When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Chicago has a reputation as a tough, practical town. People get the job done without any fuss, and they get the job done well. Chicago's football tradition carries a similar reputation. These are men's men, fighting the good fight and never complaining, playing in the driving snow and the cold wind, taking hits and getting right back out there in the next series. They are tough, honest, Midwestern athletes, and the pride of their city. Containing over ten years of extensive research and accompanied by original archival photographs, When Football was Football delves into this rich football past. The Cardinals, now in Arizona and the sport's oldest franchise, were born in Chicago in 1899. We follow their history, from the early days, when casualty lists were reported after each game, through the inception of the NFL in 1920, the growing pains of the league, the rivalry between the Cardinals and the Bears, two world wars, and finally a resurrection in the late 1940s which resulted in a Cardinal's victory in the 1947 championship. A unique, entertaining look at the early days of football and one of its proudest franchises, When Football was Football captures an era in sports history and brings to life its personalities, rivalries, triumphs, and tragedies.