Preseason: Game 1 - Green Bay Packers 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 7 (Tie)
Game 2 - Green Bay Packers 17, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Friday August 25th 1939 (at Green Bay)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(GREEN BAY) - Out of the melee of football at City stadium last night, a duke's mixture of the good and the bad, of new players and old, of brilliant plays and poor ones, came the general impression that the Green Bay Packers are going to have one powerful outfit by the time the NFL season rolls around. Those among the 9,416 fans who swarmed out to see the unique doubleheader contest with the Pittsburgh Pirates and expected a display of mid-season form were naturally disappointed, but those who came to search out sparks of future greatness in the record-sized Packer squad found plenty to talk about. With the forward pass as their main offensive weapon, the Packers snatched a 7 to 7 tie in the first game with a last minute touchdown, and completely overwhelmed Coach Johnny Blood's tiring outfit in the second by 17 to 0. More noteworthy than the offense last night was the great defensive work of the new Packer team. Pittsburgh scored against a recruit line at the start of the evening's exhibition, on the only sustained march of the game, but after that Packer linemen and backer-uppers were roving the Pirate backfield all night, knocking down ball carriers for losses and completely muffling passes for bad setbacks. The statistics tell this story even more sensationally. In the second game the Pirates gained a net yardage of five from scrimmage. In the first game they made 53, 38 of which came on the touchdown march. For the whole evening's work, in two games, Pittsburgh picked up only 151 yards from scrimmage and forward passes.
LACK IN BLOCKING
Lack of blocking was the chief obstacle to the Packer offense, but this is to be expected at this time of year. Only in the last half of the second game did the Bays put on any sustained drives; the rest of the time the the offense came in spurts, mainly on passes. The Packers' first touchdown in the second game is a good example. With the ball on their own 37-yard line, Cecil Isbell fired a beautiful pass to Carl Mulleneaux who carried it to the 13-yard line for a 50 yard gain. On the next play Isbell let fly at Don Hutson, who took it over the goal line for the score. Long passes like this 50-yard heave were the standout feature of the offense last night. They demonstrated that the Packers this year may be even more dangerous than heretofore at any moment of the game. Both Cecil Isbell and Arnie Herber were letting them fly way down the field, and a number of receivers demonstrated their ability to get into the clear and pick them off. Don Hutson didn't get much work on such attempts. Carl Mulleneaux and Frank Steen came through in sensational style. Besides Isbell's 50-yard toss to Mulleneaux, there was a 40-yarder from Herber to Steen; a gain of 33 yards from Isbell to Steen; a 24-yarder from Isbell to Mulleneaux and a 20-yarder from Herber to Mulleneaux. Intended to give the fans a preview of the new players, the game turned up two second year men as the outstanding performers of the evening, Carl Mulleneaux and Baby Ray.
SET UP TWO TOUCHDOWNS
Mulleneaux made sensational catches of passes from Isbell and Arnie Herber in both games, stood out on defense. He set up two touchdowns and scored one himself. He pulled the first game out of the fire when he jumped up between three Pittsburgh men to grab a fluke pass from Isbell, and a few plays later took another toss over the goal. Ray was in the Pirate backfield all night, and Baby is a big man to have lurking around when the opposing team is trying to run a reverse. On offense he simply blocked right through them. In the second game he bore down on Hugh McCullough and blocked a punt, chasing it to the 21-yard line where he fell on the ball. It resulted in Clarke Hinkle's 29-yard placement for three points. Among the freshmen, Frank Steen, Larry Craig, Jack Brennan and Weenie Wilson were the standouts. Steen nabbed some beautiful passes, looked good on defense, where Craig shown. Brennan was vicious on the offense. McGroarty got in some nice all-around work while Wilson showed that with proper blocking he will be a dangerous man afoot. Among the veterans it would be a sin not to mention Isbell, Herber, Hinkle, Jankowski, Gantenbein, Uram and Schneidman. But such performances are expected of these reliables.
PITTSBURGH - 7 0 0 0 - 7
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 7 - 7
SCORING
1ST - PITT - Sam Francis, 1-yard run (Francis kick) PITTSBURGH 7-0
4TH - GB - Carl Mulleneaux, 19-yard pass from Arnie Herber (Tiny Engebretsen kick) TIED 7-7
PITTSBURGH - 0 0 0 0 - 0
GREEN BAY - 0 10 0 7 - 17
SCORING
2ND - GB - Don Hutson, 13-yard pass from Cecil Isbell (Ernie Smith kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2ND - GB - Clarke Hinkle, 29-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0
4TH - GB - Hinkle, 3-yard run (Engebretsen kick) GREEN BAY 17-0
ANNOUNCE FOUR GRID RELEASES
AUG 26 (Green Bay) - Coach E.L. Lambeau announced the release of four Packers this morning before leaving for Chicago to visit the College All-Star camp at Evanston. Let go were John Lock, Fordham blocking back; Eddie McGroarty, Northland college fullback; Leo Katalinas, Catholic university tackle; and Obbie Novakofsky, Lawrence halfback. Lambeau's chief opinion of last night's game was that "there is lots and lots of room for improvement. To give the boys due credit it should be said that at no time was there a completely veteran lineup on the field," Lambeau continued, "but we've got lots of work ahead of us."...MORNING SQUAD MEETING: There was a squad meeting this morning at which the players were given the rest of the plays they will use in the Dallas All-Star game Sept. 4. The new assignments consisted of 20 plays, bringing the total now to about 60. Red Smith was in charge. A practice session is scheduled for Sunday morning, again secret. Dr. W.W. Kelly announced the following list of injuries: Ernie Smith, two fractured fingers; Cecil Isbell, bruised ribs; Charley Schultz, sprained right elbow; and numerous bruises. He said he did not consider any of them serious.
