I: Sept. 17, 1920
II: Nov. 7, 1920
III: Nov. 28, 1920
IV: Oct. 7, 1923
V: Nov. 26, 1925
VI: Dec. 6, 1925
VII: Nov. 6, 1929
VIII: Nov. 28, 1929
IX: Oct. 24, 1933
X: Nov. 28, 1935
XI: Oct. 14, 1945
XII: Apr. 19, 1947
XIII: Dec. 28, 1947
XIV: Dec. 19, 1948
XV: Mar. 23, 1959
XVI: Mar. 13, 1960
XVII: Dec. 6, 1964
XVIII: Nov. 7, 1965
XIX: Nov. 16, 1970
XX: Dec. 27, 1975
XXI: Jan. 8, 1983
XXII: Dec. 16, 1984
XXIII: Nov. 8, 1987
XXIV: Mar. 15, 1988
XXV: Dec. 23, 1990
XXVI: Dec. 24, 1994
CARDINAL CHRONICLE III
November 28, 1920: A Rivalry is Born
- - - - - When asked to name the NFL's oldest rivalry, most football fans respond with Bears-Packers. Although these two teams
have faced each other more than any other pair, the oldest rivalry still alive in the NFL today is that between the Cardinals and the Bears.
Both of these teams entered the league in 1920, and although the Packers were formed a year earlier, they did not join the NFL until the 1921
season. The fact is that on November 28, 1920, the Racine-Chicago Cardinals hosted the Decatur Staleys (later the Chicago Bears) at tiny
Normal Park. This would prove to be the first game played in which both teams are still in the league today.
- - - - - Coming into this late-season meeting, the Staleys, led by George Halas, had not lost a game, had given up only seven points all
year, and were contending with the undefeated Akron Pros for the league crown. Meanwhile, the Cardinals were, well, just being the Cardinals,
trying to finish the year with a respectable record. In an era where the forward pass was rarely used and the defense had a distinct advantage
over the offense, low-scoring games were very common. So, with a 6-0 lead late in the game, it looked as if the Staleys were on their way to
another shut-out victory. But, the Cardinals had the home-crowd behind them, or rather, in FRONT of them, as a group of fans came down from
the bleachers and cleared the way for a Big-Red touchdown! The officials, fearing a riot, allowed the score to count, and with Driscoll's
successful extra-point try, the Cardinals went down in history as the 7-6 winner. Although Decatur would beat the Cardinals 10-0 the following
weekend at Wrigley Field, the Staleys' loss (the only one of their season), would turn out to be devastating to their championship hopes. In
their season finale against the still-undefeated Akron squad, Decatur could only muster a scoreless tie, allowing Akron to finish the year with the
league's best winning percentage. Although no team was officially crowned for the 1920 season, the Pros of Akron are generally accepted as the NFL's first champion.
NEXT : October 7, 1923 - The Rochester Jeffersons are no match for Paddy Driscoll and the mighty Cardinals as the Big-Red rolls on to its most lopsided victory in team history. The days of mediocrity are ending as the club is only steps away from being transformed into a championship contender.
 |
1996-2021, by "The Cardinal"
|
|---|