1936 NFL season
The 1936 NFL season was the 17th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time since the league was founded, there were no team transactions; neither a club folded nor did a new one join the NFL. 1936 was the third season of the NFL's 12-year ban on black players. 1936 was also the first year in which all league teams played the same number of games. Since this season, the number of scheduled regular season games per team has been:
- 12 in 1936
- 11 from 1937 to 1942 and in 1946
- 10 from 1943 to 1945
- 12 from 1947 to 1960
- 14 from 1961 to 1977
- 16 since 1978
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 13 – December 13, 1936 |
| East Champions | Boston Redskins |
| West Champions | Green Bay Packers |
| Championship Game | |
| Champions | Green Bay Packers |
The season ended when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Boston Redskins in the NFL Championship Game. For the only time in NFL history, the team with the home field advantage declined to play at their own stadium and instead elected to play at a neutral site. Due to poor attendance in Boston, the Redskins moved the game from Boston to the Polo Grounds in New York City.
Draft
The 1936 NFL Draft, the first ever draft held by the NFL, was held on February 8, 1936 at Philadelphia's Ritz-Carlton Hotel. With the first pick, the Philadelphia Eagles selected halfback Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago.
Major rule changes
- A draft shall be held to assign all new players entering the league for the first time to teams in an arbitrary and equitable manner.
- The penalty for an illegal forward pass that is thrown beyond the line of scrimmage is five yards from the spot of the foul.
Division races
In the Western Division, the Bears reached 6–0–0 and the Packers 5–1–0 midway through the 12 game season, the Packers only loss having been 30–3 to Chicago. On November 1, Green Bay beat the Bears 21–10 to give both teams a 6–1–0 record. Both teams continued to win, and both were 9–1–0 as Thanksgiving approached. The Bears lost their last two games, while Green Bay lost neither, putting the Packers into the title game. In the Eastern Division, the Pittsburgh Pirates were at 6–5–0, and the Boston Redskins at 5–5–0, when they met on November 29 in Boston before a crowd of only 7,000. The Pirates lost, 30–0, falling to 6–6–0, and could only hope that 6–5–0 Boston would do the same in their last game; instead, the Redskins won at New York, 14–0 before 18,000. Since the Eastern winner had the right to host the '36 title game, George Preston Marshall spurned Boston to play the championship game at New York as well, where 29,545 turned out. Marshall would move the Redskins to Washington for 1937.
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
| Eastern Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Redskins | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 149 | 110 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 98 | 187 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 6 | 1 | .455 | 115 | 163 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 92 | 161 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1 | 11 | 0 | .083 | 51 | 206 |
| Western Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 10 | 1 | 1 | .909 | 248 | 118 |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 222 | 94 |
| Detroit Lions | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 235 | 102 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 74 | 143 |
NFL Championship Game
Green Bay 21, Boston 6, at Polo Grounds, New York City, December 13, 1936
League leaders
| Statistic | Name | Team | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | Arnie Herber | Green Bay | 1239 |
| Rushing | Tuffy Leemans | New York | 830 |
| Receiving | Don Hutson | Green Bay | 536 |
Coaching changes
- Boston Redskins: Eddie Casey was replaced by Ray Flaherty.
- Philadelphia Eagles: Lud Wray was replaced by Bert Bell.
Stadium changes
The Philadelphia Eagles moved from the Baker Bowl to Philadelphia Municipal Stadium
See also
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1931–1940 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)