Pro Football & Philly Sports Links

Professional Football Hall of Fame

Professional Football Researchers Association
The first place to look for information on the history and development of professional football.
The NFL History Network
Another excellent resource for information on the history and development of professional football.
Western NY Committee of the PFRA
This excellent site chronicles the history of the game in Western New York, from the 1910's thru 1960's. Includes season schedules, rosters and game summaries for various historical teams, including the Rochester Jeffersons (NFL) and Buffalo Bills (AAFC), as well as links to numerous articles.

History of Pro Football in Western New York
Hosted by Bills Backers United, this site features a comprehensive collection of historical information on the many early pro football teams that played on the gridirons of Western New York during the first half of the twentieth century. Includes season schedules and results, articles, biographies and more.

NFL Record & Fact Book
The definitive source for NFL information.

NFL Franchise Transactions
Joe Horrigan's excellent article tracking early (1920-49) NFL franchise transactions.
Unofficial Independent Football Rankings, 1910-1919
An extraordinary collection of schedule results and comparative rankings for a wide array of football teams that played in various Midwestern states, Pennsylvania and New York between 1910 and 1919.

Pro Football Archives
Tod Maher's excellent providing season schedules and results for NFL (1920-2006), AFL (1926), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75) and USFL (1983-85), as well as for numerous independent teams playing between 1910 and 1919.

LogoServer's Football Logo Page
Comprehensive collection of past and present logos from a large number of teams and leagues, both current and defunct.

Society for Sports Uniforms Research
Comprehensive source for all manner of information relating to uniforms.

The Helmet Project: An Atlas of Football Helmets
Comprehensive collection of helmet logos and designs from a wide variety of teams and leagues, both current and defunct.

Vintage Football Card Gallery
The web's premier collection of vintage football cards, featuring images of hundreds of trading cards from the 1955 to 1970.

The Evolution of the Football
An interesting Popular Mechanics' article chronicling the development of the football, from the soccer-ball like sphere used in 1869 to the "prolate-spheroid" of today's game.

The Wilcox "Nose-Guard"
This interesting page, at the North Penn High School's football web site, features images of the archaic protective "nose-guard" worn by some players during the stocking-cap era of the game.

Canadian Football Historical Association
This site provides background and membership information for the CFHA, an organization dedicated to researching and preserving the history of Canadian football.

Bolding Sports Research
In addition to a collection of graphic images from Super Bowls I thru XL, this interesting website includes individual pages covering such topics as the history of the Pro Bowl, the NFL-College All-Star game, the history of the NFL field goal distance record and more.

Historical Football Teams

Boston Redskins
The Sports E-Cyclopedia's tribute to the NFL's Boston Braves/Redskins. Founded as the "Braves" by George Preston Marshall in 1932, this was Boston's second attempt at an NFL franchise. The team changed its name to the "Redskins" in 1933 before finally moving to Washington in 1937.
Historical Society of the Buffalo All-Americans, Bisons & Rangers
Dedicated to Buffalo New York's first professional football teams -- the Buffalo All-Americans, Bisons and Rangers (1920-27, 29). This site features player pictures and profiles as well as game photos and feature articles.
The Cincinnati Celts
CincySports.net's tribute to the Cincinnati Celts. An accomplished semi-pro club, the Celts became Cincinnati's first NFL franchise by joining the newly formed league for the 1921 season.
Coaldale Big Green
Hosted by the Coaldale High School Alumni website, this great pages reminisces the glory days of the Big Green. Includes an interesting history of the team as well as several with team photos.

