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1920 Decatur Staleys season

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1920 Decatur Staleys season
Head coachGeorge Halas
Home fieldStaley Field
Results
Record10–1–2 (overall)
5–1–2 (APFA)
League place2nd APFA

The 1920 season[1] was the Decatur Staleys 2nd season of existence, the first professional season of the franchise that would go on to be known as the Chicago Bears and their first under head coach George Halas, competing in the newly formed American Professional Football Association.

The team improved on their 6–1 record from 1919 to a 10–1–2 record and earning them a second-place finish in the league standings. In the last league game of the season, the Staleys needed a win versus Akron to have a chance at the title. Akron, predictably, played for a tie, achieved that, and won the first APFA title.

The stars of the Staleys were halfbacks Dutch Sternaman and Jimmy Conzelman, and end George Halas. Sternaman had a remarkable season with 11 rushing TDs, 1 receiving TDs, 4 field goals, and 3 PATs, totaling 87 points scored out of the Staleys' total of 164. Jimmy Conzelman ran for two scores and threw two more, whicl Halas led the team in receiving touchdowns with two.

Offseason

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The Decatur Staleys finished 6–1 in their 1919 season as an independent team.[2] Their 1919 owner, George Chamberlain, asked George Halas to manage the team, and Halas accepted.[3] After the 1919 season, representatives of four Ohio League teams—the Canton Bulldogs, the Cleveland Tigers, the Dayton Triangles, and the Akron Pros—called a meeting on August 20, 1920, to discuss the formation of a new league. At the meeting, they tentatively agreed on a salary cap and pledged not to sign college players or players already under contract with other teams. They also agreed on a name for the circuit: the American Professional Football Association.[4][5] They then invited other professional teams to a second meeting on September 17.

At that meeting, held at Bulldogs owner Ralph Hay's Hupmobile showroom in Canton, representatives of the Rock Island Independents, the Muncie Flyers, the Decatur Staleys, the Racine Cardinals, the Massillon Tigers, the Chicago Cardinals, and the Hammond Pros agreed to join the league. Representatives of the Buffalo All-Americans and Rochester Jeffersons could not attend the meeting, but sent letters to Hay asking to be included in the league.[6] Team representatives changed the league's name slightly to the American Professional Football Association and elected officers, installing Jim Thorpe as president.[6][7][8] Under the new league structure, teams created their schedules dynamically as the season progressed, so there were no minimum or maximum number of games needed to be played.[9][10] Also, representatives of each team voted to determine the winner of the APFA trophy.[11]

Schedule

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Game Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources
1 October 3 vs. Moline Athletics W 20–0 1–0 Staley Field 1,500 Recap [12][13][14]
2 October 10 vs. Kewanee Walworths W 25–7 2–0 Staley Field 1,500 Recap [15]
3 October 17 at Rock Island Independents W 7–0 3–0 Douglas Park 7,000 Recap [16][17][18]
4 October 24 at Chicago Tigers W 10–0 4–0 Cubs Park 5,000 Recap [19]
5 October 31 at Rockford A.C. W 29–0 5–0 Kishwaukee Park 3,000 Recap
6 November 7 at Rock Island Independents T 0–0 5–0–1 Douglas Park 7,000+ Recap [20][21]
7 November 11 at Champaign Legion W 20–0 6–0–1 Champaign, Illinois 500 Recap
8 November 14 at Minneapolis Marines W 3–0 7–0–1 Nicollet Park "small crowd which
braved the elements" 		Recap [22][23]
9 November 21 vs. Hammond Pros W 28–7 8–0–1 Staley Field 3,000 Recap
10 November 25 at Chicago Tigers W 6–0 9–0–1 Cubs Park 8,000 Recap [24]
11 November 28 at Chicago Cardinals L 6–7 9–1–1 Normal Park 5,000 Recap [25][26]
12 December 5 at Chicago Cardinals W 10–0 10–1–1 Cubs Park 11,000 Recap
13 December 12 vs. Akron Pros T 0–0 10–1–2 Cubs Park 12,000 Recap [27][28][29][30][31]
— Post-season
— January 15 at Chicago Logan Square A.C. T 0–0 — Dexter Pavilion
(indoor) 		—
Note: Non-APFA teams in italics. Thanksgiving Day: November 25.

