Following his MVP season with the Boston Bluejackets, Harold Tisch spoke with Bluejackets Owner Jim Cook. He expressed his desire to retire from football and requested a release so that he could retire as a member of the Pittsburgh Ironmen organization. Cook would agree and released Tisch. The four time NFA Champion and two time MVP would retire on January 15th in Pittsburgh. One week after the 1960 NFA Championship Game. Pittsburgh would announce at his retirement press conference that Tisch's jersey, number 10, would be retired. Harold Tisch would be one of the few NFA players to be beloved in two different cities. Boston fans would write Tisch letters asking for him to stay one more season. They would all gather outside Bluejacket Stadium when Tisch left for the final time after cleaning his locker. In St Louis, Paul Walker would announce his retirement also. The four time NFA Champion and three time NFA MVP, would hang up his cleats after 12 seasons. Owners Daniel and Dale Ryan would make plans to retire Walker's number. Number 2 would never be worn by a St Louis Aviator again. In Detroit, it was not a happy start to the off season. Head Coach Vince Foschini would be fired. In 1958 he would lead the Mustangs to a Central Division title and a Playoff Bowl appearance. The Mustangs would lose the game and never have a winning season following the loss. Chester Ford, who's health was reported to be declining, would refuse to step down at the primary executive of the franchise. Fans would call for Ford to step down and let a competent person become General Manager. But those calls would be ignored for the 1961 season. Ford would hire Charles Stram as the new head coach of the Detroit Mustangs. Stram was an Assistant Coach at the University of Alabama. The Colonials would also look to make changes. Philadelphia would go 6-22 since losing the 1958 NFA Championship. Owner Bert Wray would fire his General Manager Andy McCarthy and Head Coach Pat Fuller. He would hire Stan Greenman was his General Manager. Greenman would then hire Gordon Fox as his Head Coach. Fox was the Cleveland Generals Offensive Coordinator. Washington would make changes also with their front office and coaching staff. General Manager Thomas March and Head Coach Phil Lancaster would be fired. Owners Thomas Reynolds and Charles Maple would begin looking to sell the team. Since the Senators starting playing in 1950, they had never won a NFA East Division title. Fans were scarce especially with the recent success of the Baltimore Knights. NFA Commissioner Howie Roselle would become worried that the AFA would pounce on the Washington DC market since it has been weak for some time. The AFA was expanding and its following was growing. Especially in areas where there were no NFA teams and cities where NFA teams have had a lack of success. Roselle would meet with Reynolds and Maple several times to discuss a plan to sell the team and help point the franchise in a good direction to stay in Washington DC. In the meantime, Jim Lee Sherman was hired as General Manager of the franchise. He would hire Buck Howell as head coach of the Senators. Howell was the head coach at Auburn University. In Denver, Bradley Stone would decide to retire. The 1956 NFA MVP would play 10 seasons and have 3 NFA Championship appearances. He would never win the NFA Championship though. The New York Lions would decide to change up their look a little bit. The would replace their logo and update their uniforms. The new logo would be a Dutch Lion standing in a fierce pose. The official color "Dutch Orange" would replace the previous orange of the Lions color scheme. The "Navy Blue" would remain the same. The Lions would also add the new primary logo to the sides of their helmets. St Louis would also decide to change their look. They would replace the pilot wings logo, for a plane silhouette. Their uniforms would also be updated and the primary logo would be displayed on the sides of their helmet.
OWNERS MEETING
At the 1961 Owners Meeting, The Hall of Fame Committee came up with its parameters in order to be selected into the Hall of Fame. The player, coach or executive must be retired or removed from the NFA for at least 5 years. They must be in good standing and of good character. Owners could also be accepted into the Hall of Fame, but are exempt from the 5 years removed from the NFA. All candidates who are eligible, would be presented to the Hall of Fame Selection Committee. They would then vote to either accept or deny the candidate. The candidate would need 80% of the total votes to be selected into the Hall of Fame. If a candidate does not receive at least 40% of the votes, they will not be reconsidered as a future candidate. The Selection Committee would be writers from the Associated Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association and United Press International. The first selection would take place after the 1962 NFA Season, in time for the 25th anniversary of the NFA. Also at the Owners Meeting was the discussion about the sale of the Washington Senators. Others owners also expressed concern over the AFA growing in popularity. There were also rumors that the AFA was going to be paying college players to enter the AFA Draft and not the NFA Draft. Commissioner Roselle would be called on by the owners to have this investigated. Roselle would not due to his belief that it was just a rumor.
