The Portsmouth Spartans
were victorious in 1932 by a score of 19-0. In the game known as the “iron
man game” because the Spartan coach, Potsy Clark, refused to use a substitute
in restitution for the Green Bay Packers being named champions of the NFL
in 1931 after they refused to play Portsmouth in a championship game. The
Spartans were admitted to the NFL in 1930. The first night football game
in the NFL was played between the Spartans and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1930.
The first NFL Championship game and the first indoor football game was played
in December 1932 between the Portsmouth Spartans and the Chicago Bears.
Dutch Clark, former Spartan, is a Charter Member of the National Professional
Football Hall of Fame. The Portsmouth Spartans franchise became the Detroit
Lions in 1934. In 1935, the Lions, with mostly former Spartans in their
starting line-up, won the NFL Championship.
“The Portsmouth Spartans” is a 20’ x 35’ mural painted on the floodwall in Portsmouth, Ohio by Robert Dafford in 1994. The mural depicts the NFL “iron man” contest in 1932 when the Spartans defeated the Green Bay Packers, 19 to 0.
Indoor Game: The weather was brutal, so the first “unofficial” NFL Championship
Game between the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans was moved inside
to Chicago Stadium in 1932.
Indoor game photo from NFL INSIDER, pg. 38, September 2000 The NFL Century Special Edition
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