[AH Fiction] 75 Years of Driveball (1950-2025)

[OldNavy1988]

At that point, the trend would have been American and National, and I imagine DANA will follow suit.

Right.

The way I'm leaning right now, if I do go the American/National route, the National would obviously be the DANA equivalent of Football's NFC or Baseball's Senior Circuit stacked with the larger TV markets.

Depending on what the DANA and any rival league looks like when the time comes two or more teams will switch leagues/conferences to equalize the combined league if necessary.

 

[OldNavy1988]

1950 DANA Grand Final
June 26, 1950
Sportsman's Park
St. Louis, Missouri

Brooklyn Coasters at St. Louis Showboats

TV Coverage: KSD-TV (St. Louis), WOR-TV (Brooklyn)
Newsreel: Universal-International
​

Team	Goals	Overs	Behinds	Total Points
Brooklyn Coasters	7 (42)	10 (30)	13 (13)	85
St. Louis Showboats	8 (48)	11 (33)	12 (12)	93

MVP
The MVP for 1950 was Ted Vardalos, the forward who had been Mr. Clutch for the Showboats all season. In the last fifteen minutes of the Grand Final, with the Showboats down by 11, Vardalos assisted Don Patterson on a goal that pulled the Boats to within five. With two minutes left, Vardalos himself kicked the game winner past Brooklyn goalie Jackie Schmidt, and into the back of the net.

Notes
This year's Grand Final was moved from Saturday afternoon to Monday night due to scheduling conflicts with the American League Browns and National League Cardinals, who both still shared the stadium for baseball. At the time, the Browns leased Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals with each team alternating home dates. In those days, Mondays were the day of the week where both teams had the day off.

After this game was played, the struggling DuMont television network, desperate for programming to stay afloat, entered negotiations with the DANA on a nationwide television package.​

 

[WB18]

Congrats to the Showboats! Interested to see what the first offseason in Driveball history will bring.

 

[OldNavy1988]

1950-51 DANA Offseason

Here is the Finalized Draft Order. The draft will take place at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City on September 12, 1950. Athletes who were unable to land roster spots in the National Football League as a result of the NFL's absorption of the now-defunct All America Football Conference (AAFC) will be eligible for the DANA Draft. The draft order is determined in inverse order of the teams' regular season records. This means the club with the fewest wins in the regular season will be guaranteed the top pick. Teams are allowed to trade their picks for this year in exchange for current players or future draft picks.

In the days before social media and 24 hour sports channels, results of the draft will be printed in newspapers the next day.

1) Detroit
2) NY Marvels
3) Providence
4) Cleveland
5) Philadelphia
6) Buffalo
7) Chicago
8) Brooklyn
9) St. Louis
10) Des Moines

Offseason Business
With the DANA having completed its first season, the curiosity factor has helped the league attract interest from potential sponsors.

New Soft Drink sponsorships​

Coca-Cola	Pepsi-Cola
Showboats Lakers Steamrollers Mad Hatters Roadsters	Haymakers Coasters Gaels Marvels Spirits

New beer sponsorships
Budweiser: Showboats
Falstaff: Mad Hatters, Steamrollers
Ballantine: Marvels, Coasters, Spirits
Old Style: Gaels
Schlitz: Haymakers
Genesee: Lakers
Stroh's: Roadsters​

 

[OldNavy1988]

@mrcubfan415
I wasn't sure which beer was popular in Des Moines during this time period, so it came down to either Schlitz or Miller High Life. So I went with Schlitz.

 

[OldNavy1988]

1950-51 Offseason Part Two

Uniform Changes
For 1951, the DANA has approved the Des Moines Haymakers' proposal to change their team colors from black and yellow to brown and gold.

Possible Expansion
At the moment, the DANA owners say they want to use 1951 and '52 to make sure each of the ten existing franchises are economically viable in their current markets before they make serious plans to expand. The earliest that the DANA feels ready to expand would likely be 1953 or '54.

Draft Preview
Ellis Randolph, Charlie Peterson and Frederick Prusse are three of the top prospects who could go early in the first round.

Television Coverage
The DANA has agreed in principle to a three year deal with the DuMont television network. The contract takes effect in 1951 and calls for DANA games to be televised nationwide for the entire season. This will include the playoffs and the Grand Final.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

1950 DANA Draft
First Round

1) Detroit: Frederick Prusse (FB; Navy)
2) NY Marvels; Ellis Randolph (FP; Georgia)
3) Providence; Charlie Peterson (FF; UCLA)
4) Cleveland; Tom Reid (BP; Melbourne Demons/VFL)
5) Philadelphia; Edwin Clarke (C; Carlton Blues/VFL)
6) Buffalo; Dean Mosley (FF; Syracuse)
7) Chicago; Dave Henderson (FF; Notre Dame)
8) Brooklyn; Bruce Whitaker (G; South Melbourne Swans/VFL)
9) St. Louis; Jay Moss (G; Michigan)
10) Des Moines; Bradley White (LW; Fitzroy Lions/VFL)​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Draft Day Trades
​

