The 1939 NFL Season

As the world teetered on the brink of global conflict in 1939, the American Professional Football season roared to life. While the headlines were dominated by the rising tide of fascism in Europe, on the gridiron, rivalries were renewed, legends were born, and the game continued to captivate a nation.

There was more than just a looming war that affected the game. Longtime NFL president Joe Carr unexpectedly passed away in May 1939, just three months after a new 10-year contract to lead the NFL was renewed. Carr had been there since the beginning of the League and molded the fledgling organization in its architect of the initial re-organizing, as he nurtured growth, steered through controversies with discipline, lasted rival leagues, and changed the course and direction of the NFL. Carl Storck, former owner of the Dayton Triangles and another founding owner present at the beginning of the League, took over as Carr's successor.

For more on Joe Carr Check out our interview with Carr's biographer, NFL Films Chris WIllis.

A 1939 experiment with ways to get their NFL product out there should be noticed. A TV broadcast of a game in the Albany, New York, area was a bold move by the NFL. It is now known as the first broadcast of an NFL game as on October 22; the Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 23-14 in a game played at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. It may not have been deemed a success then, but it helped pave the way for future considerations in TV broadcasts, which would turn the NFL into the big business it is in modern times. 

Regular broadcasts of games would not occur until 1951, partly due to World War II, which put such ventures on the back burner for a few years.

 1939 NFL Rules Changes:
1. Illegal Receiver Touching a Pass:

If an ineligible receiver touches a forward pass, it results in a 15-yard penalty and a loss of down for the offense.
2. Illegal Receiver Downfield Early:

If an ineligible receiver is downfield before the forward pass is thrown, the offense is penalized 15 yards and loses a down.
3. Out-of-Bounds Kickoff:

If a kickoff goes out of bounds after being touched only by the receiving team, they regain possession of the ball at the spot where it went out.

The 1939 season was considered a big step for the NFL; after all, the attendance at games had climbed over 14% higher in 1938 than the previous season's totals of tickets sold.

According to Wikipedia, the most significant draw was the home games of the New York Giants, who averaged just shy of 39,000 fans per home game. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Pittsburgh Pirates averaged less than 12,000 fans per contest at the home venue in 1939.
 

The Western Division Title and the Eastern came down to the last two weeks of the season before being decided. The West was determined in a matchup of Green Bay and Detroit Divisional leaders. The Pack was trailing the Lions in the second half. A win by Detroit would force a divisional playoff between the two clubs at a later date. Green Bay avoided this extra game by Hall of Fame Back Clark Hinkle scoring a late go-ahead touchdown to provide a 12-7 win for the Packers to propel them into the NFL Title game with one more game for each team to play.

The Eastern Division was even closer and went the final weekend of the regular season. The New York Giants and the Washington Redskins were dead, even 8-1-1 records. Their only head-to-head meeting before this last game had been a scoreless tie. Washington scored the game's only touchdown but still lost 9-7 on three New York field goals.

The NFL Championship game between the Giants and the Packers was less competitive than these regular season games mentioned. Green Bay trounced the visiting New Yorkers 27-0 to win the NFL crown.

The Philadelphia Eagles' QB, Davey O'Brien, led all NFL Passers with 1324 yards. In rushing, Bill Osmanski of the Chicago Bears rumbled 699 yards to lead all ball carriers. Green Bay's Don Hutson dominated the receiving honors with 846 yards.

Special thanks to Wikimedia Commons for images in the Public Domain. Also infoormation from the NFL.com, Profootball Hall of Fame website, Pro-Football-Reference.com, and Newspapers.com