1944 Packers (8-2) - World Champions

Far from the greatest team in Packer history, the 1944 edition was good enough to win the Western Division title. The Packers ran off six straight victories at the start of the season and coasted home the rest of the way, leaving the Bears and Lions to fight over the second-place honors. Although Don Huston, as usual, burned defensive backs for long gains, most of the faces in the Green Bay backfield were new. Rangy Irv Comp was Huston's new passing partner, and popular Ted Fritsch picked up enough yardage on the ground as Clarke Hinkle once did. Baby Ray, Buckets Goldenberg and Charlie Brock gave the strong forward line a veteran flavor. Like most wartime clubs, the Packers mixed veterans and youngsters together with a salad-bowl effect that was sometimes interesting and sometimes boringly inept. But with Don Huston on hand, Green Bay remained the best team in the NFL.

THE AAFC

SOURCE: Profootballresearchers. com - Two days prior to D-Day, 1944 a group described by the A.P. as "men of millionaire incomes" met in St. Louis to organize a new professional football league. They had been called together by Arch Ward, the innovative sports editor of the Chicago Tribune and organizer of the college and baseball All-Star games. Ward reasoned that the end of World War II would provide the professional gridirons with a brand new crop of players. In addition to experienced pros, there would be high school and college players who had competed with the pros while in the service, plus the players who had remained in college during the war. The initial meeting, attended by representatives of Buffalo, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Cleveland (for whom Ward carried a proxy) led to a second organizational meeting on September 3, 1944, in Chicago. John Keeshin, a trucking executive, represented Chicago; oilmen James Breuil and Ray Ryan were from Buffalo and New York respectively; boxer Gene Tunney sought a team for Baltimore; actor Don Ameche wanted one for L.A.; Tony Morabito, a lumber executive, was from San Francisco; and Arthur McBride, a Cleveland taxi man, came from that city. Also present was Mrs. Eleanor Gehrig, widow of the baseball Hall of Famer, who later became a league executive. It was reported that Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston were also interested in the new league. The name All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was chosen, and the football war was on.

NAME NO POS HGT WGT COLLEGE YR PR A G HOW ACQUIRED

Paul Berezney 47 T 6- 2 220 Fordham 3 3 28 10

Dick Bilda 22 HB 6- 1 200 Marquette 1 1 25

Charley Brock 29 C 6- 1 210 Nebraska 6 6 28 10 1939 Draft-3rd

Lou Brock 16 HB 6- 0 195 Purdue 5 5 26 5 1940 Draft-3rd

Mike Bucchianeri 19 G 5-10 215 Indiana 2 2 27 8 FA-Green Bay (1941)

Tony Canadeo 3 HB 6- 0 195 Gonzaga 4 4 25 3 1941 Draft-7th

Irv Comp 51 HB 6- 3 192 St. Benedict 2 2 25 10 1943 Draft-3rd

Larry Craig 54 E 6- 0 208 S. Carolina 6 6 28 10 1939 Draft-6th

Tiny Croft 75 T 6- 4 298 Ripon 3 3 23 10

Paul Duhart 42 HB 6- 0 180 Florida 1 1 23 8

Bob Flowers 35 C 6- 1 215 Texas Tech 3 3 27 10

Ted Fritsch 64 FB 5-10 205 Stevens Point 3 3 23 9

Buckets Goldenberg 43 G 5-10 220 Wisconsin 12 12 32 9

Don Hutson 14 E 6- 1 180 Alabama 10 10 31 10

Harry Jacunski 48 E 6- 2 198 Fordham 6 6 28 9

Bob Kahler 8 T 6- 3 200 Nebraska 3 3 27

Bob Kercher 18 E 6- 2 195 Georgetown 1 1 25

William Kuusisto 45 G 6- 0 230 Minnesota 4 4 26 10

Joe Laws 24 HB 5- 9 188 Iowa 11 11 33 10

Joel Mason 7 E 6- 0 200 W. Michigan 3 4 31 10 FA-Chi Cards (1939)

Roy McKay 3 HB 6- 0 195 Texas 1 1 24 3 1943 Draft-5th

Forrest McPherson 72 T-C 5-11 248 Nebraska 2 5 32 FA-Phil (1937)

Don Perkins 23 FB 6- 0 195 Platteville 1 1 26 10

Baby Ray 44 T 6- 6 250 Vanderbilt 7 7 28 9

Ade Schwammel 40 T 6- 2 215 Oregon St 5 5 35 9 FA-Green Bay (1936)

