NFL Countdown: Brooklyn Tigers and Boston Yanks do the unthinkable in 1945

Prior to the 1945 NFL season, the Boston Yanks and the Brooklyn Tigers were forced to merge and continue under the Yanks moniker. The league was dealing with a player shortage as a result of World War II. Even though the war was just about to enter its final phase, the merger was seen as a necessity.

The Yanks were coming off a 2-8 season in 1944, which was their inaugural one. The NFL had only just formed that year. Owner Ted Collins originally planned to base the franchise in New York and play home games at Yankee Stadium. Despite his best efforts, Collins was unable to secure the rights to a New York franchise and had to settle on Boston as a location instead.

The Yanks shared Fenway Park with Major League Baseball franchise the Boston Red Socks. If there was a scheduling clash, the football team would shift operations to the nearby Braves field.

While the Boston franchise was only established for a single season, the Brooklyn Tigers' NFL history was far more extensive. The team originally formed in 1930 as the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers completed 15 NFL seasons, but their successes were limited. They only made the postseason on four occasions.

Because an MLB franchise was using the same name, the Dodgers became the Tigers in 1944. The Brooklyn Tigers would only grace the NFL for a single season. They failed to win a game.

An eventful 1945 season for the league's newest team

After financial difficulties and a player shortage created an unlikely merger, 1945 started off in promising fashion for the newly christened Yanks team. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-7, in the opener. They followed up their Week 1 triumph with another surprise victory over the Washington Redskins in Week 2. Expectations were suddenly heightened for a team that had collectively only won two games in 1944.

By Week 5, they had compiled a record of 3-1-1. They looked like they could seriously challenge for a championship. Unfortunately, this was as good as it got for the Brooklyn and Boston coalition. The wheels would soon come off and quickly lead to an acrimonous divorce.

The Yanks would go winless in their final five games of the season. They finished with a disappointing record of 3-6-1. Before the season was over, the owner of the Brooklyn Tigers, Dan Topping, signaled his intent to join the rival All-America Football Conference.

After Topping announced his plans, the NFL dissolved the Brooklyn Tigers franchise and transferred all player contracts to the Boston team.

The Boston Yanks after 1945

Bill Chipley of the Boston, watches as a Washington Redskin intercepted a pass in 1948.

Following the failed merger, the Boston Yanks only continued for another three seasons. The team achieved very little success and never registered a winning season. NFL historians consider them one of the worst franchises to grace the league. They struggled to develop any sort of loyal fanbase. Writing in the "New York Times," one fan discussed seeing the team in action at Fenway Park.

He said:

"I remember seeing the Boston Yanks beat the Washington Redskins at Fenway Park in 1947. I think it was by 14-7. The Redskins had the great Sammy Baugh at qb. When it came to the second meeting of the two teams, Baugh and the Redskins slammed them by something like 70-7."

Upon completion of the 1948 season, Boston owner Ted Collins finally got his wish. He was granted permission to operate a New York franchise. In a surprise move, Collins decided that he would not relocate the Yanks. He would disband them and start again from scratch in NYC with a new team called the New York Bulldogs.

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If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The New York Times and H/T Sportskeeda.

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