NFL's First All-Star Game (1939) at Wrigley Field
The gridiron experiment that paved the way for the modern Pro Bowl tradition.
On December 28, 1939, Wrigley Field became the unlikely birthplace of professional football's first All-Star game. In a bold gamble against biting Chicago winter winds, the reigning Chicago Bears champions squared off not just for glory, but to support a vital cause—proving that an independent charity exhibition could draw massive crowds and generate revenue during the Great Depression's lingering shadow.
- Organizer Role
- Chicago Relief Fund (Private charity initiative organized by George Halas and the Chicago Tribune)
Lore & Background
While conceived by George Halas amidst the economic stagnation of the late 1930s, this game was a private charity exhibition organized independently by Halas and the Chicago Tribune to raise funds for the Chicago Relief Fund, rather than serving as a formal league mandate or benefiting the Chicago Relief Administration. Halas leveraged Wrigley Field's intimate brick bowl to create an electric atmosphere where the league's elite converged. The All-Star squad wasn't just a collection of names; it was a tactical showcase composed exclusively of players from franchises other than the Chicago Bears, blending holiday cheer with the bruising reality of 1930s football while the reigning champions stood alone on the opposing sideline.
In Their Own Story
Lake Michigan wind howled through Wrigley's ivy-clad brick walls, nipping at faces wrapped in wool scarves as fans huddled on the frozen terraces. Beneath the stadium lights, the tunnel air hung heavy with the scent of wet grass, stale leather, and nervous anticipation. A Bears veteran knelt to tighten his laces, feeling the weight of history; this wasn't just an exhibition, but a high-stakes experiment that could either save the league's future or bury it in the snow. When the crowd finally roared, it signaled the start of a new era.
Reader's Guide
This inaugural NFL-sanctioned All-Star game, played on New Year's Eve 1939 at Wrigley Field, pitted the Green Bay Packers against an assembled squad of league-wide talent orchestrated by Chicago Bears owner George Halas. Though the Packers secured the victory, the true triumph was commercial: it proved a post-season showcase could thrive financially and competitively, planting the seed for the modern Pro Bowl tradition that would follow over a decade later. For Bears fans, the game remains a definitive moment of franchise influence, highlighting how Chicago served as the league's innovation hub even when its own stars donned the All-Star jersey.
Did You Know?
- Although George Halas proposed the concept, the game was organized independently by him and the Chicago Tribune to benefit the Chicago Relief Fund, not as an official NFL league initiative at the time.
- The inaugural All-Star Game took place on December 28, 1939; historical records consistently confirm this late-December date with no recognized January 7 alternative.
- Despite being a league-wide showcase, the All-Star squad was composed exclusively of players from other franchises, as Bears stars competed solely for their own team against the combined opposition.