Ode to Pre-War Football Cardboard

[S_GERACE]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Nice, guys! Can you imagine if they had done an entire Sports King set of football players?

jeff

I always had a dream that someday, someone would find a third series of SK and among the 24 cards would be a Nagurski & Nevers. Time to wake up. Not gonna happen.

I agree with Mike also, the Sport Kings Rockne is much more aesthetically appealing than the National Chicle. My wife says "He looks like a baby doll" on the National Chicle and actually calls the card the "Baby Head card"!

[Beansballcardblog]

I just want to sat thank you to everyone posting on here. My account was just activated this morning, but I read through this in detail last night. I appreciate the knowledge and book suggestions!

I love college football and don't care at all for the NFL, but I've decided to get back into vintage football because of my love and respect for the history. I've loved the books I've read on early football and will be reading more soon.

Again, just wanted to thank everyone. I was advised to come to net54 if I wanted to get into vintage and I'm not disappointed in what I've found. Can't wait to read more on this, and other, threads!

-Kin

[TanksAndSpartans]

Welcome aboard Kin!

The first thing that came to mind when I saw WVU and your interest in history was Greasy Neale. He's from West Virginia, coached briefly at WVU, but what's amazing to me is following his thread through NFL history. He played with Jim Thorpe, coached the Ironton Tanks, won 2 NFL titles with some great Eagles teams, etc.

[Beansballcardblog]

Thank you for the welcome! I feel it was on this thread that I saw something posted of Neale and thought immediately that I need to pick up something. Now, to figure out what and how to come by it...

There was another name mentioned that coached at WVU for just one season, but the name is escaping me at 6:15 in the morning.

Originally Posted by DezHood

Welcome aboard Kin!

The first thing that came to mind when I saw WVU and your interest in history was Greasy Neale. He's from West Virginia, coached briefly at WVU, but what's amazing to me is following his thread through NFL history. He played with Jim Thorpe, coached the Ironton Tanks, won 2 NFL titles with some great Eagles teams, etc.

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by wvu_class_of_2001

Thank you for the welcome! I feel it was on this thread that I saw something posted of Neale and thought immediately that I need to pick up something. Now, to figure out what and how to come by it...

There was another name mentioned that coached at WVU for just one season, but the name is escaping me at 6:15 in the morning.

I can help you with that one:



This period Neale is affordable but doesn't show him in his football uniform.



jeff

[jefferyepayne]

In the early 1920s, Jim Thorpe was hired by Walter Lingo to coach a team called the Oorang Indians. The Indians were a traveling NFL team that was a showcase for Lingo's Oorang dog kennels. The team was in the NFL in 1922 and 1923 but only went 4-16 ... mainly because Lingo cared more about showcasing his Airedale dogs and Indian players than winning games.

Oorang Indians letterhead


All of the Indians players were at least partially of Indian descent. Thorpe brought in some of his former mates from Carlisle and Canton (including Pete Calac) but also younger Indian players.

Big Bear in his Oorang uniform


Pete Calac in his Canton uniform


Thorpe in his Canton uniform


jeff

[revmoran]

It's not easy finding contemporary items for the Oorgang Indians - I did pick up this wire photo with a tear sheet on the back for how it was cropped and used in the newspaper