The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr

by Chris Willis

  Going into the 1930 season, Carr finalized the schedule and took care of a few minor details but he also made a unique hire. Over the years Carr selected his game officials very carefully, and usually he looked for men who had a lot of experience in officiating. Some of the officials he hired had played professional football or officiated at the college level. In 1930 he hired a young man who would eventually play a small part in Carr's legacy nearly twenty-five years after his death.

  Dan Tehan was a son of an Irish immigrant who became a very wellknown prep athlete in the city of Cincinnati. After a decorated athletic career at St. Xavier High School, he went on to be a two-sport (football and basketball) star at Xavier University in his hometown. Tehan's love of sports continued after his graduation in the spring of 1929, when he played semipro football and officiated high school and college football games. That fall he quickly gained a reputation of being a very knowledgeable and fair official on the gridiron. "He knew the rules. He was a big rule man and he knew them," says Patrick Tehan, son of Dan Tehan. "I can remember when I was a kid, he'd be laying in his bed at night. I'd go in and he'd be there reading. Every night he read his rulebook."3

  Tehan would also get married in 1929 and find employment with the Cincinnati Athletic Goods Company. But the following year he was offered a great opportunity to work in the fledgling NFL. In a 1976 interview with Referee Magazine, Dan Tehan recalled how he was hired to be an NFL official.

  It was funny how I got started in the pro league. Joe Carr was President of the league at the time. He lived in Columbus, Ohio, and was running the whole show from there. He wanted Frank Lane [a top football and basketball official before he became a baseball executive] to work for him. But Lane, who was working in the Big Ten at the time, turned him down because he was getting $50 a game in that conference and the pay in the pro league was only $25. But Frank recommended me to Carr and I was hired in 1930.'o

  At this time NFL referees were getting thirty-five dollars a game and the other three officials were getting twenty-five a game, so there was no way Carr was going to match the fifty bucks to get a top-of-the-line official like Lane. Instead he hired the tall (six feet two), very athletic, very young Tehan to be a head linesman. In 1930 Tehan would start a thirtyfive-year NFL career as one of the league's greatest whistle blowers, and he always took his job seriously with a touch of reality. "Since he is engaged in this duty alone, the official must put forth enough intelligent effort to justify his being on the field. He must be prepared mentally and physically for each game. It is hard work and a serious business-but it is fun, too, and all the money in the world could not beat the friends you make in sports. 1141

  Carr's ability to judge talent and his personal affinity for good Irish lads gave his league another building block. As the 1930 season approached, Carr was invited to attend the NFL debut of the Portsmouth Spartans on September 14. While there Carr was to tour the new stadium and participate in the pregame ceremonies with the mayor of Portsmouth to dedicate the new stadium. After traveling the ninety-mile trip south from Columbus, Carr was given the royal treatment.

  On a perfect day for football, Carr took a tour of the brand new Universal Stadium and came away very impressed by the facility. Before the game started between Newark and Portsmouth, Carr joined Mayor Robert C. Bryan and city manager C. A. Harrell for pregame ceremonies. After short speeches by the political bigwigs over the stadium's new PA system, Carr shook hands with the team captains, Father Lumpkin (Spartans) and Stu Clancy (Tornadoes), before presenting the game ball to referee Bobbie Cahn. Carr then sat in a special box on the fifty yard line with the mayor and other city officials to watch the action. What he saw was an uneventful game, with the Spartans pulling out a 13-6 victory to give the small town its first NFL win. Carr then spoke to the press, giving his opinion of the city: "I was amazed at the size of your stadium and its completeness. It is a credit to a city much larger than Portsmouth. Your city is aflame with football enthusiasm and it looks to me like the Spartans are in for a great year. Of course the opposition will be tougher than the fans have been seeing and for this reason there will not be many touchdowns scored. All the teams are made up of college stars and are about evenly matched."42

  Carr was impressed with the atmosphere of the game, but he wanted more from the small town. In giving his quote he was very disappointed in the turnout of just 4,000 fans, because he knew better teams would be visiting Portsmouth (Newark would finish with a horrible 1-10-1 record), and the team needed to attract bigger crowds in order to make a profit. In speaking to the Portsmouth Times, Spartans coach Hal Griffen said it would cost $60,000 to pay the players (up to twenty-two men) for the season, and after adding the cost of traveling by rail, food, accommodations, and equipment, the annual expenditure rose to nearly $85,000. The small-town Portsmouth National Football League Corporation had a big challenge ahead of it.43 After the game Carr had dinner with his friend William Gableman, who he knew from his old days as president of the Ohio State League, then headed home.

