1924 Rock Island Independents season

League meeting

Ahead of the annual league meeting, held at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago on January 26–27, a representative of the Independents, noting endemic heavy financial losses in the 1923 NFL season, warned that many franchises might not be able to continue indefinitely under the current salary system.^[2] The Independents seem to have weathered the financial onslaught better than many in 1923.^[2]

Organizational activities

Rock Island had the benefit of the backing of a strong network of local businessmen from throughout the "Quad-Cities" of Rock Island, Davenport, Moline, and East Moline. On August 12, some 80 businessmen and team backers gathered in the Rock Island county courthouse to organize the 1924 team administratively and financially.^[3] Assistant state's attorney James D. Bruner was elected team president for 1924 and a board of 10 active directors were voted in, along with honorary directors representing Davenport, Moline, and East Moline.^[3] The $1,000 forfeiture bond required by the NFL was raised and sent to the league office.^[3] Selection of the team's coach for 1924 and a permanent secretary was left to President Bruner and the newly-elected board, who were to meet in 24 hours.^[3]

Signing of Jim Thorpe

On September 21, it was announced that the Rock Island Independents has succeeded in outbidding several other teams around the NFL for the services of the legendary back Jim Thorpe for the 1924 season.^[4] The timeless 37-year old's tenure as captain and organizer of the Oorang Indians franchise had come to an end at the conclusion of the 1923 season, the team awash in red ink and terminated. Although hampered by injuries in recent seasons, the 6'1" Thorpe remained a powerful and threatening open-field runner and was regarded as the best punter in football.^[4]

Thorpe's gridiron exploits were legendary, with the Rock Island Argus telling the tale of Christmas 1922 exhibition game against collegiate all-stars in which Thorpe had run for a 95-yard touchdown, punted the ball 85 yards from the back of his own end zone, and connected on a 67-yard drop kick field goal.^[5] General admission for Thorpe's September 29 debut was set at $1.10, with 2,000 Douglas Field bleacher seats available at the price.^[5] Grandstand bleachers were priced at an additional 25 or 50 cents, depending on location, and field box seats were to cost $1.00 extra.^[5]

Thorpe was eventually followed to the Islanders by two of his former Oorang teammates — halfback Joe Guyon and lineman Joe Little Twig. The aging superstar halfback was able to play all 9 regular season games, although he injured his shoulder in the November 23 game against Kelley–Duluth and was unable to play in the Thanksgiving Day exhibition against the Kenosha All-Stars.^[6]

Duke Slater affair

The Islanders became the focus of controversy late in October when during their first road trip of the season, the new NFL team the Kansas City Blues refused to take the field if Rock Island's star African American tackle, Duke Slater, was allowed to play.^[7] Rock Island acceded to the racist demand — despite the fact that Slater had been named a second-team member of the league's "All-American Professional Football Team" by the league's sportswriters the previous season^[8] and remained a critical member of Rock Island's line.

The result was one of the year's biggest upsets, when the Blues toppled the green-and-white by a score of 23 to 7 — Kansas City's first NFL win after three consecutive losses to open the year and Rock Island's first defeat. "Rock Island players said if 'Duke' Slater, former Iowa negro tackle, had been allowed to play the result would have been different," one Kansas City newspaper noted.^[9] For their part, Rock Island looked to "securing their revenge" when Kansas City was scheduled to travel to Illinois for the second leg of the home-and-home series three weeks later.^[7] They would, indeed, delivering a 17–0 shutout.