Game summaries

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Game 1: vs Moline Universal Tractors

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1 2 3 4 Total
Universal Tractors 0 0 0 0 0
Staleys 7 7 0 6 20

October 3, 1920, at Staley Field

To start the season, the Staleys played the non-APFA team Moline Universal Tractors. A crowd estimated at 1,500 saw former Illinois star halfback Dutch Sternaman score all three touchdowns for Decatur, capped by two extra points from Hugh Blacklock.[13] According to contemporary news reports, the margin might have been larger but the Staleys pulled their starting lineup to avoid running up the score and to conserve their stars for future encounters.[13][14]

Game 3: at Rock Island Independents

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1 2 3 4 Total
Staleys 0 7 0 0 7
Independents 0 0 0 0 0

October 17, 1920, at Douglas Park

After two games against non-APFA teams, the Staleys played against the APFA Rock Island Independents in front of a record crowd.[32] Halfback Jimmy Conzelman provided the margin for Decatur's victory on a 35-yard touchdown run through a huge hole opened up by Dutch Sternaman, fullback Charlie Lanham, and tackle Burt Ingwersen, with Hugh Blacklock tagging on the kick for point after touchdown.[16] All eleven starters for Decatur played the game wire-to-wire.[16]

Game 4: at Chicago Tigers

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1 2 3 4 Total
Staleys 0 7 3 0 10
Tigers 0 0 0 0 0

October 24, 1920, at Cubs Park

In a matchup regarded by some as the game of the year, the Starchworkers and approximately 200 of their faithful traveled about 180 miles to the Windy City to take on the vaunted Chicago Tigers.[19] With Dutch Sternaman snapping off a 22-yard run, Decatur kept the ball in the Chicago end for most of the first quarter but were unable to break the scoreless tie.[19] Then in the second quarter, with the Staleys taking over after a punt near midfield, diminutive quarterback Pard Pearce broke free around left end, scrambling 55 yards for a touchdown.[19] Blacklock converted and Decatur led 7–0. The lead was stretched to 10 in the 3rd frame when Jimmy Conzelman nailed a dropkick snapped to him from the 22-yard line.[19] Chicago marched down the field later in the period but were unable to put the ball across, second-and-goal from just 6 inches away, and the Staleys held on to win, 10–0.[19]

Game 6: at Rock Island Independents

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Staleys 0 0 0 0 0
Independents 0 0 0 0 0

November 7, 1920, at Douglas Park

On a five-game winning streak, the Starchworkers met the Independents again, this time with a less salutatory result — a 0–0 tie. While the eleven Staley starters played the game wire-to-wire, four Independents players were during the game.[33] Sid Nichols, Fred Chicken, and Oke Smith injured their knees on different plays, while Harry Gunderson was hit late by George Trafton and needed thirteen stitches on his face and repair of a broken hand.[34]

Game 8: at Minneapolis Marines

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1 2 3 4 Total
Staleys 0 0 3 0 3
Marines 0 0 0 0 0

November 14, 1920, at Nicollet Park

To conclude their six-game road game streak, the Staleys played against the Minneapolis Marines. The Marines were a non-APFA team but joined the league in 1921.[35] The only score of the game was a 25-yard field goal from Sternaman, kicked from placement.[22] Minneapolis tried to answer twice in the last three minutes of play, but the first field goal attempt was blocked, while a second try sailed wide of the goalposts as time expired.[23]

Game 13: vs. Akron Pros

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1 2 3 4 Total
Pros 0 0 0 0 0
Staleys 0 0 0 0 0

December 12, 1920, at Cubs Park

The stage was set for a de facto championship game pitting the Staleys against the Akron Pros (also known as the Indians in some press accounts). Prior to the game, Halas moved their home field to the much larger Cubs Park in Chicago and hired Paddy Driscoll from the Cardinals to play on his team in order to help defeat the Pros, which was against league rules at the time.[36][37] Twelve thousand fans, the largest recorded crowd of the season,[38] showed up to watch the game,[39] about 2,000 of whom were from Akron African-American star Fritz Pollard's hometown.[40]

The Pros almost scored twice, but failed once because of ineligible receiver penalties.[39] On the other side, Pollar stopped a Staleys' touchdown against Sternment in the third quarter.[40] On the same drive, the Staleys missed a 30-yard field goal.[39] Chamberlin attempted to injure Pollard twice in an attempt to remove him from the game.[40] The final score ended in a 0–0 tie;[39] however, the Chicago Defender reported that the refereeing was biased towards Decatur.[40]

Post-season exhibition game: at Chicago Logan Square A.C.

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At the start of 1921 Halas organized an indoor football game on January 15 in Chicago’s Dexter Park Pavilion, a practice that was a semi-regular event among the local Chicago teams. The Bears played against a local team called Chicago Logan Square A.C. to a 0-0 tie.

