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Nagurski's Debut and Rockne's Lesson
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 20, No. 3 (1998) NAGURSKI’S DEBUT AND ROCKNE’S LESSON Pro Football in 1930 By Bob Carroll For years it was said that George Halas and Dutch Sternaman, the Chicago Bears’ co-owners and co- coaches, always took opposite sides in every minor argument at league meetings but presented a united front whenever anything major was on the table. But, by 1929, their bickering had spread from league politics to how their own team was to be directed. The absence of a united front between its leaders split the team. The result was the worst year in the Bears’ short history -- 4-9-2, underscored by a humiliating 40-6 loss to the crosstown Cardinals. A change was necessary. Neither Halas nor Sternaman was willing to let the other take charge, and so, in the best tradition of Solomon, they resolved their differences by agreeing that neither would coach the team. In effect, they fired themselves, vowing to attend to their front office knitting. A few years later, Sternaman would sell his interest to Halas and leave pro football for good. Halas would go on and on. Halas and Sternaman chose Ralph Jones, the head man at Lake Forest (IL) Academy, as the Bears’ new coach. Jones had faith in the T-formation, the attack mode the Bears had used since they began as the Decatur Staleys. While other pro teams lined up in more modern formations like the single wing, double wing, or Notre Dame box, the Bears under Jones continued to use their basic T. -
Statistical Leaders of the ‘20S
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 14, No. 2 (1992) Statistical Leaders of the ‘20s By Bob GIll Probably the most ambitious undertaking in football research was David Neft’s effort to re-create statistics from contemporary newspaper accounts for 1920-31, the years before the NFL started to keep its own records. Though in a sense the attempt had to fail, since complete and official stats are impossible, the results of his tireless work provide the best picture yet of the NFL’s formative years. Since the stats Neft obtained are far from complete, except for scoring records, he refrained from printing yearly leaders for 1920-31. But it seems a shame not to have such a list, incomplete though it may be. Of course, it’s tough to pinpoint a single leader each year; so what follows is my tabulation of the top five, or thereabouts, in passing, rushing and receiving for each season, based on the best information available – the stats printed in Pro Football: The Early Years and Neft’s new hardback edition, The Football Encyclopedia. These stats can be misleading, because one man’s yardage total will be based on, say, five complete games and four incomplete, while another’s might cover just 10 incomplete games (i.e., games for which no play-by-play accounts were found). And then some teams, like Rock Island, Green Bay, Pottsville and Staten Island, often have complete stats, based on play-by-plays for every game of a season. I’ll try to mention variations like that in discussing each year’s leaders – for one thing, “complete” totals will be printed in boldface. -
Packerscentury.Com Packerscentury.Com
13 1931 packerscentury.com packerscentury.com 1931 ___________________ Record: 12-2-0 NFL Champions Coach: Curly Lambeau • During the offseason, the Packers put together a basketball team that traveled around the state. The Green Bay Basketball Club played games against Wisconsin towns and cities including Sturgeon Bay, Clintonville, Milwaukee and Racine to name a few. • Green Bay became the first NFL team to win three straight titles. • The Packers were fined $1,000 for signing college players whose “class” hadn’t graduated. The Bears and Spartans were also. • An injury caused Verne Lewellen to miss seven games. • Green Bay’s offense scored 116 more points than any other team. Their defense ranked second only to Portsmouth. • One game separated the Packers and Spartans at season’s end. Portsmouth claimed the Packers had pledged to play a game after the season. Green Bay denied doing so. Portsmouth appealed to Commissioner Joe Carr, but the appeal was denied. • Go! You Packers Go! Eric Karll, 1931 Hail, hail the gang’s all here to yell for you, And keep you going in your winning ways, Hail, hail the gang’s all here to tell you too, That, win or lose, we’ll always sing your praises Packers. Chorus: Go, you Packers, go and get ‘em, Go, you fighting fools upset ‘em, Smash their line with all your might, A touchdown, Packers, Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight on, you blue and gold, to glory, Win this game the same old story, Fight, you Packers, Fight, And bring the bacon home to Old Green Bay. CLEVELAND INDIANS 0 9.13.1931 PACKERS 26 The rain, the heat, and the humidity did not slow down Green Bay. -
