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1923 Oorang Indians season

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1923 Oorang Indians season
OwnerWalter Lingo
Head coachJim Thorpe
Home stadiumtouring team
Results
Record1–10 NFL
(2–10 overall)
League place18th in NFL

The 1923 Oorang Indians season was their second and final season in the National Football League (NFL). The team failed to improve on their previous league record of 3–6, winning only one NFL game.[1] They finished eighteenth in the league.[2]

Background

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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.[3] Lingo was a dog breeder and sportsman, specializing in the perfection of champion Airedale Terriers.[3] 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.[4]

The team made no effort to make Marion, Ohio into a bastion of fan support for the club, playing every NFL game of the 1923 season on the road. Their one appearance in their ostensible hometown proved to be a debacle, a Thanksgiving day exhibition game against the Marion Athletic Club at the county fairgrounds.[5][6] Only about 100 fans paid a dollar to attend the game, and many of these remained in their automobiles parked alongside the field rather than endure the cold drizzle of the day.[5]

Moreover, with the 36-year old Thorpe suffering a series of nagging injuries, his appearance on the field could no longer be meaningfully promoted. Only bad football remained — the team scored just one touchdown, one field goal, and a safety in its first 9 games combined. Attendance plummeted.[7]

The 1923 season would prove to be the team.

Schedule

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Game Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources
1 September 30 at Milwaukee Badgers L 2–13 0–1 Athletic Park 4,000 Recap
2 October 7 at Toledo Maroons L 0–7 0–2 Armory Park 5,000 Recap
3 October 14 at Minneapolis Marines L 0–23 0–3 Nicollet Park 4,000 Recap [8]
4 October 21 at Buffalo All-Americans L 0–57 0–4 Buffalo Baseball Park 12,000 Recap [9]
5 October 28 at Cleveland Indians L 0–27 0–5 Dunn Field Recap [10][11][12]
6 November 4 at Chicago Bears L 0–26 0–6 Cubs Park 1,000 Recap
7 November 11 at St. Louis All-Stars L 7–14 0–7 Sportsman's Park 5,000 Recap
8 November 18 at Canton Bulldogs L 0–41 0–8 Lakeside Park 5,000 Recap
9 November 25 at Columbus Tigers L 3–27 0–9 Neil Park Recap
– November 29 vs. Marion Athletic Club W 31–0 — Marion County Fairgrounds 100 — [13][14]
10 December 2 at Chicago Cardinals L 19–22 0–10 Comiskey Park 1,200 Recap
11 December 9 at Louisville Brecks W 19–0 1–10 Parkway Field 1,200 Recap
Note: Non-NFL opponent in italics. Thanksgiving Day: November 29.

Standings

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NFL standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Canton Bulldogs 11 0 1 1.000 246 19 W5
Chicago Bears 9 2 1 .818 123 35 W1
Green Bay Packers 7 2 1 .778 85 34 W5
Milwaukee Badgers 7 2 3 .778 100 49 W1
Cleveland Indians 3 1 3 .750 52 49 L1
Chicago Cardinals 8 4 0 .667 161 56 L1
Duluth Kelleys 4 3 0 .571 35 33 L3
Buffalo All-Americans 5 4 3 .556 94 43 L1
Columbus Tigers 5 4 1 .556 119 35 L1
Toledo Maroons 3 3 2 .500 35 66 L1
Racine Legion 4 4 2 .500 86 76 W1
Rock Island Independents 2 3 3 .400 84 62 L1
Minneapolis Marines 2 5 2 .286 48 81 L1
St. Louis All-Stars 1 4 2 .200 25 74 L1
Hammond Pros 1 5 1 .167 14 59 L4
Akron Pros 1 6 0 .143 25 74 W1
Dayton Triangles 1 6 1 .143 16 95 L2
Oorang Indians 1 10 0 .091 50 257 W1
Louisville Brecks 0 3 0 .000 0 90 L3
Rochester Jeffersons 0 4 0 .000 6 141 L4
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References

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  1. ^ 1923 Oorang Indians
  2. ^ 1923 Oorang Indians season
  3. ^ a b Tom Bennett, et al., The NFL's Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football. New York: Macmillan, 1977; p. 19.
  4. ^ Greg Isabel, "Walter Lingo," Baron von Aliff, baron-von-aliff.home.att.net
  5. ^ a b F.L. Kraner, "Thorpe's Indians Win First Game of Season: Defeat Athletics at Fairground, 31 to Nothing," Marion Star, Nov. 30, 1923, p. 26.
  6. ^ "Oorangs Finally Win: Defeat Marion Athletics, 31 to 0, in First Victory of Season," Cleveland Plain Dealer, Nov. 30, 1923, p. 22.
  7. ^ For example, a mere 1,000 fans came to see the Indians play the Bears at Wrigley Field and just 1,200 showed up to Comiskey Park in Chicago for a December game against the Chicago Cardinals.
  8. ^ "Marines Face Tough Chicago Team Sunday: Local Eleven Shows Improvement in Beating Oo-Rangs, 23 to 0," Minneapolis Star, Oct. 15, 1923, p. 11.
  9. ^ "All-Americans Smother Thorpe's Oorang Indians: Famous Veteran and His Team Prove Weak Opposition for Locals," Buffalo Courier, Oct. 22, 1923, p. 9.
  10. ^ Merrick M. Hill, "Cleveland Indians Romp to 27–0 Triumph Over Thorpe's Oorang Redskins: Jim's Lengthy Kicks Avail Little as His Eleven Are Defeated," Cleveland Plain Dealer, Oct. 29, 1923, p. 16.
  11. ^ "Cleveland in 27–0 Victory Over Indians," Davenport Democrat and Leader, Oct. 29, 1923, p. 8.
  12. ^ "Thorpe Fails at Cleveland," Dayton Daily News, Oct. 29, 1923, p. 11.
  13. ^ F.L. Kraner, "Thorpe's Indians Win First Game of Season: Defeat Athletics at Fairground, 31 to Nothing," Marion Star, Nov. 30, 1923, p. 26.
  14. ^ "Oorangs Finally Win: Defeat Marion Athletics, 31 to 0, in First Victory of Season," Cleveland Plain Dealer, Nov. 30, 1923, p. 22.
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