Damn, Cleveland apparently sucked. Going with Tri-City for the championship here

1950 AFL Championship Game

Just because the league had made it to the end of their first season was not enough for the weather to be fair for the AFL’s inaugural championship game. Davenport, Iowa’s LeClaire Field had winds of 25 mph blowing on an already cold Thanksgiving Day, with field temperatures nearing -10°F with the wind chill. That didn’t seem to stop nearly 30,000 fans packed in like sardines into the stadium to watch their hometown Tri-Cities Hawks host the rival Chicago Hogs for the first AFL championship. It could potentially be a detriment to these two teams, who last played a game where the weather was around 50°F. Needless to say, it was going to be an interesting game between the two powerhouses this year, and many were anticipating a spectacle to end the year on a high note. All of those doubts were quickly put to rest once the game kicked off, to which Tri-Cities returner John McLean nearly returned the opening kick all the way for 6, but was wrapped up at the 21 by Defensive Player of the Year Vincent Kelly. The Hawks would keep their momentum rolling, with QB Gilbert Clay hitting his main man WR Stuart Kane for a 14 yard reception to set up RB Herman Gibbons a few plays later for the first touchdown of the game. However, there would not be much offense for some time, as it then turned into a battle of attrition between the two defenses. The cold didn’t help improve the situation, with both teams committing several turnovers just in the first half. Chicago LB Douglas Marks punched the ball out of Gibbons’ hands and DB Tommy Lane landed on top of the ball for the first turnover of the game. Chicago would only end up with a field goal on that possession, but would lose the ball on another possession, as QB Alfred Walton threw an awful pass intended for WR Nicholas Kramer that ended up in the hands of the Hawks’ S Walter Carey, who got Tri-Cities into solid field position to kick a field goal before the end of the half.

The Hawks had a shaky 10-3 lead entering the second half, but the Hogs were determined to take down their rival for the first time this season. However, that didn’t come to fruition right away in the second half. The Hogs attempted to get past midfield on their first possession of the second half, but WR Dakota Walter fumbled the ball away while attempting to gain more yards on the play, and LB Herman Garner came out of the scrum with the ball for the Hawks. The third quarter was an absolute mess, as both defenses held strong while both offenses kept punting the ball back and forth to each other in an odd game of hot potato. These antics were finally put to rest when Tri-Cities cut through the Chicago defense enough for K Gene Fitzpatrick to get into scoring range and put one through the uprights to take a 10 point lead early in the 4th quarter. Chicago would struggle on their next drive, but the one after that they finally put it all together. Walton got his act together and put together a fabulous drive, including two passes to Kramer where he blew right past the inexperienced and injury-ridden Hawks secondary that accounted for half the yards on that drive. Walton didn’t connect with Kramer for the touchdown though, as he threw one up the middle to TE Glenn Chambers for 3 yards to put the game within reach. However, it was a bit too late for the Hogs, as the Hawks ran out what was left of the clock, including making 2 crucial 4th down conversions within their own territory from RB Gibbons to hang on to the ball and to the game. As the final seconds wound down, Tri-Cities OL Ernest Love and DL Louis McCormick would hoist head coach Vincent Merritt on their shoulders to celebrate with the rest of the team already on the field in what became an iconic moment for the league and for completing its first successful season. The Hawks’ RB Herman Gibbons would receive the first ever AFL Championship Most Valuable Player award, carrying the team on his back for 37 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown to help lift the Hawks above the Hogs one last time this season. Gibbons was handed a silver trophy commissioned by Hasenkamp for the championship this year and for future years, with the Hawks team engraved at the bottom and more spaces for engravings for teams in the future. While this game and season were a success for the league, it would be the reaction of the other regional leagues in the nation and what the AFL owners were to do in the future. While the future is unknown for the AFL, most would agree that the first season would mark a turning point for professional football and for what was to come.


The tentatively titled "American Football Championship Trophy"


C&C Appreciated! What are your thoughts on this first season? Any predictions for the future?