  The season was now under way as the Packers began their defense of their title by adding 2,000 additional seats to City Stadium, as well as adding a special flag pole (painted blue and gold) placed prominently at one end of the field inside the stadium. At the season opener against the Cardinals, the Packers raised the championship flag proclaiming the Packers "1929 Champions."

  The Packers returned basically the same squad as the year before, and they didn't miss a beat, winning their first seven games. But the Packers strong start was overshadowed by another big event going on around the NFL-night games. Throughout the 1930 season the league saw eleven night games, all on Wednesday evenings-except one Thursday night contest hosted by the New York Giants on October 16.

  September 17-New York Giants at Newark (10,000)

  September 24-Frankford at Newark (2,000)

  September 24-Brooklyn at Portsmouth (6,000)

  October 1-Staten Island at Newark (8,000)

  October 1-Frankford at Providence (3,500)

  October 8-Frankford at Portsmouth (No Figures Found)

  October 8-Chicago Cardinals at Newark (5,000)

  October 16-Chicago Cardinals at New York Giants (15,000-Thursday night)

  October 22-Chicago Bears at Portsmouth (7,500)

  October 29-Newark at New York Giants (5,000)

  November 5-New York Giants at Portsmouth (7,000)

  The eleven games attracted a total of 68,500 fans-averaging about 6,227 per game-which wasn't a bad number, but it didn't change the course of professional football. The eleven night games would be a season high for twilight contests during the entire decade of the 1930s, but, of course, night games in the NFL wouldn't really become a staple until 1970 with Monday Night Football. On October 16 the Giants played their first ever night game at the Polo Grounds. Tim Mara had as his special guest former New York governor and friend Al Smith, among the 15,000 fans, which was the largest crowd of any of the eleven night games '

  The week after the Giants hosted Smith, Carr attended the BearsSpartans night game with several friends as the guest of George Halas. A crowd of 7,500 saw the Spartans upset Halas's Bears 7-6, as the team near the Ohio River got off to a 4-1-1 record. But the Spartans won just one more game during the rest of the season to finish with a 5-6-3 record. After the game Carr gave another shot in the arm to the Spartans, saying to the press that "you can say Portsmouth is in the league to stay." Carr knew it was premature to start making promises like that, but he wanted the fans in Portsmouth to know he was behind them 100 percent. He definitely wanted the city to make it in his loop.45

  The NFL's other rookie team had a little more success. The Brooklyn Dodgers were led by former Giants star running back Jake McBride, who guided Bill Dwyer's team to a fourth place finish at 7-4-1. But the wins and losses didn't impress Carr. It was the attendance figures that did. In the Dodgers' five home games, they totaled 64,000 fans and an average of 12,800 a game, including a season-high crowd of 20,0
00 at Ebbets Field for the December 7 matchup with the cross-town Giants .16

  The contrast between the small town and the big city would be waged over the next couple of seasons, but 1930, both on and off the field, belonged to the big city. By November 10 the Packers stood at 8-0 and the Giants at 10-1, with their only loss to the Pack, but surprisingly both teams lost their next game. So the following week both teams faced off in the Big Apple to pretty much settle the NFL title, with the Packers looking to repeat as champs.

  Before a stunning crowd of 37,000 fans at the Polo Grounds-the largest crowd for an NFL game since Red Grange's New York invasion in 1925-the Giants pulled off a huge upset victory, defeating the Packers 13-6. Behind a Benny Friedman-to-Red Badgro touchdown pass and an eighty-four-yard run by Hap Moran that led to Friedman's one-yard sneak, the Giants, at 11-2, moved into first place ahead of the 8-2 Packers. But four days later on Thanksgiving Day, the Giants came crashing down to earth by losing to Staten Island, 7-6. On the same day the Packers thumped the Frankford Yellow Jackets 25-7.

