EXHIBITION: Green Bay Packers 21, Brooklyn Dodgers 13
Friday January 1st 1937 (at Denver)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(DENVER) - In weather fit only for a ski tournament, the champion Green Bay Packers and the scrappy Brooklyn Dodgers put on a sprightly New Year's day grid show today, the champions winning by 21 to 13. Snow powdered the frozen Denver university stadium sod and temperatures stood at far below the freezing point, yet the professionals gave a performance that for spirit and talent could not have not been bettered on a crisp October day. More than 6,000 hardy spectators, blanketed and braving pneumonia, saluted George Henry Sauer, carrot-haired Green Bay halfback from Nebraska, who scored all three Packer touchdowns, all of them in the last period. The throng roared approval of the pro champions' superior power, but it looked as though the green-garbed Brooklynites held the edge in thrills. Both of the Dodgers' scores were earned on tingling aerials thrown by Phil Sarboe, 168-pound quarterback from Washington State. Colorado's own Jimmy Hartman, now a brawny 210-pound halfback, caught one of Sarboe's smooth-clicking passes for the first score of the game. Jeff Barrett, Dodger end from Louisiana State, snagged another long, high fireball deep in the Green Bay end zone for the loser's second score. The count stood at a tight 14 to 13 until the final minute of play, when Sauer, who played a slashing, driving game all day, shuttled and pounded his way 65 yards along the sideline before Sarboe, deftly dodging blockers, nailed him on Brooklyn's 3-yard line.
GOES OFF TACKLE
On the second play the ex-Nebraska ace slanted off right tackle for the final score. Green Bay came to this city's mile high gridiron billed as the pro league's best passing outfit, but the Dodgers were the lads who made the onlookers forget their chilled feet with their passing exhibition. With Sarboe doing the throwing from a "spread" formation, the Flatbush outfit completed one long pass after another. Their second touchdown was scored with the third of three consecutive aerials that wiped out 80 yards. Green Bay, trailing 6 to 0, started the first of its touchdown sallies late in the third period, moving to Brooklyn's 20-yard line as the period ended. The Packers then fooled the Dodgers almost ludicrously with a play that started as an apparent end sweep and left Sauer all by himself for a 23-year sprint to the goal line. Arnold Herber, rated as the pro league's best passer, didn't connect with his receivers once in 14 heaves but he made the Packers' second touchdown opportunity with a beautiful 79-yard quick kick.
SAILS OVER HEAD
The ball sailed far over Joe Maniaci's head and rolled to a stop, as if charmed, one foot short of the Dodger goal. Brooklyn tried a strategem which boomeranged. Hartman faked a punt, then slung a pass which Clarke Hinkle, Green Bay fullback, intercepted eight years out and returned to the 3-yard line, from where Sauer cracked across. Right back came the Dodgers with the chunky, irrepressible Sarboe scampering out of the reach of Green Bay tacklers to throw three consecutive strikes, one to Maniaci for 26 yards, the second to Kaska for 26 yards, the third to Barrett for 29 and a touchdown. Later Brooklyn marched to Green Bay's 23 yard line, only to lose the ball when Kaska's attempted placekick from 31-yard line was blocked. This left the way for Sauer's pretty run through a swarm of foes and the third Packer score.
