measure?

Rams. The Rams were forced to suspend operation for the 1943 season, as both Rams co-owners and many of their players joined the Army.

Robert Irsay is most remembered as the man that moved the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis under cover of darkness. But before he owned the Colts, what team did he own?

Los Angeles Rams. Irsay traded his Rams to Carroll Rosenbloom for the Baltimore Colts, and made himself extremely unpopular in the state of Maryland by moving the Colts in the middle of the night.

Which franchise was founded in Los Angeles?

San Diego Chargers. The Chargers spent only the 1960 AFL season in Los Angeles, and since then have resided in San Diego.

Which franchise did NOT enter the NFL due to the AFL-NFL merger?

Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks were awarded a franchise in 1974, four years after the merger. They were an AFC team, until realignment following the introduction of the Houston Texans to the league pushed them into the NFC.

Which notorious owner caused a legal mess when he wanted to move his team to Los Angeles against league wishes?

Al Davis. Davis got his way, as a jury ruled in his favor and he was allowed to move the Raiders to Los Angeles in 1982. He returned the team to Oakland in 1995.

Which team suffered an unprecedented loss when two of its owners died within two weeks of each other?

New York Giants. The Giants lost both Wellington Mara and Robert Tisch in the same month in 2005.

And finally, where did the Houston Oilers move to in 1997?

Nashville. They moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and became the Tennessee Titans.