  As the Carr family celebrated turkey day, the NFL president had an unexpected crisis come across his desk. In early November Notre Dame star fullback Joe Savoldi was forced to withdraw from school after an investigation disclosed he had been secretly married in 1929 and was filing for an annulment. Three weeks later, Savoldi signed a contract with the Chicago Bears to play the final three games of the season. Co-owners George Halas and Dutch Sternaman issued a press release announcing the signing: "Because of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding this case we do not feel that we are making any encroachment upon college football, nor does this set any precedent of jeopardizing the amateur standing of any college player, as Savoldi is no longer classed as a college player. We are happy and proud to announce that Joe Savoldi will appear in uniform as one of our regular players to participate in our big game next Thanksgiving morning against the Cardinals."47

  Just as with the signing of Red Grange in 1925, Halas had to have the next big "star," but this time he had crossed the line. Halas contended that the new roster addition was legal since Savoldi was forced to leave school and was not a member of a graduating class. Carr understood Halas's claim and said this case was "without parallel" in the history of the league. Savoldi did play against the Cardinals on Thanksgiving in front of just 8,000 fans at Wrigley Field, and Halas gave him a chance to be the hero. In a scoreless game in the third quarter, Savoldi scored a one-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 6-0 victory.48

  The day after the game, Carr fined the Bears $1,000 for breaking the league rule against signing college players before their class had graduated. "It's an unusual case but the violation is plain and I have no choice in the matter. The only recourse for the owners of the Bears is to appeal to the executive committee of the league. The ruling will in no way affect Savoldi's future in professional football after his class is graduated from Notre Dame next spring."49 On November 28, 1930, Carr sat with his secretary Kathleen Rubadue and wrote Dutch Sternaman a letter explaining the ruling and how to pay the fine.

  Dear Mr. Sternaman:

  In keeping with the provisions of Section 1 Article 10 of the Constitution and By-Laws of the National Football League you are here-by notified that the Chicago Bears have been fined the sum of $1,000 for permitting player [Joe] Savoldi to participate in a game with your club on Nov. 27.

  I have given full consideration to your claim that the circumstances surrounding Savoldi are not a violation of the League rules and consideration of this fact will permit an appeal to the membership of the Executive Committee. However, in the meantime I would suggest you forward your check covering the above fine to our Treasury who will hold same until the matter is finally disposed of.

  In this same mail I am returning to Mr. Halas the agreement signed by your club with this player covering his services in games during the season of 1930 which cannot be promulgated in this office. However, his contract for 1931 will be retained until the matter is finally disposed of.

  Trusting you will give the forgoing your usual attention and with kindest personal regards, I am,

  Very truly yours,

  Joe F. Carr

  Presiden t50

  Carr quickly resolved the issue without it getting out of control, and the press was very favorable to the way he handled it. Most of the headlines around the country led with the $1,000 fine in big bold letters, which caught the attention of the public. Halas-Sternaman paid the fine, and Savoldi played just two more games in 1930, and then retired to pursue a career in professional wrestling. The week after the Savoldi decision was made, the NFL's championship race ended. The Packers crushed the Stapletons 37-7, and the Giants were upset again, this time by the Dodgers 7-6. The Giants slump cost head coach Roy Andrews his job, and players Benny Friedman and Steve Owen took over coaching duties in the final two games-both wins. On the last day of the regular season (December 14), Joe F. Carr attended the Packers-Spartans game in Portsmouth. Once again he sat in the box at the fifty yard line, and after the game he talked to sportswriters George Calhoun (Green Bay Press-Gazette) and Ollie Kue- chle (Milwaukee journal), who were there covering the Pack. After watching a hard fought 6-6 tie he told the group of writers, "It was a great game and Portsmouth should be proud of its team. It is a real fighting football eleven. When the smallest city in the league can win the championship two years in a row it is something to be proud of. And I'm as proud of the Green Bay Packers as any of their fans up there in Wisconsin.""