BRENNAN AND KELL OUTSTANDING AMONG YEARLING GRIDDERS HERE
AUG 26 (Green Bay) - Summation of the Green Bay Packer-Pittsburgh Pirate football exhibition at City stadium Friday night comes in the words of the respective coaches. After the 7 to 7 tie, and the 17 to 0 Packer victory, Green Bay coach Curly Lambeau said: "I definitely am dissatisfied...We need improvement in every department...Too many assignments were missed, especially in blocking...Timing was way off." But one man's poison was seen by Pittsburgh Coach Johnny Blood thusly: "I am proud of my kids...We should have won the first game...It's all in the old ball game."...JUST DIDN'T CLICK: Individually the Packers didn't do badly. As a team, they just didn't click. On the other hand, the Pirates worked as a unit that wasn't to be denied. Time caught up with them midway in the second game, but by then a large part of the 10,000 fans present was satisfied that Johnny's promise of a real ball club was no idle boast. Neither Johnny or Assistant Walt Kiesling had much to say about the opposition. They were too interested in their own team. And of the players, they pointed out nothing was unusual in view of what they had said at Two Rivers all last week. Hugh McCullough lived up to expectations. The former Oklahoma halfback did a fine job in the Pirate backfield. Pretty much on the spot because of notices that he was groomed to replace the famed Whizzer White, he came through. Ernie Wheeler, first year man from North Dakota State, also produced, and Sam Francis, the former Cornhusker and Chicago Bear, was one of the best backs on the field last night...MIDLER, SCHERER GOOD: The line that Kiesling has been coaching performed nobly. Lou Midler, Minnesota rookie, played a bang-up game of tackle, and former Packer Bernard Scherer, acting captain at the start of the first game, had no apologies to make in the department of end play. Packer new men that were particularly impressive were Paul Kell, tackle from Notre Dame, and Jack Brennan, guard from Michigan. When the season gathers steam and the chips are down, more will be heard of these boys. Four releases resulted from the exhibition. Backs John Lock of Fordham, Obbie Novakofski of Lawrence and Eddie McGroarty of Northland are free agents today. In the same category is Leo Katalinas, big tackle from Catholic university. Probably one of the most gratifying sights from the Packer viewpoint was the work of several veterans. Those who were wondering about Arnold Herber can quit guessing. The ball was wet - too wet for any great passing success - but Arnie got it away in creditable manner, without protection much of the time. What is more, he did some fancy running last night. Arnold definitely is set for a big year. Then there is the case of Clarke Hinkle, It is going to take a lot of concentrated nudging on somebody's part to edge him out of his position as the league's best fullback. Milt Gantenbein, a left end after long service on the right flank, is not going to take a back seat for anybody, and Herman Schneidman, most unpublicized of the Green Bay gridders, should come in for much deserved notice...GREENFIELD LOOKS GOOD: Bud Svendsen caught the crowd's fancy at center play, and Tom Greenfield, Arizona rookie, had some impressive moments. Nick Miketinac, away from the fanfare of a drive that almost put him on the Chicago All-Star team in 1938, turned in a nice body of work at right guard, but one of the best in this classification last night was the veteran Tiny Engebretsen. When Engebretsen, Ernie Smith and Gantenbein took over the left side of the Packer line, the defensive story has some happier climaxes than had turned up before. Certainly not to be overlooked is Carl Mulleneaux who is going to make somebody step awfully fast to rob him of all-league end honors this season unless he has a letdown. And Baby Ray, in various combinations, was the standout tackle of the evening. The games attracted more out of town fans than was anticipated. Such grandstand stalwarts as Kibbie Lucas of Madison and Glenn Vraneck of Chicago did a lot of driving to be here. Lucas came all the way from St. Louis, and Vraneck was in Champaign, Ill., when the football bug bit him. Thayer and Charles Snavely, former Green Bay residents, cut short a vacation in Canada to keep the gridiron date. Thayer now lives in Manitowoc, while Charles is located in Evanston, Ill. John Dunn made a rush trip from Escanaba, Mich., just to be on hand...HUGHITT IN CROWD: Tommy Hughitt, veteran National league official from Buffalo, was in the stands, and the George Svendsens came down from Antigo. George is well satisfied with his coaching setup in the northern Wisconsin city, but when the whistle blows he still has a feeling that he would like to be in there. George's team at Antigo is slated to be a honey this season. Representing the longest distance were Mr. and Mrs. Darlow W. Humphries of Frome, Somerset, and London, England, who saw their first American football game. They are the house guests of Mr. and Mrs. Herb Heilig of Appleton. Allen Dunaway of Pine Bluff, Ark., was in the stands. He was Don Hutson's high school coach. Representing the same profession was Jimmy Kitts, head man at Rice Institute and former coach of Packer end Frank Steen. Little things the crowd didn't overlook: Cecil Isbell playing without chain...Ernie Wheeler's great punting for Pittsburgh...the new push cart that Bud Jorgensen and Howie Levitas use for water refreshment to the players...McCullough's running...Swede Johnston's crashing play at fullback after dabbling at guard and blocking back...Joe Laws' spinning...and Head Linesman Jug Earpe's charitable treatment of the Packers in the way of offsides in the second quarter of the first game...Mike Michalske, one of the game's greatest guards and a former Packer, taking notes...but the notes were all on weaknesses in Johnny Blood's team...they were taken for Johnny.
LOOKING UP THE REALM OF SPORTS
AUG 26 (Green Bay) - A typical preseason exhibition, all-star game or practice encounter, call it what you will in this category, was almost the unanimous opinion of fans who witnessed the opening show of the year staged by the Packers against Pittsburgh last night. They called it ragged and erratic if they came to find fault, but they saw tremendous possibilities of power and drive if they came realizing that after all the regular football season is still almost a month away. Lack of effective blocking worked a hardship on new men striving to strut their stuff as ball carriers. Boys like Tuffy Thompson, Weenie Wilson, Norm Purucker and Obbie Novakofski have to be sprung into the open before they can shine, and they had to carry their own freight a lot of the time last night. Thus it is that it is difficult to pass judgment today on many of the Packers' new backs. But as for the linemen, that's a different story. For from the Packer angle this was mainly a defensive show, and among the new men names like Frank Steen and Tom Moore, Larry Craig and Jack Brennan were already on the lips of the town this morning. Not to mention the appelations their mothers gave Carl Mulleneaux, Baby Ray, Herman Schneidman and Tom Greenfield. From Curly's angle the game could hardly have been more enlightening. If his boys had played perfect ball he would have been up a tree from now until the first league game. As it is he knows just what's to be done at the coming practice sessions, and he has a hunch the boys know it too. There will be lots of work on blocking and offensive assignments, more drills on timing of passes, more stress on deception in the ground plays. There's the little matter of a trip to Dallas, Tex., coming up around Labor day, and an all-star game in which the Packers will be seeking the first win to be posed by the pro contestant in the four years of the classic. After that it's the Cardinals on Sept. 17, and by that time, if the hunches of a lot of pigskin-rabid Green Bayites are correct, there's going to be a rumpus raised in the NFL by a team representing a little town up in the Wisconsin woods. From the comments heard it is safe to say that the idea of last night's game found favor with a great majority of those present. It drew a crowd into the stadium which surpassed the Packer officials' fondest hopes, 9,416 of them. It was launched with an impressive ceremony in which each of the 42 men on the squad was introduced individually to the crowd. The bright lights in the perfect night, the great glorious feeling of getting out into the stadium again with a vast crowd of football-nuts people, all put the fans into an expectant mood. We wouldn't say that the game demonstrated by Johnny Blood is going to have tough sledding this year. It wasn't too fair a test for the Pirates, whose lack of reserve strength told over the extra long 80-minute route. Pittsburgh started out red hot, and uncovered two freshmen aces who are bound to cause trouble, Hugh McCullough and Ernie Wheeler. Sam Francis had a great night, and old Bernie Scherer didn't do bad by himself. Pittsburgh too has a good way to come, and by the middle of the season the Packers may be glad they don't have to meet up with Blood's crew again for a crucial contest.
