City of Philadelphia - File #: 030438

• File #: 030438
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 5/29/2003
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 5/29/2003
• Title: Urging the National Football League to name the Pottsville Maroons League Co-Champions of 1925.
• Sponsors: Councilmember O'Neill, Council President Verna, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Mariano, Councilmember Ortiz, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Nutter, Councilmember Cohen, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember Miller

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
5/29/2003	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED
5/29/2003	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
5/29/2003	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Urging the National Football League to name the Pottsville Maroons League Co-Champions of 1925.
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia was the proud home of the Frankford Yellow Jackets, a franchise in the National Professional League that played professional football; and

WHEREAS, During the mid-1920's, specifically in 1925, the National Professional League (later evolving into the National Football League) was still trying to market itself as the new American Pastime in sports entertainment; and

WHEREAS, In 1925, shortly after the Frankford Yellow Jackets decisively shut out the Pottsville Maroons Football Team 20-0 at Frankford on Saturday, November 14, Frankford's record wins/losses placed it as the top eastern team in the League, so the Yellow Jackets' management entered into a contract with a Philadelphia promoter requiring the leading eastern team to play a football game against a group of the beloved former Notre Dame starts in Shibe Park in December, 1925; and

WHEREAS, As the 1925 football season progressed, the Pottsville Maroons rebounded back into the winning column and returned the favor to Frankford by shutting out the Yellow Jackets 49-0 on November 29 at the Maroons' home stadium at Minersville Park which suddenly caused the Maroons to become the top team in the east; and

WHEREAS, The following week of December 6, 1925, the Pottsville Maroons traveled to Chicago to play the powerhouse Cardinals, a game which the Maroons won 21 to 7 and immediately afterward the Maroons were declared by many in the media as the "League Champions"; and

WHEREAS, What happened next is the subject of controversy, as the terms of the contract and the sequence of events are shrouded in mystery and legend. The Yellow Jackets allegedly withdrew from the contract to play the Notre Dame All-Stars at Shibe Park and the Maroons allegedly agreed to take their place. Upon learning of the Maroons' decision to play Notre Dame, the Yellow Jackets pr...