Yes, in fact, if I am correct, the very first NFL championship game was held
indoors. The weather in Chicago was so bad that they played the game in
a National Guard Armory. The building was undersized, so the field was
80 yards long, had a shortened endzone, and the uprights were moved to the
goal line. I think that at least one punt hit the roof. I may be off on
some of the details but generaly that the way it was.
Ami Silberman
"And now Oakland...er, L.A. ... is ..."
/* End of text from uiucdcsp:net.sport.football */
I had thought the game was played in either the Chicago Stadium
(home of Bulls and Blackhawks), or in the International Ampitheater.
Another interesting tidbit is that they only used on set of goal posts,
so both teams' offenses always went toward the same goal line (direction
of play reversed at every change in possession). They also had some
special ground rules, including some for punts hitting the roof.
I'm not sure, but I also believe this was the first use of hash-marks
on a football field. The indoor field was also too narrow, so they
came up with the idea of moving the ball into a more central position
(the hashmark) after each play. Previously, the ball could be right on
the sideline, and the team would have to adjust its formation accordingly.
They also played on real turf, there not being anything like artificial turf
yet. Dirt was trucked in, and sod laid (after importing it from warmer
climates) just for the game.
Bob Schleicher
ihuxk!rs55611
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***