Louisville (NFL)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2016) |
| Founded | c. 1899 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1924 (Brecks), 1926 (Colonels) |
| Based in | Chicago, Illinois, United States (Colonels) |
| League | Independent (1899–1920) National Football League (1921–1923, 1926) |
| Team history | Louisville Breckenridges Club (c. 1899–1906) Louisville Breckenridges (1907–1923) Louisville Colonels (1926) |
| Team colors | Unknown |
| Nickname(s) | Brecks |
| Head coaches | Austin Higgins (1921) Hubert Wiggs (1922) Jim Kendrick (1923) Lenny Sachs (1926) |
| Owner(s) | Aaron Hertzman |
| Home field(s) | Eclipse Park Traveling team Parkway Field |
Louisville, Kentucky had two professional American football teams in the National Football League: the Louisville Breckenridges (or Brecks for short) from 1921 to 1924 and the Louisville Colonels in 1926.
The NFL intended for the Brecks to be a
Louisville Brecks (1899–1924)
The Brecks dated their beginnings back to 1899. Officially the name of the team was the Louisville Breckenridge Club. The club was located in Louisville at corner of Fifth and St. Catherine Streets at what was then the city's perimeter. The
The team's first ever professional football game was held on November 16, 1919. The game resulted in a 17–0 Brecks victory over the New Albany Calumets.[2] That win allowed the Brecks to claim the mythical "Falls Cities" title. While a champion was declared, no "league" existed at this time.[1]
The NFL
Brecks owner,
NFL President Joseph Carr liked the idea of having professional football in cities with strong baseball traditions. This may answer why he granted Hertzman and the Brecks their franchise in 1921. Unlike today, the announcement of Louisville being granted an NFL franchise, was widely ignored by the Louisville press. However, in 1920, only a little attention had been paid the league.
The Brecks were one of eight teams that joined the NFL (then called the
Hertzman managed the Brecks. The team played split schedules between league games and local, independent games.[1]
1921 season
They lost their first league game to the Evansville Crimson Giants on October 2, 1921. Reports estimated that the game drew more than 2,000 spectators. The games proceeds went to a fund to erect a memorial to the first Indiana soldier to die in World War I. The Brecks next six games were played at Eclipse Park against independent teams. During those six games, the Brecks finished with a 4–2 record. A November 6, 1921 a game with the Cincinnati Celts was canceled, because the Celts could not fulfill the contract.
The Brecks didn't play another APFA team until December 4. That game resulted in a 6–0 loss to the Columbus Panhandles in Louisville, due to a late game
1922 season
The Brecks home schedule included only games with other road teams. However, the Brecks played a series of tough opponents on the road. The team lost on the road to the eventual 1922 NFL Champion Canton Bulldogs 38–0 and the Toledo Maroons 39–0. The very next game featured the worst loss in franchise history as the Brecks were defeated by the Racine Legion 59–0.
Louisville's first NFL victory didn't come until November 22, 1922. During that game, the Brecks defeated the Crimson Giants, 13–6.[2] This game also proved to be the only game in which the Brecks scored.
However, the Brecks experienced tragedy a few days later, when Eclipse Park caught fire and burned to the ground. The team's remaining two games were then cancelled. Had Eclipse Park not burned down, forcing cancellation of the final two games, the team would probably have financially broken even.
1923 season
After the destruction of Eclipse Park, the Brecks decided to play their home games of the
1924 season
The Brecks finished their last season of football in 1924 as members of the Fall Cities Football Federation and compiled a 2–3 record. The Brecks felt Alumni Field was "more suitable" to their schedule and moved their home games to the field in 1924.[1] Meanwhile, Aaron Hertzman, the owner of the now defunct Brecks, was elected the NFL's Sergeant of Arms.[3]
Louisville Colonels (1926)
The Louisville Colonels were created in 1926 to fill the schedules of the expanded NFL, but they were a traveling team that operated out of Chicago. That season, the NFL added several
The Colonels failed to register a single point during the
The Brecks-Colonels franchise is the last team from the four currently extant
Season-by-season
| Year | W | L | T | Finish | Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brecks | 1921 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18th | Austin Higgins |
| 1922 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 12th | Hubert Wiggs | |
| 1923 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19th | Jim Kendrick | |
| Colonels | 1926 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 21st | Lenny Sachs |
| Total | 1 | 12 | 0 | .077 | ||
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Butler, Brian S. (1988). "The Role of the Road Team in the NFL: The Louisville Brecks" (PDF). Coffin Corner. 10 (Annual). Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–11. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c Gill, Bob (1991). "Forgotten Firsts" (PDF). Coffin Corner. 13 (5). Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–2. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ Carroll, Bob. "The Packers Crash Through: 1924" (PDF). 10. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "ProFootballReference.com page on 1926 Louisville Colonels". Pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved May 20, 2014.