PACKERS WANT HOVLAND, HOFER
AUG 26 (Green Bay) - Coach Curly Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers,far from satisfied with the showing of some of his 42 gridiron candidates in the twin bill exhibition affairs with the Pittsburgh Pirates here Friday night, left Saturday in an effort to sign two players to Green Bay contracts. Bill Hofer, 205 pound blocker from the 1938 Notre Dame squad, and Lyn Hovland, former Badger star and outstanding guard in the camp of the College All-Stars at Evanston, Ill., are the players the Bay mentor is after. Both were drafted by the Packers and rights to their services belong solely to the Green Bay club - if they can be induced to sign a contract. The Notre Dame back is considered an ideal blocker, big, fast and shifty, besides being an alert defensive player. Hovland was a standout for two years at Wisconsin and has been starring daily with the All Stars this fall. He's a rough and tough player, big enough to cope with the pros and fast enough to do a lot of good on the offensive. Before leaving, Lambeau found time to cut four players from his squad of 42 in training here. Those cut from the Bay roster are: Leo Katalinas, former Catholic university tackle who stuck with the club last year as a rookie; John Locke, former Fordham university fullback, also with the club part of last season; Ed McGroarty, Milwaukee youth who player four years of sensational ball at Northland college, and Obbie Novakofski, star halfback of the Lawrence college Vikings for the last three years. Katalinas came up to the Bays last year as one of the youngest rookies. He revealed considerable promise, though lacking in experience, and was considered a leading tackle candidate for this year. However, his play this fall indicated he had failed to come along as fast as expected and added weight had slowed him up. Locke lacked the necessary speed to fit into the Packers' modified Notre Dame style of offense. McGroarty displayed considerable power in the Pittsburgh twin bill Friday night, but was considered not quite fast enough for a "Notre Dame" type of fullback. The kid is big, rough, ready and willing, but lack of speed and inability to handle the difficult spinner stuff with machine-like precision resulted in his being released. However, Mike Michalske, ex-Packer, and Line Coach Red Smith of the Packers have both lined up posts for him in leagues of a lower classification and he may be back with a year of pro ball behind him. Novakofski's lack of size and weight handicapped him greatly. The little ex-Viking made a great reputation for himself in the college ranks as a runner and a better than average passer, but with size a premium in the pro league, and with several other spot runners on the list, Lambeau decided to cut him adrift. The release of the quartet leaves 38 men still in training here and four other Packer candidates who are training with the College All-Stars. This squad of 42 will have to be cut to 33 by the time the season opens and to 30 after the first two league games.
PACKER SQUAD SET FOR TEXAS
AUG 27 (Green Bay) - Curly Lambeau, coach of the Green Bay Packers, stopped off in Milwaukee Saturday afternoon on his return from a hurried trip to the camp of the College All-Stars Saturday morning and announced that the injured Packer draftees in the camp all would be ready to join Green Bay Thursday. Included are Larry Buhler of Minnesota, who is just beginning to be himself again after a bad automobile accident last winter; Frank Balasz of Iowa, who hurt his shoulder in practice, and Harry Jacunski of Fordham, who injured a leg. Lambeau intends to have all of them accompany the Packers to Dallas for the game with the Southwest College All-Stars Labor day night. The Packers will leave for the south Thursday. Lambeau also announced that Lyn Hovland of Wisconsin had definitely decided not to play, because of school work, and that Francis Twedell of Minnesota had not yet made up his mind. The Packer coach expressed satisfaction with the showing of his own charges in the doubleheader with Pittsburgh Friday night. "We were ragged in a lot of spots, which was to be expected," he said, "but I think we showed a lot of potential strength." Lambeau thinks Wednesday's game is a tossup which will be decided by the breaks.
FRANCIS TWEDELL ON CONTRACT WITH PACKER TEAM
AUG 28 (Green Bay) - Francis Twedell, giant All-American guard from Minnesota, and a starter in Wednesday night's College All-Star game at Chicago, will join the Green Bay Packers on their trip to the Dallas All-Star game Thursday as a full-fledged member of Green Bay's 1939 pro football squad, Coach E.L. Lambeau announced today. Lambeau signed Twedell, who was on the Packers' draft list, to a contract when he visited the All-Stars' camp at Evanston Saturday. Twedell is now about 10 to 15 pounds over his regular playing weight of 230, Lambeau said, but one of the conditions of his playing with Green Bay is that he get down to regular weight immediately. The Packer squad will pull out of Chicago for Dallas Thursday noon, with some of the Green Bay players going to the game in Chicago Wednesday night and others leaving here Thursday morning...BALAZS IMPROVES FAST: More good news for Green Bay fans is that Frank Balazs, outstanding fullback recruit from Iowa who was injured in a recent All-Star scrimmage, has come along fast and will also go to Dallas ready for action. Larry Buhler is also in tip-top shape now, Lambeau said, and he and Charley Brock will also make the trip. Harry Jacunski, Fordham end, had a previous contract to play with an All-Star team in the East and will leave for New York before joining the Bays' squad. Twedell, regular guard at Minnesota for the last three seasons, was mentioned on a number of All-American teams last fall. His signing gives Green Bay four men from last year's Gopher squad, along with Buhler, Charley Schultz and Frank Kilbourne...BACK TO WORK: The Packers returned to regular workouts Sunday morning with the Dallas game as their next objective, a game in which the pro entrants have suffered three consecutive defeats. They held another session again this morning, both of which were devoted to going over slip-ups in assignments and offensive tactics revealed in the Pittsburgh doubleheader here Friday night. Lambeau said that he has not yet been able to hold a blocking drill due to the fact that many of the men are still carrying bruises from Friday's game, but that a rougher drill is scheduled for Tuesday.
LOOKING UP IN THE REALM OF SPORTS
AUG 28 (Green Bay) - This week is the last opportunity for Packer fans to obtain season tickets, according to E.A. (Spike) Spachmann, keeper of the wicket. A deadline of Sept. 1 has been set on the sale of books of seats for the four home Packer games. Packer season ticket sales have shown sizeable increases over the past four season, and this year's total seems destined to surpass last year's, but even at that the number is still comparatively low when one considers the advantages of buying seats in this manner. Sales to date has hit just about 2,000, as compared to a 2,200 total last year. In 1937 they totaled about 1,500, in 1936 about 1,200. Spachmann believes this year's figure may go as high as 2,500. By purchasing season tickets the fan saves himself the increase in the cost of tickets for the Chicago Bear and Detroit Lion games. For instance, for a box seat he pays $2.75 straight, or $11.00, If he were to purchase the tickets separately pay $2.75 for Cardinal and Cleveland games and $3.30 for the Bears and Detroit, a total of $12.10. There is a corresponding savings for the other seat classifications. But aside from the just the momentary saving the fan assures himself through a season ticket of having the same seat at each game. a hand-picked location; he can forget all about trying to get a good seat at the last minutes when the stands are practically sold out, picking up tickets every week or waiting in line at the stadium. If he likes his location he can also reserve his seats from year to year. A notice is sent out to all season ticket holders on July 1 asking them if they wish to reserve their seats again for the new year, and a complete record is kept of all season ticket holders and their seat numbers. If a season ticket holder has guests show up unexpectedly for a game, he can get full value for his seats in exchange for a larger block, and officials try to secure seats for him as close as possible to his usual location. Spachmann estimates that about 25 percent of season ticket holders are out-of-towners. The Packers have always appreciated the way both Green Bayites and visitors have gotten behind the season ticket sales, but they still think a lot of regular attendants are missing a golden opportunity to save themselves money and a lot of trouble.
