1922 Oorang Indians season

Last updated

1922 Oorang Indians season
Owner Walter Lingo
Head coach Jim Thorpe
Home field Lincoln Park
Results
Record3–6 (NFL)
(5–8 overall)
League place11th NFL

The 1922 Oorang Indians season was their inaugural season in the National Football League (NFL). The team was organized by legendary back Jim Thorpe and featured a Native American roster, a feature which allowed aggressive promotion of games. The team played most of its contests on the road but made their home in Marion, Ohio. [1] The Indians finished the 1922 season with a record of 3–6, eleventh best in the league. [2]

Contents

Background

The team's name, Oorang Indians, is the object of some confusion. The name was adopted due to the sponsorship of the team by Walter Lingo, proprietor of Oorang Kennels of LaRue, Ohio. [1] Lingo was a dog breeder and sportsman, specializing in the perfection of champion Airedale Terriers. [1] Lingo was attracted to the fellowship of some of the leading celebrities of his era, including baseball players Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker, athletic legend Jim Thorpe, boxer Jack Dempsey, and actor Gary Cooper — all of whom he was known to hunt with, together with his dogs. [3]

In June 1922, Lingo purchased a franchise in the fledgling National Football League for $100. [3] Lingo acted as the team's business manager and tapped his friend Jim Thorpe to organize, recruit, and star on the team. [3] Together the two perfected the idea of establishing an all-Native American team and touring the squad almost exclusively — generating publicity for Lingo's kennels while covering expenses through collection of appearance guarantees. [3]

Spending so much time on the road and placing tight demographic limits on team membership make it difficult to field a competitive team, however, the presence of the still-formidable 35-year old Thorpe notwithstanding. Oorang battled to a record of 3 wins and 6 losses in 1922, playing just one game at home in Marion. [3] Their second season, 1923, would prove even worse and would be their last in the NFL as the novelty of an increasingly uncompetitive All-Indian team wore thin.

Schedule

GameDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendanceRecapSources
1October 1at Dayton Triangles L 0–360–1 Triangle Park Recap [4]
2October 8 Columbus Panhandles W 20–61–1 Lincoln Park 1,200 Recap]
—October 11at Ohio CranesW 20–6——
3October 15at Canton Bulldogs L 0–141–2 Lakeside Park Recap
—October 22at Indianapolis BelmontsW 33–0——
4October 29at Akron Pros L 0–621–3 Elks' Field 3,000 Recap
5November 5at Minneapolis Marines L 6–131–4 Nicollet Park Recap
6November 12at Chicago Bears L 6–331–5 Cubs Park "good-sized crowd" Recap [5] [6]
7November 19at Milwaukee Badgers L 0–131–6 Athletic Park 6,500 Recap
8November 26at Buffalo All-Americans W 19–72–6 Buffalo Baseball Park 3,000 Recap
9 November 30 at Columbus Panhandles W 18–63–6 Neil Park Recap
—December 3at Lansing DurantsL 0–29——
—December 9at Baltimore ProsL 0–7——
Note: Thanksgiving Day: November 30.

Standings

NFL standings
WLTPCTPFPASTK
Canton Bulldogs 10021.00018415W6
Chicago Bears 930.75012344L1
Chicago Cardinals 830.7279650W1
Toledo Maroons 522.7149459L2
Rock Island Independents 421.66715427L1
Racine Legion 641.60012256L1
Dayton Triangles 431.5718062W1
Green Bay Packers 433.5717054W2
Buffalo All-Americans 541.5568741W2
Akron Pros 352.37514695L3
Milwaukee Badgers 243.3335171L3
Oorang Indians 360.33369190W2
Minneapolis Marines 130.2501940L1
Louisville Brecks 130.25013140W1
Evansville Crimson Giants 030.000688L3
Rochester Jeffersons 041.0001376L4
Hammond Pros 051.000069L2
Columbus Panhandles 080.00024174L8
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Roster

The following individuals saw action in at least one NFL game for the Oorang Indians in 1922. [7] The number of games in which each player appeared follows in parentheses.

Linemen

Backs

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Tom Bennett, et al., The NFL's Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football. New York: Macmillan, 1977; p. 19.
  2. ↑ 1922 Oorang Indians
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Greg Isabel, "Walter Lingo," Baron von Aliff, baron-von-aliff.home.att.net
  4. ↑ "Triangles Swamp Indians: Cantons Next For Triangles; Beat Indians," Dayton Daily News, Oct. 2, 1922, p. 8.
  5. ↑ "Chicago Bears Tame Indians: Thorpe's Eleven Handed 33 to 6 Defeat," Decatur Review, Nov. 13, 1922, p. 10.
  6. ↑ "Bears Win from Thorpe's Indians by 33–6 Margin: Old Jim Himself Gets in Against Ex-Staleys in Final Quarter," Decatur Herald, Nov. 13, 1922, p. 8.
  7. ↑ "1922 Oorang Indians Roster & Players," Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com
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