Historic game ball from the inaugural 1946 All-America Football Conference (AAFC) championship game between the Cleveland Browns and New York Yankees. This ball originates from the personal collection of Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame wide receiver Mac Speedie and has been consigned to this auction directly by a family member. It is one of twenty lots from the Mac Speedie Collection offered in this auction, all of which were just recently on public display at the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Wilson official AAFC football, which bears the facsimile signature of league commissioner Jim Crowley, features painted lettering on a side panel that reads "All America 1946 Conference Champions." On the two panels directly below, in both gold and silver paint, are the scores of each Cleveland Browns game that season, the team's final season record ("Won 12 Lost 2"), and the score of the championship game: "Championship Playoff Cleveland 14 New York 9." 

1946 was the inaugural season for the AAFC, which sought to challenge the professional dominance of the more established National Football League (NFL). The league consisted of eight teams from coast to coast, which were aligned in two divisions. As noted on the ball, the Cleveland Browns were the league's dominant team and winners of the Western Division. Mac Speedie was a key contributor in the team's victory over the Yankees in the championship game, catching six passes for 71 yards in the 14-9 win. The ball, which is slightly deflated, displays wear consistent with its game use, including some chipping to the laces. This is a historically significant football, retained by one of the Hall of Fame participants, commemorating the most important game in the AAFC's inaugural season.