Historic Newspapers: National Football League

EVENING TRIBUNE, San Diego, May 19, 1917

* Elmer Oliphant - Army Cadets college football photo

Page 14 has a two column action photo of Elmer Oliphant with heading: "Oliphant Captain of Army… more

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, Dec. 13, 1920

* First professional football championship game
* Akron Pros vs. Decatur Staleys - Wrigley Field
* Extremely rare item from the city were it happened

The… more

THE OMAHA DAILY NEWS, Nebraska, November 23, 1925

* Red Grange - Galloping Ghost
* Illinois Fighting Illini - College football
* Chicago Bears signing - NFL

The sport's section (page 7) has… more

THE BETHLEHEM GLOBE-TIMES, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, December 7, 1925

* Red Grange - Chicago Bears
* Polo Grounds - professional football

This 20 page newspaper has two column headline on page… more

THE BETHLEHEM GLOBE-TIMES, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, dated December 7, 1925

* Red Grange - Chicago Bears
* Polo Grounds - professional football

This 20 page newspaper has two column… more

SECTION TWO (sports) only of the Chicago Daily Tribune, Nov. 21, 1927

* Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers (rivalry)
* Early NFL National Football League
* Best publication to be had (very… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, November 29, 1929 

* Aviator Richard Evelyn Byrd 
* South Pole flight begins 
* Ernie Nevers makes NFL record in scoring 

This 44 page newspaper has a great three line… more

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, Sept. 26, 1932

* Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
* First game of the year (0-0 tie)
* Bronko Nagurski and Red Grange era
* 1st ever NFL football championship year
… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, September 18, 1933

* (Washington) Boston Redskins
* 1st time nickname was used in franchise history
* First game of the 1933 NFL football season

The sport's section… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, NY, November 6, 1933

* Chicago Bears 30 game win streak ends
* Bronko Nagurski
* NFL football

This 40 page newspaper has a two column headline on page 25:… more

BOSTON EVENING TRANSCRIPT, December 18, 1933

* Chicago Bears vs. New York Giants
* First NFL football championship game

Page 6 has a one column heading: "Brilliant Play Features Game for Pro… more

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, September 1, 1934

* Chicago College All-Star Game
* Very 1st annual football game
* Chicago Bears NFL team
* Best title to be had (rare)

The front page has a five… more

NEW YORK TIMES, September 1, 1934

* Chicago College All-Star Game
* Very 1st annual football game
* Chicago Bears

The sport's section (page 8) has one column headings: "80,000 See Bears Tie… more

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, Sept. 24, 1934

* Detroit Lions very 1st football game
* NFL - National Football League

Page 16 has a small and discrete one column heading: "Detroit, 9; Giants, 0" (see… more

ALBANY EVENING NEWS, New York, December 10, 1934 

* The famed "Sneakers Game" 
* NFL football title championship 

The sport's section (page 15) has a two column heading: "Giants Upset Bears… more

FITCHBURG SENTINEL, Mass., December 10, 1934 

* The famed "Sneakers Game" 
* NFL football title championship 

Page 8 under "Sport Chatter" is some brief reporting which includes: "The Giants… more

THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS, Vermont, December 10, 1934 

* The famed "Sneakers Game" 
* NFL football title championship 

The top of page 13 has a one column heading: "Giants Capture Pro Grid… more

THE DETROIT NEWS, December 15, 1935

* Detroit Lions NFL football championship game (1st time)
* vs. New York Giants (Day of) - Best title to be had ? (rare)

The front page of the sport's… more

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, December 14, 1936

* Green Bay Packers victorious
* Boston Redskins (Washington)
* NFL football championship
* Jesse Owens wins best athlete award

Page 3 of section… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, November 11, 1937 

* William "Pudge" Heffelfinger 
* Yale University football star 
* Best football player ever ? 

This 52 page newspaper has two column headlines in the… more

THE TIMES-PICAYUNE, New Orleans, December 12, 1938

* NFL football championship game w/ photos
* New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers

The sport's section (page 18) has a three column… more

THE NEWS, Frederick, Maryland, January 16, 1939

* 1st Pro Bowl football game
* New York Giants
* All-Stars

This 10 page newspaper has a one column headline on page 6: "New York Giants Win… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, October 23, 1939

* Very 1st NFL football game on television
* Philadelphia Eagles vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

This 38 page newspaper has two column headlines on page 23 that… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, NY, November 18, 1940

* Green Bay Packers
* 1st to travel by airplane
* NFL football

This 38 page newspaper has a five column headline on page 24: "Early… more

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, December 9, 1940

* Chicago Bears vs. Washington Redskins
* NFL Championship game
* Famous 73-0 rout by the Bears