1961 NFA DRAFT
The 1961 NFA Draft would be held on January 22, 1961. It would again be held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. With the NFA expanding to 18 teams, the 3 expansion teams were randomly given picks 1 through 3. Minnesota was awarded the number one pick. Bobby Mason, a halfback from Wake Forest would be selected by Minnesota. The Coyotes would select quarterback Steve Blair from Georgia. New Orleans would select quarterback Tom Rice from UCLA. Philadelphia would have the first pick from the original 15 NFA teams. They would decide to move on from Kyle Rose as their star halfback and release him. They would select Baker Matte from Ohio State as their new leading halfback. The Senators had made a trade with the Ironmen in 1960, so they would have 2 first round picks. Jim Lee Sherman would receive multiple trade proposals for one of the picks from other franchises. Sherman would not trade the picks and would decide to use them to build up the future of the franchise. The Senators would select Offensive Tackle Joe Rutlidge with their first pick (number 5 overall) and Tight End Bryan Dellinger with their second pick (number 10 overall). Both players would be able to provide protection to their quarterback, Roy Kramer, who the Senators were not ready to move on from since they did not like a quarterback in the 1961 NFA Draft. Boston, who had traded their 1961 first round pick to Chicago during the 1960 NFA Draft, would again make a trade with the Packers for the pick. They would trade their 1962 and 1963 second round picks for the 18th overall pick in the 1961 NFA Draft.
The twenty third NFA Season would start on September 10, 1961. The Baltimore Knights would still be favored to win the championship, even a season after not winning the NFA East Division title. Many analysts still believed in Head Coach Terry Cruise, QB Kenny Marlow and HB Johnny Latimer. They also believed that Baltimore's improved defense on paper, would put the Knights over the edge to deliver a championship to Baltimore. They would fall short again. Baltimore would be able to keep pace with Boston and New York in the race for the NFA East title, but they would finish 3rd in the division. Boston would defend their NFA East title and win their second straight. The race between New York and Boston was hotly contested though. The last game of the season between the Lions and Bluejackets would decide who won the division title. Boston would beat New York 28-24. This victory would have Boston host the Playoff Bowl in Boston against the Detroit Mustangs. Detroit would be the surprise of the Central Division. Many analysts believed Richie Cannon would follow up his Rookie of the Year season with another great season to propel Cleveland to another Playoff Bowl and possibly the NFA Championship. Detroit's new head coach, Charles Stram, would be able to put all the pieces together and get the best out of his players. Quarterback Ralph Armani would have a career high season with 2,588 yards passing. Detroit would win their seventh division title and second Central Division title. They would have to travel to Boston to play the defending NFA Champions in the Playoff Bowl. The Milwaukee Indians would finally have all of their pieces come together. After going 4-10 in 1960 which saw many of their starters get injured, the Indians would bounce back and finally win a division title. Herb Wright would lead the league in rushing with 1,408 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. His performance would earn him MVP of the season. Bud Wilkins would be named Coach of the Year. On paper, Milwaukee was the best team in the league. But many still felt that the Bluejackets were the best team in the league.
AWARDS Coach of the Year: Bud Wilkins (MIL Indians) Most Valuable Player: Herb Wright, FB (MIL Indians) Rookie of the Year: Jim Brown, HB (NY Lions)
DIVISION RACES
STANDINGS
POST SEASON "PLAYOFF BOWL"
Bluejacket Stadium, Boston, MA January 3, 1960 3:00 PM EST, 30F, 29 MPH ENE The 1961 Playoff Bowl would be the first playoff game played in Bluejacket Stadium. Boston would host the Detroit Mustangs one season after winning the NFA Championship at home. Coming into the game, Boston was regarded as the best team in the league and was favored heavily to soundly defeat the Mustangs. Detroit would play spoiler however. It would seem that Boston underestimated their opponent at the beginning of the game. On the first drive of the game, Boston would not be nearly as aggressive as they were all season. They played it safe with two rushes up the middle of the line with Fullback Alan Meade and Halfback Charlie Horner would only produce 5 total yards. On third down, Earl Pittman would try a shovel pass to Lee Burkett which would lose a yard. Boston would be forced to punt. With the wind whipping, the punt would only go 15 yards and give Detroit great field position. With the wind behind their backs, Ralph Armani would take advantage and lead the Mustangs on a 54 yard drive that ended with a touchdown. Detroit would never trail the Bluejackets. Boston would be able to tie the game in the second quarter before the half at 10-10, but Boston would never take the lead. Detroit would win the game 22-17. For the first time since 1950, the Mustangs would play in the NFA Championship Game.