Cleveland Mad Hatters Get	Philadelphia Spirits Get
LW Tobin Van Pelt 1951 2nd Round Pick	BP Alfred Ratner FP Casper Woodson

Detroit Roadsters Get	Brooklyn Coasters Get
RW Jim Rosen HB Leon Price	FB Bernie Berman 1951 3rd Round Pick

Chicago Gaels Get	Philadelphia Spirits Get
FP Maurice Sawa HB Ike Rose	HF Bert Balaban LW Georges Lumiere 1951 1st Round Pick

 

[OldNavy1988]

Rounds 2 thru 8 of the 1950 Draft will be posted in the next few days.

Thank you for your patience and support.

 

[Enigmajones]

Cool seeing Prusse go so high, hopefully he can make an immediate impact.

 

[OldNavy1988]

Cool seeing Prusse go so high, hopefully he can make an immediate impact.

The pressure for Prusse to lead Detroit to greatness is tenfold. Because their defense was the worst in the DANA in 1950.

Brooklyn took Bruce Whitaker because they feel he can give them stability under the crossbar. This past season, Brooklyn went back and forth with Jackie Schmidt having to clean up Dick Wolcott's messes. In the Grand Final, Wolcott got the start. But the Coasters waited too long to give Wolcott the old Vaudeville Hook in the second half. As a result, inconsistent goaltending contributed to Brooklyn's Grand Final loss to St. Louis.

 

[Enigmajones]

By the way, just a note when filling out the player form, it would be better if you can see the whole background post. I could only see the last couple of words.

Otherwise can’t wait for more.

 

[OldNavy1988]

1950 DANA Draft
Round Two
1) Detroit: Mike Foster (FF; Notre Dame)
2) NY Marvels; Cornelius Mullins (HF; Essendon Bombers/VFL)
3) Providence; Willard Lancaster (BP; Penn State)
4) Cleveland; Buddy Newton (HF; Purdue)
5) Philadelphia; Vernon Pope (RW; UCLA)
6) Buffalo; Neil Baldwin (FB; Rutgers)
7) Chicago; Jim Glover (G; Ohio State)
8) Brooklyn; Leon Benjamin (LW; Syracuse)
9) St. Louis; Melvin Benson (RW; Washington)
10) Des Moines; Larry Gaines (HF; Stanford)

Round Three
1) Detroit: Ted Randolph (G; Kansas)
2) NY Marvels; Guy Meyer (C; Nebraska)
3) Providence; Tony Harrison (FF; Collingwood Magpies/VFL)
4) Cleveland; Junior McKay (LW; Oregon)
5) Philadelphia; Charles Carey (HB; Wisconsin)
6) Buffalo; Steve Glass (FP; Temple)
7) Chicago; Thomas Stone (HF; Pitt)
8) Brooklyn; Ernest Horton (LW; Texas A&M)
9) St. Louis; Jefferson Humphrey (RW; Georgia)
10) Des Moines; Mike Lowe (G; California-Berkeley)

Round Four
1) Detroit: Mel Gregory (BP; Southern California)
2) NY Marvels; Scott Bond (FB; Akron)
3) Providence; Hubert Potter (HF; Melbourne Demons/VFL)
4) Cleveland; Marvin McMahon (FP; Minnesota)
5) Philadelphia; Francis Harrell (FF; Oregon State)
6) Buffalo; Dwight Price (HF; Illinois)
7) Chicago; Emmett Ward (LW; Oklahoma)
8) Brooklyn; Lester Whitney (LW; Footscray Bulldogs/VFL)
9) St. Louis; Phillip Ashley (RW; Hawthorn Hawks/VFL)
10) Des Moines; Eddie Buck (C; Virginia)

Round Five
1) Detroit: Vernon Cooley (RW; Carlton Blues/VFL)
2) NY Marvels; Ralph Johnston (FB; Richmond Tigers/VFL)
3) Providence; Clifford Blackburn (C; Geelong Cats/VFL)
4) Cleveland; Billy McConnell (HF; UCLA)
5) Philadelphia; Nick Weaver (FF; Colorado)
6) Buffalo; Jim Eaton (FP; Arizona State)
7) Chicago; Bernard Payne (HF; TCU)
8) Brooklyn; Louis Daugherty (BP; Northwestern)
9) St. Louis; Dom Battaglia (FB; Michigan State)
10) Des Moines; Paul DiNapoli (BP; Indiana)​

 

[Colonel Zoidberg]

I wonder if it would make more sense in the future for the Des Moines team to switch to calling themselves the Iowa Haymakers. Unless Iowa City wants a team down the road.

