The Bethlehem Bulldogs was a professional American football team based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from 1946 to 1950. They played in the American Football League and were a minor league professional affiliate of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League.
The Bulldogs played in the league's Western Division until the league dissolved its divisions in 1947, winning the league title in that year. They suspended operation in the middle of the 1950 season, having played just two games.
History Origins The American Professional Football Association (AA), a professional football league established in 1936 that was suspended at the end of the 1941 season due to American entry into World War II, announced in December 1945 that it would be restarting for the 1946 season with the addition of new teams to its six previous franchises."American Association to be Reorganized," Passaic Herald-News, Dec. 11, 1945; p. 16. Among these six standing teams were the Bethlehem Bulldogs, formerly the American Association's Providence, Rhode Island franchise, acquired in the spring of 1945. The franchise was owned by Bob Sell."Former Pittsburgh Coach is Considered for Bethlehem Post," Allentown Morning Call, Feb. 24, 1946; p. 13. The team borrowed its nickname from East Bethlehem High School, which also used the "Bulldogs" moniker."Brownsville Reveals Fall Football Card," Monongahela Daily Republican, April 2, 1945; p. 2.
The AA changed its name for its post-war restart to the American Football League (AFL) and added new franchises to its six team mix, clubs based in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Akron, Ohio."Scranton Gets Grid Franchise," Hazelton [PA] Plain Speaker, Feb. 16, 1946; p. 10. These two expansion teams were placed in a four team Western Division along with Bethlehem and the Wilmington, Delaware club, known as the Clippers.
The league signed a two-year major league/minor league agreement with the National Football League (NFL) in February 1946, agreeing to mutually respect contracts, suspensions, and territorial rights and recognizing the NFL as the only "major league" of football.
The league played under the single-platoon system, with limited substitutions and players on the field both for offense and defense.
1946 season
In March 1946, Bulldogs owner Bob Sell announced the hiring of former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Enio Conti as head coach of the Bethlehem team."Conti to Coach Bethlehem Pros," Allentown Morning Call, March 5, 1946; p. 13. Conti was well acquainted with the American Association, having previously played three seasons for the league's Jersey City Giants.
In April, Sell acquired the contract of former University of Tennessee star halfback John Butler from the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL."Bethlehem Bulldogs Sign Up Six More Football Players for Next Fall," Allentown Morning Call, April 5, 1946; p. 30. Butler had played three full seasons in the NFL. That the Eagles were relied upon for a player not in their present plans was unsurprising, as the Wilmington AA franchise, from whence the Bethlehem team had sprung, had previously had a major league/minor league relationship with Philadelphia.Bob Gill, "Nothing Minor About It: The American Association/AFL of 1936-50," The Coffin Corner, vol. 12, no. 2 (1990), p. 5. Also signed was local hero Luther Atchey, who played fullback for Bethlehem High School from 1938 to 1940.
The team opened its training camp on August 31 at Saylor's Lake in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, in the Pocono Mountains."Bethlehem Bulldogs Will Drill in Poconos; Players Report Aug. 31," Allentown Morning Call, April 28, 1946; p. 17.
AFL teams played a ten-game schedule in 1946.Gill, "Nothing Minor About It," p. 7. The Bulldogs played their games on Wednesday nights in the stadium of Liberty High School in Bethlehem."Bethlehem Bulldogs to Play 10-Game Schedule," Allentown Morning Call, April 18, 1946; p. 16. A team band was unveiled for the September 22 opener against the Paterson Pros in addition to the 102-member Bethlehem High School marching band."Bulldogs Launch League Season Wednesday," Allentown Morning Call, Sept. 23, 1946; p. 9.
The Bulldogs were beneficiaries of an unexpected sixth home date when the Scranton Miners moved their scheduled November 10 game against Bethlehem at Scranton Stadium to Wednesday, November 6 at Liberty High Field in Bethlehem."Notice: To All Scranton Miners Football Fans," Scranton Tribune, Nov. 5, 1946; p. 14. According to Scranton Miners officials the reason for this move was financial — "to recoup, to a degree, money lost through poor attendance this season." Scranton season ticket holders were to be refunded for the lost date at the next Miners home game. The bonus home field advantage accorded the Bulldogs was all for naught, however, as Scranton pulled out a 10–7 victory on a third quarter field goal by former Penn State kicker Carl Stravinski.
An open date on the schedule during the last week of November was filled with an exhibition game against the Washington [DC] Lions — an all-African-American team which had already met the Bulldogs in the preseason, battling to a 7–7 tie in Allentown."Bethlehem Bulldogs Gets Easy 42 to 6 Win Over Washington Colored Lions," Allentown Morning Call, Nov. 25, 1946; p. 10. Although now described as the "national colored champions," the visiting Lions were no match for the Bulldogs, who rolled to an easy victory by the lopsided score of 42 to 6. This Saturday night game was played at Cottingham Stadium in the neighboring town of Easton, located about ten miles east of Bethlehem.
