| Syracuse-Rochester Braves | |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Folded | 1937 |
| Based in | Syracuse, New York Rochester, New York , United States |
| League | American Football League II |
| Team History | Syracuse Braves (1936) Rochester Braves (1936) |
| Team Colors | Unknown |
| Head coaches | Don Irwin & Red Badgro |
| Home field(s) | Municipal Stadium Silver Stadium |
The Syracuse Braves were a professional American football team that competed in the second American Football League in 1936 and 1937. Coached by Don Irwin and Red Badgro, the Braves played in Municipal Stadium,[1] which had a capacity of only about 10,000 people.[2] The team was not a strong draw as it lost its first five games, prompting a search for a new home, including Providence, Rhode Island, before settling upon a move to Rochester.[3]
On October 25, 1936, a 16-7 victory over the Boston Shamrocks in Fenway Park provided the franchise its first win in its last game as the Syracuse Braves. The following week would see the newly-renamed Rochester Braves face the Shamrocks in a rematch in Silver Stadium. The second half was delayed 40 minutes by Braves players demanding back pay.[4] The game was finished; the Braves lost, 13-0; the franchise folded immediately afterward.[5][6] Coach Don Irwin joined the New York Yankees, while co-coach Red Badgro returned to the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers to finish the season.[7]
Two weeks later, another AFL team made the trek to Silver Stadium to call it home: the Brooklyn Tigers, having spent most of the 1936 season as a traveling team, became Rochester's second professional football team and continued as the Rochester Tigers in 1937.
| Team | Year | W | L | T | Finish | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse Braves* | 1936 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6th (AFL) | Don Irwin, Red Badgro[8] |
* 0-1 as Rochester Braves in 1936
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