Glen Sorenson 33 G 6- 0 225 Utah St 2 2 24 10

Ben Starret 63 B 5-11 215 St.Mary's(CA) 3 4 26 FA-Pitt (1941)

Pete Tinsley 21 G 5- 8 200 Georgia 7 7 31 10 1938 Draft-9th round

Charles Tollefson 46 G 6- 0 218 Iowa 1 1 28 7

Alex Urban 18 E 6- 2 200 S. Carolina 2 2 27 3 FA-Green Bay (1941)

Ray Wehba 17 E 6- 0 210 USC 1 2 28 10 Trade-Brook (1944)

NO - Jersey Number POS - Position HGT - Height WGT - Weight YR - Years with Packers PR - Years of Professional Football AGE - Age at Start of Season G - Games Played

1944 PACKERS DRAFT (April 19, 1944)

RND SEL NAME POS COLLEGE

1 7 Merv Pregulman G Michigan

2 Did Not Draft

3 22 Tom Kuzma B Michigan

4 Did Not Draft

5 38 Bill McPartland T St. Mary's (Calif.)

6 49 Mickey McCardle B Southern California

7 60 Jack Tracy E Washington

8 71 Alex Agase G Illinois

9 82 Don Whitmire T Alabama

10 93 Bob Koch B Oregon

11 104 Virgil Johnson E Arkansas

12 115 Roy Giusti B St. Mary's (Calif.)

13 126 Bill Baughman C Alabama

14 137 Don Griffin B Illinois

15 148 Bert Gissler E Nebraska

16 159 Lou Shelton B Oregon State

17 170 Charles Cusick G Oregon

18 181 Hugh Cox B North Carolina

19 192 Kermit Davis E Mississippi State

20 203 Bob Johnson C Purdue

21 214 Jim Cox T Stanford

22 225 Cliff Anderson E Minnesota

23 236 John Perry B Duke

24 247 Pete DeMaria G Purdue

25 258 Len Liss T Marquette

26 269 Ray Jordan B North Carolina

27 280 Al Grubaugh T Nebraska

28 291 A.B. Howard E Mississippi State

29 302 Paul Paladino G Arkansas

30 313 Bob Butchofsky B Texas A&M

31 319 Russ Deal G Indiana

32 325 Abel Gonzales B Southern Methodist

BOLD - Played for the Packers

Anchor 1

PACKER CHOICE STAR

JAN 3 (Green Bay) - The outstanding lineman in the Rose Bowl contest between Southern California and Washington was guard Norm Verry, who was game captain for the Trojans, according to Coach Curly Lambeau of the Packers who saw the game. Verry was the seventh choice of the Packers in the draft last spring but didn't play because he joined the Marines. He played both guard positions against the Huskies. He is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 235 pounds.

LAYDEN SETS PRO LEAGUE MEETING FOR JAN. 12-13

JAN 5 (Chicago) - NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden today set Jan. 12-13 for the league's annual mid-winter meeting. Owners of all the league teams and several coaches were expected to attend the meeting which originally was schedule for Dec. 20-21, but which was postponed because of the lateness of the playoff game and the imminence of the Christmas holiday.

NEW YORK GIANTS SPOKESMAN SAYS TEAM OPPOSES COAST FRANCHISES

JAN 6 (New York) - A spokesman for the New York grid Giants said Wednesday night that the New York Giants are opposed to admitting San Francisco and Los Angeles into the NFL. The spokesman said that his club was opposed to air travel and that he believed the league executive committee, which includes Curly Lambeau of Green Bay, would back up his stand. The San Francisco and Los Angeles groups are prepared to lay it on the line and put two top notch clubs into the league this coming season if they are awarded franchises. Bing Crosby is backing the Los Angeles club. Even if the coast bidders offer to defer activation of franchises to a postwar date, the New York position is unlikely to change. The New Yorker, who refused to have his name revealed as it would violate a rule requiring secrecy about all league affairs, further declared that he was in favor of admitting Buffalo into the league. The Buffalo franchise is being sought by a group of leading and financially sound Buffalo businessmen,. whose antecedents are unquestioned. A showdown on the coast franchises and action on the Buffalo bid will be taken up in Chicago Jan. 12 and 13. Indications are that the league moguls will take a practical view of situations in Cleveland, Boston and Philadelphia under which the clubs may again be unable to operate in the coming season. Under the rules the clubs could be compelled to go ahead or surrender their franchises. The league tycoons will probably agree to mark time until Cleveland, Boston and Philadelphia are able to operate. The executive committee, which will act on new applications, is composed of Bert Bell, Pittsburgh; John V. Mara, New York; Ralph Bizzolara, Chicago Bears; and Lambeau.

