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1923 Racine Legion season

National Football League team season

1923 Racine Legion season

National Football League team season

FieldValue
teamRacine Legion
year1923
record4–4–2
league_place10th in NFL
coachBabe Ruetz
stadiumHorlick Field
playoffs

The 1923 Horlick–Racine Legion season was their second in the National Football League (NFL). The Racine, Wisconsin team failed to improve on their previous season's record of 6–4–1, winning only four games. They finished tenth in the league.

Background

The Racine Legion was promoted and financed by the Racine, Wisconsin, post of the American Legion from 1921. The team was additionally sponsored by William Horlick, president of a prominent malted milk company and was formally known as Horlick–Racine Legion in reflection of the corporate connection. Expenses considerably exceeded the revenue generated by ticket sales, with the Legion post making up the difference through the solicitation of donations and the hosting of money-raising entertainment events.

The team played on "Horlick's Athletic Field," presumably a company-owned grounds. The field had a new $17,000 grandstand constructed for the 1923 season, as well as some new open bleachers along the north sideline, with previously-existing stands moved across to the south sideline.

Despite sponsorship funds, the Legion franchise racked up a significant deficit during 1922 and 1923 and prospects were gloomy for continuation in the National Football League for a third season unless additional funding was secured. The idea was hatched by local fans to subsidize operations through the organized collection of $10 donations to the Legion Football Fund, with a goal of raising $10,000 for the 1924 season. This money was to be held in trust until at least $5,000 was raised or a 1924 football team assured with a May 15, 1924, deadline. Money collected in conjunction with the campaign was to be used to cover future expenses rather than for the purposes of retiring the post's debt. The local daily newspaper, the Racine News-Times, donated advertising space to help raise the profile of the fundraising effort.

Schedule

The Legion's initial schedule, announced September 12 by team manager George G. "Babe" Ruetz called for a balanced schedule of 12 National League games — 6 home and 6 away. In addition to the 10 games ultimately played, away dates to play the Toledo Maroons and a December 9 finale playing the Akron Pros were slated.

Racine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"GameRacine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"DateRacine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"OpponentRacine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"ResultRacine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"RecordRacine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"VenueRacine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"AttendanceRacine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"RecapRacine Legionyear=1923border=2}}"Sources1234567—8910—
September 30Toledo MaroonsT 7–70–0–1Horlick Field3,500Recap
October 7Chicago BearsL 0–30–1–1Horlick Field5,000Recap
October 14at Milwaukee BadgersT 7–70–1–2Athletic Park4,000Recap
October 21Akron ProsW 9–71–1–2Horlick FieldRecap
October 28at Green Bay PackersW 24–32–1–2Bellevue Park2,800Recap
November 4at Minneapolis MarinesL 6–132–2–2Nicollet Park1,200Recap
November 11Green Bay PackersL 0–162–3–2Horlick Field3,500Recap
November 18at Toledo Maroons*canceled*
November 25at Chicago CardinalsW 10–43–3–2Comiskey Park7,000Recap
November 29Milwaukee BadgersL 0–163–4–2Horlick FieldRecap
December 2Minneapolis MarinesW 23–04–4–2Horlick FieldRecap
December 9at Akron Pros*canceled*
Note: Thanksgiving Day: November 29.

Standings

Coupon soliciting $10 donations (about $180 in 2024 dollars) to help ensure the NFL's Racine Legion would remain in operations in 1924.

Roster

All players from the 1922 Legion roster returned for training camp in mid-September, ahead of the 1923 season, with the exception of Don Murray, who left pro football to accept a position as the athletic director at a school for boys in upstate New York.

Players who spent time on the Legion roster included the following, with the number of games played in parentheses. Uniform numbers are those of the 17 players on the team's opening day roster.

There were no future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the team, although blocking back Chuck Dressen went on to have a 50 year career in Major League Baseball as a player and manager. Four players were former College Football All-Americans: Hank Gillo of Colgate, Rowdy Elliott and Paul Meyers of Wisconsin, and Milt Romney of the University of Chicago.