PACKERS GROOM FOR BIG GAME AT DALLAS
AUG 29 (Green Bay) - The Southwest All-Star game at Dallas, Tex., in which the Green Bay Packers will participate Monday night, Sept. 4, presents one of the best college all-star teams of any of the "dream" games, in the opinion of Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau. "We'll run up against a real club at Dallas," he said today. "They've beaten the pros three times running, and this year Coaches Dutch Meyer and Matty Bell claim they have a better team than ever before." The Packers will entrain for the Texas city Thursday morning, though some of the boys are expected to leave Wednesday afternoon in order to witness the Chicago All-Star game Wednesday night. The whole squad, however, augmented by four recruits from the Chicago All-Star battle, will leave the Windy City Thursday noon, arriving in Dallas Friday morning, where they headquarter at the Adolphus hotel. There will be practice sessions under the lights Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights...PACKER ALL-STARS: The four All-Stars are Francis Twedell, Minnesota guard signed Monday; Charley Brock, Nebraska center; Larry Buhler, Minnesota fullback; and Frank Balazs, Iowa fullback. Twedell and Brock are starters for the Chicago All-Stars. Coach Lambeau continued to work his squad on offensive and blocking timing at Monday morning's session, with the Bays running through all 60 of their plays, including the new 20 which were added to the list for the Dallas game. Surprise of the day was the passing of Weenie Wilson. The little Dubuque halfback had never participated in passing drill previously, but asked to take a hand at it yesterday. He turned out to be a sensational tosser, and Lambeau labeled him the best thrower on the field outside of Arnie Herber and Cecil Isbell, veteran Packer pig-putters. Wilson hence saw a lot of service at the left halfback spot. Both Andy Uram and Tuffy Thompson are being bothered a bit by hangovers from the Pittsburgh doubleheader, so it appears that Wilson will get into a lot of action at Dallas, and the speedy little back is asking for just such an opportunity...1938 GRIDIRON GREATS: The All-Stars first team at Dallas will present a number of 1938's gridiron greats, including Davey O'Brien at quarterback, Ki Aldrich at center and I.B. Hale, Texas Christian's All-American, at tackle. There will be two other of the nation's leading passers last year in action, Billy Patterson of Baylor and Darrell Tully of East Texas Tech. The rest of the All-Star team lines up with Forrest Kline of T.C.U. and Jack Rhodes of Texas at guards; Allie White at the other tackle; Billy Dewell of S.M.U. and Sam Boyd of Baylor at ends; and John Hall. T.C.U., Dick Todd, Texas A. and M., and Elmer Tarbox, Texas Tech, at the backs along with O'Brien. Boys is the end who played with Pittsburgh against the Packers here last week. Coaches for the Texas All-Stars are selected on last year's records, Lambeau explained. Hence Meyer, coach of the Southwest Methodist greats, is head coach and Bell of T.C.U. is his assistant. These men then get together with the rest of the coaches in the Southwest and pick the outstanding men of the past season for their squad.
FLASHY PACKER SQUAD IS READY FOR DALLAS TILT
AUG 30 (Green Bay) - "'They're beginning to catch on now," remarked Assistant Coach Red Smith of the Packers after he had run linemen through a tough blocking drill yesterday. Smith's remarks echoed those of all concerned as the Bays went through one of the most earnest drills they have put in for almost two weeks. The big pro squad took a final workout this morning, and prepared tonight to hop the North Western's 7 o'clock train tomorrow morning en route to Dallas, Tex., where the Packers' next assignment is against a picked squad of Southwestern College All-Stars Labor day night. A number of players left today to see tonight's Chicago All-Star game, and the whole squad, consisting of 36 men, four of them pickups from the Chicago All-Star squad, will pull out of Chicago tomorrow noon. They will arrive in Dallas Friday morning where night sessions are scheduled Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Bays really got down to work Tuesday and ran through a long blocking session, then went into dummy scrimmage and signal drill. Arnie Herber turned up with a sore pitching arm, but Dave Woodward was confident he would have it in shape in quick order, while injuries to Andy Uram, Tuffy Thompson and Charley Schultz also were coming along well. Ernie Smith, who broke two fingers in the Pittsburgh game, was not at practice Monday or Tuesday...ISBELL IS IMPRESSIVE: Cecil Isbell impressed during the passing drill the last few days with his long tosses. Last year he was regarded as accurate at only the shorter distances, but he has been hitting Don Hutson, Frank Steen and Carl Mulleneaux with long tosses consistently. Weenie Wilson again was taking a throwing role yesterday. In a brief punting drill Clarke Hinkle was definitely finding his form, and booted three or four out of the park and almost into East river. Another feature was Wayland Becker's passing from punt formation, Becker hitting receivers with regularity. Lambeau today announced the makeup of the squad that will take the trip to Dallas. Several men who are injured or who yet haven't showed a mastering of this season's plays are remaining in Green Bay.
LOOKING UP IN THE REALM OF SPORTS
AUG 30 (Green Bay) - Lavvie Dilweg, who played a lot of end for the Green Bay Packers in his day and who still maintains an active interest in the game as an official, have his first-hand impressions of the 1939 Packers at the Lions club Monday, based on the debut against Pittsburgh last week. Lots of hidden power and lots of possibilities was the general way in which he characterized the team, which he said was equal to former years and if anything stronger. The end material was outstanding in Lavvie's opinion, and he singled out two new wingmen for praise, Frank Steen and Larry Craig. Steen he called "an excellent running mate for Hutson, and almost as fast." He envisions another Hutson-Blood combination to worry pass defenses in Hutson and Steen. Craig he called outstanding on the defense. Using him in the blocking back position on offense and at end on defense when Hutson will shift into the backfield will provide a successful combination, relieving Don of a lot of bruising defensive play which his build is not too well suited to sustain, he pointed out. Baby Ray he called the outstanding tackle on the field, and Milt Gantenbein is in the best shape of his career, he believes. He called Carl Mulleneaux the outstanding man on the field, and said that if he continues such type of play he will be hard to keep off the pro All-American, though he emphasized that there still are a lot of games left in the season. Clarke Hinkle was his usual self...Notes from Packer practice Tuesday: The picture of Don Hutson working on Baby Ray in blocking practice, and holding his own. One Packer official on the sidelines remarked, "They're getting the right kind of line instruction now. Just look at those boys throw a block and stick it to a man. They don't fall down on the ground like they used to and let the defensive man step over them."
PACKERS THREATEN AERIAL ATTACK ON DALLAS STARS
AUG 30 (Green Bay) - The good folk of Dallas, it was promised tonight by Green Bay Packer officials, are going to get a dose of spiraling prickly pears every bit as thorny as those grown by the current crop of Southwest All-Stars. This gentle hint as to the tactics
the professional grid club may employ against the All Stars, was made on the eve of departure for a Dallas training camp in preparation for the battle Labor day. The Bays, 36 strong, leave in the morning. They are scheduled to work out among the cacti Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Coach Curly Lambeau will rely principally on Arnie Herber and Cecil Isbell as bombers, and Don Hutson, Carl Mulleneaux and Frank Steen as targets for aerial maneuvers. These players have been improving right along, and given the right sort of cooperation, should slip a few over. Lambeau warns the team is really handing assignments and is much better on timing, which was woefully lacking here last week against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although Herber has a sore throwing flipper, it should be all right with rest and massaging. The southwest "dream" team has beaten down pro opponents three years in succession and observers say the Packers will have a hard time to put anything that's passed over on these gentry. who have been rigorously schooled in the advanced Southern methods of executing a pass.
