Football – Forgotten Franchises

Oorang Indians - Sports Ecyclopedia — _{Oorang Indians Logo}

The most interesting team in National Football League history is one you’ve never heard of.

In just two seasons the Oorang Indians produced more fever-dream lunacy than most modern NFL franchises have in decades of existence. Before trying to argue that your favorite colorful characters and stories from NFL history top those of the Indians, please know that the story of this franchise includes:

Dogs. Lots and lots and LOTS of dogs
Accusations of sheep murder as the primary reason for forming an NFL franchise
Both the players and owners treating playing in the National Football League as a literal side-hustle and marketing gimmick for a completely different business
The smallest city to ever host an NFL franchise
Said franchise never actually playing a single game in their hometown
Truly mind-boggling revelations about how little it cost to start an NFL team in the 1920s
The invention of the halftime show and training camps
One of the most famous and accomplished athletes of all-time, who also happened to be a national champion ballroom dancer
Some of the best player names in NFL history
A pet coyote
Drunken, unsanctioned alterations to the public transportation infrastructure of St. Louis
Bear wrestling

Honestly, that list doesn’t even do the full story justice, as this truly may be one of the most entertainingly insane franchises in all of sports history. Without further ado, Forgotten Franchises presents the story of the Oorang Indians, the NFL’s original Dawg Pound.

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Author’s Note: It is only appropriate that the first article on this site is about the team that inspired it in the first place. While in the throes of a Wikipedia wormhole I stumbled upon a collection of Defunct NFL Franchises and was pleasantly surprised to see the words “Milwaukee Badgers” on the list. A love of history and sports led, naturally, to further exploration of this team I never knew existed even though I grew up in their home city. What I found was at turns fascinating and ridiculous, which is right in line with many of the most famous franchises and fables from this era of the NFL. The idea of synthesizing the various sources and stories about the Badgers into one easily-digestible narrative was born. From there it branched out to the site you’re reading now, where teams young and old, from all sports, that were taken from this world too soon can get some posthumous time in the spotlight.

I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much I enjoy putting them together!

-Josh (@jkoebert)

The entity that we now know as the National Football League was born in the showroom of a Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio in August of 1920. For reference, this is a 1920 Hupmobile previously on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Continue reading “How The Milwaukee Badgers Helped Chicago Steal The NFL’s Most Controversial Championship And Launched The League’s Longest Curse” →

Tag: Football

The Most Interesting Team In NFL History Just Wanted To Sell You A Dog: The Story Of Jim Thorpe And The Oorang Indians

How The Milwaukee Badgers Helped Chicago Steal The NFL’s Most Controversial Championship And Launched The League’s Longest Curse