Earliest Indoor Football

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Earliest Indoor Football
Started by luckyshow, Jul 15 2014 12:20 AM
indoor football Madison Square Garden football history Atlantic City Convention Ctr.

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#1 luckyshow
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Posted 15 July 2014 - 12:20 AM
For no particular reason. The beginnings of football played indoors, if not "indoor football"
First Madison Square Garden. A while back.
http://www.luckyshow...otball/MSG2.htm

The first indoor regulation size field:
http://www.luckyshow...cCityIndoor.htm

The reason the above usage ended was the opening of Giants Stadium at the Meadowlaands

The full list, fin-de-siecle, and more...
http://www.luckyshow...ootball/MSG.htm

So which was the second indoor full-size arena? Was it the Astrodome?

The listings above are for the New York region, this is why the 1932 NFL championship game is not on it. That wasn't regulation size, right?

#2 luckyshow
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Posted 15 July 2014 - 12:53 AM
Read about one of the first indoor games, Miami-Temple in 1930, how hard the surface was. When it shows up read the article by shifting to the right (not down)
http://news.google.c...&pg=929,3719707

#3 74_75_78_79_
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Posted 15 July 2014 - 01:06 AM
Bears/Spartans (Lions) '32 was 80 by 40, I believe. True precursor to arena ball. Da Bears having once played an indoor game due to inclement weather, how sacrilege!

#4 BD Sullivan
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Posted 15 July 2014 - 12:52 PM
The 1964 Liberty Bowl (played on 12/19) between Utah and West Virginia was played indoors at the Atlantic City Convention Hall before a crowd of just over 6,000. They tried the indoors after five straight games in Philly in frigid temperatures.

#5 classic3283
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Posted 16 July 2014 - 01:40 AM
This could be posted in the misconceptions thread, but it works here too.

Most people think that the NFL's first indoor game was that defacto championship game during the '32 regular season. However, at the end of the 1920 season the Decatur Staleys played an exhibition against the Logan Square Athletic Club at Dexter Park Pavilion - an indoor facility. A few other APFA/NFL teams would go on to play exhibitions at that facility.

Last year I came across an article that briefly mentioned that the Brooklyn Lions (1926) played an indoor exhibition game.

Then of course was the mostly forgotten exhibition between the Bears and Cardinals at Chicago Stadium in December of 1930.

This never happened, but in 1948 the Atlantic City Convention Hall tired to lure the NFL Championship Game. That certainly would've made things interesting.

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#6 Reaser
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Posted 16 July 2014 - 03:01 AM
classic3283, on 16 Jul 2014 - 01:40 AM, said:
This never happened, but in 1948 the Atlantic City Convention Hall tired to lure the NFL Championship Game. That certainly would've made things interesting.
Would have lost out on one of the great scenes for a championship game ever, and one of my favorite Championship HL films to watch.

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#7 LJP
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Posted 16 July 2014 - 03:29 AM
classic3283, on 16 Jul 2014 - 01:40 AM, said:
This could be posted in the misconceptions thread, but it works here too.

Most people think that the NFL's first indoor game was that defacto championship game during the '32 regular season. However, at the end of the 1920 season the Decatur Staleys played an exhibition against the Logan Square Athletic Club at Dexter Park Pavilion - an indoor facility. A few other APFA/NFL teams would go on to play exhibitions at that facility.

The Rock Island Independents played the Chicago Thorns at the Dexter Park Pavilion the week before the Staley's game with the Logan Squares.

The Thorns team was comprised mostly of Staley players.

The stockyard pavilion allowed for a regulation width field (apart from at the ends) that was 65 yards long. Kickoffs were from the 1-yard line. Hub Shoemake of the Staley's described the air as stuffy and the conditions unsatisfactory.

The Bears played an indoor exhibition game against the Chicago Gunners on December 9th 1936 at the 124th Field Artillery Armory in Chicago.

#8 luckyshow
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Posted 16 July 2014 - 01:12 PM
For the Brooklyn Lions indoor "exhibition game" see the Nov. 4 entry here:
http://www.luckyshow...all/BkLions.htm

#9 darkhorse
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Posted 21 July 2014 - 10:48 AM
Were teams able to punt inside these arenas?