Orange/Newark Tornadoes - 1929 Season

1929 Season

In 1929 Ole Haugsrud, the owner of Duluth Eskimos, sold his defunct franchise rights to Piggy Simandl, a wholesale meat salesman and sports promotor from Orange, who named his franchise the Orange Tornadoes. The Tornadoes played their home games at Knights of Columbus Stadium. The first game for the new team was a scoreless tie against the New York Giants on September 29, 1929. A week later the team recorded their first ever NFL win by defeating the Boston Bulldogs 7-0. The victory can off a short George Pease pass to Paul Longua who ran 60 yards for a touchdown. However the following week, Orange experienced its first NFL loss during a 7-0 defeat to the, 1928 NFL Champions, the Providence Steamroller. The team regrouped on October 19, 1929, and the Tornandoes held the Frankford Yellow Jackets to a 6-6 tie at Frankford Stadium. A week later the team rallied from a 13-0 deficit to defeat the Boston Bulldogs, 19-13.

On October 29, 1929, the Bulldogs and Tornadoes met again to play. This time in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Prior to 1929, the Bulldogs played as the Pottsville Maroons and the teams played for their still loyal fans at the Maroons' Minersville Park. This time however, the Tornadoes lost 6-0 by way of a 4 yard touchdown run from Boston's Tony Latone. On October 3, the Tornadoes held the Staten Island Stapletons to a scoreless tie at Thompson Stadium. During that game the Stapletons were within scoring distance three times, but to no avail. Meanwhile the Tornadoes only penatrated the Staten Island 20-yard line once.

The Orange then lost a rematch against the New York Giants, 22-0 a week later. But after a scoreless tie against Frankford, the Orange defeated the Staten Island Stapletons 3-0, due to a Felix McCormick field goal. However the next game, against the Chicago Cardinals resulted in a 26-0 Tornadoes loss. The Cardinals, led by Ernie Nevers put up 20 points in the second quarter of the game. The Tornadoes then ended their 1929 season with a 10-0 loss to Frankford. They finished with a 3-5-4 record, scoring 35 points, while giving up 80.