The American Professional Football Association was formally organized in 1920, with Jim Thorpe its president. Thirteen teams paid the franchise fee to become charter members. They were from all over the map: Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton in Ohio: the Buffalo, New York, All-Americans; the Rochester Jeffersons, also from New York; the Hammond ( Indiana) Pros; the Detroit Heralds; the Decatur (Illinois) Staleys joined by another Illinois team from Rock Island. Chicago had two teams, The Tigers and the Cardinals. No official standings were kept that first season, but the Chicago Cardinals finished with a 2-3-2 record. The next year they were 8-3 and in 1923, a year after the league became known as the National Football League, they finished 8-4. They dropped to 5-4-1- in 1924. In 1925 the Cardinals bounced back to 11-2-1 and were league champions.

AUDIO: AOWM March 14, 2005 (mp3)