1926: As the 1925 season came to an end, the Chicago Bears shook up the sports world, by signing Red Grange from Illinois, the top star in College Football. Grange helped bring Professional Football respect it had never had before. With Red Grange on the team the Bears embarked on a barnstorming tour to build the sport, and help some struggling teams. A game with Grange and the Bears at the Polo Ground, saved the New York Giants from folding after their first season. With Red Grange being such a big star, he and his agent C.C. Pyle wanted ownership into the Bears. However, George Halas refused as Red Grange and his agent nicknamed Cash and Carry Pyle sought to create a team of their own in New York. However, attempts for a second team in New York were blocked by Giants Owner Tim Mara who was afraid Grange would take away fans from his own team. Rebuffed by the NFL, Pyle and Grange formed their own league the American Football League with Red Grange playing on the New York Yankees, sharing the stadium with the team whose name they took in the Bronx. Red Grange and his Yankees were the biggest draw in the AFL, drawing crowds of 22,000 or more. The Yankees would post a record of 10-5 and embark on their own barnstorming tour. However, the AFL would be embarrassed when it’s league champion the Philadelphia Quakers losing in the snow to the New York Giants 31-0. While the Yankees were out west with the Los Angeles Wildcats he AFL would announce that it would fold after one season.

1927: As the AFL folded after one season, a NFL team in Brooklyn too was unable to play in a second season. New York Giants Owner Tim Mara would get the rights to the Brooklyn Hosemen a team that was a merger of a former AFL team and the NFL’s Brooklyn Lions. Mara would then lease the rights to team to C.C. Pyle and allow the Yankees to join the NFL under certain conditions. The conditions would limit the amount of home games the Yankees could play at Yankee Stadium, making the team play most of the games on the road to help showcase Red Grange and continue to build the league’s brand. The New York Yankees would win their first NFL game on October 2nd beating the Dayton Triangles 6-3. The Yankees would also beat the Cleveland Bulldogs and Buffalo Bisons, before facing the Chicago Bears. The Bears would hand the Yankees their first loss 12-0 at Wrigley Field. After their losing two of their next three games the Yankees would face the Bears again, in their first home game on November 8th, winning 26-6. However, Red Grange suffered a serious knee injury and missed the rest of the season. While the Yankees were able to beat the Pottsville Maroons and Chicago Cardinals, but would not win another game as they went winless in their last six games, including a pair of shutout losses to the New York Giants. The Yankees would finish their first NFL season with a record of 7-8-1, finishing in sixth place.

1928: Red Grange would miss the entire season recovering from his knee injury as the Yankees struggled without their top player. The Yankees would win just one of their first eight games as they had trouble finding any offense. Despite their season long struggles, the Yankees would close the seasons strong, with three wins in their final four games, including a pair of wins over the New York Giants. The Yankees would beat the Giants 7-6 in their final game at Yankee Stadium on December 16th. Without Red Grange the Yankees finances suffered even worse than the team’s performance on the field as they were forced to suspend operations, following a 4-8-1 season. Red Grange would return to football in 1929, playing with the Chicago Bears until 1934. Yankee Stadium would host another NFL from 1949-1951 that used the name Bulldogs and Yanks, before the New York Giants themselves took over the stadium in 1956.