LAYDEN IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT PLAY IN 1944

JAN 10 (Chicago - by Elmer Layden) - A year ago the continuance of professional football was fronted with a number of perplexing problems. These problems amounted to a challenge. The National league owners accepted the challenge and were rewarded with their best season. Continued operation in 1944 presents the same problems. They no longer, however, constitute the formidable challenge that confronted owners in 1943, when on every hand well-meaning observers warned that teams could not be gotten together. Here and there throughout the years certain observers, bemoaning the loss of stars, professed to see a decline in National league play but attendance figures seem to belie any inferiority in the caliber of league competition...ATTENDANCE WAS UP: New stars came to the front. More persons, by some 34,000, saw the 42 league contests last year than witnessed 56 games in 1942. The average game attendance was up 36.7 percent. Receipts for the championship game on Dec,. 26 broke all existing playoff records. Much of the increased enthusiasm for professional football stemmed from the better balance in the league. In the main, the perennial leaders remained the leaders by their margins of superiority were reduced to a minimum. Further shrinkage in these margins can be expected next fall. Talk of immediate expansion in the league probably is premature at this time. Expansion, however, is inevitable in the postwar period. It will not be surprising if the National league approves applications for franchises in Los Angeles and San Francisco. But it is not likely that such franchises would be permitted to become active until after the war when the new owners will have better opportunity to field representative elevens...THREE CLUBS GAIN: Outstanding highlights of the 1943 season included the resurgences of the Detroit Lions, under the skillful handling of Coach Gus Dorais, and the attendant revival of interest among Detroit fans; the ascendency to contendership of the Phil-Pitt Eagles; and the development of the New York Giants, whom Coach Steve Owen brought along gradually to provide a stirring climax to the Eastern division race. Gains made by these three clubs are not likely to be dissipated quickly. All in all, the 1943 season has left such a favorable impression that is difficult to adopt a pessimistic attitude toward 1944.

PRO GRID OWNERS IN MID-WINTER CONCLAVE

JAN 12 (Chicago) - Club owners from the NFL gathered for their mid-winter meeting today with a view toward postwar expansion which they hope will challenge baseball's top position in the sports world. Representatives from eight operating teams were joined by officials from at least two other professional clubs, which hope to tush back into the fold and cash in on the unprecedented wartime gates drawn by the "play for pay" athletes during 1943. It appeared likely that the league would be back to its former 10-team strength for 1944. So far, the vast expansion - designed to combine the east and west into one league with separate divisions - was only a beautiful dream...PLAN MAY MATERIALIZE: But it is a postwar plan that may materialize. "I believe in proceeding on an 'expansion, always' theme," said Commissioner Elmer Layden. "With this in mind, any outfit is bound to progress. It may develop at this meeting that plans will be laid for expansion westward, but any program will have to be on a non-operative basis until after the war." Layden said owners will discuss team operations, schedules and franchises. The most significant entry on the agenda appeared to be the question of what teams will comprise the league in 1944. It was virtually assured that the Cleveland Rams would rejoin competition after dropping out for a year when the armed forces lifted their executive personnel. Pittsburgh was expected to break up housekeeping with Philadelphia and enter its own team to reestablish the full 10-team alignment...RAMS CAN CREATE HAVOC: Charles "Chili" Walsh, who will engineer the Cleve4land club in its return engagement, will create as much havoc as Uncle Sam among the league's rosters when the Rams reorganize. Cleveland merely loaned its talent to other teams last season, so Walsh will be reclaiming such stars as Chet Adams of Green Bay, Dante Magnani of the Chicago Bears, Ben Hightower and Riley Matheson of Detroit, Jake Fawcett of Brooklyn and Red Conkright and Joe Gibson of Washington. The question remained whether the league

would be further expanded by such teams as the Boston Yanks, who were voted a franchise last year and may try to operate this season if they find secure sufficient personnel. Buffalo, N.Y., also has applied for a membership in the select circle of money makers. Reportedly, Sam Cordovano, line coach at Columbia, filed the Buffalo application, which previously had been submitted and then withdrawn by Don Ameche, film actor. Ameche eventually wants to secure a Los Angeles franchise. San Francisco also has wooed the league, making at least one overture to "let me in your fraternity."

