August 20, 2026: Not Enough Chairs To Grow Into

Four broke football teams met in a car dealership to stop themselves from competing each other into bankruptcy. A month later, the car brand hosting it all didn't survive nearly as well as the league did.On August 20, 1920, representatives from the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Dayton Triangles, and Cleveland's club met at Ralph Hay's Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio, agreeing to a salary cap and shared rules meant to stop escalating costs and player poaching from destroying every team involved. A follow-up meeting on September 17 expanded the group, renamed it the American Professional Football Association, and elected Olympic champion Jim Thorpe as its first president for his fame alone. The league eventually became the NFL, now worth tens of billions of dollars, while the Hupmobile car brand that hosted its birth collapsed entirely by 1940.This is bsnsHistory, the daily podcast about the moments when business quietly reshaped the world.Written and hosted by Ron Trucks. Research and editing by Rodney Russ. Sound design by Angela Cahoy. Music by Cody Martin and Soundstripe.For more daily business stories, visit www.bsnsDAILYpodcasts.com