I'm following Mike Greenspire's lead and posting some NFL trivia. It passes the time as we await the arrival of the 2008 regular season!
1) When was the first NFL championship game? Name the year, the teams, and the score.
2) What event occurred in the NFL that led to the establishment of Eastern and Western Conferences and a championship game?
3) What NFL game is believed to be the precursor to today's modern Arena Football League? (picture below). Notice the side boards? It was played indoors on an 80 yard field.
Ok, I know #3. Hints only.
There was a blizzard and they moved it indoors, wussies.
Hint-People from this town think they're all lovable and tough. The team that lost isn't an NFL franchise now. Not sure of the year, but I'll stop now. The winner was the home team.
The NFL began having a championship game to determine the season's champion in 1933. In the first NFL championship game, the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21.
Prior to 1933, the NFL champion was decided solely by regular season winning percentage against other league teams. However, there was a playoff game needed in 1932 to determine the champion as both the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans had both finished the season with a record of 6-1 against league opponents. The Bears defeated the Spartans 9-0 to win the 1932 NFL championship.
Last edited by gambitxxx on August 11th at 8:51 PM.
The game is actually the answer to question 1, 2 & 3...
The team was to move to Detroit the next year and become the Lions, but as the Portsmouth Spartans, the franchise played in an unscheduled NFL championship game against the Chicago Bears in 1932.
The Spartans-Bears game was played because both teams ended the regular season with the same won-lost percentage (the Spartans finished at 6-1-4 while the Bears were 6-1-6; ties were not reckoned as part of the percentage in the NFL until 1972).
Due to blizzard conditions in Chicago, the game was moved from Wrigley Field indoors to Chicago Stadium, which allowed for only an 80-yard field; some have called the contest the first arena football game.
The Bears won, 9-0, and the resulting interest led to the establishment of Eastern and Western conferences and a regular championship game beginning in 1933.
Now I knew about the two teams being tied for the season which resulted in the development of a champ. game, however I never knew that they moved the game and played it on an 80 yd field indoors. Guess you learn something new everyday holds true once again. thx for the history lesson and great trivia question.
I hail from a large family where after school we went in 7 different directions, to either play or coach in every sport available. As a child I got in free to the Cowboy games at the Cotton Bowl as a tag-along to my Dad's credentials. It was the ultimate childhood dream scenario to play football there, under the lights with the kids of other players and personnel after the games. I have been a Cowboys fan since those days in the 60's and like Willie Nelson says "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys". I've witnessed a few Stars Stanley Cup games and I have been a Mavericks fan since day one. Hopefully, in the future, G.W. Bush will re-take control of the Texas Rangers and they will once again become competitive.