The Staley monthly journal would state in the February 1921 issue that "the 'Western Champions' Played One Game of Indoor Football and Decided That Once Was Enough for Them."[41]

Standings

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1920 APFA standings[42]
W L T PCT DIV DPCT PF PA STK
Akron Pros† 8 0 3 1.000 6–0–3 1.000 151 7 T2
Decatur Staleys 10 1 2 .909 5–1–2 .833 164 21 T1
Buffalo All-Americans 9 1 1 .900 4–1–1 .800 258 32 T1
Chicago Cardinals 6 2 2 .750 3–2–2 .600 101 29 T1
Rock Island Independents 6 2 2 .750 4–2–1 .667 201 49 W1
Dayton Triangles 5 2 2 .714 4–2–2 .667 150 54 L1
Rochester Jeffersons 6 3 2 .667 0–1–0 .000 156 57 T1
Canton Bulldogs 7 4 2 .636 4–3–1 .571 208 57 W1
Detroit Heralds 2 3 3 .400 1–3–0 .250 53 82 T2
Cleveland Tigers 2 4 2 .333 1–4–2 .200 28 46 L1
Chicago Tigers 2 5 1 .286 1–5–1 .167 49 63 W1
Hammond Pros 2 5 0 .286 0–3–0 .000 41 154 L3
Columbus Panhandles 2 6 2 .250 0–4–0 .000 41 121 W1
Muncie Flyers 0 1 0 .000 0–1–0 .000 0 45 L1

 †  Awarded the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup and named APFA Champions.
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Post season

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Since there were no playoff system in the APFA until 1932,[43] a meeting was held to determine the champions. Each team that showed up had a vote to determine the champions.[44] The Staleys and the All-Americans each stated they should be the champions because they had more wins and were not beaten by the Akron Pros.[38] However, since the Akron Pros had a 1.000 winning percentage, the Pros were awarded the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup on April 30, 1921.[45] Seven players from the Staleys were on the 1920 All-Pro team. Guy Chamberlain, Hugh Blacklock, and George Trafton were on the first team; George Halas was on the second team; and Burt Ingwerson, Ross Petty, and Dutch Sternaman were on the third team.[46]

Legacy

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Five players from the 1920 Decatur Staleys roster went on to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. George Halas was in the class of 1963,[47] Jimmy Conzelman[48] and George Trafton were in the class of 1964,[49] while Guy Chamberlin[50] and Paddy Driscoll were in the class of 1965.[51]