Last edited by DireBear (8/01/2022 12:27 am)

Hey all! Dire here, and after some time dealing with offseason and other personal things, I've started to finalize the remaining things needed to actually start up another season. In the meantime while I get the remaining offseason things together, here's a bit of worldbuilding for the state of football around 1950, both professionally and at the collegiate level. Without further ado, sit back and relax as we dive into the: 

The Wide World of American Football


As of the end of the 1950 AFL season, the American football landscape looks like this:

American Football League (AFL)
Chicago Hogs
Cincinnati Rivermen
Cleveland Crows
Columbus Buckeyes
Detroit Knights
Tri-Cities Hawks

Midwestern Football Championship (MWFC)
Chicago Stars
Fort Wayne Generals
Indianapolis Flames
Milwaukee Maroons
Minneapolis Bears
St. Louis Arrows
St. Paul Angels

New England Football League (NEFL)
Boston Bards
Boston Rebels
Concord Wildcats
Hartford Colts
Montpelier Greens
New Haven Lions
New London Captains
Portland Lumberjacks
Providence Bears
Springfield Knights
Worcester Valentines

New York-Pennsylvania League (NYPL)
Baltimore Barons
Bronx Bulldogs
Brooklyn Kings
Buffalo Hammers
New York Dutch Lions
Newark Tigers
Long Island Islanders
Philadelphia Americans
Philadelphia Federals
Pittsburgh Shamrocks

At the bottom of this totem pole of American football is the New England Football League, or NEFL. Although it may be the oldest of the AA splinter leagues, it is not seen as the most prestigious of the successor leagues of the AA. Not many top college players end up going to the NEFL, as it consists more of castoffs from other leagues and any other players that want a chance to continue playing football, much to the disappointment of the two Boston owners. Both Boston owners have become more and more upset with the league in recent years, citing the decline of quality of play and lack of national attention the NEFL has received in more recent years. They might not have the players, but the NEFL has had stability in recent years, being the only major football league to expand after WWII, adding teams in New Haven and New London, CT, and in Montpelier, VT. Although it may seem like the most stable of the leagues on the outside, inside it’s barely hanging on. Both Boston teams threatened to leave the NEFL in favor of the NYPL several times before both leagues suspended operations for WWII. The Boston Bards and Boston Rebels both have been wanting to leave for a better league, but really haven’t had the opportunity since returning from the league’s two year hiatus. Once they leave, it’s really up to the remaining teams as to what to do, as most of them are fine with the current scenario the NEFL is in as the de facto mid-major football league in the U.S.. The reigning champions for 1950 are the Portland Lumberjacks, who won their second NEFL title over the Boston Rebels.

Next up on the ladder is the New York-Pennsylvania League, which started in the same year as the NEFL, but was founded as the New York Professional League and renamed itself in 1929 when two Philadelphia and a Pittsburgh team were added in a span of 2 years. The NYPL also expanded into Baltimore in 1939 and planned to expand into Washington and further south, but WWII came and the league suffered from attendance and players leaving for military duty, and as a result the league suspended operations for the 1944 season following the NEFL’s lead. The league hasn’t really been the same since. Sure, they might have a great talent pool to find players from, but they lost 4 teams in Albany, Fort Drum, Rochester, and Syracuse after the league came back the following year, leaving Buffalo and Pittsburgh isolated from the new focal point of the league along the eastern seaboard with the 6 New York City area teams at the head. Both Buffalo and Pittsburgh were rumored to leave the league and either become independent teams, create their own league, or even join the MWFC at one point. But at this point, they finally went through with their original plans, and announced that they will leave the league after the 1951 season and become independent teams for the time being. The two Philadelphia teams don’t look too hot either, as rumors have circulated where they might merge into one team, with neither seeing very much success, with a combined 1 championship appearance and no titles. Baltimore seems to be the better looking team remaining, having made the championship the year prior and might be on the way up to compete with the New York City teams.  The Brooklyn Kings continued their dominance over the league, winning their 3rd title in 5 years, and 7th title overall, soundly defeating the Newark Tigers in the championship game.

