Green Bay Packers (6-1) 6, Milwaukee Badgers (0-3) 0
Sunday November 1st 1925 (at Milwaukee)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(MILWAUKEE) - The Green Bay Packers turned in a 6 to 0 victory over the Milwaukee Badgers here Sunday afternoon in a pro league game but that was about all. The Big Bay Blues clinched the state football championship for the eighth year in succession on Otto Borchert's backyard. However, they bumped into some unexpected tough going and Lambeau & Co. can feel well satisfied that they tucked home the win by the narrow margin of the single touchdown.
FIELD IS MUDDY
The field was not much to the Packers' liking. It had been frozen hard for about a week but Old Sol was in his glory in the Cream City on Sunday and the turf thawed out quickly. As a result, the gridiron was coated with an inch thick surface of muck and the going slowed up the speed merchants in the backfield of the Big Bay Blues. Several times it seemed as if Marty Norton was going to get in the clear but the slippery surface flopped him in a hurry. Heeding Manager McGurk's ultimatum of "Beat 'em or bust", the Badgers went into the game keyed up to a high C and fight was their middle name. They looked like an entirely different team than the club which was spanked at Green Bay about a month ago to the tune of 31 to 0.
LIDBERG, GILLO MISSING
Milwaukee failed to produce the much famous Lidberg, line crashing fool from Minnesota, nor did they have the veteran Hank Gillo, who viewed the game from the sidelines in his everyday clothes. Just the same McGurk displayed some thirteen gridiron warriors and every one of them were battling like madmen to make "The Big Bay Blues" an unpopular hit in old Green Bay. The 600 odd rooters from Green Bay had plenty of thrills with reverse english during the closing period. One Shorty Barr, who gained football fame at Wisconsin and added to his gridiron glory while drawing his paycheck from the Racine Legion, was hurling forward passes in every direction and once or twice it appeared as if he was trying to get a connection with the man in the moon. This same Mr. Barr gave the Bays heaps of trouble and, once or twice, it seemed as if he was going to spoil a beautiful day for Green Bay. True enough, many of Barr's heaves were of the prayer variety but just the same his eligible receivers from jumping from everywhere and grabbing the pigskin. This all came in the final quarter. The first three periods went to the Bays by a wide margin but the Badgers sure did kick up a rumpus during the last fifteen minutes of play. When the final whistle blew, it was a thankful crew of Packers that waded off the gridiron with a 6 to 0 victory to their credit.
PLENTY OF ACTION
There was more action pushed into the final period than during all the rest of the game. Once the Badgers blocked one of Buck's kicks and the pigskin rolled towards the Bay goal. However, Buck did a nose dive and covered the oval while a young army of Badgers attempted to pry the oval loose. Another time, Red Bryant grabbed one off the Barr and started goalward. One of the Packers tackled him so fiercely that he fumbled the ball and he was covered by a blue sweatered gridder. During this hectic period, the Bays lost considerable yardage for alleged violation of rules and once, referee Herdcamp penalized the Bays a "V" for stalling.
NADOLNY GETS ENOUGH
The play was waxing pretty rough and it was give and take on both sides with little mercy shown. With about ten minutes to go, Peaches Nadolny hit the trail for the sidelines and his face looked like a blueberry patch after a hailstorm. At that the Badgers "Mascot" stood his ground on the firing line a whole lot longer than was expected. The officials were calling 'em pretty close and the Bays lost considerable yardage for offside and holding. Interference on forward pass also cost the Packers heavily and twice it put the Badgers within the danger zone. The pro league game attracted approximately 2,300 paid admissions of which there was a healthy delegation from the Bay. Milwaukee fans, who came out to see a slaughter, had a change of heart during the closing period and they were rooting their heads off for a Badger touchdown and in between time poking a lot of fun at Green Bayians, who it must be admitted were too much surprised to have very much to say. The Packers kicked off at the start of the game and it is quite possible that the Bays were suffering from a chronic attack of over-confidence as they pranced around as if they were lining up for a scrimmage with one of the high school teams. However, the Bays were jarred right off the bat as Blood skirted end for a first down and then Bryant got five while a pass, Bryant to Neacey, added another ten yards. Here the Bays held tight and Blood's punt was blocked and Buck recovered for Green Bay about midfield.
BUCK PUNTS TO BLOOD
Three downs netted the Bays about 6 yards. Buck punted to Blood who called for a free catch on his twenty. Despite a Packer penalty for offside, the Badgers gained but little and Blood kicked to Mathys, who was downed on the Bays' forty. The Packers were finding the muddy going bad and gained but little. Buck punts to Barr who is downed 27 yards from Milwaukee's goal. The Badgers were held tight. Blood punted out of bounds on the Packers 45. After three plays, a fumble gave the ball to Milwaukee on Green Bay's 45. This advantage was short-lived because Norton intercepted a Milwaukee pass. Muddy going flopped two Packer rushes and Buck kicked to Barr who hit the dirt on Milwaukee's 33.
LARSON INTERCEPTS PASS
Larson soon broke into the limelight by grabbing a Milwaukee pass and he ran it back to Milwaukee's 35. The Bays lost five yards for offside. Soon after time was called for the quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, a pass, Buck to Basing, took the ball to Milwaukee's 14-yard line. After two plays, Buck missed a placekick and Milwaukee scrimmaged on the 20-yard line. Blood soon kicked and it was the Packers' ball with the goal line 45 yards away. Here the Bays launched a drive which ended in the only touchdown of the game. Basing cracked left tackle for 14 and followed with 5 more in the same place. Mathys got 3 yards and in two plunges, Basing made it first down. Lambeau got three yards and Basing then proceeded to smash through for another first down. Basing and Norton chalked up ten yards and then Basing slashes across for the touchdown. Buck missed the goal. Milwaukee kicked to the Packers and the Bays soon punted back. Milwaukee returned the favor and it was the Packers' ball on the 31 yard. A penalty for holding costs the Blues 15. Harris, who replaced Basing, got 22 yards in two rushes. Two rushes went into the discard and Buck punted well down the field. The Badgers couldn't gain. Green Bay lost another 5 yards for offside and soon after halftime was called with the ball in Milwaukee's possession on its own 38 yard line.
