In 1940, the Boston Bears, owned by Sheldon H. Fairbanks, competed in the third American Football League.  With Andy Karpus at quarterback, Coach Eddie Casey’s team was a competitive one, finishing the 1940 season with a 5-4-1 record, good for third place in the AFL, behind league champions Columbus Bulls and second-place Milwaukee Chiefs.  But success on the field did not transform itself into success in the stands.  Before the league’s annual preseason meeting, Fairbanks announced the dissolution of the team.  In the meeting, the league tabbed Detroit for an expansion team for the 1941 season to replace the Bears. The team later asked the league for a deferment until 1942, which was granted, but the league suspended operations in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack and the U.S. entry into World War II.