 

[OldNavy1988]

I wonder if it would make more sense in the future for the Des Moines team to switch to calling themselves the Iowa Haymakers. Unless Iowa City wants a team down the road.

The long term goal for the Haymakers is to become a regional team eventually.

Kinda like how the Green Bay Packers did with Milwuakee at the same time IOTL, the Haymakers are splitting their 1951 home schedule between Iowa City and Des Moines to gauge where the majority of their fans really live before they decide where to base their organization full time.

As of 1950-51, Providence and Des Moines are both trying to be the Green Bay of Driveball.

Also, depending on how each team fares by 1954, we might see either the Marvels or Coasters end up being economically forced to leave New York for the west coast. Should one team leave, that'll open up the NYC market for a rival league seeking a foothold in the future.

 

[Colonel Zoidberg]

The long term goal for the Haymakers is to become a regional team eventually.

Kinda like how the Green Bay Packers did with Milwuakee at the same time IOTL, the Haymakers are splitting their 1951 home schedule between Iowa City and Des Moines to gauge where the majority of their fans really live before they decide where to base their organization full time.

As of 1950-51, Providence and Des Moines are both trying to be the Green Bay of Driveball.

Also, depending on how each team fares by 1954, we might see either the Marvels or Coasters end up being economically forced to leave New York for the west coast. Should one team leave, that'll open up the NYC market for a rival league seeking a foothold in the future.

The 60s and 70s are ripe for a rival league, and if the league doesn’t have enough action out west, I could see the rival league dominating out west.

I could see Des Moines being the Heartland’s answer to the Packers, and bear in mind that, at this point, the Patriots are still a decade away, so Providence has “team on New England” written all over it.

 

[OldNavy1988]

The 60s and 70s are ripe for a rival league, and if the league doesn’t have enough action out west, I could see the rival league dominating out west.

I could see Des Moines being the Heartland’s answer to the Packers, and bear in mind that, at this point, the Patriots are still a decade away, so Providence has “team on New England” written all over it.

Keep in mind, if you think Driveball is a rough game in the Fifties, wait till you see how it ends up being played in the Eighties and Nineties.

 

[OldNavy1988]

@WB18 @TheMatthew25
Rounds 2 thru 5 of the draft updated with positions and college and VFL affiliations.

 

[OldNavy1988]

1950 DANA Draft
Rounds 6 thru 8

Round Six
1) Detroit: Lynn Craig (LW; Southern California)
2) NY Marvels; Fred Quinn (RW; South Melbourne Swans/VFL)
3) Providence; Harold Fletcher (FF; Kansas)
4) Cleveland; Mike Belcher (FF; Boston College)
5) Philadelphia; Ronnie Barker (C; Essendon Bombers/VFL)
6) Buffalo; Francis Peters (RW; Geelong Cats/VFL)
7) Chicago; Gerald Underwood (HB; Columbia)
8) Brooklyn; Leroy Marsh (HF; Nebraska)
9) St. Louis; Bill Davenport (BP; Maryland)
10) Des Moines; Hugh Wyatt (RW; Fitzroy Lions/VFL)

Round Seven
1) Detroit: Hugh Riley (C; Stanford)
2) NY Marvels; Nick Owens (FF; North Carolina)
3) Providence; Roland Wills (C; Richmond Tigers/VFL)
4) Cleveland; Alan Heath (FF; Port Adelaide Magpies/SANFL)
5) Philadelphia; Nathaniel Archer (FP; Port Adelaide Magpies/SANFL)
6) Buffalo; James Lane (FB; Southern California)
7) Chicago; Calvin Greene (RW; Collingwood Magpies/VFL)
8) Brooklyn; Leonard Pace (HB; Penn State)
9) St. Louis; Frederick Key (FF; Melbourne Demons/VFL)
10) Des Moines; Alfred Wilkinson (RW; Arizona)

Round Eight
1) Detroit: Darrell Huff (G; Footscray Bulldogs/VFL)
2) NY Marvels; Earnest Wiggins (FB; South Melbourne Swans/VFL)
3) Providence; Cecil Johnston (FF; Georgetown)
4) Cleveland; Vernon Schroeder (FP; Wisconsin)
5) Philadelphia; Gordon McDowell (G; Boston College)
6) Buffalo; Dick Greer (HF; Texas)
7) Chicago; Fred Donahue (HF; Notre Dame)
8) Brooklyn; Mark Workman (HF; Ohio State)
9) St. Louis; Bennie Gardner (FB; Oregon State)
10) Des Moines; Leon Duffy (HB; Essendon Bombers/VFL)​

 

[OldNavy1988]

So there you have it, folks.

Leon Duffy holds the distinction as the first-ever Mr. Irrelevant of the DANA Draft.

Stay tuned as 1951 training camps open in January.