Most people can name 32 NFL teams. Almost nobody can tell you about the Dayton Triangles. That's a shame, because their story is one of the most interesting in pro football history.

Who Were the Dayton Triangles?

The Dayton Triangles were one of the original franchises in the American Professional Football Association, which became the NFL in 1922. They played their first game on October 3, 1920, making them one of the oldest pro football teams ever. They got their name from the Triangle Park neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio where they practiced.

They Were Actually Good

In their early years, the Triangles were competitive. They played tough, physical football in an era when the game was raw and unpolished. No helmets with facemasks. No TV deals. Just guys playing football in front of a few thousand fans on a muddy field. It was as old school as it gets.

The Slow Fade

By the late 1920s, small-market teams were getting squeezed out as the NFL started consolidating around bigger cities. The Triangles relocated to Brooklyn in 1930 and became the Brooklyn Dodgers football team. The Dayton chapter was closed. The city never got another NFL team.

Why This Stuff Matters

The Dayton Triangles represent the forgotten roots of American football. Before the Super Bowl, before billion-dollar stadiums, before fantasy leagues, there were teams like this playing in small cities because they loved the game. That history deserves to be remembered.

Rep the Originals

Our Dayton Triangles T-shirt is for the football history nerds, the Ohio diehards, and anyone who appreciates the teams that built the league before the league was cool. Grab one and start a conversation.

Tomorrow we're wrapping up the week with a love letter to 1980s New York City.