Where was the first night game in NFL history played?

The Patriots were not the first NFL team in New England. That honor goes to the Providence Steam Roller from the capital city of Rhode Island.

The Rollers were members of the National Football League for just seven seasons, 1925-1931, The team was the first to play its home games in a bicycle-racing stadium (the Cyclodrome); first to play four regular-season games in six days; and first to host an NFL game at night under floodlights.

The night game against the Chicago Cardinals was actually the second game of a four-games-in-six-days fiasco. Providence had originally scheduled to play the Cardinals on Sunday, Nov. 3, 1929, but heavy rains made the Cyclodrome field unplayable. Since neither team wanted to lose a payday, the historic night game was hastily scheduled for Nov. 6 at nearby Kinsley Park Stadium, where floodlights recently had been installed.

The Cardinals won 16-0, but, locally, the game was considered a success because it drew 6,000 fans. According to newspaper reports, the ball, which had been painted white for the night game, "had the appearance of a large egg," and whenever either team passed, "there was a panicky feeling that the player who made the catch would be splattered with yellow yolk."

The next year, floodlights were permanently installed in the Cyclodrome.