Walter Lingo Walter Lingo ( 1891 - 1966 ) was a Airedale breeder from LaRue , Ohio . During the 1920s , he owned the Oorang Dog Kennels . As a way of promoting his kennels , Lingo financed a National Football League franchise , called the Oorang Indians in 1922 . Dog breeder . Lingo bred his first litter when he was 9 years old in 1900 . Over time he bred and sought to create a stronger type of Airedale . His efforts resulted in the King Oorang breed of Airedale dogs . Lingo described the King Oorang as the " world ' s great all - around dog . " Upon creating the King Oorang breed , Lingo embarked on a mail order business , selling his puppies to people throughout the Americas . Lingo spent most of his time breeding and training his championship Oorang Airedale dogs in LaRue . He expanded his breeding program expanded to meet the enormous demand for Airedales by selling up to a thousand Airedale bitches to farmers throughout Ohio . Lingo took back the bitches for breeding and whelping , then returned them to their owners , while buying back the pups at a pre - agreed price . Lingo then resold the pups to buyers throughout the country . Reportedly Walter sold up to 15 , 000 Airedales per year , and by the mid - 1920s he claimed to be spending $ 2000 per month on advertising . Over time , the Oorang Kennel Company and its Oorang Airedales became known throughout the world . He donated a stud dog for Red Cross work in Europe to the military during World War I , then , after the war , promoted in advertising for the purpose of breeding . He also gave away dogs as a promotion to winners of contests , silent film stars , baseball players , and two were given to the editor of " Field & Stream " magazine , who favored the kennel with complimentary ads and even a fictional book or two , featuring Oorang Airedales . However many of Lingo ' s neighbors described the Airedales as killers . These neighboring farmers accused the Oorang Kennels of raising a nation of sheep killers . This public relations disaster , prompted Lingo to enlist the aid of celebrities to endorse his dogs . He invited celebrities , such as Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers , boxer Jack Dempsey , actor Gary Cooper , Tris Speaker of the Cleveland Indians , and Olympic sprinter Charles Paddock to LaRue to hunt with him and his dogs . Perhaps , Lingo ' s most famous supporter was Jim Thorpe , the celebrated athlete of the 1920s . With no reluctance at all , Thorpe came to Lingo ' s aid by testifying that he once knew an Oorang Airedale that had saved a 6 - year - old girl ' s life . After that , Lingo and Thorpe became hunting buddies . Oorang Indians . To help promote his dogs , Lingo eventually created the Oorang Indians , an NFL team in La Rue . He established the squad as a publicity stunt and named the team after his Oorang dog kennels . The cost of establishing an NFL franchise in 1922 was $ 100 , however the cost of just one of Lingo ' s Airedales could sell for $ 150 . The stunt worked and Lingo would go on to make a million dollars selling Airedales in just one year , during the height of popularity of the Oorang Indians . Interestingly , La Rue , is the smallest community to have ever sponsored an NFL franchise . The Indians , however , never played a game in La Rue . the team was primarily a traveling team . What " home games " they did play were played in Marion since La Rue lacked a playing field . Lingo hired Thorpe to put together a team that only consisted of Native American players . He was paid $ 500 a week to organize the team . The Indians remained a team in the National Football League for the 1922 and the 1923 seasons . The Oorang Indians players not only played football . Lingo also required them to work in his kennels , caring for his dogs . He also forced his players to parade around the football field with his dogs during half times , hoping that fans would purchase his dogs . Lingo used his own Airedale terrier magazine , " Oorang Comments , " to get dog and football enthusiasts buzzing about his product and his team . At first the Oorang Indians were an excellent gate attraction . However , the novelty eventually wore off and Lingo pulled his financial backing . So , at the end of the 1923 NFL season , the Indians , suspended operations . First halftime shows . Many football historians credit Lingo with creating the halftime show . He would lure audiences to his games with the promise of an outrageous halftime show , instead of the promise of a good football game . Entertainment , both prior to the games and during halftimes , was provided by the players and the Airedale dogs . There were shooting exhibitions with the dogs retrieving the targets . There were Indian dances and tomahawk and knife - throwing demonstrations . One halftime event was showcased an Indians player , named Long Time Sleep , wrestled a live bear . Another show was a demonstration of the United States Indian scouts actions during World War I . The show promoted Lingo ' s kennels by showing the Airedale Red Cross dogs administering first aid to wound soldier . Many of the scouts and Red Cross dogs taking part in the event were real veterans of the war , while the German troops were impersonated by local American Legion men who wore German uniforms furnished by Lingo . The halftime activities soon became more important than the results of the game for the Indians fanbase . The Indians only won 3 games in their two seasons of existence . Great Depression . After the Oorang Indians ' collapse , Lingo continued to sell his Airedale dogs . Unfortunately , the Great Depression struck in the 1930s , prompting Lingo to scale back his business . People could no longer afford the Airedales , prompting Lingo to have approximately three hundred puppies put to sleep in 1929 alone . He eventually tried to establish a business in Minneapolis , Minnesota that manufactured dog biscuits , but this venture failed to succeed . However back in LaRue , Lingo ' s wife , Beryl , revived the kennels . Although the operation was scaled down from its 1920 ' s peak , the Oorang Kennel Company continued until Walter Lingo ’ s death in 1966 .