# 1923 Racine Legion season

The 1923 Horlick–Racine Legion season was their second in the National Football League (NFL). The Racine, Wisconsin team failed to improve on their previous season's record of 6–4–1, winning only four games. They finished tenth in the league.

## Background

The Racine Legion was promoted and financed by the Racine, Wisconsin, post of the American Legion from 1921. The team was additionally sponsored by William Horlick, president of a prominent malted milk company and was formally known as Horlick–Racine Legion in reflection of the corporate connection. Expenses considerably exceeded the revenue generated by ticket sales, with the Legion post making up the difference through the solicitation of donations and the hosting of money-raising entertainment events.
The team played on "Horlick's Athletic Field," presumably a company-owned grounds. The field had a new $17,000 grandstand constructed for the 1923 season, as well as some new open bleachers along the north sideline, with previously-existing stands moved across to the south sideline.
Despite sponsorship funds, the Legion franchise racked up a significant deficit during 1922 and 1923 and prospects were gloomy for continuation in the National Football League for a third season unless additional funding was secured. The idea was hatched by local fans to subsidize operations through the organized collection of $10 donations to the Legion Football Fund, with a goal of raising $10,000 for the 1924 season. This money was to be held in trust until at least $5,000 was raised or a 1924 football team assured with a May 15, 1924, deadline. Money collected in conjunction with the campaign was to be used to cover future expenses rather than for the purposes of retiring the post's debt. The local daily newspaper, the Racine News-Times, donated advertising space to help raise the profile of the fundraising effort.

## Schedule

The Legion's initial schedule, announced September 12 by team manager George G. "Babe" Ruetz called for a balanced schedule of 12 National League games — 6 home and 6 away. In addition to the 10 games ultimately played, away dates to play the Toledo Maroons and a December 9 finale playing the Akron Pros were slated.
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 30 | Toledo Maroons | T 7–7 | 0–0–1 | Horlick Field | 3,500 | Recap |
| 2 | October 7 | Chicago Bears | L 0–3 | 0–1–1 | Horlick Field | 5,000 | Recap |
| 3 | October 14 | at Milwaukee Badgers | T 7–7 | 0–1–2 | Athletic Park | 4,000 | Recap |
| 4 | October 21 | Akron Pros | W 9–7 | 1–1–2 | Horlick Field | | Recap |
| 5 | October 28 | at Green Bay Packers | W 24–3 | 2–1–2 | Bellevue Park | 2,800 | Recap |
| 6 | November 4 | at Minneapolis Marines | L 6–13 | 2–2–2 | Nicollet Park | 1,200 | Recap |
| 7 | November 11 | Green Bay Packers | L 0–16 | 2–3–2 | Horlick Field | 3,500 | Recap |
| — | November 18 | at Toledo Maroons | canceled | canceled | canceled | canceled | canceled |
| 8 | November 25 | at Chicago Cardinals | W 10–4 | 3–3–2 | Comiskey Park | 7,000 | Recap |
| 9 | November 29 | Milwaukee Badgers | L 0–16 | 3–4–2 | Horlick Field | | Recap |
| 10 | December 2 | Minneapolis Marines | W 23–0 | 4–4–2 | Horlick Field | | Recap |
| — | December 9 | at Akron Pros | canceled | canceled | canceled | canceled | canceled |
| Note: Thanksgiving Day: November 29. |||||||||

## Standings

NFL standings :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| Canton Bulldogs | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 246 | 19 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 123 | 35 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 7 | 2 | 1 | .778 | 85 | 34 | W5 |
| Milwaukee Badgers | 7 | 2 | 3 | .778 | 100 | 49 | W1 |
| Cleveland Indians | 3 | 1 | 3 | .750 | 52 | 49 | L1 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 161 | 56 | L1 |
| Duluth Kelleys | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | 35 | 33 | L3 |
| Buffalo All-Americans | 5 | 4 | 3 | .556 | 94 | 43 | L1 |
| Columbus Tigers | 5 | 4 | 1 | .556 | 119 | 35 | L1 |
| Toledo Maroons | 3 | 3 | 2 | .500 | 35 | 66 | L1 |
| Racine Legion | 4 | 4 | 2 | .500 | 86 | 76 | W1 |
| Rock Island Independents | 2 | 3 | 3 | .400 | 84 | 62 | L1 |
| Minneapolis Marines | 2 | 5 | 2 | .286 | 48 | 81 | L1 |
| St. Louis All-Stars | 1 | 4 | 2 | .200 | 25 | 74 | L1 |
| Hammond Pros | 1 | 5 | 1 | .167 | 14 | 59 | L4 |
| Akron Pros | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 | 25 | 74 | W1 |
| Dayton Triangles | 1 | 6 | 1 | .143 | 16 | 95 | L2 |
| Oorang Indians | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 | 50 | 257 | W1 |
| Louisville Brecks | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 90 | L3 |
| Rochester Jeffersons | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 6 | 141 | L4 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

## Roster

All players from the 1922 Legion roster returned for training camp in mid-September, ahead of the 1923 season, with the exception of Don Murray, who left pro football to accept a position as the athletic director at a school for boys in upstate New York. One key addition for the new season was Shorty Barr, quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers in 1922.
Players who spent time on the Legion roster included the following, with the number of games played in parentheses. Uniform numbers are those of the 17 players on the team's opening day roster. There is no record that the guard Tong or the back Lunde ever saw action in an NFL game.
There were no future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the team, although blocking back Chuck Dressen went on to have a 50 year career in Major League Baseball as a player and manager. Four players were former College Football All-Americans: Hank Gillo of Colgate, Rowdy Elliott and Paul Meyers of Wisconsin, and Milt Romney of the University of Chicago.
Linemen
* A. C. Baur (1)
* #2 Art Braman (6)
* #18 Earl Gorman (10)
* Robert "Death" Halladay (7)
* George Hartong (8)
* #10 Fritz Heinisch (6)
* #14 Jack Hueller (9)
* #6 Bill McCaw (3)
* Paul Meyers (9)
* #15 Candy Miller (6)
* #3 Jack Mintun (10)
* Al Pierotti (1)
* #12 Fritz Roeseler (6)
* #17 Len Smith (10)
* Howard Stark (3)
* #13 Tong
Backs
* #9 Shorty Barr (9)
* Jimmy Baxter (1)
* Chuck Dressen (1)
* #11 Al Elliott (10)
* #16 Bob Foster (8)
* #1 Hank Gillo - captain (10)
* #7 Irv Langhoff (4)
* #5 Lunde
* #8 Jack Milton (2)
* Milt Romney (8)
* Rollie Williams (2)