Goodyear Silents

The Goodyear Silents were a semi-professional football team based in Akron, Ohio, composed of deaf players. Most, if not all,^[quantify] of the team worked for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.^[1]^[2]

During World Wars I and II, many industrial companies hired deaf people, including Goodyear and Firestone in Akron. In existence from 1915–1927, the team played against local and regional semi-pro teams, and compiled an all-time record of 68–35–11.^{[citation needed]} In the process, they won several league championships.^[quantify]

The most disappointing moments the successful team experienced was their failure to defeat cross-town archrivals Akron Pros, losing all four games to this team. The Akron Pros was one of the pioneering teams in the fledgling National Football League (NFL). The four losing scores were: 9–0, 20–7, 6–0 and 14–0.^[3]

Joe Allen, one of the Goodyear Silents players, was the only one to continue his career in semi pro football after the team went out of business.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Susan Burch, Signs Of Resistance: American Deaf Cultural History, 1900 to World War II (NYU Press, (2004), ISBN 978-0814798942, pp. 77-79. Excerpts available at Google Books.
^ Robert M. Buchanan, Illusions of Equality: Deaf Americans in School and Factory, 1850-1950 (Gallaudet University Press, 1999), ISBN 978-1563680847, p. 79. Excerpts available at Google Books.
^ Barry Strassler, "Deaf Jews in Sports: Louis Seinensohn; The Goodyear Silents Championship Football Team Had A Jewish Fullback", Los Angeles Jewish Deaf Community Center newsletter, September/October 1998.

External links

"The Silents" at the Wayback Machine (archived December 1, 2008). From the Gallaudet University website
1923 and 1924 season records at profootballarchives.com.

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[1] Susan Burch, Signs Of Resistance: American Deaf Cultural History, 1900 to World War II (NYU Press, (2004), ISBN 978-0814798942, pp. 77-79. Excerpts available at Google Books.

[2] Robert M. Buchanan, Illusions of Equality: Deaf Americans in School and Factory, 1850-1950 (Gallaudet University Press, 1999), ISBN 978-1563680847, p. 79. Excerpts available at Google Books.

[3] Barry Strassler, "Deaf Jews in Sports: Louis Seinensohn; The Goodyear Silents Championship Football Team Had A Jewish Fullback", Los Angeles Jewish Deaf Community Center newsletter, September/October 1998.

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v t e Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Divisions	Dunlop Tyres Goodyear Aerospace Kelly-Springfield Tire Company Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires
Sponsorships	1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500 Akron Goodyear Wingfoots Goodyear Television Playhouse Goodyear Theatre Goodyear Polymer Center Goodyear Silents Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue PeopleMover Wingfoot Express Spirit of America Cotton Bowl Classic
People	Charles Goodyear Fred Gampper Stanley Gault Lilly Ledbetter Frank Seiberling Ward Van Orman
Other	Black Sunday Charles Goodyear Medal Goodyear, Arizona Goodyear Blimp Goodyear chimney Goodyear Dunlop v. Brown Goodyear MPP Goodyear Polyglas tire Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 STARAN Tire war Wingfoot Lake Airship Hangar