The 1925 New York Football Giants season was the franchise's inaugural campaign in the National Football League (NFL). Playing three-quarters of its league games at home in front of substantial crowds at the Polo Grounds, the team finished with a record of 8–4 against National League opponents.
Background
On August 1, 1925, Timothy Mara and Will Gibson were granted a franchise by the National Football League (NFL) for their newly organized team in New York City — the New York Football Giants.[1] Cost of the franchise was $2,500.[1]
Schedule
Game
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Result
|
Record
|
Venue
|
Attendance
|
Recap
|
Sources
|
–
|
September 27
|
at Newark Red Jackets
|
W 3–0
|
—
|
Dreamland Park
|
|
—
|
[2]
|
–
|
October 4
|
at Ducky Pond's All-Stars
|
W 26–0
|
—
|
Willow Brook Park New Britain, CT
|
3,000+
|
—
|
[3][4]
|
1
|
October 11
|
at Providence Steam Roller
|
L 0–14
|
0–1
|
Cycledrome
|
8,000
|
Recap
|
|
2
|
October 17
|
at Frankford Yellow Jackets
|
L 3–5
|
0–2
|
Frankford Stadium
|
15,000
|
Recap
|
|
3
|
October 18
|
Frankford Yellow Jackets
|
L 0–14
|
0–3
|
Polo Grounds
|
27,000
|
Recap
|
|
–
|
October 25
|
Buffalo Bisons
|
postponed to Nov. 3 due to rain
|
[5]
|
4
|
November 1
|
Cleveland Bulldogs
|
W 19–0
|
1–3
|
Polo Grounds
|
18,000
|
Recap
|
|
5
|
November 3
|
Buffalo Bisons
|
W 7–0
|
2–3
|
Polo Grounds
|
20,000
|
Recap
|
|
6
|
November 8
|
Columbus Tigers
|
W 19–0
|
3–3
|
Polo Grounds
|
<4,000 [6]
|
Recap
|
[7]
|
7
|
November 11
|
Rochester Jeffersons
|
W 13–0
|
4–3
|
Polo Grounds
|
10,000
|
Recap
|
|
8
|
November 15
|
Providence Steam Roller
|
W 13–12
|
5–3
|
Polo Grounds
|
20,000
|
Recap
|
|
9
|
November 22
|
Kansas City Cowboys
|
W 9–3
|
6–3
|
Polo Grounds
|
26,000
|
Recap
|
|
–
|
November 26
|
at Staten Island Stapletons
|
W 7–0
|
—
|
Thompson Stadium
|
10,000
|
—
|
[8]
|
10
|
November 29
|
Dayton Triangles
|
W 23–0
|
7–3
|
Polo Grounds
|
18,000
|
Recap
|
|
11
|
December 6
|
Chicago Bears
|
L 7–19
|
7–4
|
Polo Grounds
|
68,000
|
Recap
|
|
12
|
December 13
|
at Chicago Bears
|
W 9–0
|
8–4
|
Cubs Park
|
18,000
|
Recap
|
|
Note: Non-NFL opponents in italics. Armistice Day: November 11. Thanksgiving Day: November 26.
|
Game summaries
NFL contests only; summaries for games against non-league teams are unavailable.