PACKERS LEAVE FOR DALLAS TO ENGAGE SOUTHWEST ALL-STARS
AUG 31 (Green Bay) - Keyed for action, their machine functioning with a high degree of efficiency for so earl in the season, the Green Bay Packers left today on the long jump south to Dallas, Tex., where they will engage the Southwest All-Stars in a football game on Labor day night. Despite the early hour, a fair sized crowd had gathered around the Milwaukee road station at 7 o'clock this morning to see the pro gridders off. They are scheduled to arrive in the Lone Star metropolis at 9:35 tomorrow morning. At Chicago the contingent was joined by the four recruits who had been elected to the College All-Star roster, as well as several other Packers who had gone down to Chicago yesterday to take in the annual classic. 36 men is making the invasion. Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau indicated that the Packers will rely heavily on forward passing in their game at Dallas. Halfbacks Arnie Herber and Cecil Isbell will do the passing, with ends Don Hutson, Carl Mulleneaux and Frank Steen as their targets...WILSON TO THROW: Also expected to do some passing is halfback Weenie Wilson, newcomer from Dubuque who is one of the year's surprises. Recent workouts showed that he has the ability to thrown sensational passes with great accuracy. The trip is not being regarded as a pleasure excursion, although in the last few days the Packers showed that they are rapidly getting in form. Coach Lambeau has attempted to disillusion any players or fans who might have had thoughts of a pushover Labor day night. "These All-Stars have beaten NFL teams three years running. We are going to have a job on our hands," he asserted before leaving. Playing conditions also will be somewhat different from what the Packers enjoyed in Green Bay. The Packers want to make full use of the time given them before game time to get accustomed to the weather and other details. Coaching the Southwest All-Stars are Dutch Meyer and Matty Bell. By no less authority than Coach Lambeau, it is stated that this aggregation of gridders is a really top-notch outfit of footballers, hand-picked from the best of recent college crops...TEAM IS BETTER: "The team at Dallas, we have good reason to believe, is better than ever this year," Lambeau added. Injuries to the Packer squad are clearing up rapidly. Of men who have been hurt, only Ernie Smith is missing the trip. Ernie fractured two fingers in the Pittsburgh doubleheader here last Friday, and while he is improving rapidly, he had to be absent from recent workouts. A lame wing - the one with which he does his spectacular pitching - has bothered Arnie Herber to some extent for several days, but Trainer Dave Woodward does not regard it as serious. Andy Uram, Tuffy Thompson and Charley Schultz also have had slight hurts, but are coming along fast.
PACKERS OFF FOR DALLAS
AUG 31 (Green Bay) - As the Green Bay Packers boarded the train here Thursday for their Dallas engagement with the Southern College All-Stars, a veteran ventured his opinion that should passes fail the Bays - like the New York Giants - may fall back on field goals. What Coach Curly Lambeau and his board of strategy have in mind, besides an aerial attack to employ against the Southwest dream team, is not known, but it's generally conceded that a strong line and a single purpose may turn the trick. Last night, the Giants turned back the All Stars at Chicago, 9 to 0, only via the educated toe of Ward Cuff and Ken Strong, the latter gent thus celebrating his reinstatement into the National league after playing with an outlaw team. The Packers have a strong line, what with Larry Craig, Ray Svendsen, et al, and they are presumed to have a single purpose, This, club officials hint, will be passing. Lately, Lambeau has been schooling his players into the mysteries of complicated aerial maneuvers. And the Bays have some nimble kickers, too, in the persons of Clarke Hinkle, Tiny Engebretsen and Dick Zoll. In the last few practices this trio has been polishing up on their aerial footwork. They may not be able to excel Cuff or Ralph Kercheval of the Brooklyn Dodgers, but on occasion they can split the goal posts neat. Of the squad of 36 en route to a Dallas training camp for the Labor day workout Cecil Isbell is expected to share as big a burden as any. The Purdue youngster, who is now a passing hope, will be double effective, as he can always fall back and start hoofing it. Then there is recruit Craig, who may be used as a buffer for pass catcher Don Hutson on offensive plays, being switched from his end post to the blocking back position. Others are Ray, giant tackles, Eddie Jankowski and Frank Steen.
LOOKING UP IN THE REALM OF SPORTS
AUG 31 (Green Bay) - Cecil Isbell of the Green Bay Packers, who overshadowed the 1938 College All-Star game in Chicago as no one player succeeded in doing last night, again has a starring role in the 1939 contest. After the impressive band display at halftime, Cecil was presented with a huge trophy for being the outstanding player in last year's classic, and Cecil responded to the presentation speech by Purdue university's beauty queen with an address which not only created a great impression with the crowd but also brought the Green Bay Packers into the conversation. "I think I'm the luckiest man in all the world," Isbell said. "The only disappointment I have tonight is that the Green Bay Packers aren't representing the professional league instead of the New York Giants. I don't want to take any credit away from the Giants. They beat up and did it up right, but my only hope is that some year when I'm still with the Packers I'll be coming back to play in front of a great crowd of people like this again." "If the Packers are here next year they better send Cecil Isbell out to talk," the announcer commented, "and they'll have them all beaten." President Carl Storck followed Isbell on the stand and presented Mel Hein with the NFL's ousttanding player award for 1938, a beautiful diamond ring in memory of Joe F. Carr. "I know that there were a lot of other players in the league who are entitled to this the same as I am," Hein said, "but just the same I'm going to keep it." Center Charley Brock of Nebraska, a 1939 Packer recruit, was the first All-Star to appear on the field in the glare of the giant floodlights, and he was followed by Francis Twedell of Minnesota, giving Packer fans at the game another thrill.
PACKERS' SPIRITS HIGH FOR INVASION OF DALLAS
SEPT 1 (Aboard Packers Special, en route to Dallas) - If anybody on this Green Bay Packer squad is too deeply concerned about the forthcoming game against the Southwest College All-Stars, he doesn't show it. Right now, with the Chicago All-Star game thoroughly threshed over, the Clarke Hinkle-Milt Gantenbein bridge combine is in a no-holds-barred combine with the Richard Smith-Hank Bruder duo. As the train rolled into Chicago, there were no casualties, either to participants or kibitzers. The morale of the squad is the psychologist's dream of spirits on an elevated plane. Not that the boys are overconfident. To call them that would be unjust. But they were well aware of their vast potentialities on the gridiron, and the fact that the stars from the passing country have humbled the professional teams in three previous combats means little to them. There is little time for stretching legs along the way. Fifteen minutes in Chicago and 20 in St. Louis is all that the schedule, carefully worked out by Ed Crim, allows. At Union station in Chicago, Coach E.L. Lambeau and a dozen of the players who watched the game there Wednesday night joined the squad which up to that time had been under the direction of Assistant Coach Smith...ALL-STARS IMPRESSIVE: Packers who played in the Chicago game were impressive, Lambeau said, despite brief appearances. Charley Brock, the Nebraska center, and Francis Twedell, newest Packer addition from Minnesota, were in the Stars starting lineup. Harry Jacunski also participated, but he left to join the Eastern All-Stars for another game against the Giants. That Frank Balazs, Iowa, and Larry Buhler, Minnesota, a pair of Packer backs, didn't play is no reflection on their ability. They are going to be handy in the Packers backfield before the season is very old. (Word carried by special courier from the front states that the Gantenbein-Hinkle bridge team was set two, and the informant adds that it should have been four.) Youngest in the special Packers coaches is Ray Crim, son of the aforementioned Ray Crim, who is an employee of the railroad. Ray, age 9, saw every Packer game last season, including the two in New York City. He will go all the way to Dallas with the team. Only one things mars the trip for him. He misses Bob Monnett. And he isn't along in that respect. After making that admission regarding Bob, Ray asserted: "Hinkle is my favorite this year." As the football season starts in earnest, Ray will enter the fourth grade at Annunciation school. Will he out for the football team? Indeed he will...WILSON IS YOUNGSTER: Outside of Ray, Don (Weenie) Wilson is the "youngster" of the crew. He is a couple of years older than some of the boys, but as the train pulled past De Pere Arnie Herber surveyed the assemblage, pointed to Wilson, and said: "This is quite a trip for a little boy like you..Who is going to take care of you?" Larry Craig accepted the assignment. (Off the record one of the boys added that Craig would "take care" of a lot of' em this year...and he didn't mean Packers.) Speaking of Wilson, he and guard Ed Brennan just took a very complete course in cribbage from the old card maestra, Arnold Herber, and Frank Steen. Steen, whose home is in Dallas, was invited to play with the Southwest All-Stars against the Washington Redskins last season, but had to decline. He was playing baseball with the Houston club of the Texas league. It was the baseball contract that prevented Steen from signing with the Packers last season. This year he stipulated that his baseball activities would cease Aug. 1...PUSH OFF DELAYED: Some last-minute telephoning and a check of those present delayed the start of the trip from Green Bay. It was erroneously announced that the team was leaving from the North Western station, and even the railroad men were momentarily baffled. The players, however, had received the correct directions from Smith, and the takeoff from the Milwaukee Road station was accomplished without a miss. Hank Bruder's breakfast afforded no little amusement when the waiter couldn't get the order straight - and then served the ordinarily one-course meal in installments. First of all, two glasses of orange juice turned up instead of the breakfast food he ordered. Then his eggs came without his toast, and the toast without jelly. After considerable prompting he managed to get a pot of coffee, but ti took more inveigling to produce a cup and saucer. Next on the missing list was cream. The coffee was cool by the time that arrived. Commented Hinkle as he listened to Hank's woeful tale: "That will teach you to eat breakfast at home."...JONET, WIFE ALONG: Head man from the Packer front office on the trip is Frabk Jonet, club treasurer, accompanied by Mrs. Jonet. She and Mrs. Crim are the only women in the party. Visitor for part of the trip was John Cofrin, former Lake Forest prep gridder who graduated from Princeton a few years ago and more recently came out of the Michigan law school. He watched Packer Brennan at Ann Arbor and is of the opinion that he cut quite a niche in the National league. Dallas should tell a lot of things about many of the boys, and Brennan is one whom the cards seem to favor.
