YEAR: 1932
SIGNIFICANCE: Boston Braves (now the Washington Football Team) played their 1st NFL game against the Brooklyn Dodgers
Granted an expansion franchise after the Providence Steam Rollers had folded, George Preston Marshall chose to start his new team in Boston, MA. The city had two MLB teams at the time in the Red Sox and Braves, who played at Fenway Park and Braves Field, the latter of which Marshall signed a lease with. NFL franchises were unstable and folded regularly, so they sought any sort of recognition and typically aligned with their city’s baseball clubs’ imagery (see: Giants, Dodgers, Cubs/Bears, Tigers/Lions, Indians, Yankees). Because of this, along with the team’s significant number of Native American players (and head coach: Lone Star Dietz), Marshall decided to name his new football team after the baseball team they shared a home with — the Braves.
They were defeated by the Brooklyn Dodgers (go figure) in their inaugural NFL game 14-0, yet would finish the 1932 season with a respectable 4-4-2 record despite just five total offensive touchdowns. Following a dispute over the rent for Braves Field, however, Marshall moved his team over to Fenway Park. Rather than give the “Braves” name further exposure, Marshall then renamed the team to sound similar to their new neighbors, and the controversial “Redskins” nickname was born in 1937.