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Curse of the Pottsville Maroons

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The Curse of Pottsville Maroons is an event that happened during the NFL season of 1925 which has proverbially “cursed” the Arizona Cardinals (then Chicago Cardinals) from winning a Super Bowl. The story of the curse revolves around Pottsville Maroons and the Cardinals when the Maroons were controversially stripped off the championship and the title was claimed by the Cardinals on the basis of a technicality.[1][2]

History[edit]

During the 1925 season of the NFL, when the championship did not have a playoff format, the Pottsville Maroons led the table after the final game of the season. The final game was played between the Maroons and the Cardinals at the Chicago Comiskey Park which the Maroons won 21-7 on 6 December 1925. This had secured the championship for them from which they were stripped because they had played an unsanctioned match against the University of Notre Dame All-Stars in Philadelphia. The Maroons had won this game 9-7 but because the game was unauthorized by the NFL, they were stripped of the 1925 NFL championship.[3][1][4]

Joseph Carr, the NFL commissioner at the time had warned the Maroons of the potential consequences of playing the game. Maroons who had a 10-2 record that season but were disqualified as a consequence of non-compliance with NFL regulations meant that no team had a better record in the league. The Cardinals sensed the opportunity and given they had a 9-2 record they needed two wins to claim the best record and the title. They “hastily” arranged two games, won them and leapfrogged to their first ever NFL championship.[5][1]

Chris O’Brien, who was the owner of the Cardinals refused to accept the trophy from the NFL but in the 1930s the Bidwill family bought the Cardinals and claimed the trophy. This event has since led to a lot of media and press attention and multiple books on the topic have been written. Some famous titles include Breaker Boys: The NFL's Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship; The Goat, the Babe, and the Maroons; and To the NFL: You Sure Started Somethin': A Historical Guide of All 32 NFL Teams and the Cities They've Played In.[6][7][8]

After this event, the Cardinals won one more NFL championship in 1947 against the Philadelphia Eagles but have failed to do it again. Their only other Super Bowl appearance was in 2009 at Super Bowl XLIII which they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cardinals who have since the event moved to St. Louis in 1960 and finally to Arizona in 1988 carry a proverbial curse which the residents of Pottsville believe will only be lifted when the Bidwills return the NFL title to Pottsville. [9][10][1]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Pottsville Curse has haunted Cards for 91 years". KNXV. 2016-11-20. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  2. lehighvalleylive.com, Corky Blake | For (2009-01-17). "Pottsville Maroons will deliver AFC champion to victory in Super Bowl XLIII". lehighvalleylive. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  3. Dunkel, Ellen. "Pottsville Maroons still missing their trophy". Inquirer. Retrieved 2020-06-17. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  4. Morrissey, Rick. "Cardinals join in battle of the hexes". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  5. Boone, Dan. "Cursed Cardinals: Pottsville Maroons' Mojo Will Curse the Arizona Cardinals". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  6. "ESPN.com: Page 2 : Marooned in Arizona". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  7. "Cardinals Cursed?". Revenge of the Birds. 2008-01-13. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  8. Griffith, R. D. (2012). To the NFL: You Sure Started Somethin': A Historical Guide of All 32 NFL Teams and the Cities They've Played In. Dorrance Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4349-1681-5. Search this book on
  9. "Curse Of The Maroons". www.philadelphiaeagles.com. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  10. "CAN'T BEAT 'EM? CURSE 'EM". ESPN.com. 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2020-06-17.

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