BUCK COVERS FUMBLE
Starting the second half, Barr kicked to Harris who ran it back to the 35-yard line. The Bays got about five yards but lost it on a penalty. A pass, Buck to Lambeau, gained seven. Buck punted to Milwaukee and the Badgers soon later lost the ball when Buck hopped on a fumble. With the ball only 38 yards from the Milwaukee goal, the Packer fans were jubilant. Two downs and a pass produced the scant yardage. Lambeau missed a dropkick. The Badgers were finding the going tough and kicked to Mathys in midfield. The Packers chalked up a first down. The drive stopped short and Buck kicked over the goal line. Milwaukee scrimmaged on its 20. Several plays fizzled and Blood punted to Mathys in midfield. The Packers couldn't gain and Buck booted to Milwaukee's one yard line where Vergara covered the ball. Blood punted to Mathys and Charlie came back to Milwaukee's 37. Basing, Lambeau and Harris made two first downs.
HOLD FOR DOWNS
The pigskin was close to the Milwaukee goal line. Here the Badgers held tight, and recovered the ball on downs after four Packer thrusts at the line failed. Blood kicked to Mathys, who was dumped on Milwaukee's 40 yard line as time for the quarter ended. Then came the fourth quarter and Milwaukee's bid for a touchdown which has been described in the forepart of this story.
PLAY BY PLAY
FIRST QUARTER
Milwaukee won the toss and chose to defend the west goal and receive the kickoff. Woodin kicked off to Mason on his own 10-yard line. He returned to his 30-yard line. Blood goes around right end for 11 yards. Bryan goes around left end for 5 yards. Bryan forward passes to Neacy for a ten-yard gain over left end. First down on Green Bay's 44-yard line. Mason went through center for three yards. Blood tries right tackle, but was stopped by Buck for no gain. A pass, Barr to Brumm, was incomplete. Third down, seven to go. Blood punted and the ball was blocked on the scrimmage line and Buck recovered for Green Bay. It's Green Bay's ball on their own 47-yard line. Timeout for Milwaukee. A pass, Lambeau to Norton, gained 4 yards. Second down, 6 to go. Norton went around right end for 3 yards. Third down, three to go. Norton gained a yard through right tackle. Fourth down, two to go. Buck punted to Blood who signaled for a fair catch on Milwaukee's 20-yard line. Milwaukee's ball. First down, ten to go. Barr makes a yard through center, but the Packers are penalized 5 yards for being offside. First down, five to go. Blood is held for no gain through right tackle. Second down, five to go. Bryan gains 3 yards around left end. Third down, two to go. Bryan attempts right tackle, but is stopped for no gain by Buck. Blood punts to Mathys and Mathys runs it back to Green Bay's 40-yard line. Mathys caught the ball on Green Bay's 20-yard line. Basing makes 2 yards through right tackle. Second down, eight to go. Lambeau makes 3 yards through right tackle. Buck's pass to Mathys is incomplete. Buck punts to Barr who is downed in his tracks on Milwaukee's 27-yard line. Bryan tries left end and is thrown for a 2-yard loss by Vergara and Lambeau. Mason makes a yard through right tackle. Third down, 11 to go. Blood kicks out of bounds on Green Bay's 45-yard line. First down, ten to go, Green Bay's ball. Timeout for both teams. The field is kind of muddy and play is being slowed up a bit. Basing goes through center for 4 yards. Second down, 6 to go. Norton goes through left guard for 4 yards. Third down, 2 to go. Lambeau is held at center for no gain. Both sides were offside on the play. Green Bay fumbles and Milwaukee recovers on Green Bay's 45-yard line. First down, ten to go. Blood went around right end, but was thrown for a 5-yard loss by O'Donnell and Norton. A pass from Bryan was intercepted by Norton on Green Bay's 48-yard line. Green Bay's ball, first down, ten to go. Timeout for Milwaukee. Basing lost a yard through right tackle. Second down, 11 to go. Norton lost six yards around right end. He slipped in the mud. A long pass to O'Donnell was incomplete. Buck punts to Barr who returned the ball 3 yards. Ball is on Milwaukee's 33-yard line. First down, 10 to go. Blood made 2 yards through left tackle. A pass, Barr to Bryan, over the center of the line gains 4 yards. Third down, four to go. Bryan hits left tackle for 2 yards, but both teams were offside. Third down. A pass from Barr was intercepted by Larson who returned it 10 yards to Milwaukee's 35-yard line. The ball is in front of the goal posts. Basing made 2 yards, but Green Bay is penalized five yards because the backfield was in motion. First down, 15 to go. Norton makes 3 yards around right end. It looked like he was going to get away, but he slipped and fell. Lambeau makes four yards over center. Third down, 8 to go. End of the first quarter: Milwaukee, 0; Green Bay, 0.