Game 1: at Providence Steam Roller
Game information
|
- Second quarter
- PRO Franny Garvey blocked punt recovery in end zone (Dutch Connor kick)
- PRO Cy Wentworth 92-yard kickoff return (Connor kick)
|
Game 2: at Frankford Yellow Jackets
Game information
|
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
|
Game 3: vs. Frankford Yellow Jackets
Game information
|
- First quarter
- FRA Les Haws 9-yard run (Behman kick)
- Second quarter
|
Game 4: vs. Cleveland Bulldogs
Week Seven: Cleveland Bulldogs at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 1
- Game attendance: 18,000
Game information
|
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Game 5: vs. Buffalo Bisons
Week Eight, Game One: Buffalo Bisons at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 3
- Game attendance: 20,000
Game information
|
- Second quarter
- NYG McBride run (McBride kick)
|
Game 6: vs. Columbus Tigers
The November 8 game against the Columbus Tigers was played in a driving rain which fell continuously throughout the contest, keeping the attendance down to fewer than 4,000 spectators.[7] Although marking the third consecutive National League victory for the expansion Giants, the win came at substantial cost when star halfback Hinkey Haines suffered a broken nose shortly after kickoff, with fears being aired that his injury was so severe that he could be lost for the rest of the season.[7] The Giants drew blood in the opening frame when Jack McBride hit Dutch Hendrian with a 10 yard pass from the Columbus 40, with Hendrian taking the ball the final 30 yards on a gallop through the thick Polo Grounds mud.[7] Columbus missed a 20 yard field goal attempt and later threw a pick from the 10-yard line, thus squandering their two best chances at scoring.[7] The Football Giants added two touchdowns in the fourth, one a 20 yard run by Bill Rooney and the other an interception returned 50 yards for a touchdown by Doc Alexander to finish the 19–0 shutout of the Tigers.[7]
Week Eight, Game Two: Columbus Tigers at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 8
- Game attendance: 4,000
Game information
|
- First quarter
- NYG Hendrian 35-yard pass from McBride (McBride kick)
- Fourth quarter
|
Game 7: vs. Rochester Jeffersons
Week Nine, Game One: Rochester Jeffersons at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 11
- Game attendance: 10,000
Game information
|
- First quarter
- NYG Lynn Bomar 27-yard pass from McBride (McBride kick)
- NYG Hendrian 35-yard FG
- Second quarter
|
Game 8: vs. Providence Steam Roller
Week Nine, Game Two: Providence Steam Roller at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 15
- Game attendance: 20,000
Game information
|
- First quarter
- NYG Bomar 24-yard pass from McBride (McBride kick)
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- NYG McBride run (kick failed)
- Fourth quarter
- PRO Laird run (Laird kick)
- PRO Ball downed in end zone by Haines for a safety
|
Game 9: vs. Kansas City Cowboys
Week Ten: Kansas City Cowboys at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 22
- Game attendance: 26,000
Game information
|
- First quarter
- NYG Haines 1-yard run (kick failed)
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
|
Game 10: vs. Dayton Triangles
Week Eleven: Dayton Triangles at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 29
- Game attendance: 18,000
Game information
|
- First quarter
- NYG Bomar 45-yard pass from McBride (McBride kick)
- Second quarter
- NYG Hendrian 34 pass from McBride (McBride kick)
- NYG McBride 30-yard FG
- Third quarter
|
Game 11: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Twelve: Chicago Bears at New York Giants
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: December 6
- Game attendance: 68,000 (plus approx. 8,000 gate crashers)
Game information
|
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- NYG White run (McBride kick)
- Fourth quarter
- CHB Red Grange 35-yard interception return (Sternaman kick)
|
Game 12: at Chicago Bears
Game information
|
- First quarter
- Fourth quarter
- NYG White 1-yard run (kick failed)
|
Standings
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
* The Pottsville Maroons were suspended from the league in December,
and the Chicago Cardinals named the NFL champions.
See also
References
- ^ a b Joseph T. Labrum (ed.), The National Football League Rules and Record Manual: 1958, 39th Season. Bala-Cynwyd, PA: National Football League, 1958; p. 66.
- ^ "Benkert Stars in Newark Game," New Brunswick Daily Home News, Sept. 28, 1925, p. 12.
- ^ "New York Giants Swamp Local Team: New Britain Shows 100 Per Cent Better Although Defeated," New Britain Herald, Oct. 5, 1925, p. 8.
- ^ Richard Whittingham, Illustrated History of the New York Giants. Chicago: Triumph Books, 2005; p. 3.
- ^ "Heavy Rains Call Off Giants–Buffalo Grid Game," Allentown Morning Call, Oct. 25, 1925, p. 22.
- ^ The New York Daily News has the attendance of this rain-drenched game as 3,000.
- ^ a b c d e f Jack Farrell, "New York Giants Beat Columbus Tigers in Mud, 19–0: Hinkey Haines, Star Halfback, Out for Season," New York Daily News, Nov. 9, 1925, p. 26.
- ^ "New York Giants Defeat Stapleton: National Leaguers Defeat Collegians by 7–0 Score in Good Game," Allentown Morning Call, Nov. 27, 1925, p. 25.
External links
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