The Staten Island Stapletons
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 7, No. 6 (1985) THE STATEN ISLAND STAPLETONS By John Hogrogian Special thanks to N.F.L. Properties, Inc. for permission to publish this article. Trollies rolled down Broadway and Calvin Coolidge was president when the NFL came to New York City in 1925. In the years since Tim Mara founded the Giants, NFL teams have made their home in each of the City's five boroughs. The Giants played in the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan through 1955, then moved to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx through 1973. The Brooklyn Dodgers football team thrived in Ebbets Field during the 1930s and 1940s. The Jets made their home in Shea Stadium in Queens from 1964 until recently. And, in the sleepiest of the boroughs, the Staten Island Stapletons played NFL ball from 1929 through 1932. The Stapes struggled through life on a shoestring, but helped keep the NFL afloat as it fought for life in the Depression. The Stapes started out in 1915, five years before the NFL was born in the midwest. Dan Blaine, a good halfback and a native of the working-class neighborhood known as Stapleton, along with three other players formed the team to play other semi-pro squads from New York and New Jersey. The Stapes played more for fun than money. Just as well: crowds were small; salaries averaged $10 per game. Nevertheless, they managed to do well, winning several local semi-pro titles before World War I. After military service, Blaine took over sole ownership in 1919. Blaine himself prospered in the 1920s. -
All-Pros of 1931
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 5, No. 3 (1983) ALL-PROS OF 1931 By John Hogrogian As one would expect of three time champions, the Green Bay Packers flooded the 1931 honor rolls. Eleven Packers were mentioned on at least one published All-Pro team. The habitual Green Bay championship was not without challenge, as the Portsmouth Spartans rocketed out of obscurity to finish only one game off the pace. In their NFL debut in 1930, the Spartans lost more often than they won. With no nonsense coach Potsy Clark recruited from the college ranks, the Spartans assembled a fine collection of new players, some of them rookies and some of them from other pro teams. Seven Portsmouth players won berths on someone's All-Pro team, a fitting compliment to the club's fine finish in the standings. The annual poll of writers, team managers, and game officials placed four Packers and two Spartans on the first team. First Team E- Lavern Dilweg, GB E- Red Badgro, NY T- Cal Hubbard, GB T- George Christensen, Port G- Mike Michalske, GB G- Butch Gibson, NY C- Frank McNally, ChiC Q- Dutch Clark, Port H- Red Grange, ChiB H- Johnny Blood, GB F- Ernie Nevers, ChiC Second Team Third Team E- Luke Johnsos, ChiB E- Ray Flaherty, NY E- Bill McKalip, Port E- Al Rose, Prov T- Jap Douds, Port T- Bill Owen, NY T- Dick Stahlman, GB T- Lou Gordon, Bkn G- Walt Kiesling, ChiC G- Zuck Carlson, ChiB G- Al Graham, Prov G- Maury Bodenger, Port C- Mel Hein, NY C- Nate Barrager,Fra-GB Q- Red Dunn, GB Q- Benny Friedman, NY H- Ken Strong, SI H- Roy Lumpkin, Port H- Glenn Presnell, Port H- Dick Nesbitt, ChiB F- Bo Molenda, GB F- Herb Joesting,Fra-ChiB Sources: Green Bay Press-Gazette, Dec. -
ICE PRINCES: the 1934 Giants
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 9, No. 7 (1987) ICE PRINCES: The 1934 Giants By Bob Carroll The 1934 New York Giants are forever damned in pro football lore as freaks of footwear. The story of how they donned sneakers in the second official NFL Championship Game and snuck to victory while the traditionally-shod Big Bad Bears slipped, skidded, and slid to defeat has been told more often than "the check's in the mail" or "I'll respect you in the morning." You remember: the New York Frogs had set football back 50 years while they tripped over their feet in the first half, barely getting out of the way of the Darth Vadars from Chicago. Then, at halftime, the call of: "Tennis shoes, anyone?" Suddenly, their feet cloaked in the magic of rubber, the Frogs sallied forth in the second half as the greatest Bear-killers since Davey Crockett was only three. The shoes did it all! Well, why not? It's a good tale, and a true one, for the most part. But the tale-bearers always want to embellish their yarn -- make it more Horatio Algerish than it really deserves. They put Goliath in lifts and tie one of David's hands behind his back. Sure, the George Halas' Bears were big and bad and undefeated through 13 games when they arrived at the Polo Grounds on December 9, along with 9-degree temps. But the BBB's also were minus 1,000-yard scatback Beattie Feathers, out with a bum shoulder. And without All-NFL guard Joe Kopcha, also injured. -