SECOND QUARTER
A pass, Lambeau to Vergara, was incomplete. Fourth down, 8 to go. Buck punts over the goal line. Milwaukee was offside. It's fourth down, 3 yards to go. Buck throws a forward pass to Basing who gains 20 yards. It is now Green Bay's ball on Milwaukee's 14-yard line, in the center of the field. Basing caught the ball, dropped it and then grabbed it again before it hit the ground. Lambeau was held for no gain at center. Lambeau goes around left end for three yards. Third down, 7 to go. Lambeau passes to Norton, but Marty dropped the ball. Fourth down, 7 to go. Buck gets back for a placekick. The kick failed, the ball going to the left of the goalposts. It's Milwaukee's ball on its own 20-yard line. Bryan makes 3 yards around left end. Blood lost a yard through right tackle. Blood punts out of bounds on Green Bay's 45-yard line. First down, Green Bay's ball there. Basing goes through left tackle for 14 yards. Buck and Woodin opened a big hole for him. He gets 5 more at the same spot. Second down, 5 to go. Mathys gets 3 yards through center. Third down, 2 to go. Basing made a yard through left tackle. Fourth down, 1 to go. Basing goes over center for 3 yards and a first down. Lambeau makes 3 yards over center. Basing makes six yards, Buck opening a nice hole. Third down, 1 to go. Basing makes 4 yards through Buck and Woodin for a first down. It's Green Bay's ball on Milwaukee's 20-yard line. Timeout for Milwaukee. All of the players are digging the mud off their feet. Basing makes 3 yards through right tackle. Second down, 7 to go. Norton got five yards around right end. Third down, 2 to go. Ball is now on Milwaukee's 12-yard line. Basing makes 8 yards through left tackle. Ball is now on Milwaukee's 4-yard line. Basing makes two yards through center. Two to go. Basing goes over for the touchdown through Earpe. Timeout for Milwaukee, player hurt. Basing is going out and Jack Harris takes his place. Reichow went in for Milwaukee in place of Mason who was hurt. The goal for touchdown was partially blocked and failed to go over. Score: Green Bay, 6; Milwaukee, 0. In the march down the field Basing carried the ball every time except twice when Lambeau and Norton lugged it. Barr kicked off to O'Donnell and Dick stepped out of bounds on Green Bay's 28-yard line. First down, 10 to go. Norton was held for no gain at right end. Mathys made 3 yards around right end. Third down, 7 to go. Buck punted to Barr on Milwaukee's 41-yard line and he was downed by Moose Gardner without a return. A pass, Barr to Neacy, was incomplete. Second down, 10 to go. Bryan on an attempted right end run was held for no gain, being stopped by O'Donnell, Norton and Earpe. Blood punted to Mathys who returned the ball 5 yards to Green Bay's 31-yard line. Harris was held for no gain at right tackle. Green Bay was penalized 15 yards for holding, putting the ball on their own 16-yard line. Lambeau makes 4 yards through the center of the line from a punt formation, with Buck back. Harris goes through left tackle for 18 yards. Harris goes through center for four more, making it a first down. Harris was held for no gain at center. Second down, 10 to go. Mathys attempted a forward pass, but slipped and couldn't get it away. He was thrown for a 10-yard loss. Third down, 20 to go. A pass, Lambeau to Vergara, was incomplete. Buck punted to Milwaukee's 30-yard line, where Vergara fell on the ball. Milwaukee's ball, first down, 10 to go. Barr is held for no gain, but the Packers are penalized 5 yards for being offside. Bryan is held for no gain at right tackle. Second down, 5 to go. Reichow makes a yard around right end. Third down, 2 to go. End of half. Score, Green Bay, 6; Milwaukee, 0.
THIRD QUARTER
Barr kicked off to Harris, who caught the ball on the goal line and returned it 35 yards straight down the center of the field. Basing is playing left half in place of Norton. Basing made 3 yards through left tackle. Second down, 7 to go. Harris made a yard through left tackle. Third down, 6 to go. Harris is held for no gain and Green Bay is penalized 5 yards for being offside. Buck throws a pass over left end to Lambeau, which gains 7 yards. Fourth down, 3 to go. Buck punts to Barr and he passes to Blood and the ball is downed on Milwaukee's 20 yard line in the center of the field. Bryan makes 3 yards around left end. Time out for Packers. Moose Gardner is hurt on the play. He resumed play. Milwaukee fumbled and Buck recovered for Green Bay on Milwaukee's 28-yard line. Basing makes 3 yards through left tackle. Second down, 7 to go. Lambeau is held for no gain at center. A forward pass, Lambeau to Harris, was incomplete. Fourth down, 7 to go. Lambeau tried a dropkick, but it failed, going to the left of the goalpost. Milwaukee's ball on its own 20-yard line. Reichow makes 3 yards on a wide end run. Bryan lost three yards, when Gardner broke through and stopped him. Third down, 10 to go. Blood punted to Mathys who returned the ball 10 yards to the 50-yard line. First down, 10 to go. Basing makes 5 yards off right tackle. Basing adds 2 more at right tackle. Third down, 3 to go. Harris makes a yard through left tackle. Fourth down, 1 to go. Basing makes 4 yards through left tackle and a first down. Timeout for Milwaukee. Ball is now on Milwaukee's 37-yard line. Harris makes 2 yards though right guard. Harris gets a yard through left tackle. A pass, Lambeau to Basing, is incomplete. Fourth down, 7 to go. Buck punts over the goal line. It's Milwaukee's ball on their own 20-yard line. Barr is held for no gain by Earpe. Bryan fails to gain on a left end run. Blood punts to Mathys who returned the ball 5 yards to the 50-yard line. Harris makes a yard at right guard. Harris tried left tackle without gain. Timeout for Milwaukee. Lambeau goes through center for 4 yards. Buck punts to Milwaukee's 1 yard line, where Vergara dropped on the ball. Blood punted to Mathys who is chased out of bounds on Milwaukee's 27-yard line. First down, 10 to go. Basing makes 16 yards at right tackle. First down, 10 to go. Ball on Milwaukee's 21-yard line. Harris made a yard at right tackle. Lambeau added 5 more at center. Basing makes 8 yards at right tackle. Ball is now on Milwaukee's 7 yard line. Harris was held without gain. So was Lambeau. Basing made a yard. On a mixup on signals Mathys is tackled for a two-yard loss and Milwaukee gets the ball. First down, 10 to go. Barr is held without gain. Again Barr is stopped at center without gain. Blood punts to Mathys who returns the ball 10 yards to Milwaukee's 40-yard line, just as the quarter ended. Score: Green Bay, 6; Milwaukee, 0.
