George Halas Becomes Professional Football Team Owner

Sporting Chance Press Book

The following passage is from Pillars of the NFL  by Patrick McCaskey, Copyright Sporting Chance Press.

In 1921, the economy hit a downturn. The Staley Starch Company determined that it could no longer afford the juggernaut that Halas had assembled. Owner A. E. Staley seeded funds to Halas that allowed the young coach to start up his own team in Chicago.17 Halas made fellow University of Illinois alum, Edward “Dutch” Sternaman, whom he had recruited in 1920, co-owner. 

Of the original 11 professional football teams, only two would survive: The StaleysBears and the Cardinals. In the 90+ years since the league’s founding, the Bears moved from Decatur to Chicago; the Cardinals moved from Chicago to Saint Louis to Arizona. Halas worked with Chicago Cubs’ President William Veeck Sr. to arrange playing time in Cubs Park—later known as Wrigley Field. Halas was a baseball fan. He called his team the Bears given the larger size of football players. Having a great deal of experience with players of the era, Halas had an eye for talent, understood the player’s mentality, and worked diligently to establish professional football. 

For many years, professional football was a financially fragile undertaking. Players were paid on a game-by-game basis and sometimes the money was difficult to find. A poorly attended game could be financially disastrous. Few players thought of professional football providing a long term living.