By Darin The Legacy of February 21 on theGridiron
On February 21, 1995, the Canadian Football League’s ambitious American expansion hit a major roadblock as the Sacramento Gold Miners officially relocated to become the San Antonio Texans. It was a move fueled by hope but halted by reality. From the legendary collegiate dominance of Hall of Famer Bob Dove to the “ill-fated” struggle of the CFL to capture the hearts of U.S. football fans, today in football history highlights the thin line between gridiron glory and franchise failure. Join us as we explore the rise and fall of the CFL’s U.S. experiment and celebrate the legacy of one of Notre Dame’s greatest All-Americans.
As always, let’s take in some noostallgic football art.
February 21 American Football Timeline
- On February 21, 1995, the CFL’s Sacramento Gold Miners became the San Antonio Texans, according to OnthisDay.com. Apparently, fields in the San Antonio area were not up to the CFL’s standards. After failed attempts to have any of them upgraded and a failed bid by Texans owner Fred Anderson to build a new stadium, the franchise was doomed just a couple of months after the League’s Grey Cup was played. Our friend Chris Lawton from the Ninety-Nine Yards website has an interesting story on what he describes as the ill-fated U.S. Expansion of the CFL in the mid 1990’s. From 1993 through the 1995 seasons, the Canadian Football League tried to gain a foothold in the USA by introducing American teams such as the Baltimore Stallions, Birmingham Barracudas, Las Vegas Posse, Memphis Mad Dogs, Shreveport Pirates, and the Gold Miners/Texans franchise. Unfortunately, none of them would stick on American soil for a variety of reasons: US fans are very loyal to their NFL and college teams, and it is extremely difficult for other forms of football to gain market share.
- February 21, 1921 – Youngstown, Ohio – The awesome former end of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Bob Dove, experienced his arrival into this world. According to his biography on the NFF website, Dove was awarded the honor of being a consensus All-America at the end position in 1941 and 1942. The Washington Touchdown Club awarded him its Rockne Trophy as the nation’s best lineman in 1942. The National Football Foundation voters checked all the boxes in 2000 to place Bob Dove into the College Football Hall of Fame. Bob continued his gridiron career, playing professional football with the Chicago Rockets, Chicago Cardinals, and Detroit Lions. When he hung up his cleats, he bounced around the country coaching on a variety of NFL and college teams. https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1724
Conclusion
The stories of the San Antonio Texans and Bob Dove represent two very different sides of football history. While the CFL’s U.S. expansion ultimately folded under the weight of stadium issues and the impenetrable market share of the NFL, the individual greatness of players like Dove remains etched in the College Football Hall of Fame. Whether it’s a defunct franchise or a legendary career, these moments from February 21 remind us that the landscape of American football is constantly evolving, built on the foundations of both ambitious risks and timeless talent.
