Title Fight for the 1925 NFL Championship

TITLE FIGHT
BY STEPHEN J. PYTAK
STAFF WRITER
spytak@republicanherald.com



In anticipation for The Great Maroons Debate tonight, David Fleming said Thursday he felt like “Rocky” before his boxing match with Apollo Creed in the classic 1976 film.

Joe Horrigan said he felt as if he were entering the lion’s den.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s vice president of communications and exhibits, Canton, Ohio, will debate the legendary team’s “stolen 1925 championship” with Fleming, Davidson, N.C., author of “Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship,” on stage at the Sovereign Majestic Theater before a live audience of 224.

“But it’s exciting,” Horrigan said. “Look at the people that are involved. They’re enthusiastic to say the least, but they’re fun.”


The Great Maroons Debate, the most publicized head-to-head dispute about the 83-year-old controversy of whether the former Pottsville Maroons should have been awarded the 1925 NFL championship, will be held at 8 p.m. at the 209 N. Centre St. theater. All 224 free passes to the event have been given out.

Jim Coles, sports director for WNEP-TV 16, Moosic, will serve as moderator.

The 13 questions Coles will ask Fleming and Horrigan have been selected from submissions from the public given to WNEP-TV and The REPUBLICAN & Herald over the past month, said Ian Lipton, a member of Lasting Legacy of Pottsville, which organized the event.

As soon as Fleming and Horrigan arrived at Greystone Restaurant for an informal meet-and-greet with the public Thursday, Maroons supporters asked them for their views on hot button “Maroons” topics.

On Dec. 6, 1925, the Maroons defeated the Chicago Cardinals 21-7 at Chicago for the National League Championship. But the NFL stripped the Maroons of the title because on Dec. 12, 1925, the Maroons defeated a non-NFL team, the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, 9-7, in an exhibition game at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park, and the Philadelphia-based Frankford Yellow Jackets claimed the Maroons invaded their territory, according to “Breaker Boys.”

“As a player, who would not want to play against the greatest team, Notre Dame? If I’m a player on the Maroons, I wouldn’t care about a trophy. When you’re a player, you want to play against the best. Did the players and owner care about the championship when they knew that they may lose that if they played down in Philly?” said Lee Felsburg, Pottsville.

Kim Uranko, Pottsville, said to Horrigan, “You claimed (the Maroons) never finished the season. Who were they supposed to play after they played the Four Horsemen?”

“We have to save this for the debate,” said Lipton said.

“We can’t have a debate before the debate,” said Lipton’s son, Eric, a Lasting Legacy volunteer.

Before the meet-and-greet at Greystone on Thursday, Horrigan, Fleming and members of Lasting Legacy gathered at Maroons Sports Bar & Grill, 556 N. Centre St.

“I told him how much I appreciate the fact that he showed up. He has a very good sense of humor about the whole thing, and I think what this means for the cause and for the NFL to continue to listen, no matter how it goes, is it kind of sets an example for the rest of the league. What does it hurt to at least listen to their side of it?” Fleming said.

The “Breaker Boys” author also said he continued his research into the Maroons in preparation for this event.

“And the more work I’ve done in preparation for this, the more confident I’ve become. I’m excited. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Fleming said.

Fleming said the panel of three judges Lasting Legacy recruited for the event was “great,” while Horrigan did not know who the judges were Thursday night.

“I’m not familiar with the format yet. They don’t get to carry guns, do they?” Horrigan asked.

Horrigan and Fleming walked from Maroons Sports Bar to Greystone. As soon as Horrigan stepped onto the sidewalk outside 315 N. Centre St. just after 8 p.m., Herb Curvey, Tamaqua, shook his hand.

“He’s a good guy. He’s doing a good job with the Hall of Fame,” said Curvey met Horrigan by making numerous visits to the hall of fame in Canton, Ohio.

Predicting the outcome of tonight’s debate, Curvey said he’d like to see Fleming win the argument, but “This is a touchy subject, really, and Joe’s not going to give. He’s going to stick to his guns. He’s done it on ESPN. He keeps saying they never were true champions.”

This is Fleming’s fourth visit to the area since his book was released in Oct. 9.

Lee Felsburg, Pottsville, immediately rushed over and asked the author to sign a copy.

Just as Horrigan was getting inside the door to the crowded bar, Charles Maurer of Pottsville asked Horrigan to sign a copy of “Breaker Boys.” And Horrigan did.

“Thank you for keeping the game alive,” Horrigan wrote in pen.

“I was waiting to see what he wrote,” Fleming said with a laugh.

This morning, Fleming and Horrigan will tour D.G. Yuengling & Son Brewery before meeting representatives of the press for a question-and-answer session at City Hall from 3 to 5 p.m., Ian Lipton said.