BOSTON PRO CLUB TO INSIST ON PLAYING IN '44

JAN 12 (Chicago) - The Boston club hopes to operate in 1944, William Shea, representing the new entrant in the NFL, said yesterday afternoon upon his arrival here to attend the two day league meeting which will start at 9:30 o'clock this morning in the Blackstone hotel. Against this statement were the belief that the National league is agreed this is no time to expand the circuit beyond the 10 old line members which have signified their intention of taking the field next fall. Mr. Shea, representing the Boston owner, Ted Collins of the radio, is prepared to insist that the Boston team, if it can get enough players, has the right to go into action. It is a certainty that he faces a fight if he demands this right. When Collins was granted the franchise in Boston it was with the understanding that it would be up to the league to determine when it would start operating, according to a version given yesterday by one pro official. Owner Collins also has been reported as declaring Boston should be granted the right to get first choice in the annual draft, which will be held next April. It is known that Mr. Collins and his associates would select Angelo Bertelli, the great Notre Dame forward passers and field general, who now is in the Marines. Boston has not named a coach, but has hired Tillie Manton, former New York Giant player, as a scout. The Boston incident, therefore, has the makings of a good, old fashioned row, and no NFL meeting would be complete without a few of them. In fact, is is quite surprising when Fred Mandel, Jr., owner of the Detroit Lions, called for more harmony among his associates yesterday. At the same time, Mandel said he is confident the Lions and other members of the league will find it no more difficult to operate in 1944 than was the case last season. "There will be some former 3-A men taken," said the peppery, youthful Detroit magnate, "but there will be a number of men released from military service for reasons which will not prevent them from playing football. We had plenty of material last year. Granting that there will be a decrease of 20 percent in talent there will still be enough players for 10 teams." Then Mandel called for better understanding among the rival club owners. "If we'd meet more often, we'd have less differences," he said. "I wish we could have meetings every 60 days during the off-season. In this way the differences wouldn't pile up and make one big explosion, which is what happens each time we have our widely spaced conferences. Football is a game in which the spirit of the field is carried right into our meeting rooms and I'll grant a certain amount of bickering is necessary. But after all, if we have more harmony it would be a great thing for all concerned." Curly Lambeau, Green Bay's wheelhorse, was missing last night from California where he has been looking for players. Bert Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who is president of the Maxwell club, remained in the east to present the Heisman trophy last night.

NATIONAL GRID LEAGUE MOGULS PONDER FUTURE

JAN 13 (Chicago) - The growing NFL is trying to put the right foot forward without tripping over itself. Casting an eye beyond 1944 to the postwar future, executives convened Thursday in the final session of their annual midwinter meeting, with action still to be taken on bids for franchises from Buffalo, Los Angeles and San Francisco. After spending 15 hours Wednesday attempting to decide whether it liked or dislike the feeling of growing pains, the pro circuit still pondered expansion problems. There appeared to be three possibilities emerging from Wednesday's session...THREE ALTERNATIVES LISTED: 1. To continue the league's pre-war size of 10 teams by having two clubs merge, such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh did last year. 2. To operate as an 11 team setup, with Boston, which was granted a franchise last June, going into business as the sixth member of the eastern division. 3. To accept Buffalo's franchise, backed by Sam Cordovano, line coach under Lou Little for 14 years at Columbia, and four Buffalo businessmen, and operate as a 12 team league, with Buffalo joining the western division...EXECUTIVES SPLIT 50-50: It was understood that the league executive were divided on all three propositions, reacting cautiously in the face of a limited player supply. It was believed that bids for franchises by Los Angeles, which was headed by Bing Crosby and three Chicago sportsmen, and San Francisco, backed singularly by wealthy A.J. Morabito, would either be tabled until the league's spring meeting or be accepted with the understanding that neither city would operate until after the war. Ralph Brizzolara, business manager of the Chicago Bears, apologized to George Preston Marshall, owner of the Washington Redskins. The two men, fined $500 each by Commissioner Elmer Layden after their altercation at the pro championship playoff game in Chicago December 26, seemingly had settled their differences without benefit of a hearing after protesting Layden's levy.

