Alternate NFL Expansion history

In 1944, representatives from Buffalo, San Francisco (Tony Morabito), and Los Angeles wanted expansion teams for the NFL. However, on April 21st, the NFL owners decided to put off expansion until after the war.

In steps the AAFC. On June 4th of that year, Arch Ward, Chicago Tribune Sports Editor and organizer of college and baseball All-Star Games, gathered together millionaire owners from Buffalo (Jim Breuil), Los Angeles (Don Ameche), Baltimore (boxer Gene Tunney), Chicago (John Keeshin, a trucking executive), Cleveland (Arthur McBride, who was in the taxi cab business), and San Francisco (Tony Morabito, a lumber executive).

However, what if those three cities had been granted expansion teams to start after the war was over (which was 1946)? Here is how the alignment could have looked:

Eastern Conference: Boston Yanks, Buffalo Bisons, Cleveland Rams, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins

Western Conference: Chicago Bears, Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco 49ers.

This would have been huge. The biggest butterfly is the Browns and Paul Brown. What happens to him, and, what happens to the people he influences. That could have had major ramifications in the years ahead.

Also, when does the NFL expand again? And, do any of these teams fold or move? If so, which ones?
 
Last edited:
In 1944, representatives from Buffalo, San Francisco (Tony Morabito), and Los Angeles wanted expansion teams for the NFL. However, on April 21st, the NFL owners decided to put off expansion until after the war.

In steps the AAFC. On June 4th of that year, Arch Ward, Chicago Tribune Sports Editor and organizer of college and baseball All-Star Games, gathered together millionaire owners from Buffalo (Jim Breuil), Los Angeles (Don Ameche), Baltimore (boxer Gene Tunney), Chicago (John Keeshin, a trucking executive), Cleveland (Arthur McBride, who was in the taxi cab business), and San Francisco (Tony Morabito, a lumber executive).

However, what if those three cities had been granted expansion teams to start after the war was over (which was 1946)? Here is how the alignment could have looked:

Eastern Conference: Boston Yanks, Buffalo Bisons, Cleveland Rams, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins

Western Conference: Chicago Bears, Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco 49ers.

This would have been huge. The biggest butterfly is the Browns and Paul Brown. What happens to him, and, what happens to the people he influences. That could have had major ramifications in the years ahead.

Also, when does the NFL expand again? And, do any of these teams fold or move? If so, which ones?

Since I want to keep this thread going, I will give my opinion:

I don't think that the NFL would have expanded again until the 60's, and if some teams folded, it may have been longer than that. With no expansion, a new league like an AFL is still likely to start, but there would have been different teams depending on what happens with the NFL.
 
Here's some ideas...

Deep in the red following a 1-9-3 1926 season, the Canton Bulldogs are on the verge of shutting down. A group of local investors raise money to purchase the team. Like the Packers, the Bulldogs become a community-owned team, and like the Packers they survive as the NFL begins to retool itself into a big-city league.

The first American Football League, aka the Red Grange league, survives a single season. Grange's N.Y. Yankees team is allowed to join the NFL. The Yankees pay N.Y. Giants' owner Tim Mara an undisclosed amount for invading his franchise territory. As in OTL, the Yankees go out of business after a single season in the NFL.

Following the 1936 season, the Cleveland Rams and Boston Shamrocks join the NFL from the second American Football League. The loss of two teams including its champion (Boston) causes the the second AFL to fold a year earlier than in OTL. Redskins' owner George Preston Marshall is initially against adding the Shamrocks. Having moved his team from Boston to Washington D.C., Marshall felt Boston was a poor football market -- not to mention the Shamrocks outdrew the Redskins in their single season of head-to-head competition. However George Halas and Art Rooney, friends of Shamrocks G.M. George Kenneally, are able to persuade Marshall to change his mind.

1937 NFL
East
Boston Shamrocks
Brooklyn Dodgers
New York Giants
Pittsburgh Pirates
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins

West
Canton Bulldogs
Cleveland Rams
Chicago Bears
Chicago Cardinals
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers

Following the 1945 season, Rams' owner Dan Reeves pressures the league to let his team move to Los Angeles. A new league is forming (AAFC) and Cleveland taxi-cab magnate Mickey McBride is planning on fielding a Cleveland team led by Paul Brown. Although winning the NFL crown in 1945, the Rams have struggled at the gate. However, most of the other owners are against the move to Los Angeles since the city is 2,000 miles west of the closest NFL city, Chicago. The move is voted down at the meeting and Reeves threatens to sell the team and storms out. NFL commissioner Burt Bell is able to arrange a compromise, and the Rams end up moving to St. Louis, playing home games at Sportsman Park.

Otherwise, the AAFC-NFL rivalry progresses as in OTL. Following the AAFC-NFL merger, the following AAFC teams join the NFL. Baltimore Colts, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, N.Y. Yankees, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Dons.

1950 NFL
American
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Cardinals
Cleveland Browns
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
St. Louis Rams
Washington Redskins

National
Baltimore Colts
Canton Bulldogs
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
N.Y. Yanks
Los Angeles Dons
San Francisco 49ers

The Yanks and Colts go bust as in OTL. However, the Colts don't move west and spend a season as the Dallas Texans and the NFL doesn't readmit the Baltimore Colts, content to stay at its 14-team size.

Events proceed as in OTL. Lamar Hunt is unsuccessful in securing an expansion franchise or purchasing an existing NFL team (Chicago Cardinals) and moving them to Dallas. He becomes the founder of the third American Football League. The NFL expands to Dallas and Minnesota (Minnesota was originally a member of the AFL before jumping at an invitation to join the NFL) as in OTL.

AFL 1960
East
Baltimore Colts
Hartford Patriots
Houston Oilers
New York Titans

West
Dallas Texans
Denver Broncos
Los Angeles Chargers
Oakland Raiders
 
Last edited:
Top