Linemen

  • A. C. Baur (1)
  • #2 Art Braman (6)
  • #18 Earl Gorman (10)
  • Robert "Death" Halladay (7)
  • George Hartong (8)
  • #10 Fritz Heinisch (6)
  • #14 Jack Hueller (9)
  • #6 Bill McCaw (3)
  • Paul Meyers (9)
  • #15 Candy Miller (6)
  • #3 Jack Mintun (10)
  • Al Pierotti (1)
  • #12 Fritz Roeseler (6)
  • #17 Len Smith (10)
  • Howard Stark (3)
  • #13 Tong

Backs

  • #9 Shorty Barr (9)
  • Jimmy Baxter (1)
  • Chuck Dressen (1)
  • #11 Al Elliott (10)
  • #16 Bob Foster (8)
  • #1 Hank Gillo - captain (10)
  • #7 Irv Langhoff (4)
  • #5 Lunde
  • #8 Jack Milton (2)
  • Milt Romney (8)
  • Rollie Williams (2)

References

References

  1. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rac/1923.htm 1923 Racine Legion]
  2. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-football-fans-launch-p/163756492/ "Football Fans Launch Plan to Save Legion Team: Milt Knoblock Father of Idea,"] ''Racine News-Times,'' Dec. 17, 1923, pp. 12-[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-milt-knoblock-father-o/163758611/ 13].
  3. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-horlicks-to-open-pro-g/163772772/ "Horlicks to Open Pro Grid Season with Toledo: Field is Ready for Big Contest,"] ''Racine News-Times,'' Sept. 29, 1923, p. 7.
  4. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-horlicks-start-grid-practic/163763004/ "Horlicks Start Grid Practice: Much New Blood Added to Horlick-Legion Football Eleven at Racine,"] ''Kenosha News,'' Sept. 13, 1923, p. 13.
  5. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-barrs-long-pass-gives/163868911/ "Barr's Long Pass Gives Legion Tie with Toledo: Heaves Pigskin Good 55 Yards,"] ''Racine Journal-News,'' Oct. 1, 1923, p. 12.
  6. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-chicago-bears-in/164281533/ "Chicago Bears in 3 to 0 Win Over Racine Gridders,"] ''Green Bay Press-Gazette,'' Oct. 8, 1923, p. 11.
  7. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-horlicklegion-squad-l/163861781/ "Horlick–Legion Squad Licks Chicago Cardinals: Wonderful Victory is Garnered by Ruetzmen,"] ''Racine Journal-Times,'' Nov. 26, 1923, p. 16.
  8. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-legion-team-handed-goo/164101182/ "Legion Team Handed Goose Egg in Turkey Day Tilt: Fails to Score in Badger Game,"] ''Racine Journal Times,'' Nov. 30, 1923, sports p. 1-[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-fails-to-score-in-badg/164101372/ 2].
  9. One key addition for the new season was [[Shorty Barr]], quarterback for the [[Wisconsin Badgers football team. Wisconsin Badgers]] in 1922.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-shorty-barr-to-p/163766821/ "Shorty Barr to Play at Racine"], ''[Madison] Wisconsin State Journal'', Sept. 21, 1923, p. 18.
  10. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rac/1923_roster.htm "1923 Racine Legion Roster & Players,"] Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com
  11. There is no record that the guard Tong or the back Lunde ever saw action in an NFL game.Tod Maher and Bob Gill (eds.), ''The Pro Football Encyclopedia: The Complete and Definitive Record of Professional Football.'' New York: Macmillan USA, 1999; pp. 618, 812.
  12. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-minneapolis-star-racine-team-has-fou/164381835/ "Racine Team Has Four All-American Men: Marines's Foe Sunday Has Strong Lineup — Northwest Title at Stake,"] ''Minneapolis Daily Star,'' Nov. 2, 1923, p. 24.
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