COULDN'T FIND RANGE
Herber just couldn't seem to find the range in the rarified atmosphere. Usually his throws were yard ahead of the outstretched fingers of his targets. Twice Sarboe stole long distance throws off the arm of Herber, former Regis college player here. Don Hutson, the Packer all-league end, was outclassed completely by Barrett, who played as if the game counted for the championship. His tackling was savage. Hinkle, another all-league star, punted well and hammered the line for sizeable gains. Bernard Scherer of Nebraska played sparkling football at end for the champions
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 21 - 21
BROOKLYN - 0 0 6 7 - 13
SCORING
3RD - BRK - Jimmy Hartman pass from Phil Sarboe (Kick failed) BROOKLYN 6-0
4TH - GB - George Sauer, 23-yard run (Kick good) GREEN BAY 7-6
4TH - GB - Sauer, 3-yard run (Kick good) GREEN BAY 14-6
4TH - BRK - Jeff Barrett, 29-yard pass from Sarboe (Hartman kick) GREEN BAY 14-13
4TH - GB - Sauer, 3-yard run (Kick good) GREEN BAY 21-13
TEAM LEAVES ZERO CLIMATE
JAN 2 (Denver) - The Green Bay Packer football squad, victor over the Brooklyn Dodgers in an exhibition contest here yesterday, left early this morning for the West, traveling by motor. They planned to spend tonight at Salt Lake City, Utah. The next contest on the Green Bay schedule will be against the Salinas Packers, coast professional champions, on Sunday, Jan. 10, at San Francisco. The squad now is en route to San Francisco, where it will make its headquarters at the William Taylor hotel...ACCOMPANIED BY WIVES: The following players are accompanied by their wives: George Svendsen, Frank Butler, Russ Letlow, Walter Kiesling, Lon Evans, Ade Schwammel, Don Hutson, Hank Bruder, Clarke Hinkle, Chester Johnston, Arnold Herber and Joe Laws. Mrs. Richard Smith, wife of the Packers' assistant coach, also accompanied her husband. The Packers were glad to leave Denver and get out of the near zero climate. After staying at Salt Lake City tonight, the party will stop at Reno, Nevada, Sunday night and will arrive in San Francisco Monday. Before leaving Denver Coach E.L. Lambeau paid high tribute to the playing of the Brooklyn team...PLAYED GREAT BALL: "The Dodgers played great ball against the Packers," he said. "Sarboe in particular was a star. Our passing game failed to produce for us, as many tries failed by inches, and Brooklyn's alert defense stopped two sure touchdowns. However, Sauer and Hinkle played great football, while Scherer, Schneidman, Engebretsen and Goldenberg were outstanding. The team came out of the game in good shape, with no injuries." Bud Jorgensen, property man, completed the Packer party.
PACKERS GET NICE WEATHER
JAN 8 (San Francisco) - Taking advantage of bright, sunny California weather, the Green Bay Packers are making great progress in their preparations for Sunday's football contest with the Salinas Iceburg Packers at Kezar stadium here. Arnold Herber, Green Bay passing ace who has been laid up with a severe cold, incurred while battling the snowdrifts west of Denver, reported for practice yesterday despite the fact that Coach E.L. Lambeau had excused him. "I couldn't stay in bed," Herber explained. He wore a towel around his neck muffler style, and the players immediately labeled him "Clark Gable". This handicap didn't keep Herber from punting 70 yards and passing accurately to receivers...STAY IN HOLLYWOOD: The Packers will remain here until Monday morning, when they will leave Los Angeles. During the next two weeks they will headquarter at the Hollywood Plaza hotel in Hollywood. Green Bay will play the Los Angeles Bulldogs at Gilmore stadium, Hollywood, Jan. 17, and will meet the Chicago Bears at the Los Angeles coliseum at Jan. 24. The press is stressing a probable passing duel between Herber and Lobero of Salinas. Lobero is the fellow who gave the Packers fits for a time in a game here last January and is hailed as the greatest passer on the coast. Lobero was signed by the Chicago Cardinals last year, but went into coaching. Ralph (Primo) Miller, who played with the Packers for a time at the start of the 1936 season, is with Salinas and is being used at end. He tells the Packers to watch their step, as the Iceberg squad is tough...WATCH CHINA CLIPPER: The Green Bay squad and wives are spending most of their free time sightseeing or playing golf. Every Wednesday at 4 o'clock the China Clipper takes off for Hawaii and most of the Packers are there to witness the spectacle. The great weather has aided the team materially in its daily workouts at the University of San Francisco field. Bud Jorgensen, property man, has been all over the country with the Packers but never before visited California, and he is getting a treat. When players call for supplies or assistance on the practice field, it is necessary to call several times to get him out of his trances, as he likes to look at the mountains, the Golden Gate or Inspiration point.