Columbus Panhandles - Nesser Brothers
A wonderful tribute to the mighty Nesser brothers of the 1920's. Includes several photos and links to related off-site articles.
Dayton Triangles
This excellent site is dedicated to preserving the memory and history of the Dayton Triangles.
Decatur Staleys
This interesting web page features a few articles detailing the Decatur/Chicago Staleys football club (1919-21), forerunners of the Chicago Bears, interspersed with other information on 1920's era football.
Duryea Indians
This page, a part of Rootsweb's NEPA Photo Collection, features several images of the 1929 Duryea Indians football team, champions of Lackawanna & Lurzern counties, Pennsylvania.
Goodyear Silents
Hosted by the Jewish Deaf Community Center, this page is a tribute to the Goodyear Silents and fullback Louis Seinensohn. Organized by a group of deaf employees of Goodyear's Akron (OH) rubber factory, this highly successful semi-pro team was a force to be reckoned with on the Ohio gridirons from 1915-1927.
Great Lakes NTC Bluejackets
A look back at some of the very successful Great Lakes Naval Training Center football clubs, including the undefeated 1918 team that starred future Pro Football Hall of Famers Jimmy Conzelman, Paddy Driscoll and George Halas.
Hammond's Clabbys: Pro Football Before the NFL
Hosted by Purdue University Calumet's Virtual Museum for the Calumet Region, this page provides background information and numerous news articles related to the Hammond Clabbys, a pre-NFL era eleven hailing from Hammond, Indiana.
Hammond Pros
A brief but interesting article regarding the Hammond Pros. This early Indiana team was a charter member of the NFL. PDF. file format, Adobe Reader required.
Harrisburg Tech of 1919
A brief but interesting article on Harrisburg (PA) Tech team of 1919. Lead by halfback Carl Beck, who later played for the Pottsville Maroons, Frankford Yellow Jackets & Bethlehem Bears, outscored opponents 701-0, including a 56-0 blowout of Portland (ME), to claim the 1919 national high school championship.
Remembering the Ironton Tanks
A nice tribute to Ohio's legendary 1920's semi-pro football squad, the Ironton Tanks.
1926 Lady Yellowjackets: Flappers to Footballers
This excellent article by Danni Leone explores the Lady Yellow Jackets, an exhibition football team composed entirely of women, that was sponsored by the Frankford Yellow Jackets during 1926. The article also provides insights into the role of women in sports in general during the 1920's. PDF file format, Adobe Reader required.
Muncie Flyers
This excellent site is devoted to preserving the history and memory of the Muncie Flyers. Hailing from Indiana, the Flyers were one of the fourteen original member teams of the American Professional Football Association. This site also includes information on several other early football clubs in the Muncie area.
Oorang Indians
Hosted by the Marion County Historical Society, this page is devoted to the famous Oorang Indians. Conceived by owner Walter Lingo as a vehicle to promote his dog breeding, this short lived NFL team was comprise entirely of Native American players and coached by Jim Thorpe.
Orange Athletic Club All-Time Football Records
The win-loss football records and game listings of the Orange Athletic Club, of Orange, New Jersey. This club regularly fielded strong football squads, including the NFL's Orange Tornadoes.
The Patriot Nation
While devoted to the New England Patriots, this site also includes several pages of statistics and information regarding such early teams as the Boston Bulldogs, Boston Braves, Hartford Blues and Providence Steamroller, links to which can all be found under the heading Other New England Football Team.
Penns Grove Clubs
While not specifically a football site, this page includes information on, and team photos of, the Penns Grove Red Devils, a successful 1920's era semi-pro football team from Penns Grove, New Jersey.
Pine Village Football
Hosted by the Indiana Humanities Council, this page features an interesting article on the Pine Village AC, the famous pre-WWI football club from Indiana.
Portsmouth Spartans Historical Society
Home of the Portsmouth Spartans Historical Society. The Spartans competed in the NFL from 1930 to 1933, before the franchise was sold to Dick Richards and moved to Michigan, where it became the Detroit Lions.
Rochester Jeffersons: The History of Rochester's NFL Franchise
This fine site is dedicated to preserving the memory of Leo Lyons, a pioneer of the National Football League, and his Rochester Jeffersons.
Rock Island Independents
This interesting web page provides a brief history of the Rock Island Independents, a strong Illinois football club that joined the NFL in the early 1920's.
The Shenandoah Gallery
While not specifically a football site, this web gallery includes several images of historical football teams from Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, including the Glover Hill Athletic Association, South End Athletic Club and Shenandoah Presidents.
Staten Island Stapletons Historic Football Records
The win-loss records and game listings of the Stapleton Football Club. This club regularly fielded strong squads, including the NFL's Staten Island Stapletons/Stapes.

Professional Football Leagues

National Football League

American Football League of 1926 - AFL (I)
This site includes a brief history of the short lived "Grange League" league as well as results for all the league games and final standings.

American Football League of 1960-69 - AFL (IV)
This site includes a wealth of information regarding the AFL with which everyone is most familiar -- the one that brought us the Dolphins, Jets and Raiders among others. Includes league history, statistics, images and much more.

The Anthracite League
A brief article by Joe Zagorski on Pennsylvania's Anthracite League of 1924.

Arena Football League

Canadian Football League - CFL
Canada's premier professional football league, the CFL traces its roots back to 1823, while its championship trophy, the Grey Cup, has been awarded annually since 1909.

NFL Europe

National Women's Football Association - NWFA
Originally formed in 2000 as the National Women's Football League and fielding 37 teams for the 2004 season, the NWFA is the premier full contact pro football league for women .