BROADCAST GAME
SEPT 1 (Green Bay) - Russ Winnie, popular sports announcer, will be in Dallas Monday night to present a broadcast account of the Green Bay Packers-Southwest All-Stars clash. The program, direct from the field, will be heard by tuning in WTMJ at 8 o'clock.
PACKERS SO STRONG LAMBEAU IS SCARE
SEPT 1 (Milwaukee Journal) - A bright sunny day and Curly Lambeau hurrying down the street in a slicker and with an open umbrella would be a sight, indeed. Yet, judging by Lambeau's mood in these early days of the football season, that's just what you might expect. The canny Belgian, by his own words, has such a promising array of material, which has looked so good in practice, that he's actually afraid. It has looked too good. A lot of coaches would probably give anything to be in his sad plight, if that's what you can call it, but he gives a reasonable expectation of something which at first doesn't seem to add up. "We've got everything to win a championship," he said before leaving for Dallas Thursday, where Monday night the Packers will meet the southwest college all-stars in a charity game. "We've got most of last year's men, and they've returned in better shape than ever before. We've added some fine new men and strengthened our club where we needed help most, at center and ends. We've got as good a layout as we've ever had - and that's just the trouble. Everybody is so optimistic that I'm scared stiff this team might get the idea the championship ought to be presented forthwith and forget to play football. You know that happened to us once before. In 1936, our last championship year, we got into such a self-satisfied mood that the Bears knocked us off, 30-3, right after the season began. Then we settled down to business and started to play the football of which we were capable and finally won the title." Lambeau's point is well made. Many potentially fine seasons have been ruined by overoptimism and its first cousin, overconfidence. But it's still hard to sympathize with him. You just don't kid yourself about this squad. It's a dandy, and with the right mental attitude, which is something of a fetish with the head master here, the Packers ought to be in the thick of the fight all the way. Lambeau says he thinks this is potentially as good a squad as he has ever had. It has speed, a well balanced personnel and a fine spirit, unaffected so far by the natural optimism and high feeling around town. Two things have been especially encouraging to Lambeau in the early days of traininig. The first is the performance of the veterans who, as he puts it, "have looked better than ever." They reported in fine shape and have dug in with a will. The second is the performance of the new men, particularly men acquired to plug gaps at center and the ends. He thinks he made a ten strike when, among others, he got such boys as Larry Craig of South Carolina and Frank Steen of Rice for the ends and Bud Svendsen, a former Packer who coached at Kirksville, Mo., last year, Tom Greenfield of Arizona and Charles Brock of Nebraska, who played in the All-Star game in Chicago Wednesday, for center. Only once in all this talk about his squad and hopes did Lambeau let an honest to goodness frown crease his forehead. It was when he referred to Bobby Monnett and the little firecracker's decision not to play pro ball this year because of his engineering job in Ohio.
PACKERS DRILL FOR ALL-STARS IN DALLAS HEAT WAVE
SEPT 2 (Dallas) - With the sun cutting loose with a blast that sent the mercury scurrying up to a seasonal high of 106 degrees, 36 members of the Green Bay Packer football team went through a two-hour workout Friday afternoon that Coach Curly Lambeau described as "very satisfactory". Only one member of the squad was absent. He was Frank Balazs, the Iowa All-Star fullback who joined the squad at Chicago Thursday. Balazs was running a fever Friday morning, and Trainer Dave Woodward ordered him to bed. He showed a marked recovery last night. Other All-Star additions to the Packer squad fitted in surprisingly well, an Coach Lambeau stated after the workout that "there is no reason why Brock, Buhler and Twedell should not see considerable action Monday night." Don Wilson and Herman Schneidman were the only players who showed any ill effect from the heat. Both are under observation by Woodward who believes they will be in shape for the game. Wilson also bruised his right leg but the injury isn't believed to be serious...WORK IN BOWL: While the Packers worked out in the Cotton bowl, where the game will be played, their opponents, the Southwest All-Stars practiced at Southern Methodist field. Coach Matty Bell of S.M.U. and Dutch Meyer, who taught forward passing at 12 coaching schools this summer, are in charge. Heading their list of 30 luminaries are Billy Patterson of Baylor, outstanding back in the Chicago All-Star game; Davey O'Brien of Texas Christian, a
near diety in this part of the country; Ki Aldrich and I.B. Hale, center and tackle from the same school; John Dewell, end from Southern Methodist, and Darrell Tulley, East Texas Teachers. The latter ranks with Patterson and O'Brien in the art of passing and has been signed by the Detroit Lions. Interest in the All-Star game here this year surpasses that of previous contests by a wide margin, according to those in charge. Jimmy Stewart, chairman of the group, reports that ticket sales are 50 percent better than last year at this time. In last season's contest the Stars defeated the Washington Redskins, and previous to that knocked off the Chicago Bears in consecutive years. Because of this, fans here are inclined to treat the professional gridders lightly. However, Dutch Meyer said today:...PACKERS ARE BETTER: "We believe that the Packers will offer the greatest opposition we have had down here." And Bell added: "Jimmy Kitts (Rice Institute coach) saw the Packers against Pittsburgh and we are prepared for a tough game. He says Curly's team passes more than Dutch's Frogs." The spirit of the All-Stars here differs from that usually found in such aggregations. The boys are all from the south, and they have a spirit of fraternity born of sectionalism. They are out to keep the record clear from a pro team blemish, and have been working seriously with that end in crew for several weeks. At a rules meeting between coaches and game representatives, it was decided to move the goal posts up to the goal line, professional style, and the dead ball rule was modified. Under the regulation adopted, the carrier may continue with the ball if he is in the open field and his body accidentally touches the ground...WILL LOSE EFFECTIVENESS: One concession Coach Lambeau wanted, but didn't obtain. Will cost the Packers 20 percent of their offensive plays, according to the Green Bay mentor. Lambeau wanted allowance for passing anywhere behind the line of scrimmage. Bell and Meyer held out for the five-yard limitation, and won. There were other minor concessions on both sides, and outside the stipulation on passing Lambeau figures that the breaks were about even. When the team arrived in Dallas Friday morning, it was met by a special police escort. The players were paraded around the business section in a chartered bus, and then taken to the Adolphus hotel where they are making their headquarters. When the sun went down on Friday's practice, the boys stood it better, so the next two drills, tonight and Sunday, will be held after 8 p.m. Many of the players attended the Texas league baseball game between San Antonio and Dallas. Others attended Midget auto races the State fair park as guest of the management.