REEN BAY PACKERS MEET SALINAS SQUAD ON SUNDAY
JAN 9 (San Francisco) - Professional football's greatest team, the National championship Green Bay Packers, meets one of the best elevens ever assembled on the Pacific coast - the Salinas Iceberg Packers - here tomorrow. The game, marking the first Far Western appearance this season of the great Green Bay aggregation, is sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans of the World War. Part of the proceeds will be turned over to the organization for charitable purposes. Green Bay won the National league title, defeating the Boston Redskins in the playoff. Its record lists ten wins and one defeat for the past season. Coached by Earl (Curly) Lambeau of Notre Dame fame, its personnel includes such stars as Don Hutson, former all-America end from Alabama; Arnold Herber, acclaimed as the greatest
forward passer in the game; Ernie Smith, who earned his all-America laurels as University of Southern California tackle and a host of other luminaries. With all this array of talent opposing the pigskin stalwarts who gave Pacific Coast fans their biggest surprise of the season would appear to be stepping out of their class. On their record, however, the West Coast boys need no sympathy...ROLLS OVER OPPONENTS: Under the coaching and behind the playing of Ed Storm, former Santa Clara ace,
the Salinas squad rolled over teams of greater experience to claim the Pacific coast championship. The Storm-tutored team is the infant of coast football. It was organized last fall to become a cog in the newly organized and now defunct California Professional league. The California league blew up before a game had been played but Salinas went right along, playing independent ball. When the season ended, the boys from the lettuce packing district were on the top of the heap, with convincing if surprising victories over the Los Angeles Bulldogs coached by Gloomy Gus Henderson of collegiate renown, the Southern California All-Stars, led by the former U.S.C. center, Nate Barrager, and many other elevens of sectional might. Joe Kurth's Wisconsin Lagers came, saw and were conquered by Storm's red hot Icebergers. The season's record shows six wins and one loss, the latter to the Brooklyn NFL team..AIDED BY STARS: In compiling such an amazing record, as a player-coach, Storm had the assistance of some of the brightest former collegiate gridironers in this area. Storm himself had the benefit of playing with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National league but his teammates mainly were recruited from among those who had made marks only as college players. They include Larry Lutz, all-America tackle from the University of California, Bacciarini, flash halfback who graduated from the University of San Francisco, and others whose names meant but little on the outside during undergraduate days. Those who have watched the Salinas players in action claim they come closer to having retained the old college try and spirit than any other group of professional gridders now gathered together. To strengthen the coast team tomorrow, Al Nichelini,
former St. Mary halfback, and Frank Sobrero, ex-Santa Clara ball toter and passer, have been added to the lineup. Since leaving college, Nichelini has had much experience with the Chicago Cardinals...SHARES FULLBACK DUTIES: Storm, who shares fullback duties in addition to his coaching job, refused today to even concede his team should be considered the underdog. "If the field is dry, we will be difficult to stop," he said. "I might even say we will win. The folks around here won't believe we are so good. We had to wallop the Bulldogs before Southern California would take us seriously. What happens if we beat the Green Bay's? Can we claim the National title?" Coach Lambeau may have private opinions on the outcome but old in the way of football, both pro and amateur, declined to go on record as to the outcome: "Salinas is a clever outfit. It is not ready for the big leagues by it has enough on the ball to cause a big league team plenty of trouble. Storm has a balanced team and he has the plays. He has the type of organization that will give us trouble. You know what a big league team will do but you never can tell what a new team like Salinas will come up with." Clear, cold weather is forecast. The game will be played at Kezar stadium. The size of the crowd will depend on the weather - it may go 2,500 or three times that much...FANS FOLLOW TEAM: The special trains will bring Salinas fans, possibly 1,000 or more, to the contest. Coach Buck Shaw and his Santa Clara squad will attend as guests of the promoters. Shaw is tops on the coast at present following his fine season, being liked by everyone, and being given a testimonial dinner last Thursday night. The Packer management has invited all its future professional prospects in the vicinity to attend, and all have accepted with delight. Ty Cobb, former baseball great who has a ranch south of here, has attended the practices and has requested all the Green Bay players to autograph his program. Coach Lambeau has had the pleasure of visiting Cobb for the last four years, and has found him a great Packer fan. "I remember Green Bay back in the days of the Wisconsin-Illinois league, and it was a great sports town," said Ty, who unlike most athletes in fine condition. He will sit on the Green Bay bench during the game. Monday morning that Bays will leave for Los Angeles, and will be quartered at the Hollywood Plaza hotel for two weeks.
