SPORTS GENERAL NEWS CLASSIFIED ADS %tuning J&faf Jspsfls MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1950 Rams Pit Great Offense Against Browns' Sturdy Defense Sunday 4 ---—_ A Willis w in, Lose, or Draw Waterfield, Fears, By FRANCIS STANN And Groza Star in FOR THE UNDISPUTED Playoffs SO world’s pro football title Christ- By th« Associated Press mas Eve it’ll be the Cleveland Browns, an interloper in the Na- It will be the Los Angeles Rams’ offense against the Cleveland tional Football League, versus the Los Angeles Rams, coached Browns’ defense when they clash in Cleveland Sunday for the by an untested rookie. National Football championship. It was more than five years ago when Elmer Layden, then .League commissioner of the National League, pulled In yesterday’s divisional playoffs, the Rams won the National his deathless crack in making reference to the Conference title by whipping the Chicago Bears, 24-14, before upstart All-America Conference, which spawned 83,501 customers basking in 92-degree heat at Los Angeles. It was in the the Browns. “They haven’t even got a football, the other extreme at Cleveland where, 17-degree frigidity, yet,” Layden snorted. Browns captured the American Conference crown with an 8-3 The Browns had a football yesterday. Twice triumph ovr the New York Giants before a crowd of 33,054. they kicked it for field goals and in the dying Revenge was sweet for both winners. The Rams lost their seconds they grounded the ball, to which a two regular season games to the Bears, as had the Browns to the Giant was attached, in the New York end zone. Giants. Cleveland, four-time champion of the defunct All-America It was Cleveland, 8; New York, 3, in the playoff Conference, now seeks a fifth straight league title. for the American Conference of championship Including yesterday’s games, the Rams this year ran up 490 the NFL. points as against the 318 scored by Cleveland. But on defense, Out in Los the for the Na- Angeles playoff the Browns allowed their opponents only 147 while the Rams gave tional was Conference not quite so close. With 323. Fr»ncis sunn up their 24-14 victory over the Chicago Bears, the 4 Rams finally overcame their old habit of blowing the big ones in ■y the Associated Prsss By th« Associated Press front of the hometown folks. A crowd of 83,501 saw the Rams CLEVELAND, Dec. 18. —Lou LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18.—Foot- win under young Joe Stydahar. Groza of Martins Ferry, Ohio, jail may be a young man's game maestro of the place kick, was md Quarterback Bob Waterfield, NOT A YEAR Clark QUITE AGO, Stydahar’s predecessor, the No. 1 hero of the Cleveland it 30, Is old by football’s standards. Shaughnessy, uttered a crack no less famous now than Layden’s. Browns today. But It took Waterfleld’s wizard- When he heard that Stydahar had been chosen to succeed him, The huge tackle, who never ry in the air to sink Chicago’s Shaughnessy remarked: “Stydahar? I can take any high school played a day of collegiate foot- jruising Bears in a playoff for the team in the country and beat the pro team that he coaches.” ball, booted a pair of field goals National Conference pro football That would have had to be a pretty fabulous high school the Browns an yesterday to give ;itle and put the Los Angeles team because the Rams broke all sorts of scoring records this 8-3 victory over the New York Rams in next Sunday's league year and yesterday, when they were badly outrushed by the Giants. ;itle with the Cleveland Bears, they turned loose Bob Waterfield and his passes gained The win, first in three starts for playoff 297 yards. the proteges of Coach Paul Brown Browns for a prize they haven’t over the Gotham Goliaths, wheel- It was more than a coincidence that both of yesterday’s won in five years. The Rams’ ed Cleveland Into next Sunday’s winners had the hot quarterbacks. Waterfield has some town was Cleveland at that enjoyed climactic contest against the Los but observers still feel he reached a in time. many great days, peak Angeles Rams for the National the playoff. And on that frozen, windswept, icy field in Cleve- Professional Football League A crowd of 83,501 sweltered land, the Browns had a great quarterback going for ’em, too, championship. through yesterday’s doings in in Otto Graham. Groza was forced to share Memorial Coliseum and Water- field them a show. The Giants had stopped the ex-Northwestern star’s passes honors with Guard Bill Willis as really gave Browns—four-time The final score was 24-14 and in their two winning games with the Browns during the regu- STAR IN SUPPORTING