American Football League (1940)
Sport	American Professional Football
Founded	1940
First Season	1940
Last Season	1941
Claim to Fame	3rd competitor of National Football League
No. of teams	6 (1940), 5 (1941)
Country	United States
Last champions	Columbus Bullies
Disbanded	1942

Sometimes misleadingly called AFL III^[1][2], the 1940-1941 edition of the American Football League was a major professional American football league created when the Cincinnati Bengals, Columbus Bullies, and Milwaukee Chiefs were lured away from the American Professional Football Association (which resulted in the dissolution of that league after it had announced its intention to compete against the National Football League) and joined newly-formed franchises in Boston, Buffalo, and New York in a new league, the third major professional football league to bear the name American Football League (and the fifth overall). United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... See also: 1939 in sports, other events of 1940, 1941 in sports and the list of years in sports. Many sporting events did not take place because of World War II. // Baseball The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, 4 games to 3. ... See also: 1939 in sports, other events of 1940, 1941 in sports and the list of years in sports. Many sporting events did not take place because of World War II. // Baseball The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, 4 games to 3. ... See also: 1940 in sports, 1942 in sports and the list of years in sports. Many sporting events did not take place because of World War II. Baseball The New York Yankees won the World Series, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers by 4 games to 1. ... NFL redirects here. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Cincinnati Bengals was the name of a short-lived professional football team that played in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... NFL redirects here. ...

In 1941, the AFL became the first professional football league to play a double round robin schedule.

Origin of league

Although the third American Football League was not directly connected to any previous professional football leagues of the same name, its formation was at the cost of an already-existing minor football league of the same name.

By spring of 1940, the recently-renamed American Professional Football Association announced intentions of turning itself into a major league with the addition of a Milwaukee team for the upcoming season over the protests of the Green Bay Packers. As the teams prepared for the upcoming season, the announcement of a rival major league resulted in the fracturing of the AFPA. Packers redirects here. ...

On July 14, 1940, a press conference introduced a new American Football League, not a continuation of the former minor league, but a new one with franchises in New York, Boston, and Buffalo. Bill Edwards (former president of the first AFL) was slated to be both the president of the new league and co-owner of the New York Yankees franchise, and Joseph Carr Jr. (son of former NFL president Joe Carr) was touted as a potential backer of the Columbus franchise.^[3][4]. is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th_century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... See Buffalo for other places with this name. ... Joe Carr. ... Skyline of downtown Columbus, Ohio, viewed across the Scioto River. ...

The group of business based on the American East Coast behind the formation of the new league had resorted to a trick done by the first two AFLs: they raided the established minor league by enticing APFA members Cincinnati, Columbus, and the new Milwaukee team to join their circuit.^[5] The move fractured the APFA as two of its members decided not to field teams for 1940, one (the Los Angeles Bulldogs) had already left the league, and there were only three left with only two months to go before the start of the new season. As the Kenosha Cardinals and St. Louis Gunners applied to join the new league (and were subsequently denied), the APFA went out of business.^[6] Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... This article is about the city of Ohio. ... The St. ...

While Bill Edwards did not take over the league as previously announced (that job eventually went to former Ohio State University publicity director William D. Griffith)^[7], the 1940 season began with six teams owned by people who were, for the most part, in better financial standing than their NFL counterparts (in the NFL, many of the owners had their franchise as their primary investment and source of income; in the AFL of 1940, most of the owners had most of their money invested in other fields, such as the local newspaper).^[8][9].

Teams

Boston Bears. Disbanded in 1941, before the beginning of the second AFL season.^[10] The Boston Bears was a member of the American Soccer League. ...

Buffalo Indians. Became the Buffalo Tigers for the 1941 season after a change in ownership.

Cincinnati Bengals. Previously a member of the second AFL, and the American Professional Football Association, the "original Bengals" joined the third AFL with traditional rival Columbus Bullies.^[11]

Columbus Bullies. Former APFA member which won the AFL championship both years the league was in existence. Quarterback Jay Arnold, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, led the team in 1940; when Arnold returned to the Eagles in 1941, John LeBay took over the signal calling role.^[12] City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Team colors Midnight Green, Black, White, and Silver Head Coach Andy Reid Owner Jeffrey Lurie General manager Tom Heckert Fight song Fly, Eagles Fly Mascot Swoop League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol...