TICKETS ARE READY
SEPT 2 (Green Bay) - Season tickets for Green Bay Packer football games are ready and may be picked up any time now at the Packer ticket office in the Legion building, E.A. Spachmann announced today. Starting next Tuesday the office will be open from 9 am to 9 pm on week days, he said. It will be closed Monday.
PACKER NOTES
SEPT 3 (Milwaukee Sentinel) - Wisconsin's Green Bay Packers, with the mistakes of the practice twin bill against Johnny Blood's Pittsburgh Pirates still fresh in their memories, do battle with the Texas All-Stars Monday night at Dallas. With considerable of the chaff culled from the 1939 crop, the Packers will enter the game fairly well prepared, perhaps as well prepared as one could expect this early in the campaign. A lesson learned in 1937, in the Chicago All-Star fracas, will probably bear fruit in Monday's skirmish. The lesson was not to take All-Star teams lightly as the Bays did in the Chicago game. The Texas Stars have been unbeaten by a pro club in three previous frays. Twice the Collegians beat the Chicago Bears and last year they scalped the Washington Redskins. That record helped Coach Curly Lambeau and his chief aid, Red Smith, to get the gridders in the proper frame of mind. The Packers-Pirates games were well scouted by Texas Jimmy Kitz, coach of the Rice Institute team and one of the All-Stars mentors. I'm rather pleased, though, that Jimmy didn't get an eyeful of just what the Packers really have because in the Pitt frays no attempt was made to get a well knit team together. Those games, in fact, were merely a proving ground for the players as individuals and they survived, perished or were placed on the doubtful list solely on their individual performances. If the Texas scout believes he caught an eyeful of Packer pass formations he's going to be sadly awakened because if a Bay team was ever ragged in the air it was the Packers in the Pitt encounter. Time and again a blanket would have covered two or three eligible receivers, making the task easy for the defensive secondary. If Coach Kitz diagrammed the plays as exhibited he'll find most of the backs in contract bridge foursome formation and Messrs. Hutson or Steen gallavanting like all get out down the other sidelines with the pigskin tucked safely under one arm. Having picked the Giants to beat the College All-Stars in Chicago and managing to get by, this corner again goes to bat in favor of the pros. I like the Packers Monday because they have the players, both young and old, to develop perhaps the greatest team in Packer history. They have practically everything a great grid machine needs and are three deep in practically every position. The Texas Stars, hailing from the Southwest where gridders as good as any in the land seem to thrive on every cacti, will no doubt have a fine machine, but the Packers are in good condition, they have enough youth, they have experienced veterans and they have both a ground and aerial attack that will bother any defense.
GIANTS AND PACKERS LOOK LIKE PRO TEAMS TO BEAT
SEPT 3 (Milwaukee Journal) - It looks like Green Bay in the west again and New York in the east. As another pro league season begins the same two clubs that fought it out a year ago look like likely repeaters. The race will open September 10 with Pittsburgh at Philadelphia and the Cardinals at Detroit. The other teams will start a week later. On their record as defensing champions alone, the
Giants must be considered again, and that's only the half of it. Their performance in the all-star game in Chicago Wednesday night provided the real tipoff on the team and on that they must be picked without a moment's hesitation. Up at Green Bay, hopes haven't been so high since the golden era a decade ago. Where in other years, the good burghers may have whispered "championship" at this time of the season, they now yell it, and not entirely without reason although Curly Lambeau, like any coach, protests. The team which many thought was the strongest in the league last year, despite a licking at New York's hands in the playoff, has been strengthened right down the line and, in early season reckonings at least, must get first consideration in the west. Through the luck of the schedule, the two divisional favorites won't meet in the regular season. The Giants stubbornly refused to play in the west and the Packers just as stubbornly in New York again. It is a matter which the league will have to adjust at its December meeting. If the dope runs true, however, and both come through, they will renew their feud of 1938, in the playoff game in December. Except perhaps at Washington and Pittsburgh, and don't say it so that either can hear, the league is stronger all around this year. By no means can either the Giants or Packers count themselves in the playoffs without a tremendous struggle. In the east, Brooklyn and Philadelphia especially have been strengthened - Brooklyn by the addition of such men as Bob Haak of Indiana, Waddie Young of Oklahoma, Pug Manders of Drake, Vic Bottari of California, Dan Hill of Duke and Ray Carnelly of Carnegie Tech; Philadelphia by the addition of Davey O'Brien of TCU, and Mihal of Purdue. You're apt to hear quite a bit about Brooklyn this fall. Red Flaherty of Washington definitely considers his Redskins first rate contenders again, even if some of the others don't, and Johnny Blood of Pittsburgh never said "uncle" to anybody without a fight. Washington may figure well up in the race at that, with a passer like Baugh, but Pittsburgh, despite Johnny Blood's optimism, may have a tough time of it. The material, while good, isn't deep enough. In the west the race promises to be dog fight should the Packers show the slightest inclination to let up. Every one of the clubs is definitely improved, particularly the Chicago Cardinals, who probably got more out of the draft than anybody else. With Faust of Minnesota, Goldberg of Pitt, Wolfe of Santa Clara, Wyatt of Tennessee, and Daddio of Pitt, they just about skimmed the cream of Wednesday's all-star lineup. It isn't any source of encouragement to the others, either, especially those who must play the Cardinals early in the season, to learn that seldom has any pro club been driven as hard in practice as Ernie Nevers is driving this one. The Bears, of course, are still the Bears and that means big and bad and tough. In Luckman and Patterson, they grabbed off two of the finest college backs of the year, both sweet passers. Cleveland with Dutch Clark at the helm this year, can't help but be improved, and Detroit, with Gus Henderson in charge, has a well balanced array of material, including several newcomers like Pingel of Michigan State, Coughlan of Santa Clara and Weiss of Wisconsin, who'll surely help. Three new coaches will make their debut - Nevers with the Cardinals, Dutch Clark with the Rams, and Henderson of Southern California and the Los Angeles Bulldogs with Detroit. The rest of the caste remains the same - Lambeau at Green Bay, George Halas with the Bears, Johnny Blood with Pittsburgh, Bert Bell with Philadelphia, Steve Owen with New York, Potsy Clark with Brooklyn and Red Flaherty with Washington. All indications, based on interest around the league, indicate a banner year with last year's attendance record of 1,200,00 almost certain to be broken. The Packers will play their first game with the Cardinals at Green Bay September 17 and their second with the Bears, also at Green Bay, a week later. They will play the Cardinals at State Fair park October 8 and the Redskins there October 29.
