The LaRue Oorang Indians

Today marks the anniversary of the IOC reinstating the medals won by the legendary athlete, Jim Thorpe. And, upon reading a little about Jim Thorpe I remembered from my long ago Ohio History class that the town of LaRue, Ohio was the smallest town or city to ever have an NFL franchise. And, the coach of this team was none other than Jim Thorpe.

This team had quite an interesting background, indeed! The team was created by Walter Lingo of LaRue to promote his dog kennel - the Oorang Kennel, which sold and promoted the Airedale breed of dog. The Oorang Indians team boasted a roster comprised entirely of Native Americans.

The franchise license was purchased in June 0f 1922 for $100. But, this was seen as money well spent because Lingo sold his dogs for $150 a piece. And, the players also worked in Lingo's Oorange Kennel business.

The Oorange Indians played just one "home" game during their existence. But, even that game was not a true home game as it was played in nearby Marion, Ohio. The team was only in existence for two seasons. And, in those two years, the team won only three games. This was partially because the emphasis of the games was not on the actual game itself, but rather the pregame and halftime festivities. During pregame and halftime, the players and the airedale dogs would provide entertainment for the crowd. In fact, some credit Walter Lingo with staging the first halftime shows in the NFL. Due to their poor performance on the field, the Oorang Indians were not seen a a very good or popular team. So, Walter Lingo did not renew the franchise license for the 1924 season.