Packerscentury.Com Packerscentury.Com
11 1929 packerscentury.com packerscentury.com 1929 ___________________ Record: 12-0-1 NFL Champions Coach: Curly Lambeau • Lambeau knew he needed a few more pieces to win a championship. His excellent eye for talent was never more evident than in 1929 when he acquired three future Hall of Fame players that turned the Packers into perennial winners – Cal Hubbard, Johnny “Blood” McNally, and Mike Michalske. • This squad is considered one of the top teams in Packer history. Even in a low scoring era, this defense was exceptional. In 13 games, they gave up just 22 points, and they did not allow a touchdown until the sixth game. • Offensively, they finished first in yards gained and second in points scored. • Packer President Ray Evrard stepped down. He was succeeded by Dr. W. Weber Kelly. • The Packers signed a radio contract with WTMJ, AM-620, Milwaukee. DAYTON TRIANGLES 0 9.22.1929 PACKERS 9 Easy Start The Packers were effective running the ball. Verne Lewellen had a fine game “twisting and pivoting”1 his way through Dayton’s defense. After the scoreless first half, the Packers scored in the third quarter. On the first drive of the second half, the ground game behind Eddie Kotal, Hurdis McCrary and Verne Lewellen led Green Bay downfield. With Dayton looking for the run, a Red Dunn pass to Lewellen scored the only points Green Bay would need. A short time later, a bad snap by Dayton went out of bounds in the end zone for a safety. Dayton 0 0 0 0 0 Green Bay 0 0 9 0 9 Attendance: 5,000+ GB held Dayton to just two first downs. -
Vagabond Halfback
VAGABOND HALFBACK The Saga Of Johnny Blood McNally Ralph Hickok Copyright © 2017 Ralph Hickok All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, transcribed, or copied, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express prior written permission of Ralph Hickok. To request such permission, or to make any comments or suggestions about this document, E-mail the author: [email protected] ISBN-13: 978-1434830302 ISBN-10: 1434830306 Dedicated to the memory of my sister, Ellen Jane Hickok-Wall 1946-2017 She loved many, was loved by many, is missed by many PREFACE or years before Vince Lombardi arrived, Green Bay was F haunted by the spirit of Packer teams past. After winning six of the National Football League’s first 24 championships, the Packers won only 55 games, while losing 107 and tying 3, from 1945 through 1958. No wonder that Packer fans dwelt on the past, and the great legends of the past—Canadeo, Hutson, Herber, Hubbard, Hinkle, Dilweg, Lewellen, Isbell, Michalske, Lambeau. But the greatest legend of all was Johnny Blood, because he was not only a great football player, but also a colorful, flamboyant personality off the field. (His one-time teammate and fellow member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Clarke Hinkle, once said, “Next to Johnny Blood, Joe Namath looks like Little Lord Fauntleroy.”) I grew up in Green Bay during that period and, by the time I was thirteen and thinking of becoming a writer, I knew that someday I wanted to write a book about this legendary charac- ter. -
Three-Peat! the 1931 Nfl Season
1931 NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 1 THREE-PEAT! THE 1931 NFL SEASON By PFRA Research (Based in part on text from The Football Encyclopedia, Neft, Cohen, and Korch) The surest NFL bet in 1931 was that neither against a strong opponent at the end. The Newark nor Minneapolis would win the innovation of a Super Bowl in the late 1960s championship. Both dropped out of the league increased the difficulty again. And the present after the 1930 season. The second surest playoff procedure has produced in effect a second championship bet was that Green Bay would win season for any would-be dynasty to negotiate. it. After all, they’d been champs for two straight seasons. Why stop there? But the fact that modern teams have a harder row to hoe than the ’31 Packers in no way diminishes As it turned out, they didn’t stop at two. the achievement of Curly Lambeau’s great team. They were definitely the class of the league during The most interesting incident of the NFL’s 1931 the period. The line was filled with stars. Lavie championship race came after it was over and put Dilweg was certainly the best end in the league, a small cloud over Green Bay’s third consecutive but Tom Nash, Frank Baker, and Milt Gantenbein title. The feat of winning three straight were not that far behind. Future Pro Football Hall championships had not been accomplished during of Famers Cal Hubbard and Mike Michalske were the league’s first dozen years. The closest any sensational at tackle and guard respectively, but earlier team had come was the Canton Bulldogs’ they had ample support from tackles Dick back-to-back wins in 1922-23. -
