Staten Island Stapletons

The Staten Iceland Stapleton were an American football team which was located in the National Football League ( NFL).

Prior to the NFL

The Stapletons were founded in 1915 as a local team and were based in New York City. The team played only against regional from the New York metropolitan area. In a league the team was not organized. The players were amateurs whose content was rarely above 10 U.S. dollars per game. The gate receipts were not sufficient for better salaries. In 1918, the Stapleton had to suspend the operation of gambling for a year, since its founder Dan Blaine, his military service in the U.S. Army had to do. Immediately after the First World War, the Stapleton took their game mode again. Blaine, played as a halfback for the team and had come through the operation of several restaurants where alcohol was served even during Prohibition to prosperity.

In 1924 the Stapletons proclaimed the master of Greater New York. They had beaten several independent league teams. In 1925, the New York Giants were founded. Between the NFL club the Giants and the Stapleton is an ongoing rivalry developed. In the same year the Giants beat their rivals 7-0. 1926 was founded by Red Grange, the American Football League ( AFL) and Stapleton lost to the AFL team the Newark Bears with 33:0. The Bears had remained went out of the meeting emerged as the winner, but did not have the financial means to play the AFL season to end. Blaine enlisted immediately after the game from numerous players who from then aufliefen for Stapleton. In 1927, the Stapleton appeared twice against the Giants, which many top players, including Steve Owen, Joe Alexander, Pete Henry or Cal Hubbard had in their ranks to. The Giants won both games clearly with 19:0 and 18:0 and brought in this year, the NFL title .. With a 7-6 victory over the Duluth Eskimos led by Ernie Nevers, however, the Stapletons could draw attention to themselves.

1928 Blaine was preparing his team significantly on. He took Doug Wycoff, who had played briefly for the 1926 Stapleton, back as player-coach of the team and committed six young players from the University of New York. Success was not long in coming. The team won 10 of 12 games and was able to choose three of four games against NFL teams for themselves - and that included a 7-0 win over arch-rival New York Giants.

NFL

In 1928, made ​​themselves the owners of the NFL teams about ideas to expand the league. This year, ten teams played in the NFL some of which had financial problems and had to retire from the NFL. New teams were added and the league was increased to twelve teams. The Stapleton received a franchise that found their way into the NFL and attacked in 1929 in the league events a. Coach of the team remained Wycoff. With Ken Strong Blaine could undertake a top player who this could be, however, pay dearly. To keep him from signed a contract with the Giants, Blaine offered him an annual salary of $ 5,000 and a rent-free apartment. Strong signed with the team from Staten Iceland. Kenneth Strong was an exceptionally fast player who aground for Stapleton as a halfback, played in the later years but also at other positions.

The game 1929 started with a victory for the Stapleton. Economically, the team was doing well and had in the home games 7000-10000 spectators. The annual ticket cost $ 18 and the 18 players on the team deserved, with the exception of Strong, between 100 and 150 U.S. dollars per game. The season, the team decided to place in the table 6 The economic success was the lack of sporting success against. The sixth place in the table was reached in 1930, it remained the best placement of the team. How many teams the Stapletons were recorded from the Great Depression and the viewing figures fell significantly. The Stapletons came into financial problems and finally had to Blaine after the season 1932, the League ask for his team to take a year out of the game operation. The request was complied with and the team was 1933 and 1934, more than independent league team. A return to the NFL was no longer there. The team In 1935, the operation of gambling definitively.

Players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

  • Ken Strong

Other well-known players

  • Stu Clancy
  • Swede Hanson
  • Oran Pape
Runningback Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos Sports franchising Tom Hanson (American football)
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