NFL Countdown: Baltimore Colts enter the league after a bizarre sequence of events
The Indianapolis Colts once resided in the state of Maryland, under the name of the Baltimore Colts. They established themselves as an NFL team in 1953, and led by Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas, soon developed into one of the league’s premier franchises.
They won four championships in a twelve-year period spanning from 1958-1970, including Super Bowl V. For there had once been another football franchise who carried the the name, and they were not quite as successful as their illustrious successors.
AAFC Baltimore Colts and their first failed NFL venture
The original Baltimore Colts were members of the All-American Football Conference and began life in 1947. But they themselves were formed from the ashes of a failed AAFC franchise called the Miami Seahawks.
The Seahawks were the first-ever franchise to play in Miami and the state of Florida when they lined up for the inaugural AAFC season. However, it would be one-and-done as they finished bottom of the division with a 3-11 record.
A series of early road games did not help their cause, and by the time the season was over, they had accrued debts in excess of $350 thousand and were seized by the AAFC. The team's assets were purchased by a group of businessmen who relaunched the team under the guise of the Baltimore Colts.
The city of Miami had to wait twenty years before they they would witness a major sports franchise call Miami their home. This time, the venture was far more successful in 1966 when the Miami Dolphins were founded.
For the rebranded Baltimore franchise, life was no easier as they too struggled both on and off the field in their first season, finishing at the bottom of their division with a 2-11 record. The AAFC, with concerns about the viability of the league, attempted to even things up by allowing the three worst teams. This included the Colts, who recruited players from the top franchises.
Their second season brought them a 7-7 record and a playoff berth, but in truth they played in a poor division, and their record was deceiving. The regression that followed the very next season reinforced that assessment, as they returned to a 1-11 record.
Despite being considered one of the worst teams in football history, Baltimore retained a loyal fanbase. When talks of a merger between the National Football League and the AAFC began, their ownership was able to lobby themselves into one of the three available slots for AAFC teams. This happened while the NFL was expanding.
Their case was helped by the $150 thousand payment they made to the notorious Washington Redskins owner, George Preston Marshall. Marshall dropped his resistance to a Maryland-based franchise. The most logical choice for that third slot, alongside the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers, would have been the Bills.
They were a more established and financially stable franchise with a bigger fanbase. However, because all NFL votes had to be unanimous, their path was blocked by the Chicago Bears' George Halas and the Los Angeles Rams' Dan Reeves. That decision was soon made to look very foolish.
The NFL version of the Colts bore a striking resemblance to its AAFC counterpart, despite being awarded several players from the now defunct Bills team. That did not seem to help much, as they only managed to win one game in their first NFL season.
They would not be afforded the opportunity to make amends. With a frustrated fanbase losing interest, they soon found themselves facing a financial crisis. Owner Abraham Watner tried to recoup whatever he could on his investment, and subsequently sold the team and its player contracts back to the NFL for $50 thousand. This effectively liquidated the business and brought an end to the original Baltimore Colts franchise after just four turbulent years.