Duluth, Minnesota fielded a professional American football team called the Kelleys (officially the Kelley Duluths after the Kelley-Duluth Hardware Store) from 1923-1925 and the Eskimos (officially Ernie Nevers' Eskimos after their star player) from 1926-1927 in the National Football League. The Eskimos were then sold to the Orange Tornadoes. When Ole Haugsrud sold the team back to the league, part of the deal gave him first rights for any future NFL team in Minnesota.