In the final regular game of the season Bethlehem participated in the highest scoring game in American Football League history when they dropped a hard-fought game to the Akron Bears by a score of 54–30."Bulldogs Close With York Roses Next Saturday," Allentown Morning Call, Dec. 1, 1946; p. 23. Despite the grueling nature of this last league game, in which no fewer than five Bulldogs players suffered minor injuries, a final exhibition game was hastily scheduled for the following Saturday when the York Roses, champions of the Pennsylvania Professional League, challenged Bethlehem to a friendly match. This December 7 exhibition game was cancelled at the eleventh hour by Bethlehem, however, as most of the team's players had by then gone home for the season."York–Bethlehem Pro Grid Tilt Cancelled," York Daily Record, Dec. 7, 1946; p. 20.
The team finished in middle of the pack for the league in their inaugural season, finishing with a record of 5 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie — third place in the Western Division.
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Source 1 September 22 Paterson Panthers W 27–9 1–0 Liberty High Field, Bethlehem 8,500 clipping 2 October 2 Scranton Miners T 14–14 1–0–1 Liberty High Field, Bethlehem 10,500 clipping 3 October 9 Akron Bears W 30–7 2–0–1 Liberty High Field, Bethlehem 10,000 clipping 4 October 13 Wilmington Clippers W 13–0 3–0–1 Wilmington Park, Wilmington, DE 4,000 clipping 5 October 20 Jersey City Giants L 17–21 3–1–1 Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ 12,000 clipping 6 October 23 Wilmington Clippers W 23–20 4–1–1 Liberty High Field, Bethlehem 13,000 clipping 7 October 30 Newark Bombers L 16–23 4–2–1 Liberty High Field, Bethlehem 9,000 clipping 8 November 6 Scranton Miners L 10–7 4–3–1 Liberty High Field, Bethlehem 13,000 clipping 9 November 17 Long Island Indians W 21–14 5–3–1 Firemen's Memorial Field, Valley Stream, NY "Less than 1,000" clipping EXHIB November 24 Washington Lions W 42–6 Exhibition Cottingham Stadium, Easton, PA 7,500 clipping 10 November 28 Akron Bears L 30–54 5–4–1 Akron Rubber Bowl, Akron, OH 6,000 clipping
Attendance for the Bethlehem team was healthy, averaging about 10,600 fans per game — second highest total in the league, behind only the Eastern Division winners, Jersey City. Lefty quarterback Warren Harris finished the season going 42-for-92 passing (45.2%) for 604 yards."Bethlehem Bulldogs Sign Player," Mahanoy City [PA] Record American, May 2, 1947; p. 10.
In January 1947, President Joe Rosentover announced the AFL's first all-star team, as elected by the league's coaches. No Bethlehem players were elected to the 11-member first team, although 5 were named to the second team. These included center George Turner, end Bob Friedlund, fullback and placekicker John Rogalla, and halfbacks John Baronchok, and Camille Piccone."Screanton's Kroll, Tomasello, Stravinski, Hochheiser Voted Places on American League All-Star Eleven," Scranton Tribune, Jan. 6, 1947; p. 13.
1947 season
In February 1947, the Bethlehem School Board approved a rental agreement with Bob Sell and his Bethlehem Bulldogs for the use of its 16,000-seat stadium for the 1947 season. Terms of the deal called for the school district to receive $400 for each of five scheduled league games and an additional $600 for any additional exhibition games played there.Willard Schraedly, "Sideline Slants," Pottsville Republican, Feb. 19, 1947; p. 10.
Sell announced in March the hiring of former Bethlehem high school and Lehigh University coach Leo Prendergast as head coach of the Bulldogs for 1947, replacing Ed Conti."New Organization Formally Takes Charge of Bethlehem Bulldogs," Allentown Morning Call, March 13, 1947; p. 13. Already a Bethlehem resident and thus able to easily and economically assume the new position, Prendergast's contract was to run for three years."Prendergast Resigns as Lehigh Coach," Pottsville Evening Herald, March 21, 1947; p. 14. A farm team agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles was continued and former Eagles assistant general manager Hank Heppe was named as new general manager of the Bethlehem team. Advisory coach for the season was J. Birney Crum and backfield coach was Charley Gauer."Bethlehem Bulldogs Open Drills August 1," Allentown Morning Call, July 11, 1947; p. 22.
The team was bolstered in April by the resigning of star halfback and punter Camille Piccone"Bethlehem Bulldogs Sign Piccone for '47," Pottsville Evening Herald, April 16, 1947; p. 8. as well as southpaw quarterback Warren Harris for the 1947 season. Piccone was secured only after legal wrangling with the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference, who attempted to lure him away while already under contract to Bethlehem."Bulldogs File Suit Against Baltimore," Scranton Tribune, July 26, 1947; p. 8. The team cleared space for a major restructuring of its roster with a major transactions which sent seven players, including starting end Cecil Pirkey, to the Paterson Panthers in exchange for an undisclosed cash amount."Bulldogs Sell Seven Men to Paterson Grid Foe," Pottsville Evening Herald, April 19, 1947; p. 6. The Bulldogs added former LSU star halfback Bill Montgomery, who saw time with the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in 1946."Bulldogs Sign Southern Star; Release the Schedule for Coming Season," Mahanoy City [PA] Record American, May 23, 1947; p. 11.
The team opened its training camp with 50 invitees on August 1 at a lighted drill grounds behind a business establishment owned by team owner Bob Sell on the Easton Pike, with two-a-day practices open to the public.