CLEARING HOUSE
I have started this blog to be a clearing house of information on the reinstate the 1925 NFL Championship to the Pottsville Maroons who defeated the Chicago Cardinals 21-7 on the field at Comsikey Park. In 2003 there was a chance to make everything right when Steelers owner Dan Rooney, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell and Pottsville mayor John D. W. Reiley came up with a solution that had then commissioner Paul Tagliabue's blessing: let the Cards and the Maroons share the title. Tagliabue had even begun to make plans to come to Pottsville to give the town its title back. By a 30-2 vote at that meeting and some influence by Cardinal owner, Bill Bidwell the plan came to grinding halt.
That owners meeting in 2003 was attended by Dave Fleming of ESPN the Magazine who was so intrigued by the story, he has published a book titled, "Breaker Boys: The NFL's Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship." The book which was just released on October 7th is beginning to publish a second edition. Dave Fleming was in Pottsville to promote the book arriving on October 9th. Throught Friday October 12th, Fleming's appearances were crowded and not enough books were available to be signed. In my interview with Fleming, his publishers compared his signings with the likes of a Harry Potter book. Now the push for the reinstatement of the 1925 NFL Championship is gaining momentum once again. Book sales are selling at fever pitch and ESPN page 2 is hosting a an online petition to sign and present to NFL headquarters.
REINSTATEMENT
How will reinstatement happen? First of all, the Cardinals will never give up the full championship to Pottsville. The Pottsville Maroons once to be officially recognized and would share the championship. This will be the compromise from both sides. How will this happen?
The first thing to do is to educate any NFL fan out there. Send any fan a link to this website. Second sign the online petition of the left side of this page. Third, buy, borrow, and read the book. The direct link is on the left through Amazon. Author Dave Fleming will be in the Pottsville Area before the end of the year to host some more book signings. Books should be available from Lasting Legacy of Pottsville for the second event. Email me with any information regarding the Maroons by clicking the About Me page at the left.
WHY?
In the fall of 1984, I met a fellow student from coal region while attending Villanova University. He had an outgoing personality, he was good to everyone around him, and was the greatest promoter of Pottsville and the coal regions that I ever met. His name was Terrence Patrick Reiley and everyone else knew him as Terry. Terry would eventually obtain his master's degree in civil engineering, a law degree, serve on Pottsville's city council and become the city's mayor in the late 1990's. He married and started a family while being diagnosed with an illness that would eventually take him from us on February 21, 2000. This is my tribute to him.
