Boning Up On The 1933 Cleveland Bulldogs

There have been several Cleveland football teams that used the Bulldogs name. One played in the NFL from 1924 to 1927, winning the 1924 championship. Another was a professional football team that took the field during the 1933 season. They were supposed to play a few NFL teams that year but mostly played teams a step below the NFL and a step above semi-pro. While the 1933 Bulldogs had success on the field, they struggled at the gate, shut down after the season, and are remembered today for their uniforms, unlike any worn before or since.

I've written about ugly uniforms in the past, especially the uniforms of the 1930s that surpassed all other decades for ugliness. I've also recognized Stanford's 1921 uniforms as the ugliest.

The 1930s and Football’s Ugliest Uniforms

Today's Tidbit... The Ugliest Uniforms Ever

Football teams like the Cleveland Bulldogs regularly teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. They were poorly financed and played other teams in similar or worse circumstances, with ticket sales being their primary revenue source. Visiting teams traveled to games based on a guaranteed fee that paid their travel expenses and a share of the gate, a portion of which they split among the players. Everyone made more money with higher attendance, so teams sometimes relied on gimmicks to attract fans. They also shifted the games to smaller, less expensive stadiums at the last minute if the advanced ticket sales did not support their bigger stadium aspirations.

Seeking publicity to attract fans to their games, the Bulldogs wore all-black uniforms with phosphorous-white skeletons painted on the front. The uniforms were supposed to intimidate opponents and amuse fans, especially for the night games, which comprised most of their schedule.

('Imagine Meeting Them At Night,' Pasadena Post, October 9, 1933.)