Milwaukee Chiefs. Former APFA member joined the AFL without being in an official APFA contest.^[13]

New York Yankees. The third major league professional football team with the name, it became the New York Americans in 1941 after a change of ownership.^[14]

League standings and All-League teams

Final 1940 standings

Main article: 1940 American Football League season

Cincinnati Bengals was the name of a short-lived professional football team that played in Cincinnati, Ohio. ...

1940 All-League Team

Sherman Barnes, Milwaukee (end)
Ed Karp, Buffalo (tackle)
Jim Karcher, Columbus (guard)
Joe Alexus, Columbus (center)
Alex Drobnitch, Buffalo (guard)
Bob Eckl, Milwaukee (tackle)
Harlan Gustafson, New York (end)
Andy Karpuls, Boston (quarterback)
Bill Hutchinson, New York (halfback)
Nelson Peterson, Columbus (halfback)
Al Novakofski, Milwaukee (fullback) Bill Hutchison (April 28, 1923–June 18, 1982) was a Australian rules footballer. ...

Final 1941 standings

Main article: 1941 American Football League season

Encouraged by the success of the New York and Columbus franchises, Detroit, Baltimore, and Philadelphia apply to join the league for the 1941 season. While the Detroit application was accepted for play in 1942, the latter two are turned down by a league that is not interested in further expansion.^[15]

Promoter Douglas Grant Hertz purchases the New York Yankees, changes their name to the New York Americans, and then announces (in August) the team's withdrawal from the league.^[16] The league refuses to acknowledge the "withdrawal." Boston folds before the start of the 1941 season. Buffalo changes the team name upon new ownership assuming control of the team. New York Americans president William B. Cox becomes new AFL league president in 1941.^[17]

1941 All-League Team

Earl Ohlgren, Milwaukee (end)
Alec Shellogg, Buffalo (tackle)
Ted Livinston, Columbus (guard)
Paul Humphrey, Milwaukee (center)
Tex Akin, Milwaukee (guard)
Bob Eckl, Milwaukee (tackle)
Joe Kruse, Cincinnati (end)
Bob Davis, Columbus (quarterback)
Charlie Armstrong, New York (halfback)
Bill McGannon, Cincinnati (halfback)
John Kimbrough, New York (fullback) Paul Humphrey (born October 12, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American jazz drummer. ... Robert Bob Davis (born 12 June 1928) is a legendary Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League. ... John Kimbrough (1918-2006) was a college athlete, a member of the Texas Legislature, the star of two western movies and a rancher. ...

Columbus was league champion again in 1941, with a final record of 5-1-2.

Demise of the third major league AFL

Although the AFL lost the Boston Bears franchise prior to the beginning of the 1941 season, its owners were optimistic about the league's long-term future. Although the league's average attendance was less than that of the more-established NFL, the AFL seemed to be on as firm a financial footing as the older league. By the end of the 1941 season, a new franchise was awarded to Detroit for the 1942 season. The league was the first major football league to complete a double round robin schedule, in which each team played each other twice.

All the plans for 1942 came to a sudden stop upon the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of World War II on December 7, 1941. With the induction of college and professional players into the U.S. military, it became increasingly apparent to the AFL owners that the global conflict would put the continued success of the league into question.^[18] This article is about the actual attack. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Conscription is a general term for forced labor demanded by some established authority, e. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...

On September 2, 1942, AFL president William B. Cox announced the suspension of league activities until the end of the war.^{[19] [20]}: is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Unlike Douglas MacArthur, the league did not return. The NFL was without a competitor until the formation of the All America Football Conference in 1946, one year after the end of World War II.^[21] This article is about the American general; for the municipality in the Philippines, see General MacArthur, Eastern Samar. ... The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a professional American football league that challenged the rival National Football League from 1946 to 1949. ...

References