FOURTH QUARTER
Mathys gained a yard through center. Harris picked up 3 yards at center, but Green Bay was penalized 5 yards for offside. Second down, 14 to go. Harris netted 5 yards over right tackle. A pass, Lambeau to Basing, was intercepted by Reichow. It's Milwaukee's ball on the 50-yard line. Barr's pass to Neacy was incomplete. Another pass, Barr to Neacy, is incomplete, Harris knocking it down. The umpire claims that Harris interfered with the receiver and gave Milwaukee the ball on Green Bay's 30 yard line. Lewellen is going in for Harris. A pass, Bryan to Barr, over the center of the line gained 4 yards. Second down, 6 to go. Ball now on Green Bay's 26 yard line. A pass from Barr was intercepted by Basing on Green Bay's 10 yard line. Timeout for Green Bay. Lambeau was hurt and Norton went in in his place. Norton gained 3 yards through left tackle. Lewellen gained 6 around left end. Third down, 1 to go. Roessler went in for Nadolney at guard. Lambeau had to be carried off the field. Lewellen gained 3 yards around right end for a first down. Basing made 3 yards through center, but Green Bay is penalized 5 yards for offside. Norton makes 8 yards around left end. Norton made 3 yards around left end, but Green Bay is penalized 15 yards, the umpire claiming that a Green Bay player was holding. Ball is now on Green Bay's 10 yard line. The officiating is getting ragged. Norton failed at left end and Buck goes back to punt. Buck punts to Barr who is downed by Lewellen and O'Donnell on Green Bay's 45-yard line. Milwaukee's ball, first down, ten to go. A pass, Bryan to Neacy, was incomplete. Second down, 10 to go. A pass, Barr to Bryan, was good for 11 yards. First down on Green Bay's 34-yard line. First down. A pass from Barr to Roessler was good for 9 more yards. Second down, 1 to go. Barr failed at center and Milwaukee was penalized 15 yards for holding. Ball now on Green Bay's 36-yard line. A pass, Barr to Roessler, was incomplete. A pass to Neacy was intercepted by Mathys who returned it 20 yards to Green Bay's 32-yard line. Green Bay's ball, first down. Norton picked up 5 yards around left end. Basing hit left tackle for a yard. Third down, 2 to go. Buck's punt was blocked, but Buck recovered it himself on Green Bay's 28-yard line. Buck punts to Bryan who is downed by Lewellen on Green Bay's 49 yard line. Barr's pass was knocked down by Buck. Barr passed to Bryan for 6 yards. He was tackled by Buck. Third down, 4 to go. Barr passed to Neacy but Norton intercepted it on Green Bay's 19-yard line. Lewellen goes around right end for 8 yards. Timeout for Milwaukee. Lewellen makes a yard and a half. Third down, half a yard to go. Lewellen made 2 yards around right end for a first down. Basing made 7 yards over center. Second down, 3 to go. Mathys made a yard through center. Third down, 2 to go. The Packers were using the huddle system and the referee penalized them 5 yards, saying they were stalling. Lewellen made three yards around right end. Buck punts to Barr who is downed on Milwaukee's own 39-yard line. A fight started among the players, as the final whistle blew.
GREEN BAY - 0 6 0 0 - 6
MILWAUKEE - 0 0 0 0 - 0
SCORING
2ND - GB - Myrt Basing, 2-yard run (Cub Buck kick blocked) GREEN BAY 6-0
400 AT TURNER HALL FOR PLAY BY PLAY
NOV 2 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Between 400 and 500 persons were at Turner Hall Sunday afternoon to witness the Milwaukee-Packer game on the Playograph. Every play of the game was shown by the big board and the crowd got several thrills, especially when Basing plunged down the field for a touchdown. They also got some more thrills, but they were not pleasant ones, when Milwaukee threatened to score in the last quarter. Al Pruscha's Music Box orchestra and entertainers, which were loaned to the football corporation by C.A. Garceau, manager of the Music Box, kept things moving before the game started and during the intermission, and requests for encores were graciously granted by the singers.
CAL'S COMMENTS
NOV 2 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The scare in Milwaukee probably did the Packers a lot of good. The Bays have got to get a bad game out of their system every now and then and it is just as well that things got crisscrossed against the Badgers as in any other contest. One thing is sure, the Bay gridders will take stock this week and it is safe to say that it will be a fighting, tearing crew that will take the field next Sunday against the Cards...It is well to remember that outside of the final period, the Bays had it over the Badgers like a tent. Anyway, that last fifteen minutes was enough to throw a series of chills over the Packer delegation. It was hard to believe that Milwaukee had the Bays on the run but this was just what happened towards the close of the game...Overconfidence has paved the way to defeat for a lot of teams, and the Packers learned their lesson a-plenty during their stay in Milwaukee. The players claim it was not a case of "sureness" but it is a fact that the Bays didn't go after McGurk's hirelings in the hammer and tong fashion that they dealt with the Bears or Rock Island in its return engagement. However, a 6 point victory counts just as much in the percentage table as a 31 to 0 walloping. There are some things to be thankful for...Shorty Barr didn't do anything to shout about except to hurl the ball all over the field in the fourth quarter. Enough is plenty. Every once in awhile the former Wisconsin star breaks into the gridiron limelight and it is generally happens to be when he is facing the Bays. Red Bryant showed plenty of class while Blood and Reichow were battling the Packers all the way. Tierney gave a good exhibition on the line...Captain Lambeau got a bad bruise on the leg and he had to be helped off the field but a doctor's examination disclosed the fact that he should be able to do his stuff against the Cards next Sunday, unless complications set in. Lewellen got back in the game after a long sojourn on the hospital list, and it looked just as good as ever. Basing, the Packers' touchdown maker, continued to chalk up points for the Big Bay Blues while one Howard Cub Buck turned in another banner exhibition of pigskin chasing...About 600 Green Bay fans took advantage of the fine weather to hit the trail for Milwaukee. The ranks of the Packer rooters were swelled by a raft of former Green Bayians now living in the Cream City and, between halves, there was a homecoming for all concerned.
