Yankee Stadium (1923)

===Professional football===
{{more citations needed section|date = April 2013}}
In 1926, after negotiations failed with the fledgling NFL and the [[Chicago Bears]], [[Red Grange]] and his agent C.C. Pyle formed the [[American Football League (1926)|first American Football League]] and fielded a team called the [[New York Yankees (NFL)|New York Yankees]] based in Yankee Stadium. The league failed after only one year, but the team continued as a member of the NFL for two seasons before ceasing operations. A [[New York Yankees (1936 AFL)|second New York Yankees]] football team, not related to the first, split its home games between Yankee Stadium and [[Downing Stadium]] as it competed in the [[American Football League (1936)|second AFL]] in 1936 and 1937. A [[American Football League (1940)|third AFL]] [[New York Yankees (1940 AFL)|New York Yankees]] took the field in 1940 and became the New York Americans in 1941.

The [[New York Yankees (AAFC)|New York Yankees]] of the [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC) played their home games at Yankee Stadium from 1946 to 1949. The 1947 AAFC championship game was held at Yankee Stadium. Following the [[1949 NFL season|1949 season]], the NFL [[New York Bulldogs]] acquired many of the players from the 1949 Yankees. Using the name the [[New York Yanks]] they played two seasons at Yankee Stadium, [[1950 NFL season|1950]] and [[1951 NFL season|1951]].

The [[New York Giants]] of the [[National Football League|NFL]] played their home games at Yankee Stadium from [[1956 NFL season|1956]] to [[1973 NFL season|1973]]. On December 28, 1958, Yankee Stadium hosted the 1958 NFL championship game, frequently called "[[1958 NFL Championship Game|The Greatest Game Ever Played]]". The [[1958 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]] tied the [[1958 New York Giants season|Giants]], 17–17, on a field goal with seven seconds left. Led by quarterback [[Johnny Unitas]], the Colts won in overtime, 23–17. The game's dramatic ending is often cited as elevating professional football to one of the United States' major sports. The game was one of three NFL championships games that were played at Yankee Stadium; the [[1956 NFL Championship Game|1956]] and [[1962 NFL Championship Game|1962]] championship games were also played there.

In addition to the NFL championship games, one of the most notable plays in NFL history, sometimes referred to simply as [[The Hit (Chuck Bednarik)|The Hit]], occurred at Yankee Stadium on November 20, 1960.  In a game that day, the [[1960 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]' [[Chuck Bednarik]] forcefully tackled the [[1960 New York Giants season|Giants]]' [[Frank Gifford]] in the last minute of a close game, forcing a fumble recovered by the Eagles that clinched the victory for Philadelphia and ultimately helped the Eagles dethrone the two-time defending champion Giants as NFL Eastern Conference champions. The hit left Gifford with a concussion and forced his temporary retirement from football for the remainder of the [[1960 NFL season|1960 season]] and all of the [[1961 NFL season|1961 season]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Where Are They Now: C/LB Chuck Bednarik|url=http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story-WhereAreTheyNow.asp?story_id=15075|publisher=PhiladelphiaEagles.com|access-date=March 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311014450/http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story-WhereAreTheyNow.asp?story_id=15075|archive-date=March 11, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The Giants played their first two home games at Yankee Stadium in [[1973 NFL season|1973]], concluding their tenancy on September 23 with a 23–23 tie against the [[1973 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]. In October, they moved to the [[Yale Bowl]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]], for the rest of the season.

In 1976, after the renovations, the [[New York Jets]] hosted 3 preseason games (Giants, Raiders, and Redskins) at Yankee Stadium. [https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/20/archives/jets-to-play-3-games-in-stadium-ii-jets-to-play-3-games-in-stadium.html]