Finally and most importantly, is the Midwestern Football Championship, or the MWFC. Before the split with the AFL, the Championship gathered players from across the Midwest and beyond for some of the best professional football in the nation. Now that the Championship was effectively split in half with 7 teams remaining, the league is scrambling to keep itself stable now that it lost most of its best teams. Commissioner Virgil Bradshaw is looking to expand back up to either 8 or 10 teams and either reclaim some of the lost markets or expand into new markets to at least make the Championship competitive again. Bradshaw has been rumored to merge the best of the MWFC onto the Chicago Stars and apply to join the AFL, but it is rumored he would turn to that option if the MWFC is on its last legs and as a last resort if the AFL’s popularity topped the Championship’s. For now, the Championship will try to play its cards right by stabilizing from being split in half. Bradshaw has made it very clear that the Championship will attempt to challenge the AFL once they get back up to where they once were at, however long or hard it may take them to do so. Their current plan is to attempt to lure the two leaving NYPL teams in Buffalo and Pittsburgh into joining the MWFC following the 1951 season, and it looks like that is their best bet into returning to the popularity they had in years prior. Currently, Bradshaw’s Stars came away with their 10th Bradshaw Cup this year, dominating every other team in the league and beat the Fort Wayne Generals decisively to win the Championship.

Outside of the professional leagues, college football is the still ever-present and popular sport it has been since it was first played all those years ago. Collegiate athletics grew from the first organized games in the late 19th century, ultimately culminating in the American Association of Collegiate Athletics (AACA) forming in 1910 to oversee and govern over the burgeoning collegiate athletic scene. The University of New Jersey Mallards are still a football power since playing in the first ever game in 1869, but now have to face competition from the Massachusetts State (Boston) Panthers, the Brooklyn College Bulldogs, and the Virginia Commonwealth (Richmond) Patriots for some of the best talent in the East. While they are fighting for East Coast Conference championships, the Central Athletic Conference currently houses one of the national champions from last year with the Chicago Christian Crusaders. Tough bouts with the Illinois University (Springfield) Lumberjacks, the Michigan University (Detroit) Beavers, and the University of Ohio (Columbus) Buckeyes provided a decent challenge on their way to a perfect 11-0 season and a slice of the national title. The other claimant of that slice were the perennial favorites to win it all in the University of Louisiana (Baton Rouge) Kings, who also strung together a perfect 12-0 season with wins over Southern Conference rivals Georgia University (Savannah) Lions, Alabama A&M (Birmingham) Steelers, and bitter in-state rivals Audubon (New Orleans) Pelicans. Those three main conferences house many of the top college talent, but there is some competition out west. The state of California is beginning to bring in talent from east of the Mississippi, with the University of Los Angeles Aztecas coming on top of the California State (Berkeley) Grizzlies and the inner-city rivals in the Los Angeles State Bulldogs as of the previous season to win the Pacific Coast Conference. The middle of the country is alright in terms of powerhouses, but is on the decline a bit. The Missouri River Valley Conference is really only dominated by two teams: the University of Kansas City Yellow Jackets and the Nebraska State (Lincoln) Bulls. They’re both consistently in the top 25, but neither have really been national title contenders year in and year out. The other major conference in the middle is the Red River Conference, and unlike the MVAC, they are on the rise. The Oklahoma University (Oklahoma City) Tornadoes are becoming perennial threats for a piece of the national championship, and are facing some tough competition with the Dallas State Mustangs and the Texas University (Austin) Roughriders for winning the RRC. Besides colleges already in conferences, the best independent team is by far the University of Saint Joseph’s (South Bend, IN) Griffons. The Griffons were one of the original powerhouses back in the earlier half of the century, but have declined a bit in terms of trophies. Their biggest independent “rival” is within the state, just down the road in Bloomington with Rogers Clark University Badgers. These two teams have played each other every year since 1891, making it one of college football’s oldest rivalry games. They both competed for national titles back in the early days of college football, but neither have won a title since the 30’s and have been decently competitive as of late.

C&C Appreciated.

Last edited by DireBear (1/12/2024 3:32 pm)

Really cool to see the world around the AFL. I like the setup so far and can see where some of these little stories can go and eventually make an impact on the main story, especially with some of the teams considering or confirmed to be leaving their leagues. Excited to see what happens next.

DireBear wrote:

AFL Offseason Meetings

Following a successful first season for the AFL, the owners of the 6 teams met together in late February to conduct their first official meetings to kick off the 1951 season. Donovan Hasenkamp addressed the media after the meeting concluded. 

