History of the NFL's exhibition basketball teams

[Evan]

For decades, NFL teams would put together certain players on basketball teams that played exhibitions in the off-season. Exposure to fans, revenue for charities, and even building team camaraderie were all benefits. Some notes and questions:

-- In the early 1960s, the Vikings had a basketball team that featured Fran Tarkenton, among others. They once played a game against college "all-stars" in between a Harlem Globetrotters doubleheader. The paper the next day actually ran box scores of the Globetrotters games, which kind of blows my mind.

-- Drew Pearson boasted in Peter Golenbock's "Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes" book that the Cowboys' basketball team would play in front of 10,000 fans at the HemisFair Arena, home of the Spurs.

-- I personally saw the Jets play an exhibition basketball game in the early 80s. Greg Buttle was the most muscle-bound person I ever saw shoot a basketball. He had a spot about 18 feet from the hoop that he couldn't miss from. Bobby Jackson and Shafer Suggs were also on the team, everybody signed autographs -- it was a good time.

Some questions:

1. Does anybody have any sense as to what team had "the best" exhibition basketball team? And if not, what would your wild speculation be (I'm thinking any Chiefs team with Morris Stroud might have a good shot)

2. Did any player of note ever get hurt at one of these events and miss time during the season?

3. Did any of you ever attend one of these games? If so, what are your memories of it?

4. I'm presuming this practice is now extinct, and if so, what was the last team to field an exhibition basketball team? In other words, when did the era end?

[Reaser]

3. Did any of you ever attend one of these games? If so, what are your memories of it?

4. I'm presuming this practice is now extinct, and if so, what was the last team to field an exhibition basketball team? In other words, when did the era end?

I went to the Seahawks games in the late 80's and 90's when they played at a High School that was 20 minutes south of my town (I eventually played a couple games in that same gym). Paul Skansi was a staple, Joe Nash played at least one year, Patrick Hunter, etc. I liked them. After the games the players would roam around the court and fans would walk around, hang out, get autographs, etc. I wish I remembered them more, I was 5-7 years old. The only thing I can confirm 100% from each year I went is that I got Paul Skansi's autograph.

4. Players still play basketball, it's just different than it used to be and more one-off event than multiple games. Mostly done as individual players having charity games though teams have charity basketball games, too. At least the Seahawks have had charity/celebrity basketball games in recent years. Jordan Babineux lit everyone up a handful of years back in one of the Seahawks celebrity games that had current and former Seahawks.

[BD Sullivan]

It's hard to gauge how good some of these teams were, considering the level of competition sometimes consisted of teachers at whatever high school they were playing, etc.

I know during the winter of 1963, Ernie Davis was allowed to play for the Browns' basketball team since he was in remission from his leukemia. Sadly, he was presumably doomed from the first diagnosis and died in May 1963.

[Citizen]

I attended a Packers basketball exhibition in the spring of 1972. I still have the program that was signed by all the players: Bill Hayhoe, Dick Himes, Larry Krause, Bill Lueck, Elijah Pitts, Dave Robinson and John Spillis

[Rupert Patrick]

I attended a Steelers exhibition basketball game in late January 1975, a couple weeks after they won Super Bowl IX. They played a bunch of teachers from the Carlynton school district, which was in the school district I was attending; I was in the fifth grade at the time, and I didn't know it at the time but there was a senior named Bill Cowher who was attending Carlynton high school where the basketball game was held. I went with my brother and sister and during the game we weaseled our way down to the front row of benches where the Steelers were sitting and for the last half hour I actually sat next to Sam Davis. Among the other Steelers I remember being at the game were JT Thomas, John Kolb, John McMakin, and Bobby Walden in addition to Davis. There were ten Steelers at the game I remember, and I also remember the Steelers won. I could not find a record of this game I attended in a newspaper search. However, I found another such game from 1/18/75 from a local Pittsburgh paper saying that the Steelers were going to play the North Allegheny high school teachers at North Allegheny high school. Here is a link to this game if you have access to Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/image/41571189/

I did find a blurb on page 69 of the 2/2/75 Pittsburgh Press which discussed many of the Steelers players going to Hawaii to face off against the Vikings in the team vs. team version of the Superstars. The column ended as follows, "The sudden off-season popularity of the once ugly duckling Steelers is not without complications, however. While the globe-trotting athletes fly off into the distance, Baldy Regan, who promotes the Steeler basketball team, is having his troubles getting enough players to book a game."

[rhickok1109]

I attended a Steelers exhibition basketball game in late January 1975, a couple weeks after they won Super Bowl IX. They played a bunch of teachers from the Carlynton school district, which was in the school district I was attending; I was in the fifth grade at the time, and I didn't know it at the time but there was a senior named Bill Cowher who was attending Carlynton high school where the basketball game was held. I went with my brother and sister and during the game we weaseled our way down to the front row of benches where the Steelers were sitting and for the last half hour I actually sat next to Sam Davis. Among the other Steelers I remember being at the game were JT Thomas, John Kolb, John McMakin, and Bobby Walden in addition to Davis. There were ten Steelers at the game I remember, and I also remember the Steelers won. I could not find a record of this game I attended in a newspaper search. However, I found another such game from 1/18/75 from a local Pittsburgh paper saying that the Steelers were going to play the North Allegheny high school teachers at North Allegheny high school. Here is a link to this game if you have access to Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/image/41571189/

I did find a blurb on page 69 of the 2/2/75 Pittsburgh Press which discussed many of the Steelers players going to Hawaii to face off against the Vikings in the team vs. team version of the Superstars. The column ended as follows, "The sudden off-season popularity of the once ugly duckling Steelers is not without complications, however. While the globe-trotting athletes fly off into the distance, Baldy Regan, who promotes the Steeler basketball team, is having his troubles getting enough players to book a game."

I remember seeing a Packer basketball team playing at the Green Bay YMCA a few times when I was a kid, in the late '40s or early '50s. I can't remember who the opponents were or how the games came out. I do remember that Jug Girard played in a couple of those games. He was a local favorite because he played for Green Bay's minor-league baseball team as well as the Packers.

[Bob Gill]

The Redskins used to have one of these teams, too. I never saw them play, but I do remember one note in the Washington Post about a game -- probably against high school teachers, just like the ones already mentioned -- in which Joe Theismann scored 71 points.

[Mark]

The Redskins used to have one of these teams, too. I never saw them play, but I do remember one note in the Washington Post about a game -- probably against high school teachers, just like the ones already mentioned -- in which Joe Theismann scored 71 points.

I seem to recall a local tv advertisement here in Richmond Virginia in the early 80s about a game between the Redskins and the University of Richmond.

[Bryan]

3. Did any of you ever attend one of these games? If so, what are your memories of it?

I went to a couple Chicago Bears exhibition basketball games in the mid-1980's. The games were at my local high school gym. One year the Bears had a WR named Clay Pickering...I think he played basketball in college...and he basically dominated the game. None of the "BIG" name Bears were on the team, but you had guys like Otis Wilson as well as some recent ex-Bears from the early 80's. I remember my mom getting into an argument with Glen Campbell because Campbell was yelling at kids who were trying to get autographs. Good times.

[BD Sullivan]

I remember my mom getting into an argument with Glen Campbell because Campbell was yelling at kids who were trying to get autographs. Good times.

So they weren't gentle on his mind? By the time he got to Phoenix, perhaps he reconsidered.