St. Louis Gunners
| St. Louis Gunners | ||
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| Founded in 1931 Disbanded in 1935 Played in St. Louis , Missouri |
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National Football League (1934-1935) |
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NFL Champion (0)
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The St. Louis Gunners were a US American football -Mannschaft in St. Louis , Missouri , which at times in the National Football League played (NFL).
history
In the early days of professional football in the United States, teams were formed mainly in the Northeast. Only a few teams were formed in the south. One of the most successful were the Memphis Tigers , who held the title of independent national champion (INC) from 1929 . As a counterweight to this, the promoter Bud Yates founded the St. Louis Gunners in 1931 . As the first head coach was Jimmy Conzelman committed. As early as 1932, the Gunners were at eye level with the Tigers. In three games against each other, each team was able to achieve a victory and once they drew 0-0. Together with the Oklahoma City Chiefs , the two teams shared the INC title that year. In 1933 they were able to win the title undivided, as they could each win once against the Tigers and Chiefs and once drew. The Gunners were also able to prove themselves against established teams in the largest professional league, the National Football League (NFL), by achieving a 2-2-1 record against NFL teams.
The success of the Gunners also attracted the attention of the National Football League . On August 8, 1934, a franchise was sold to the Gunners, subject to acceptance by the other team owners, for $ 20,000. Due to the resistance of the other team owners to have to travel to the southwest of the USA, however, there was initially no acceptance. In 1934, the Chiefs and Tigers formed the American Football League with a few other teams because they felt they were on the same level as some NFL teams. The Gunners also received an invitation, which they declined because they hoped to be accepted into the NFL. With Chile Walsh , the Gunners also signed a new head coach. With most of their previous opponents now in the AFL, the Gunners had problems setting games.
After eight games in the 1934 season , the NFL finally decided to get rid of the long-unpopular and previously winless Cincinnati Reds . NFL commissioner Joe Carr secured a quick sale to two St. Louis businessmen. This then contacted Yates whether he would like to play the remaining games of the Reds with the Gunners. Yates agreed and so the Gunners played their first home game against the 2-8 Pittsburgh Pirates . They won the game 6-0 thanks to the help of six former Reds players. The next game was away against the undefeated Detroit Lions and was lost 7:40. This was followed by the final home game against the Green Bay Packers , which was lost at 14:21.
However, after the season it emerged that the Gunners were in debt, including $ 1,700 in taxes. On December 18, 1934, Club President Edward Butler announced that the debt totaled $ 9,000. The reason given for the debt was the high cost of the NFL franchise. If the team had already been accepted at the beginning of the season, they would probably have been able to cover the debt due to the higher number of games and the presumed larger audience participation. On June 16, 1935, the NFL then officially put the Gunners' franchise on hold. Too indebted to continue playing as an independent team, the Gunners were dissolved.
Seasons
| season | Victories | Defeats | draw | Points | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 71:48 | Jimmy Conzelman |
| 1932 | 7th | 4th | 1 | 119: 59 | Roy Baker |
| 1933 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 297: 72 | Gwinn Henry |
| 1934 (Independent) | 7th | 1 | 0 | 179: 32 | Chile Walsh |
| 1934 (NFL) | 1 | 10 (2) | 0 | 27:61 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Bob Gill: PRO FOOTBALL SPREADS SOUTH . In: Coffin Corner . tape 4 , 1982, pp. 1 .
- ↑ a b Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 1 .
- ^ A b c Dennis Purdy: Kiss' Em Goodbye: An ESPN Treasury of Failed, Forgotten, and Departed Teams . Random House Publishing Group, 2010, ISBN 978-0-345-52047-0 , pp. 285 .
- ↑ a b c Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 7 .
- ↑ Bob Gill: PRO FOOTBALL SPREADS SOUTH . In: Coffin Corner . tape 4 , 1982, pp. 2 .
- ↑ Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 8 .
- ↑ Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 8-9 .
- ↑ Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 9 .
- ↑ Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 10 .
- ↑ Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 2, 12 .
- ↑ Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 4, 13 .
- ↑ Bob Gill: THE ST. LOUIS GUNNERS . In: Coffin Corner . 1982, p. 14 .