CARDS EXPECT TOUGH GAME WITH PACKERS ON SUNDAY
NOV 3 (Chicago) - The Chicago Cardinals have an attraction here on Sunday that should bring a huge crowd to White Sox park as the Green Bay Packers, one of the greatest teams in the pro league, are billed here for the Sabbath day argument. Green Bay is a notch ahead of the Cardinals in the percentage table and Chris O'Brien's team is determined to turn back the Badger state champions so as to climb a notch in the race for the flag...ANXIOUS TO WIN: Red Dunn and Swede Erickson, two of the Cardinal backs, are urging their teammate on to victory. These two gridders were with Milwaukee in former years and they took their lickings regularly at the hands of the Bays. It is feared that Bloomer, former Missouri ace, who has been playing such brilliant play for the Cards, won't be able to start against Green Bay as he injured his ankle badly in the Duluth game...BOTH TEAMS BEAT BEARS: Chris O'Brien, the Cardinal manager, is going the limit to put the game over in good fashion. O'Brien is making the fact known that the Packers downed the Bears earlier in the season 14 to 10 and the fans here all know what happened to the Bruins when they met the Cards two weeks ago. Reports from the Wisconsin city carry the news that all roads will lead to Chicago on Sunday. Green Bay backs its Packers as Princeton does its Tigers and a raft of rooters are going to follow the team. Efforts are being made, it is said, to secure a cut rate over the railroads for the trip here Sunday...PACKERS' BEST TEAM: Green Bay has always had a great pro football team and this year's Packer squad is said to be the best of all. In Lambeau, Norton, Harris, Basing, Mathys and Lewellen, the Bays have a fleet set of backs. Vergara, O'Donnell and Wilkins are three capable ends; Cub Buck, Earpe and Jean hold down the tackle berths; Woodin, Gardner and Abramson play the guards while Ojay Larson, center, is well known in Chicago for his ability on the football field.
IMPORTANT GAMES IN PRO FOOTBALL LEAGUE ON SUNDAY
NOV 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - November 8 is one of the feature dates on the 1925 football schedule. A number of important games are booked and it is a certainty that the percentage table will be shaken up as if a windstorm hit it. Included in the list of top-notch attractions is the Packer-Cardinals conflict at White Sox park in the Windy City. Postgraduate gridiron dopesters are inclined to think that the winner of this game is going to have a lot to say about possession of the championship pennant...DETROIT MEETS MILWAUKEE: Detroit, one of the undefeated team, should not find the going so tough this weekend as Conzelman's Panthers meet Milwaukee. The Badgers certainly looked good against Green Bay last week, but, most likely, it was only a flash in the pan. Akron, the other team with a clean slate, has a rough road road ahead Saturday and Sunday as the Indians rub noses with the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets on Saturday and then hop over to Pottsville Sunday for a game with the Maroons. The Quakers and Miners are two of the toughest clubs in the loop and it wouldn't be at all surprising if Akron was bumped off twice. The weekend schedule is not soft picking because Guy Chamberlain's crew must board a train after their Saturday game with Akron, ride all night and face the
The day Milwaukee almost killed the NFL
Just a few weeks ago, Green Bay Packers fans looked on in agony as the Arizona Cardinals trounced their team, 38-8. If there was ever a 30-point win that wasn't as close as the final score suggested, this was it. And now this weekend, Wisconsin fans get their chance for revenge. But it was a blowout by the Cardinals nearly 90 years ago to the week that almost sunk the National Football League for good. The Wisconsin team the Cardinals — then based in Chicago — blew out wasn't the Green Bay Packers, but the erstwhile Milwaukee Badgers. And that day, the Badgers almost killed the league by participating in one of the NFL's most notorious scandals. On Dec. 10, 1925, the Milwaukee Badgers took part in a 59-0 pounding that historians say corrupted the league, and cost Milwaukee its NFL franchise. In 1925, the NFL was a very different league. Teams such as the Pottsville Maroons, Akron Pros, Frankford Yellow Jackets, Canton Bulldogs, Hammond Pros and Duluth Kelleys dotted the Midwestern landscape. Early versions of the league also featured teams in Racine and Kenosha. (In 1921, the Twin Cities hosted the Minneapolis Marines, which is fitting given the Vikings' future love of boats.) In many cases, games in these middle-sized cities outdrew matches in cities such as Detroit and Chicago, where professional football remained a fringe sport. (Football would soon see an explosion in popularity with the Chicago Bears' signing of Red Grange out of the University of Illinois.) In addition to the league being geographically smaller, the way the game was played was also very different than the game we know today. Teams had 16 players, most of whom played both ways. There were no hash marks on the field, so the next play began wherever the last play ended — if the runner went out of bounds, the ball was placed adjacent to the out of bounds line, and the team usually had to waste a play just to move it back into the middle of the field. Incomplete passes into the end zone were ruled touch backs, with the team on defense receiving the ball. Yards were often so hard to come by that teams would often punt on second and third down when backed up in their own territory. In fact, if a punt returner fielded a punt near his own end zone, he would often just turn around and punt the ball back to the other team rather than attempt a return. Coaching from the sideline was forbidden (a strategy employed by the Packers during Ray Rhodes' season as coach.) The forward pass was seen as a desperation move. Since many teams operated either at a loss or with a very small profit margin, the league allowed teams to discontinue play in the middle of the season if things weren't going well. This was the case in 1925 for the ragtag Milwaukee Badgers, who began the season 0-5 and were outscored 132-7, which forced them to fold up shop for the remainder of the season. Playing at Borchert Field, this Badger team featured future Packer NFL Hall of Famer (and River Falls native) Johnny "Blood" McNally. The team was barely newsworthy in Milwaukee, with most of the sports section headlines granted to either Marquette men's basketball or Red Grange's 1925 barnstorming tour with the Chicago Bears. As the season came to a close, the Chicago Cardinals trailed the Pottsville Maroons in the standings by mere percentage points. The Maroons finished the season 10-2, capping the season with a 21-7 win on Dec. 6 against the Cardinals, who dropped to 9-2, with one tie. The game, which was presumed to be the league championship game, barely warranted a mention in the Milwaukee Sentinel. (And if you want a wildly entertaining look at how sports stories were