Editing Akron Pros (section)

===Pros===

After experiencing financial losses from 1912 to 1919, the team was sold to [[Art Ranney]], an Akron businessman and former football player at the [[University of Akron]], and [[Frank Nied]], a [[cigar]] store proprietor in 1920. The new owners soon dropped the Indian moniker and went with "Pros," hoping to inspire better results, or at least better attendance.<ref name="carroll1982-1">Carroll (1982), p. 1</ref> Nied and Ranney befriended and signed Fritz Pollard to their team. The two co-owners later made Pollard the first African-American coach in the NFL.<ref>Carroll (1998), p. 138</ref>

====Founding of the National Football League (NFL)====

The minutes for the September 17, 1920, meeting that formed the APFA, were kept on the stationery of the Akron Pros football team by one of the owners, Art Ranney. Ranney was then elected secretary-treasurer of the league (later renamed the [[National Football League]] in 1922).<ref>PFRA Research (1980), p. 6</ref>

====1920 NFL champions====

{{main|1920 Akron Pros season}}

[[Image:Akron pros 1920.jpg|thumb|Akron Pros' 1920 team photo]]

Pollard and most of the top 1919 players planned to return to the Pros in 1920.<ref name="carroll1982-1" /> The team opened the season at League Park in early October by defeating the Wheeling Stogies, 43–0.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dGxKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QYYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5125%2C2791705 | title=Wheeling Easy for Akron Team | newspaper=[[Youngstown Vindicator]] | date=October 4, 1920 | page=19}}</ref> [[Al Nesser]], one of the infamous football-playing [[Nesser Brothers]], scored three touchdowns on [[fumble]] recoveries.<ref name="carroll1982-1" /> The following week the Pros defeated the [[Columbus Panhandles]] 37–0 using former [[Guard (American football)|guard]], [[Frank McCormick (American football)|Frank McCormick]] as a [[Running back|wingback]]. After a 13–0 win over the [[Cincinnati Celts]], the Pros played the [[Cleveland Tigers (NFL)|Cleveland Tigers]], a team composed mainly of ex-stars from the [[Massillon Tigers]]. [[Bob Nash (American football)|Bob Nash]], who played for Massillon in 1919, broke up a [[Stan Cofall]] punt resulting in an Akron [[touchdown]] and a final score of 7–0. The Pros then shocked the league by beating the [[Canton Bulldogs]], who were considered the top team in the nation in 1920 with stars [[Jim Thorpe]], [[Joe Guyon]], [[Pete Calac]], and [[Wilbur Henry|Pete Henry]], 10–0. However, after a rained-out game against the [[Detroit Heralds]], the Pros played a reorganized Tigers team that held the Pros to a 7–7 tie. The team, under the rushing of Pollard and McCormick, rebounded by defeating the [[Dayton Triangles]] 13–0. After a 7–0 victory in a rematch to Canton, as well as a second win over Dayton, the Pros were recognized as the top team in Ohio.

The Pros then held the [[Buffalo All-Americans]] to a scoreless tie in front of only 3,000. At the game, Nied and Ranney agreed to sell Bob Nash to Buffalo for $300 and five percent of the gate in the first known player deal between NFL clubs. However, since the Pros held the best record in the league, they only had to avoid losing a game, while Buffalo and the [[Decatur Staleys]] had to win to capture the AFPA Championship. The Pros held the Staleys to a scoreless tie in front of 12,000 fans at [[Wrigley Field|Cub Park]].

Both the All-Americans and the Staleys complained about the championship, arguing that Akron had not defeated them. The Pros were not named the AFPA Champs until April 30, 1921, after the team managers got together at Canton and voted the title to Akron, granting the team the [[Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup]]. (Not coincidentally, Ranney, then the league's secretary, presided over the meeting as ''de facto'' President of the league, since neither President [[Jim Thorpe]] nor Vice President [[Stan Cofall]] appeared at the meeting.)<ref>Carroll (1982), p. 3</ref> According to modern NFL tie-breaking rules, the 1920 [[1920 Buffalo All-Americans season|Buffalo All-Americans]] would be co-champions.<ref>{{cite web|title=NFL Tie-Breaking Procedures|url=http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures|publisher=[[National Football League]]|access-date=March 27, 2012}}</ref>  They would be tied with the Pros in win percentage, {{frac|9|1|2}} wins to {{frac|1|1|2}} losses (.864), both teams beating out the [[1920 Decatur Staleys season|Decatur Staleys]], who would have a season that counted 11 wins to 2 losses (.846).