Three-Peat! the 1931 Nfl Season
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 21, No. 2 (1999) THREE-PEAT! THE 1931 NFL SEASON By Bob Carroll The surest NFL bet in 1931 was that neither Newark nor Minneapolis would win the championship. Both dropped out of the league after the 1930 season. The second surest championship bet was that Green Bay would win it. After all, they’d been champs for two straight seasons. Why stop there? As it turned out, they didn’t stop at two. The most interesting incident of the NFL’s 1931 championship race came after it was over and put a small cloud over Green Bay’s third consecutive title. The feat of winning three straight championships had not been accomplished during the league’s first dozen years. The closest any earlier team had come was the Canton Bulldogs’ back-to-back wins in 1922-23. Unfortunately, Canton’s hopes for a “three-peat” went out the window when the franchise was sold to Cleveland before the 1924 season. The former Canton franchise lay dormant for a year while Cleveland owner Sam Deutsch added the cream of the Canton players to his Cleveland franchise – which he appropriately renamed “Bulldogs” – and went on to win the 1924 title. With the player transfusion from Canton and the Bulldog nickname, it sort of looked like a third straight title for the same team, but in truth two different franchises were involved as well as two different owners and a like number of cities. Probably at the time no one quite realized just how hard it would be for any future team to go all the way three straight times. -
All-Pros of the Early Nfl
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 4, No. 11 (1982) ALL-PROS OF THE EARLY NFL by John Hogrogian When I was in high school, I spent five dollars on a paperbound edition of the Treat football encyclopedia. The book's list of All-Pro teams caught my interest. Official selections were given for 1931 through 1942, wire-service teams from 1943 on. There were no teams listed prior to 1931. Later, I discovered that the league record manuals, which began in the mid-1930s (and from which Treat presumably took his information) also began their lists at 1931. Apparently I was not the only one to take an interest in early All-Pro teams. One football magazine even took it upon itself to choose 1920 to 1930 teams some 40 years after the fact. These were added to the later editions of the Treat book once Peter Palmer became its editor. These are interesting and of some value, but, of course, they reflect the latter day reputations of many players rather than the contemporary judgments that we should like to have. And they have no official status whatsoever. After I finished college, I began my own research into the NFL of the 1920s. In going through newspapers of that era, I would occasionally run across references to one player or another as having been named All-Pro. My newspaper burrowing has now convinced me that there was an annual All-Pro selection in the 1920s that had some recognition in league cities. This team was chosen by a poll of experts, and although it appeared sporadically in several newspapers, its home was in Green Bay Press- Gazette. -
Hap Moran, My
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 21, No. 6 (1999) HAP MORAN: My Dad By Mike Moran My father, Francis Dayle “Hap” Moran, played eight years in the NFL – from 1926 through 1933. Although he wasn’t a shy man by any means, he didn’t talk much about past “glory days,” and it wasn’t until after his death in 1994 that a full picture of his career became clear. All in all, I think you’ll agree, he was the kind of player that made pro football the explosive, exciting sport that Americans learned to love then and still love today. In 1931 the New York Sportswriter and football enthusiast Paul Gallico wrote: The best outdoor sports entertainment of the Fall season was the football game between the New York professional football Giants and the Green Bay Packers at the Polo Grounds last Sunday afternoon. Any time you can go to a field and see Hank Bruder, Russ Saunders, Benny Friedman, Badgro, Moran and Blood playing on the same afternoon, its something not to miss. I was born 14 years after his last game, so all I can go on is the memories of teammates and a scrap book of yellowing newspaper clippings. Those clippings show that a few years in the NFL can certainly change a player’s press. When my father broke into the league in 1926 with the Frankford Yellow Jackets the sportswriters raved: A player by the name of Moran, the star of the entire game, was unstoppable, through the line, around the ends, averting the opposing players, and making the longest runs of the game.