written in 1925, read the actual story here. The article ends with: "There is a peculiar paradox in the final summing up of the game. The defeated Cardinals scored the most first downs, counting seventeen to the Miners' eleven. The Chicagoans also completed sixteen forward passes from a total of thirty-five attempts, while the Pottsvillers scored only five out of ten attempts. But that is football!") But the Cardinals weren't about to accept defeat. Instead, their owner, Chris O'Brien, scheduled two more games at the end of the season in order to push his team's record ahead of the Maroons. One of these games was scheduled against the Milwaukee Badgers, whose players had quit midseason. Since many of the Badgers' players weren't available to play in the game, the team recruited four high school boys, gave them fake names and sent them out to the field. In fact, it was Art Foltz, a Cardinal player, who recruited the high schoolers from his old school, Englewood High. Naturally, the Cardinals pounded the Badgers, winning 59-0. The local newspaper made no mention of the game before it was played, and no admission fee was charged to fans. According to the report, "a few hundred" fans took advantage. The write-up in the Milwaukee Sentinel barely measured two column inches. The Cardinals also went on to beat the Hammond Pros 13-0 two days later, at which point they declared themselves league champions after going 11-2-1. During the time the Cardinals were lining up those two games to pad their record, Pottsville played a game against a team of Notre Dame all-stars, which the league strictly forbade. Soon, League Commissioner Joe Carr learned of the use of high school players for the Badgers-Cardinals game and sternly punished the team and its owner. The team was fined $500 (the entry fee for teams was only $50 at the time), and the owner, Ambrose McGurk, was ordered to sell the team within 90 days. McGurk also was banned from any further association with the NFL for the rest of his life. (The Cardinals' Foltz was also banned for life, and O'Brien was fined $1,000, despite claiming he didn't know about the high schoolers. The boys were barred from participation in Big Ten College football.) Yet despite all the penalties handed down by the league, the Cardinals were declared league champions, and all the records from that year have stood. The Badgers attempted to field a team in 1926, but the $500 fine for the Cardinal game nearly wiped out the team. It did win two games in 1926, but quickly disbanded — many of the players went to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates football team, leading many to mistakenly think the Badgers eventually became the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the meantime, their cousins to the north, the Green Bay Packers, flourished in a much smaller town. (In the 1925 season, the Badgers, coached by Johnny Bryan, went 0-2 against the Packers, losing by scores of 31-0 and 6-0.) The only touchdown the team scored all season was on a fumble recovery by left end Clem Neacy, against the Rock Island Independents. Perhaps one of the Badgers' most notable accomplishments was employing one of the first two African-American players in NFL history. In 1922, after one season with the Akron Pros, Fritz Pollard came to Milwaukee, scoring three touchdowns and kicking two extra points on his way to leading the team with 20 points. Pollard was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
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In fact, the Green Bay Packers themselves didn't have the smoothest of entries into the NFL, either. In 1921, Commissioner Carr found out that the Packers had been recruiting college students, giving them fake names, and allowing them to play in games. (Incidentally, it is believed that this was Brett Favre's first season in the league.) Carr ordered the Packers to disband as a franchise as punishment. But Coach Curly Lambeau desperately wanted back in, pointing out that he had the $50 necessary to purchase a new franchise. But he couldn't make it to Canton, Ohio, for the league owners' meeting. Lambeau mentioned his problem to Don Murphy, the son of a Green Bay lumberman, who offered to make the trip down to Canton on behalf of Lambeau in exchange for one thing: he wanted to be on the team the next year. Despite Murphy clearly not being a football player, Lambeau acquiesced, and Murphy went to Ohio and bought the team back. In 1922, in the first game of the year, Murphy played tackle for the Green Bay Packers for one minute. He then walked off the field and "retired" from football forever.
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It bears repeating that the NFL was a wild, loosely organized gang of misfits in its first years. Probably the most entertaining team in the league at the time was the Oorang Indians, who called LaRue, Ohio, home (pop. 900.) Many of the NFL teams at the time were formed strictly as advertisements for certain companies — The Acme Packers, the Decatur Staleys (after the A.E. Staley Company, later the Chicago Bears), etc. But the Oorang Indians were formed to advertise the Oorang Airedale puppy breeding business in the village. The owner, Walter Lingo, also was a fan of Native Americans — so he staffed the team completely with Indians, who would have the job of advertising his Airedale puppies. As such, he utilized the team extensively during pregame and halftime shows, which served to promote his breeding business. At several points, Lingo would pluck one of his players from the bench and have him wrestle a bear at midfield. Other times, there would be Indian shooting exhibitions, with Airedales fetching the marks. The high point, according to historians, was the time Indians were used in a World War I re-enactment against the Germans, with Airedales providing first aid to the fallen soldiers. Not surprisingly, the team was terrible, finishing 3-6 in 1922. SOURCE: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, January 14th 2016 - PICTURED BELOW: Fritz Pollard — who played for the Milwaukee Badgers and was the NFL’s first African-American head coach — is shown at his home in New Rochelle, N.Y., in this 1975 file photo. Credit: Associated Press
Bears in Chicago on Sunday. This is a task that is going to give the Yellow Jackets plenty of trouble and it is quite possible that the Bears may claw 'em up a bit in the Sabbath day fracas...SECOND PLACE LOOMS: If the Packers down the Cardinals, the Big Bay Blues have a corking good chance to be in second place on Sunday night. Because if either Philadelphia or Akron drop one of their two games, they both will skid below the Bays in the percentage table. The Packers are working out harder than ever before this season and it will be a fighting squad that takes the field on Sunday. Every man with the exception of Captain Lambeau is in the pink and the team will be keyed up to the top notch in an attempt to hand Paddy Driscoll, Socks Erickson and Red Dunn a football lesson that they will long remember.
