Rejected Franchises
These are all teams that applied to join the NFL but were refused entry. Some existed only as proposals, but others had full organizations. Unless otherwise noted, each team folded after their unsuccessful bid to join the NFL.
- Los Angeles Bulldogs (1936) Approved as a probational franchise with the intention of becoming a full-fledged member in 1937. However, the Cleveland Rams were admitted in their place, due to travel cost concerns. The Bulldogs would go on to play in other leagues until 1948, while the Rams, coincidentally, would move to Los Angeles themselves in 1946.
- Pennsylvania Keystoners (1940) Proposed merger of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Pirates that was rejected by league ownership. A temporary merger was instituted in 1943 due to player shortages as a result of World War II.
- Buffalo Bills (AAFC) (1950) Members of the All-America Football Conference. Four NFL owners blocked Buffalo's entry into the NFL. Current Bills franchise is unrelated other than in name.
- Memphis Grizzlies (1975) Members of the World Football League. Unsuccessfully sued NFL to attempt to force admission (see: Mid-South Grizzlies v. NFL).
- New Jersey Generals (1986). Members of the United States Football League. Owner Donald Trump was among those seeking to force a merger of the USFL and the NFL, but were unable to do so.
- Memphis Hound Dogs (1993). Proposed expansion team. Later played as Memphis Mad Dogs in CFL USA in 1995.
- Baltimore Bombers (1993). Proposed expansion team.
- St. Louis Stallions (1993). Proposed as both an expansion team and as a potential relocation of the New England Patriots.
Read more about this topic: List Of Defunct National Football League Franchises
Famous quotes containing the word rejected:
“When an opinion has taken root in a democracy and established itself in the minds of the majority, it afterward persists by itself, needing no effort to maintain it since no one attacks it. Those who at first rejected it as false come in the end to adopt it as accepted, and even those who still at the bottom of their hearts oppose it keep their views to themselves, taking great care to avoid a dangerous and futile contest.”
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)