1925 Chicago Cardinals–Milwaukee Badgers scandal

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The 1925 Chicago Cardinals–Milwaukee Badgers scandal was a scandal centered on a

1925 Championship away from the first place Pottsville Maroons.[1][2]

The scandal

Milwaukee vs. Chicago (1925)
Milwaukee Badgers
(0-6)		 Chicago Cardinals
(11-2-1)
0 58
Head coach:
Johnny Bryan		 Head coach:
Norman Barry
1234 Total
MIL 0000 0
CHIC 719032 58
DateDecember 10, 1925
Stadium
Chicago, Illinois

In 1925, the Chicago Cardinals were in the running to win the NFL championship with the Pottsville Maroons. The Maroons had beaten the Cardinals 21-7 earlier in the season at

NFL Champions.[4]

The two extra games were scheduled against the inferior Milwaukee Badgers and

Chicago, into joining the Badgers for the game under assumed names, thereby ensuring that the Cardinals' opponent was not a pro caliber club. Folz himself was an Englewood High School graduate.[1] Meanwhile, the Cardinals' owner, Chris O'Brien, unaware of the roster tampering, but still sensing a mismatch, did not charge attendance to the few scattered spectators who turned up for the December 10, 1925, game. However, the second game on December 12, against Hammond proved to be much closer in score with 13-0 Cardinals win over the Pros.[4]

Box score

Period 1 2 34Total
Badgers 0 0 000
Cardinals 7 19 03258

at

Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: Thursday, December 10, 1925
Game information
  • CHI - TD: Art Folz 45 yard blocked punt return (Red Dunn kick) 7-0 CHI
  • CHI - TD: Art Folz 17 yard rush (Red Dunn kick) 14-0 CHI
  • CHI - TD:
    Herb Blumer
    50 yard pass from Red Dunn 20-0 CHI
  • CHI - TD: Art Folz 37 yard pass from Red Dunn 26-0 CHI
  • CHI - TD: Earl Evans 30 yard fumble return (Red Dunn kick) 33-0 CHI
  • CHI - TD: Cardinals Art Folz 55 yard rush 39-0 CHI
  • CHI - TD: Jimmy Tays 20 yard fumble return 45-0 CHI
  • CHI - TD: Herb Blumer unknown yard pass from Red Dunn (Red Dunn kick) 52-0 CHI
  • CHI - TD: Ike Mahoney 35 yard pass from Red Dunn 58-0 CHI

Outcome

Initial

A few weeks later, when NFL President Joseph Carr learned high school players had been used, he told reporters the 58-0 Cardinals win would be stricken from the record. However, the league had never got around to removing it. The game is still a part of the NFL records. Chris O'Brien was also fined $1,000 by Carr for allowing his team play a game against high schoolers, even though he claimed that he was unaware of the players' status. Ambrose McGuirk was ordered to sell his Milwaukee franchise within 90 days. Folz, for his role, was barred from football for life.[5]

1926

By the summer of 1926, Carr toned down his punishment for each party involved in the scandal. Folz's lifetime ban was lifted, probably to prevent him from joining the

fullback with the Chicago Bears.[5] The Englewood players were also forgiven, and two of them, William Thompson and Charles Richardson, earned high school all-star recognition at the end of the season. Folz reportedly told the high schoolers that the game was a "practice game" and would in no part affect their amateur status.[1]

Role in the 1925 NFL championship dispute

Further information: 1925 NFL Championship controversy

In early December 1925, the Maroons, with a 9-2 record, were just a half-game behind the Cardinals, who were 9-1-1. At the same time as the Hammond-Chicago game, the Maroons scheduled a game against a team of

Providence Steam Roller. The team also was ruled ineligible for the league title, which was eventually awarded to the Cardinals.[6]

However, the Pottsville fans still demand to know why Cardinals was awarded the title even though they too were found by Carr to have violated the NFL's rules. According to Bob Carroll of the Professional Football Researchers Association, "The Cardinals didn't defy the league," Carroll said. "Pottsville did. It was a great team, but the owner made a mistake." However, it is still not entirely known if O'Brien knew of the high school players on the Badgers team.[7]

The Pottsville team was reinstated by the NFL in July 1926, mainly because the NFL did not want to lose Pottsville's skilled group of players to the upstart American Football League.[7] Even though the Cardinals were awarded the 1925 Championship, O'Brien refused to accept it, stating that he did not want to win the title "that way".[8] However, in 1933, as Charles Bidwell took over as the owner of the Cardinals, he began to claim the 1925 title belonged to the Cardinals, overturning O'Brien's earlier decision. It is also believed that a Cardinals Football Curse was put upon the Cardinals and Bidwell because of the events surrounding the 1925 Championship.[6] The Cardinals did however, win the NFL Championship in 1947.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Pruter, Robert. "The Greatest High School Football Rivalry in Illinois". Illinois H.S.toric Article. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  2. New York Times
    . Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  3. ISBN 978-1-933060-35-4
    .
  4. ^ a b c Bob Carroll. "Red Equals Green" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Joe Horrigan (1984). "Joe Carr" (PDF). Coffin Corner. 6 (5–6). Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  6. ^ a b Fleming, David (January 30, 2008). "Pottsville, Pa. and Cardinals each claim rights to 1925 NFL title". ESPN. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  7. ^ a b Bob Carroll; Joe Horrigan; Bob Braunwart (1981). "Pottsville Maroons" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2010.
  8. ^ "Cardinals Refuse Title Shared with Pottsville". Philadelphia Public Ledger. February 8, 1926. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012.
  9. ^ Nelson, Robert (January 11, 2007). "The Curse: Here's why the Cardinals have sucked forever, and why they might never suck again". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
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