RITTER, DETROIT, TO REFEREE PACKER-CARDINAL GAME SUNDAY
NOV 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A block of 152 tickets for the Packer-Cardinal football game in Chicago on Sunday. These are the reserved box seats in the Green Bay section and sell for $2.00 apiece. These tickets are on sale at the Beaumont hotel, Bosse's News Depot, The Congress, Schweger's Drugstore and Coffeen's Cigar store...Lou Ritter of Detroit, Mich., rated as one of the best officials working in the eastern loop of the NFL, has been assigned by President Joe Carr to handle the Green Bay Packer-Cardinal game at White Sox park in Chicago on Sunday. L.C. Herdcamp of Gary, Ind., is to umpire while Fred McGregor, who moved to Chicago this fall from Cleveland, will be the headlinesman. None of these officials have worked a Chicago Cardinal game this fall. According to present arrangements, the Packer squad will leave here Saturday afternoon for Chicago. The team will make the trip in a special car over the Chicago and Northwestern road. The schedule calls for departure at 3:10. This will bring the squad into the Windy City about 9 o'clock...STOP AT METROPOLIS HOTEL: During their sojourn in Chicago, the Packers will located at the Metropole hotel which is located at 23rd st. and Michigan Blvd. Reservations have been made to take care of the team in big league style and the hotel management promises to have room for any of the Green Bay fans who want to stop there Saturday night. Chris O'Brien, the Cardinal manager, has signed Dave Folz, a flashy halfback to help fill the ranks. McNulty, end, and Bloomer, tackle, are reported to be out of the game with broken bones. The Packers have played against Fulz before and he is a speed merchant of the Marty Norton type...PACKERS DRILLING HARD: The Green Bay squad is busily engaged in practice sessions and the players are going about their drills in a way that spells trouble for one Paddy Driscoll and his cohorts. Aside from Captain Lambeau, every Packers player is in the pink and it is certain that the Green Bay leader will be in uniform at Sunday's game. Tonight, the Packers will have a blackboard talk at the Continuation school, 7:30, and the Cardinal game will be thoroughly gone over by Captain Lambeau and every other member of the Big Bay Blues.
ISLANDERS MAY QUIT
NOV 5 (Rock Island, IL) - Unless Tri-City fans support the Rock Island independent football team in better shape than heretofore, next Sunday's game here with Hammond will be the last on a Rock Island field, Manager A.H. Bowlby told the Rock Island Rotary club. Attendance at games in Rock Island has averaged less than 2,000 and a team of the caliber of the Independents cannot be maintained on an attendance that low, Bowlby said. He pointed out that the Independents are drawing well on the road and declared that if there is not a good turnout Sunday the team will not play here again this season and Rock Island's franchise will be given up next season.
PLAYOGRAPH BOARD IS SET UP SUNDAY AT COLUMBUS CLUB
NOV 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - This Sunday the Packers are billed in Chicago at White Sox park in a game that will go a long way towards deciding the championship of the NFL and arrangements have been made to furnish the fans at home with a "better than ever" account of the game via the Playograph board. In view of the mob that is expected, the big board has been moved to the Columbus club and set up in the large auditorium, which has a seating capacity of 2,500. Smoking will be barred and it is expected that hundreds of ladies will be in attendance. A special telephone wire from White Sox park, Chicago, to the Columbus club, Green Bay, has been arranged for and an expert has been arranged for and an expert sender, who knows the players of both teams, will work the Chicago end of the wire. The Music Box orchestra and entertainers will again be on the job. They made a big hit last Sunday and the Play-by-Play fans were unanimous in demanding a return engagement.
C. & N.W. PLANNING FOOTBALL EXCURSION TO CHICAGO SUNDAY
NOV 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Chicago and Northwestern railroad has practically completed plans for a Packer football excursion to Chicago on Sunday for the Green Bay-Cardinal game at White Sox park, according to an announcement made by representatives of the railroad company in Green Bay. The excursion rate will be $7.11 which is exactly one half of the round trip fare from Green Bay to
Chicago and return. The tentative program calls for the Packer Special to leave Green Bay about 1 a.m., Sunday morning. This will bring the Packer followers into Chicago about 8 a.m. On the return trip, the football special will pull out of Chicago about 8 p.m. Arrangements are being made to attach Pullmans to the train in order to take care of those who want sleeper accommodations. The Green Bay Football corporation has for weeks been attempting to arrange for this excursion but not until this morning was word received from the railroad executives in Chicago that the special has been tentatively approved. Those planning to make the trip are asked to make their reservations at the ticket office immediately so that ample transportation facilities can be provided. The railroad officials further stated that, if this excursion attracts more than 200 rooters, it will be quite possible to stage another special at the same rates when the Packers play in Chicago against the Bears on Sunday, November 22.
PACKER ELEVEN LEAVES FOR CHICAGO SATURDAY MORNING; TEAM ON EDGE FOR CONTEST
NOV 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers completed a stiff week of practice today in preparation for the Cardinal game at White Sox park in Chicago on Sunday and, when the team takes the field, every man of the Big Bay Blues with the exception of Captain Lambeau, will be in the pink to give Paddy Driscoll & Co. the toughest kind of battle right in their own backyard. Last night, a blackboard talk was held at the Continuation school building and Captain Lambeau discussed Sunday's game with the players for over two hours. The Packers have mapped out a special defense by which they hope to stop Driscoll, Erickson and Red Dunn and the string has been cut on the much talked of bag of tricks. One thing is sure the Bays won't be holding a thing back on Sunday as a win against the South Side Chicagoans will put them pretty close to the top of the heap in the pro league standing...LEAVE SATURDAY MORNING: Instead of leaving on the 3:30 Northwestern train Saturday afternoon the Packer squad will leave here at 6:50 a.m. This will get the club into Chicago about one o'clock and will give the players a chance to get the lay of their land in the Windy City. The announcement that the Northwestern would run a football excursion for Sunday's game was greeted with enthusiasm by the Packer followers. Many reservations have already been made and it is safe to say that over 200 Green Bay rooters are going to take advantage of the $7.11 round trip notes. The Packer Special will leave here at 1 a.m. Sunday morning, arriving in Chicago about 8:30. On the return trip, the excursion leaves Chicago at 9 p.m. Sunday night, reaching home about 3:30 a.m. Monday morning. It will be possible to secure Pullman reservations on the special. During their stay in Chicago, the Green Bay headquarters will be at the Metropole hotel, Michigan Blvd., and 23rd st.
BULLETIN
NOV 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Eddie Kotal, Lawrence college, reported for practice with the Packers this morning and he will be with the team in Chicago on Sunday. Kotal was captain of this year's Lawrence college team but left school about a month ago after a run in with the faculty. He was rated as one of the greatest backfielders in midwest collegiate football and experts who have seen him play claim Kotal will be a sensation in pro football.