References

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  1. ^ "1920 Decatur Staleys". Independentfootball.site90.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  2. ^ "1919 Decatur Staleys". The Pro Football Archives. Maher Sports Media. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  3. ^ "1920s Chicago Bears". Bears History. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  4. ^ PFRA Research (1980), pp. 3–4
  5. ^ Siwoff, Zimmber & Marini (2010), pp. 352–353
  6. ^ a b PFRA Research (1980), p. 4
  7. ^ "Thorpe Made President" (PDF). The New York Times. September 19, 1920.
  8. ^ "Organize Pro Gridders; Choose Thorpe, Prexy". The Milwaukee Journal. September 19, 1920. p. 24. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012.
  9. ^ Peterson (1997), p. 74
  10. ^ Davis (2005), p. 59
  11. ^ Price, Mark (April 25, 2011). "Searching for Lost Trophy". Akron Beacon-Journal. Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  12. ^ "Staley Eleven Opens Season Beating Moline Tractors, 20–0: 1500 See Local Team Crush Visitors Under Fast Fierce Attack," Decatur Herald, Oct. 4, 1920, p. 4.
  13. ^ a b c "Staleys Beat Moline Sunday [October 3, Score 20 to 0,"] [Taylorsville, IL] Daily Breeze, Oct. 4, 1920, p. 1.
  14. ^ a b "Staleys Hold Back!" Rock Island [IL] Argus, Oct. 4, 1920, p. 15.
  15. ^ "Staleys Win from Kewanee Walworths: Starch Workers Pile Up Big Lead in First Half But Unable to Score in Second, While Visitors Put One Over in Third Period," Decatur Herald, Oct. 11, 1920, p. 4.
  16. ^ a b c "Staley Football Team Defeats Rock Island Club 7 to 0: Starch Workers and Rock Island Eleven Stage Great Battle," Decatur Review, Oct. 18, 1920, p. 4.
  17. ^ "Staleys Defeat Rock Island," Chicago Tribune, Oct. 18, 1920, p. 19.
  18. ^ "Staleys Trim Independents, 7 to 0: Decatur Linemen Halt Rock Island," Moline Dispatch, Oct. 18, 1920, p. 14.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "Staleys Trim Chicago Tigers 10–0 in Hard Fought Game: Windy City Eleven Forces Halas' Men to Play Their Best," Decatur Herald, Oct. 25, 1920, p. 4.
  20. ^ "Rock Island Holds Staleys to 0–0 Tie," [Hammond, IN] Lake County Times, Nov. 8, 1920, p. 6.
  21. ^ "Staley and Rock Island Football Teams Battle to Tie: Great Professional Grid Elevens Unable to Score in Contest," Decatur Herald, Nov. 8, 1920, p. 4.
  22. ^ a b "Marines Lose Great 3 to 0 Battle to Staley All Star Eleven: Sternaman's Placement Boot Brings Victory," Minneapolis Star-Review, Nov. 15, 1920, p. 7.
  23. ^ a b "Staley Grid Team Defeats Minneapolis Marines 3 to 0: Starch Workers Win from Devil-Dogs by Means of Field Goal," Decatur Herald, Nov. 15, 1920, p. 4.
  24. ^ "Sternaman's Two Scoring Boots Defeat Tigers: Staleys Best Chicagoans Second Time, 6–0, After Line-Plunging Fails to Yield Distance," Rock Island [IL] Argus, Nov. 26, 1920, p. 26.
  25. ^ "Staleys of Decatur Given First Defeat by Cardinals, 7-6," Chicago Tribune, November 29, 1920, p. 19.
  26. ^ "Chicago Cardinals Defeat Staleys by Score of 7 to 6: Chicago Outplays Starch Workers in Hard Fought Clash," Decautur Herald, Nov. 29, 1920, p. 4.
  27. ^ Bill Penhallegon, "Staleys Battle Akron to Scoreless Tie in Grid Scrap: Decatur Team Loses Chance to Score When Sternaman Kicks Wide," Decatur Herald, Dec. 13, 1920, p. 4.
  28. ^ "Staleys and Akron Battle to Scoreless Draw in Championship Tilt: Pro Teams Play Before 12,000 in Title Game," [Davenport, IA] Quad City Times, Dec. 13, 1920, p. 7.
  29. ^ "Decatur Holds Akron to a Scoreless Tie: Akron Comes Near Losing Title Honors to Staley's Outfit," Akron Evening Times, Dec. 13, 1920, p. 10.
  30. ^ "Staleys in 0–0 Tie with Akron," Hammond [IN] Times, Dec. 13, 1920, p. 6.
  31. ^ "Akron and Staleys Play Scoreless Tie: East and West Fail to Settle Pro Grid Title," Moline Dispatch, Dec. 13, 1920, p. 14.
  32. ^ [ "Lack of Practice and Poor Physical Condition Account for First Upset of Season,"] Rock Island Argus, October 18, 1920.
  33. ^ "Staley and Rock Island Football Teams Battle to Tie: Great Professional Grid Elevens Unable to Score in Contest," Decatur Herald, Nov. 8, 1920, p. 4.
  34. ^ "Staleys Win World's Dirt Title". Rock Island Argus. November 8, 1920.
  35. ^ Quirk (1998), p. 2
  36. ^ Willis (2010), p. 131
  37. ^ Davis (2005), p. 61
  38. ^ a b Carroll (1982), p. 3
  39. ^ a b c d "Decatur and Akron Pros battle to Tie". The Milwaukee Sentinel. December 13, 1920. p. 6.
  40. ^ a b c d Young, Frank (December 18, 1920). "Fritz Pollard Shows Old Time Form as Akron and Staleys Pros Play Tie". Chicago Defender. p. 6.
  41. ^ "Staley's Bears 1920-1921".
  42. ^ "NFL – 1920 Regular Season". National Football League. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  43. ^ "History: The First Playoff Game". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 3, 2011.
  44. ^ PFRA Research (n.d.), p. 1
  45. ^ Price, Mark (April 25, 2011). "Searching for the Lost Trophy". Akron Beacon Journal. Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  46. ^ Hogrogian (1984), pp. 1–2
  47. ^ "George Halas". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  48. ^ "Jimmy Conzelman". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  49. ^ "George Trafton". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  50. ^ "Guy Chamberlin". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  51. ^ "John (Paddy) Driscoll". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.

Further reading

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