COLUMBUS IN DIRE STRAITS

As if having a poor season wasn’t the worst of the Buckeyes’ worries, the University of Ohio, where the Buckeyes play their home games, were looking to opt out of their agreement with Columbus if they couldn’t turn a profit this year. Buckeye Stadium has been notoriously empty, and owner Randolf Durant has been growing disinterested in the team over the past few seasons. Hasenkamp assured that the Buckeyes would remain in the league until then, and would look at other options to avoid the team folding if that was the option. For now, UOhio’s contract with the Buckeyes lasts until the 1954 season, and if the Buckeyes don’t significantly increase attendance numbers by next season, the university may look into terminating the contract earlier. Hosting the Buckeyes has been a huge financial loss for UOhio, who are able to pull in crowds of 50,000 or more during college football games, while the Buckeyes could barely manage to get 10,000 in attendance. For comparison, nearly every other team in the 1950 season averaged above 20,000 fans, even with Tri-Cities’ LeClaire Field only having a capacity of around 21,000.  Hasenkamp assured that the league would provide financial support to the Buckeyes to help them remain in Columbus, but was unsure how long this standoff would last. If there was something to happen to the Buckeyes, the league would swiftly look into any scenario to prevent them from folding. 

AFL TO EXPAND TO 8 IN 1952

The next surprising announcement was that the AFL was already looking into expanding past the original 6 teams. The league had already been looking into expansion locations throughout the first season, and it seems like it’s just a matter of time as to when the league will expand and how many teams they’ll expand to. They have two main options on how to expand, the first was to expand into markets that had stadium options already present and weren’t already taken by the other regional leagues. This didn’t leave the AFL with many options, but there were three frontrunners: Kansas City, MO, Louisville, KY, and Washington, D.C.. Each of these cities had a stadium available for now, as Kansas City and Washington both have baseball stadiums that have hosted semi-pro football teams in the past, and Louisville has Louisville State’s football field to play on if needed. If the league was to expand via this route, Kansas City and Washington would be the frontrunners, as they provided the strongest bids and had owners who were willing to spend to make their teams successful. 

Discussion on which cities would be awarded teams were quickly put on the backburner when Hasenkamp shifted to a more excited tone after explaining the Columbus fiasco that was rapidly unfolding. The AFL was to expand to 8 teams in 1952, but the two teams weren’t from any of the expansion cities that were being tossed around. Instead, Hasenkamp would welcome the Buffalo Hammers and the Pittsburgh Shamrocks from the NYPL into the AFL, who were leaving the NYPL after the end of the 1951 season. Many expected them to become independent teams, and two very established teams joining the fledgling league is a surprise to all. Hasenkamp stated that he originally wanted to expand to cities that weren’t in any league at the moment, but when he was presented with the option to add Buffalo and Pittsburgh into the league, he didn’t hesitate reaching out to both teams and offering them a spot in the AFL. The league didn’t say anything on future expansion, whether or not they would acquire existing clubs like they did with this expansion or go through the more traditional approach with expansion cities. However they do decide to expand, adding Buffalo and Pittsburgh should provide a great boon to this growing league.

INTRODUCTION OF THE DRAFT

After years of Donovan Hasenkamp lobbying the MWFC to introduce a common draft to help level the playing field instead of paying for the best players out of college, he finally gets his wish. He announced that the first draft would be held sometime in 1952 behind closed doors, and the draft order would be the inverse of the previous year’s standings. For example, if the draft were to occur this season, then the Columbus Buckeyes would get the first overall pick, followed by Cleveland, and it would continue until Tri-Cities makes their pick. Hasenkamp said he had been working with some of the league’s best scouts to gather talent for the draft, and hopes to bring players from across the nation to the league, not just from east of the Mississippi. Because of the other leagues potentially poaching talent away from the AFL, Hasenkamp announced that all future players must specifically declare for the AFL, and that all players who do so would get paid significantly higher than the other leagues. The league originally wanted the first draft to occur before the 1951 season, but they pushed it back a year to allow for players, scouts, and teams to properly prepare. Hasenkamp also mentioned that scouts would now be able to send in scouting reports of players for the league to analyze and accept players to be eligible for the draft. 

I'll leave the link for the scouting reports below and put it on the first post for posterity. I'm fairly certain we're all familiar on how these work but if you have any questions feel free to ask me directly. 

SCOUTING REPORT LINK HERE

C&C Appreciated.

1. Hopefully Columbus can get some assistance sooner than later, seeing as I like their brand quite a lot.
2. Called it with Pittsburgh and Buffalo joining the league.
3. Nice, already submitted a player