The top of page 5B has a banner headline: "Records… more

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, December 15, 1941 

* 1st ever divisional playoff game...  NFL football 
* Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
* Ted Williams .406 batting average enters record books
*… more

NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM, December 22, 1941 

* Chicago Bears win NFL pro football championship
* Just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor - WWII era

The sport's section (page 21) has a six… more

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Massachusetts, December 22, 1941 

* Chicago Bears win NFL pro football championship
* New York Giants 
* Just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor - WWII era 

The sport's… more

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, January 5, 1942

* Chicago Bears vs. Pro football all-stars
* Post Pearl Harbor Pro Bowl
* Best title to be had ? (rare)

The front page of section 2 (sports) has a nice… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Dec. 9, 1942

* Frank Sinkwich wins Heisman Trophy
* Georgia Bulldogs - NCAA college football

The sport's section (top of page 40) has a seven column headline: "Heisman… more

THE TIMES PICAYUNE, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 14, 1942

* Washington Redskins win NFL title
* NFL football championship
* Chicago Bears upset

This 32 page newspaper has a six column… more

THE BOSTON POST, December 14, 1942

* Washington Redskins win NFL title
* NFL football championship game
* Chicago Bears upset (1st report)
* Sammy Baugh vs. Sid Luckman

The sport's section… more

CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE, Sport's section only, November 1, 1943

* Sammy Baugh throws 6 TD's
* Washington Redskins quarterback
* NFL football

The front page has a four column heading: "Baugh… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, NY, November 1, 1943

* Quarterback Sammy Baugh 6 TD's
* Washington Redskins
* NFL football

This 36 page newspaper has one column headlines on page 21: "BAUGH… more

THE TIMES-PICAYUNE, New Orleans, December 27, 1943

* Chicago Bears win NFL football championship
* Sid Luckman 5 touchdown passes
* Washington Redskins

The sport's section (page 8) has a one… more

FITCHBURG SENTINEL, Mass., December 17, 1945

* Cleveland Rams win NFL football championship
* (St. Louis) vs. Washington Redskins

The sport's section (page 8) has a two column heading: "Rams… more

THE TOPEKA DAILY CAPITAL, Topeka, Kansas, December 17, 1945

* Cleveland Rams win NFL football championship
* (St. Louis)
* Washington Redskins

This 10 page newspaper has a six column… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, January 12, 1946 

* Bert Bell - Co-founder of the Philadelphia eagles 
* Becomes the new NFL football commissioner
* Early/formative meeting of The United Nations

The top… more

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, January 13, 1946 

* Cleveland Rams - NFL Football
* 1st move to Los Angeles, California

The front page of the sport's section has a two column heading: "Rams Quit… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, March 22, 1946

* Kenny Washington breaks the color barrier
* NFL football signs it's 1st African American player
* Los Angeles Rams 

The sport's section (page 25) has a… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, December 16, 1946

* Chicago Bears win NFL football championship
* Sid Luckman touchdown play photo
* New York Giants - players busted on 'Fix' scandal
* Nice to have from… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, September 8, 1947

* Baltimore (Indianapolis) Colts 1st game
* National Football League NFL

This 44 page newspaper has a banner headline on page 29 that reads: "Wrong-Way… more

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Springfield, Massachusetts, December 2, 1947

* Johnny Lujack wins Heisman Trophy
* Notre Dame Fighting Irish - NCAA college football

This 30 page newspaper has two… more

FITCHBURG SENTINEL, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, December 29, 1947

* Chicago Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles
* NFL championship title game

This 12 page newspaper has a small one column… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, September 6, 1948

* Y. A. Tittle sets passing records in game
* Baltimore Colts quarterback
* NFL Football

The sport's section (page 10) has a banner headline: "Tittle… more

THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Springfield, Massachusetts, December 8, 1949

* Leon Hart wins Heisman Trophy
* Notre Dame Fighting Irish
* NCAA college football

This 40 page newspaper has two column… more

THE DETROIT NEWS, Michigan, December 12, 1949 

* Johnny Lujack 6 TD's for Chicago Bears 
* NFL football quarterback 

This 42 page newspaper has within reporting on the recent football… more

SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN, Mass., sport's section only, December 18, 1949

* All-America Football Conference All-Star game
* Shamrock Bowl - Cleveland Browns
* Last ever AAFC game

The front page… more

THE NEW YORK TIMES, January 13, 1944

* Angelo Bertelli wins Heisman Trophy
* Notre Dame Fighting Irish
* NCAA college football

This 44 page newspaper has one column headlines on page 24 that… more

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, December 24, 1951

* Los Angeles Rams vs. Cleveland Browns
* NFL football championship title game

The top of page 12 has a banner headline: "Rams Win, 24-17, to End… more