ROLE—Lou Groza (46), (right), who kicked two decisive field for the block for Halfback the champions goals Browns, helps he had a in each Rex on this in of the defunct All-America Con- hand Ram point. lar season, but they didn’t stop those aerials yesterday. Graham, Bumgardner play yesterday’s Giants-Browns playoff game at Cleveland. Bumgardner (90) reached the Giants’ 5- line ference—triumphed In the third He booted a 43-yard field goal did. Under conditions that made yard before two tacklers brought him down. When the Browns failed to put the ball over for a touchdown, Groza kicked his himself, passing foolhardy, outstanding defensive battle be- to break a first-quarter deadlock. first field —AP Otto took to carrying the ball himself and wound up as the goal._ Wirephoto. tween the teams which deadlocked Then he hit Tom Fears, the game’s leading ground-gainer with 70 yards. in the regular campaign with 10-2 league’s top pass catcher, with Generals Visit Capital records. touchdown strikes good for 68, 27 ..■■■ ■ .. ■ and 23 he k’cked GRAHAM’S RUNNING, plus his only three completed passes, Eagle and Five Birdies Keene-Coleman Battle Willis Plays Great Game. yards. Finally, Willis came up with one of the each conversion. helped set up the first field goal five minutes after the game be- greatest games of his spectacular Previous Score Reversed. gan. And it was Otto’s dashes in the final minutes, with the W. and L. In Win for Plays Terps Tonight, Of career, appearing often as the It was too mueh for the Bears, score tied at 3-3, that moved the Browns in position to win on Windup Sluggers Tonight fifth man in the Giant’s backfleld. who beat the Rams twice earlier Lou Groza’s second field goal. GW Tomorrow on Twin Bill He shut off the New Yorkers’ big this year. The score reversed Once Graham ran for 15 after a yards, faking pass. Again, Turnesa at Havana Rated as touchdown bid when he caught the Bears’ margin of victory over he ran 11 Cleveland as far as the Giants’ Washington and Lee. which Duke has beaten two North Tossup Gene Roberts on the four-yard the yards. got 22-yard tht Associated Press top Rams at Chicago three weeks By A line before New York and then it became collapsed after holding Duke's un- Carolina slugging match, rated as a line after the Giant rambler ap-; igo. The weather stiffened, apparent HAVANA, Dec. 18.—Fashioning independents, Hanes reversed, too. toss-up, is due tonight when peared touchdown-bound on a j That day the temperature was 33. what must be done. Groza, standing on the 28-yard line with a last-round 65 with the help of beaten Blue Devils to a first-half Hosiery and McCrary’s Eagles; Julian Keene. District light-heavy- 34-yard run. Yesterday at game time it was the wind at his back, was far better than even money to make an eagle and five birdies, Jim tie Saturday night, plays Mary- VMI and Virginia by 20 points iveight champion, faces Leroy Cole- Brown later declared Willis “is 52 on the playing field. on his kick. Turnesa of Briarcliff, N. Y., mem- land at Park at good College tonight each, and Washington and Lee by man of New Jersey in the 10-round the greatest lineman in American But the heat didn’t seem to ber of the famed United States The foot was put back into football yesterday. The first 8:15 in the firet of a two-game 28. feature at Turner's Arena. It will football” and that Groza's second bother George Halas’ well-condi- golfing family, won the Havana be four scores in both playoffs were field goals, two by Groza and stand in this area. The the last card of the 1950 season boot was “one of the tensest mo- tioned visitors. They racked invitation golf tournament yester- Terp Dick Latimer, a junior from Be- up one each Randall of the Giants and Waterfield. there and also probably the last ments of my life.” 23 first downs to 11 for the Rams, by Clay day with a 72-hole total of 267. Frosh meet the Georgetown thesda, is playing regular for the to be televised from Turner’s. “Any time you see Otto Graham plus 229 yards rushing to 74 for Freshmen at 6:15. Pete Cooper of Ponte Verda, Blue Devils. Groat is leading the The TV contract runs out with running with the ball for us, you the locals. Only in the air did THERE WAS ANOTHER GENTLEMAN frequently seen on a Fla, had a chance to catch Tomorrow night the Generals scorers with 126 points in five this show and indications are It know we’re giving it everything Los Angeles have an edge, and few million television screens yesterday, a chap named Bill Willis, Turnesa, but had putting difficulty play their fourth Southern Con- will not be renewed.