PRO FOOTBALL GOSSIP
NOV 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The pro league percentage table is due for some shakeup this week as several of the top notch teams will mix with each other. Detroit is the only squad setting easy as the
Panthers are billed to battle Milwaukee...Akron is going to have its hands full over the weekend as the Niedmen tackle two of the strongest clubs in Joe Carr's circuit. Saturday, Akron invades Philadelphia while Sunday Pollard & Co. perform in Pottsville...The Philadelphia Yellowjackets, following their game in Frankfort Saturday with Akron, hustle aboard a train for Chicago where they will clash with the Chicago Bears. This will be some intersectional encounter...After traveling around the circuit for about six weeks, Kansas City will open at home with Duluth as the attraction. Doc Andrews has been making several changes in his battle front and hopes to chalk up a victory...The Canton Bulldogs are billed to entertain the Cleveland club. There is little love lost between these aggregations and it should be a thrilling combat. The Bulldogs came out of their Steubenville, O. game in good shape...Columbus hopes to break its string of wins this Sunday at the expense of New York at the Polo Grounds. The Tigers look as good as any club in the league in paper but they have dropped six successive engagements...Business at the gate hasn't been any too good at Rock Island this season and the club owners are threatening to close up shop at home and go traveling unless there is a bumper throng at Sunday's game with Hammond...The Providence fans will get a chance Sunday to give the Buffalo eleven the once over. The Bisons are not credited with many victories this season but, just the same, it is a powerful aggregation of footballers...Two of the "higher-up" elevens will match their gridiron skill when the Cardinals and Green Bay Packers lock horns. Each of these clubs are blessed with a great forward pass attack...Billy Gibson's Giants are getting a fine reception from the football colony in New York. The Giants have played before 45,000 spectators in their two starts at home. Pro football sure is popular among Broadway...The veteran Jim Thorpe, released by New York, has joined the Rock Island team. Thorpe played against the Bears last Sunday but was off color and Manager Johnston pulled him out of the lineup early in the contest...Milwaukee has picked up a good prospect in Blood of the sandlots of Minneapolis. The youngster handles himself well in the backfield and he punts well, using splendid judgment in placing his long spirals...Guilbert, who starred for Duluth against the Chicago Cards, is the property of the N.Y. American League ball club and will report to Huggins in the spring. Guilbert is an easy working fullback and passes well...Homan, a Lebanon Valley product, is turning in a great game at quarterback for the Philadelphia Yellowjackets. Homan isn't much bigger than a pint of cider but the big fellows have lots of trouble dumping him...Hinkey Haines seems to have found himself on the postgraduate gridiron. The former Yale sensation is showing all his collegiate class with the New York Giants. He is said to be one of the fastest players in the wheel...Lynch, Rochester end, is playing sensational ball for the Kodak City outfit, managed by Leo Lyons. Lynch is of the stocky type of gridder and is built pretty close to the ground. His specialty is nabbing short passes...Bauers, a former West Virginia fullback, has accepted terms of the Canton club. The Bulldogs have been shifting their lineup frequently in hopes of making the "Kennel" just as strong as in the olden days. Bauers should be a big help...Babe Ruetz, former manager of the Racine Legion eleven, comes to bat with the statement that the Horlicktown would be back in the circuit next year. According to Reutz, the Racine fans are hungry again for pro ball.
PACKERS AND CARDS BATTLE IN CHICAGO ON SUNDAY
NOV 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Green Bay Packers hopped off for Chicago on an early train Saturday where on Sunday at White Sox park they will giver battle to the Cardinals in a pro league game that will go a long way towards deciding the national championship. And it was a fighting gang of Packers that boarded the flyer for the Windy City. With the exception of Captain Lambeau, the squad is in the pink and every player is keyed up for the fray. It will be a different looking aggregation that the team that played in Milwaukee last Sunday. As the train pulled out, one of the station crew yelled: "Bring home the bacon, boys, we are counting on you." And that is just what the Packers intend to go...RECORDS OF PAST GAMES: The Bays and Cards have battled three time. The first game ended in a 3 to 3 tie. The second fray went to O'Brien's hirelings 16 to 3 while last season Paddy Driscoll booted a dropkick for a 3 to 0 win after the Packers had played rings around the Chicago team. Present indications point to a big Green Bay delegation at the game as the Northwestern excursion, leaving Sunday morning at 1 a.m., appears to be going over nicely. The railroad officials report many inquiries regarding the Packer special. The advance guard of Packer rooters is already in Chicago as a number went down to see the Michigan-Northwestern game. The headquarters of the Big Bay Blues during their sojourn in the Windy City will be at the Metropole hotel, 23rd st. and
Michigan Blvd. The hotel is only about 20 minutes ride from the park...HAVE RESPECT FOR PACKERS: The Cardinals have a lot of respect for the Packers and it is understood that they have put in some extra practice licks this week. The Chicago team, according to be minus the services of McNulty and Bloomer, two of their regulars who are on the injured list. However, Paddy Driscoll, Erickson and Red Dunn are feeling fine and this means that the Bays are in for an exciting afternoon. The announcement that Eddie Kotal had cast his lot with the Packers was good news for the Green Bay fans. The former Lawrence captain is a speed demon on the gridiron and he cuts loose with a style of play like Marty Norton. Kotal may not be used Sunday but, just the same, he is a pretty dangerous man and Captain Lambeau may shoot him into the fray in a pinch.
PLAYOGRAPH BOARD EXPECTED TO DRAW BIG CROWD SUNDAY
NOV 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - When the whistle blows at White Sox park in Chicago on Sunday for the Packer-Cardinal game, it is expected that at least 1,500 will be in the big auditorium at the Columbus club to glimpse the play game as it comes hot off the wire. The Columbus club and White Sox park will be connected via special wire, arranged for by the Green Bay Football corporation, and the minute anything happens on the chalk marked field in the Windy City, the folks at home will know all about it. Jimmy Coffeen will be at the sending wire in Chicago, and he will cover the game in every detail. A member of the Chicago Cardinal club will be parked next to Coffeen to help him spot the Card players. The doors at the Community club will open at one o'clock and the Music Box orchestra will be on hand to tune up proceedings. The game in Chicago will start at 2 p.m.