PACKERS GIVEN JOLT
SEPT 3 (Dallas) - Packer fan interest reached a fever pitch today with the information the Green Bay club will have to shelve fully one-fifth of its offensive plays tomorrow at Dallas against the Southwest College All-Stars. This came out when Coaches Matty Bell and Dutch Meyer, who are directing the All-Stars, forced Coach Earl (Curly) Lambeau to agree on the five yard limitation on passing behind scrimmage. So it looks like the Bays will have a real test. The limitation, which will naturally limit aerial maneuvers, means also that some of Coach Lambeau's carefully worked out new passing plays will not be under real fire until their first official National league game at Green Bay with the Chicago Cardinals September 17. Nevertheless, Lambeau observed the Bays are tuning up to a fineness to cut a swath through Messrs. Davey O'Brien, Billy Patterson and Darrell Tulvey. Frank Balasz is in bed with a touch of fever, while the sun had laid low Weenie Wilson and Herm Schneidmann. The latter two are expected to be in condition for the game, however.
GREEN BAY PACKERS MEET STARS ON TEXAS GRIDIRON
SEPT 4 (Dallas) - Two tons of football talent, the college all-stars and the Green Bay Packers, collide Monday night in renewal of the old argument - can the college boys handle the professionals? David O'Brien, Bill Patterson, Ki Aldrich, et all, lead a beefy 200 pound average college team against the western division titlists of the National Professional league in search of a fourth straight conquest of the salaried players. Never have such college stars had such a dangerous offensive setup. O'Brien and Patterson were two of the county's leading amateur passers last year. Dick Todd of Texas A. and M., now of the pro Washington Redskins, returns punts for six points and shakes tacklers on deep tackle slants. Defensively, the collegians look terrific with a 210 pound average headed by Aldrich, all-America center, Bill Dewell, Southern Methodist's giant end and I.B. Hale, a 248 pound former Texas Christian tackle. The collegians are coached by Matty Bell and Leo Meyer. Oppressive heat worries Coach Curly Lambeau of Green Bay. His big team worked in a daze through 107 degree heat Sunday.
HEAT WAVE CONTINUES AS PACKERS FACE ALL-STARS
SEPT 4 (Dallas) - Receiving the weatherman's dubious promise of "somewhat cooler", Coach Curly Lambeau breathed a little bit easier as he sent the Green Bay Packers through a light final drill under the lights in the Cotton Bowl Sunday night. Like that of Saturday night, Sunday's drill was a secret session with the team concentrating on new formations to overcome the All-Stars' advantage in the regulation forbidding passers to throw the ball from within five yards on the line of scrimmage. Despite the heat, which set a 26-year record for September with 109 degrees yesterday, interest in the All-Star game continued to mount over the weekend, and the grid fever has gripped this city and nearby Fort Worth with the same intensity that marks the eve of a Packer-Bear contest in Green Bay. Stories of the Packers and their football exploits have captured the fancy of the southwesterners, and more than 35,000 fans will be in the stands when the game starts at 8 p.m. tonight. Like the temperature this number smashes all previous records for a Dallas All-Star contest. All profits go into a fund for an underprivileged children's camp. Frank Balazs appears to have recovered from a touch of fever that sent him to bed Friday, but he still is under observation of Trainer Dave Woodward, and may be kept out of the game tonight...ALL WILL PLAY: Outside of Balazs, every many on the squad is certain to see action. Because of the heat, Coach Lambeau will not use any man for more than five consecutive minutes in any period. With more than three teams on hand, Lambeau hopes to lick the temperature and the All-Stars in the same maneuver. With both teams noted for forward passing, and hardly a breeze to mar the attempts, the aerial game should reach a high degree of efficiency. Lambeau has indicated that he will start a team of veterans. With Don Hutson and Arnie Herber in the lineup, fireworks may be expected from the outset. Carl Mulleneaux will take over at right end, and Baby Ray and Bill Lee will get their initial tackle assignments. Russ Letlow will be at left guard, and Buckets Goldenberg will get the first test at right guard. Bud Svendsen is the center choice. Besides Herber, the backfield will include Tuffy Thompson, Henry Bruder and Clarke Hinkle...DEWELL AT END: Against this aggregation, All-Star Coaches Matty Bell and Dutch Meyer will throw Billy Dewell and Gene Hodge at ends, I.B. Hale and Abe Murphy at tackles, George Sanders and Jack Rhodes at guards, Kil Aldrich at center, Davey O'Brien at quarterback, Dick Todd and John Hall at halfbacks and Ward Wilkinson at fullback. Fans here blame playing an unaccustomed system for O'Brien's ineffectiveness in the Chicago All-Star game last week, and have an attitude of "watch him tonight". In O'Brien, Billy Patterson and Darrell Tulley, the All-Stars have the three greatest passers in the southwest, all playing a style they have employed through high school and college. In Todd, a Texas A. and M. speed merchant, they have run one of the most dangerous runners to step on southwestern gridirons in a decade...EVANS IN WARNING: Lon Evans, ex-Packer guard who now lives in Dallas, has warned Coach Lambeau and the team that in his opinion the All-Stars here will be stronger than the squad the Packers faced at Soldiers' field in Chicago in 1937. "I played in that Chicago game," Lon reminded a doubter, "and in the last couple of years I've seen all the boys (the Dallas All-Stars) in action. Bell and Meyer have a tough ball club. What is more, they are out to keep their record against the pro teams clean." Both teams had their last stiff workouts Saturday night. The Collegians held their session under the lights at Highlander field, and moved into the Cotton Bowl for the first time when the Packers completed their Sunday night drill. On afternoons over the weekend, the All-Stars held signal practice at their Bachman's lake training camp. Frank Malone's 120-piece marching band will entertain the fans before the game and between halves. The All-Stars will be introduced as their school songs are players, while the Packers will take bows to the strains of "On Wisconsin". Officials are the NFL's Bobby Cahn of Chicago as referee, and three form the Southwest conference, A.B. Curtis, Jack Roach and Harry Viner.
LOOKING UP IN THE REALM OF SPORTS
SEPT 4 (Green Bay) - "One hundred and nine in the shade," wired Red Smith to George Whitney Calhoun this morning from Dallas, Texas. "You're lucky you stayed home." That temperature which would wilt every male and female citizen of these northern climes but which merely adds to the contentment of southerners with their surroundings, and a hand-picked team of the best college talent in the Southwest, which had the outstanding teams of the 1938 season, is what the Packers will be facing in the All-Star game tonight. It's a tough job, and this early in the season it will probably give the Bays as stiff a test as they will meet with all year. Only consolation as far as the heat is concerned is that there are only 10 boys from down under with the Packer squad who know what it is like to play football when one should be swimming or boating or encased in a cake of ice. There are four boys from Texas, Cecil Isbell, Larry Craig, Al Moore and Frank Steen; three from Arizona, Lee and Carl Mulleneaux and Tom Greenfield; and three from Alabama, Don Hutson, Bill Lee and Pete Tinsley. Some of these boys have become pretty accustomed to the Green Bay climate, however, and may have forgotten what it is to sweat under shoulder pads, helmets and wool jerseys and work at the same time. As for the rest of the squad, it will be a new experience for them. We still think the Packers have it, however, and metropolitan newspapers yesterday wrote that Green Bay was heading for the contest with the strongest pro team that ever played there. We'll predict a wide open battle tonight with the Packers taking an early lead and holding it despite a few last-half scares.