  Speaking to the Portsmouth Times, Curly Lambeau also said a few kind words about the city of Portsmouth: "With a little revamping the league will be ready to start its most successful season next fall. Portsmouth has certainly taken its football seriously and I wish to compliment your real city and the spirit of the fans. That fine crowd Sunday on the eve of the holidays was a real testimonial to the loyalty of your supporters."52 Little did Lambeau know that one year later the two small towns would be engaged in a bitter controversy that would put Carr right in the middle of the argument. But for now the Packers had won back-to-back NFL championships, joining the 1922-1923 Canton Bulldogs as the only teams to accomplish that feat.

  On the same day when Carr saw the Packers-Spartans game end the NFL season, three other league teams played two charity games that would have a great impact on the history of the league. In Chicago the city's two rivals-Bears and Cardinals-planned a charity contest to benefit the Illinois Unemployment Relief Fund in a very unique environment. The game was played indoors at Chicago Stadium-the home of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks-to avoid the bad weather. A near capacity crowd of 10,000 showed up to watch the Bears score a safety in the third quarter to break a tie and give them a 9-7 victory. The crazy idea of an indoor football game would make a comeback two years later and forever change the history of the NFL 5"

  The other charity game occurred in New York. With the Great Depression growing worse, the New York Giants agreed to meet an all-star team of Notre Dame graduates in the Polo Grounds with all the proceeds going to the New York Unemployment Fund. Knute Rockne coached the Notre Dame squad, which included the Four Horsemen and other recent graduates of college football's most dominant program. Rockne and much of the public still held pro football in low regard and expected an easy Notre Dame victory. The debate of who played better football-the colleges or pros-was still hotly discussed.

  However, Benny Freidman and the Giants found the game a great opportunity to convince Rockne and the public of the quality of pro ball. "The best professional team could spot the best college team two touchdowns and win the game," Friedman had said on WDR radio in New York earlier in 1930. "Although a college eleven may have as much offensive power as a professional team, the latter is much better defensively. Some pro lines average 230 pounds and you need a stick of dynamite to dent a wall like that, " said Red Grange when asked about his opinion of the upcoming matchup 54

  Before a crowd of 55,000 Freidman led the Giants to a pair of quick touchdowns whi
le allowing the Notre Dame players not even a first down. Legend has it that Rockne went over to the Giants dressing room at halftime and begged the pros to take it easy on his boys. The Giants cruised to a 22-0 win. The New York Unemployment Fund collected $115,153. Mara turned over every cent to the fund, and his Giants profited from the enormous publicity the press gave the contest. No longer could the public shrug off the pros as clumsy goons 55

  Carr was very pleased with the contributions his teams were making in the fight against the Great Depression. He also saw that his league could only grow in the big cities and not just on the field but off the field as well. The publicity of the charity games and the media coverage of his league in cities such as Chicago and New York could only be available in the cities with the bright lights. The only problem was how to stay there.

  'oe F. Carr had just finished ten seasons as NFL president (1921-1930), and there were some incredible numbers to digest. From 1921 to 1930, the NFL had forty-eight different franchises in thirty-eight different cities. Then there were the attendance figures, which were taken by actual newspaper accounts from the local press. It is clear that as the decade moved on, more attention was given to reporting attendance figures. Although some writers embellished the numbers of fans in their articles, this is the only source we have to gauge these figures. The NFL didn't keep official attendance figures. Also, in the second list, the average attendance per NFL game showed a steady increase in fans attending NFL games-except for the big spike in 1925 with the arrival of Red Grange, and a small deduction in 1930, a year after the stock market crash. Comparing 1924 (3,655 fans per game) to 1930 (7,027 fans per game) the average attendance per game nearly doubled.'

  Attendance by Year

  1921 APFA (66 league games) = 172, 804 fans (36 out of 66 games reported in papers)

  1922 NFL (74 league games) = 187,752 fans (42 out of 74 games)

  1923 NFL (88 league games) = 252,596 fans (57 out of 88 games)