The Panhandles Return to the Gridiron . . . Kind Of

In 1904, a Pro Football Hall of Famer by the name of Joseph Carr started up a semi-professional football team in Columbus, Ohio. This team, the Columbus Panhandles, was named after the original sponsor of the team, the Panhandle Division workers of the Pennsylvania Railroad (the idea, however, struck the railroad workers in 1901). When the National Football League was formed in 1920, the Panhandle team was one of the charter members. Also, the first famous football family, the Nesser Brothers, made Columbus one of the more popular teams of this time period for almost 20 years.

Since the fall of Joe Carr’s team after the 1926 season, no one seems to care much for the historic background of the former Columbus football team. Although, that has somewhat changed of late. In the newest edition of the Madden NFL video games, Madden NFL 25, the Columbus Panhandles have the chance of a comeback. With the relatively new feature of relocating a struggling franchise in this year’s game, the player has the power to move the controlled team to Columbus and play as the Panhandles. Is this a sign of what’s to come in the future of the real National Football League?

-Isaiah Addair