The Ohio League
An interesting historical account outlining the development of the informal "league" that foreshadowed the formation of the National Football League. Originally published in The Coffin Corner, Vol. 3, No.7.
United States Football League - USFL
Another fine site, this one focuses on the short lived USFL (1983-85). It includes a league history along with information and statistics on both league's teams and players.

World Football League - WFL
This excellent site includes a boatload of information regarding the short lived WFL (1974-75). Includes league history, standings, statistics, images and much more.

XFL Tribute
The most comprehensive website devoted to preserving the memory and history of the wild and crazy "eXtreme Football League" (1991). Includes league history, standings, statistics and more.

Steve Dimitry's Extinct Sports Leagues Web Site
Includes historical information and statistics on numerous defunct sports leagues, including several pro football leagues.

Philly Football Team & Fan Sites

Philadelphia Eagles, National Football League
Official website of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia Soul, Arena Football League
Official website of the city's newest professional sports franchise, the Philadelphia Soul.

Philadelphia Bell, World Football League (1974-75)
An excellent site documenting the late great Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League. Well, maybe not great, ...but certainly no worse than the Eagles of the same period!

Philadelphia Blue Flame, National Public Safety Football League
Official website of the Philadelphia Police & Fire Football Club. Competing in the National Public Safety Football League, the Blue Flame plays games against similar teams from such cities as Dallas, Houston and New York.

Philadelphia Thunder, Colonial Football Alliance
Official website of the Philadelphia Thunder, one of the city's premier semi-pro football clubs.

Philadelphia Phoenix, National Women's Football Association
Official website of Philadelphia's NWFA franchise, the Phoenix.

Philadelphia Stars, United States Football League (1983-84)
Hosted by OurSportsCentral.com, this page documents the history of the Philadelphia Stars, the city's USFL franchise. Features a brief history of the club along with player rosters and statistics.

Philadelphia Eagles of 1960
A great fan page honoring the last Philly club to win an NFL championship, coach Buck Shaw's 1960 Philadelphia Eagles.

LaBelle Community Football League
Official website of the the LaBelle Community Football League, a Philadelphia area semi-pro league featuring teams from throughout the city and surrounding communities.

Philadelphia-Eagles.net
An excellent Eagles fan site, full of up to date information and commentary on the Birds.

Philly of the South
The original Philadelphia Eagles fan club of Tampa, Florida, since 1996.

Donovan McNabb Fan Club
A new web site devoted to Donovan and the Birds.

Eagles Army
This is the home-on-the-web of the legion of Eagles fans based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Other Philly Sports Teams

Philadelphia Arrows/Ramblers, Canadian-American Hockey League (1927-35)
This page is HockeyDB.com's record of the Arrows, a team that competed in the CAHL from 1927 to 1935. Another page at this site lists the team's all-time player roster.

Philadelphia Blazers, World Hockey Association (1972-73)
This site preserves the memory of the Blazers, Philadelphia's single season WHA franchise. Can you remember this club's star goalie? It was future Flyers' legend Bernie Parent!

Philadelphia Firebirds, American Hockey League (1977-79)
This page is HockeyDB.com's record of the Firebirds. From 1977 to 1979 this team was Philadelphia's AHL franchise. Another page at this site lists the team's all-time player roster.

Philadelphia Flyers, National Hockey League
Official website of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Philadelphia Giants, Independent Negro Baseball Club (1902-16)
This page, hosted by the Negro League Players Association, honors the memory of the Philadelphia Giants. While this very successful early independent team predates the Negro Leagues, it is recognized as the Eastern champion from 1904 thru 1907 and again in 1909.

Philadelphia Phantoms, American Hockey League
Official website of the Philadelphia Flyers' minor league affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms.

Philadelphia Phillies, Major League Baseball - National League
Official website of the oldest single location/single name franchise in all of professional sports, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Quakers, National Hockey League (1930-31)
Hosted by www.FlyersHistory.com, this page documents the single season exploits of Philadelphia's first NHL franchise, the Quakers. It includes schedule and results, roster, team photo and other images.

Philadelphia 76ers, National Basketball Association
Official website of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Philadelphia Warriors, National Basketball Association (1941-62)
Hosted by Sports E-Cyclopedia, this page documents the history of the Warriors, Philadelphia's BAA-NBA franchise of 1941-1962. The Warriors won the BAA (precursor of the NBA) title in 1947 and the NBA crown in 1956. It includes player pictures, general and historical information.

www.TedSilary.com
Your link to Philadelphia high school football, basketball, baseball, etc.

Philly Sports Hall of Fame
Founded in 2002 for the purpose of preserving and promoting the rich history of Philadelphia sports.

Other Sites of Interest

Blind Mumbling
The assorted musings of noted football historian and author Bob Carroll.