PRO GRID LOOP TABLES THREE REQUESTS FOR FRANCHISES; EXPANDS TO 11 TEAMS

JAN 14 (Chicago) - NFL club owners turned to their hometowns today to beat the bushes for players, after putting a detour on their expansion plans by tabling franchise applications from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Buffalo. after telling the west coast interests to play in their own backyard until military victory permits coast-to-coast competition, the monied oligarchy of the "play for pay" league faced the problem of finding enough athletes to fill out their new 11-team league. League Commissioner Elmer Layden announced that the annual player draft and schedule-making session will be held at Philadelphia, beginning on April 19, and continuing until the pro big-wigs can iron out the schedule kinks involved in an 11-member organization and tell each other which college graduates they want, if the Army doesn't hire them first....BOSTON YANKS INCLUDED: The Boston Yanks, only new member of the conference, already is scouting the nation for players. The Cleveland Rams, going back into action this year after sitting the last one out, owns the nucleus of a good team, but the personnel must be collected from other squads where they went on a lend-lease basis. Pittsburgh will end its one-year combination with Philadelphia and field its own team, bringing the league's strength to 11. In closing their annual meeting, club owners returned $25,000 deposits put down by the west coast groups when they filed for a franchise. Layden said the war made it uncertain when the league could expand westwards and he did not want to tie up so much money indefinitely. However, the league retained the $25,000 from Buffalo, indicating the club may be granted a membership at the April meeting to balance the Eastern and Western divisions at six teams each. Sam Cordovano, Columbia line coach under Lou Little for 14 years, represented the four-man Buffalo group. He said he hoped to gain the franchise in April, but would not operate a team the first year unless the league gave its approval...GREAT FOOTBALL TOWN: "Buffalo would be a great football town,." Cordovano said. "We can get almost 50,000 in our stadium, and have a 2,000,000 population within a radius of 62 miles." Meanwhile, as franchise applicants paced nervously outside the locked doors, the "Fraternal Order of Pro Club Owners" conversed fluently inside for 20 hours in two days, deciding very little. Although George Marshall of Washington and Ralph Bizzolara of the Chicago Bears apparently made up after their recent beave-ho incident, the league still had an unidentified dissenter who balked at all postwar dreaming and expansion talk. It was reported that the lone objector stymied any possible ballot on the franchise question, which needs unanimous approval. However, the league managed to go on record with one definite action. It changed the rule which specified that the first two played drafted by each team must play during that season before the team can trade or sell them. Under the new rule, sale or trade must come only after the player has participated one season, but not necessarily the same year. This is to protect the newly-signed pro players who enter military service before reporting.

C. BROCK, PACKERS' PIVOT MAN, TO TAKE UP RESIDENCE IN CITY

JAN 19 (Green Bay) - Charley Brock, the Packers' center for the last five seasons, is en route to Green Bay to make his home in the city, according to word received today by Coach Curly Lambeau. It was also learned that two players picked by Green Bay during the last NFL draft have been honorably discharged from the armed forces and may be able to play with the club during the 1944 season. A housing shortage in Brock's home, Clarkson, Neb., forced the return of the veteran pivot man to Green Bay. Returning to Nebraska after the 1943 season, Brock found it impossible to obtain a residence for his family. He then decided to return here, where he will be employed in a defense plant. Brock is the father of two children. One of the players discharged from military service is Roy Dale McKay, former University of Texas halfback, who was third choice of Lambeau in the 1943 "pickings". The other is Bo-Bo Barnett, who is considered around Waco, Texas, to be one of the best guards ever turned out at Baylor university. He was Lambeau's eighth choice in the draft. Whether either McKay or Barnett will play with Green Bay in the forthcoming campaign has not been determined.

BOSTON NOT LIKELY TO OPERATE IN PRO FOOTBALL LOOP NEXT SEASON

JAN 20 (Green Bay) - Although Boston has been granted a franchise and a Buffalo bid in on the books, Coach Curly Lambeau looked about nine months into the future today and opined that the NFL will operate with a maximum of ten teams during the 1944 campaign, and there is a good possibility that only eight will be on hand for action come mid-September. A great deal depends on the manpower situation, the Packers head man said, and indications now are that there won't be sufficient talent available to pass around. This means that several of the clubs who plan to operate may have to consolidate with others under an arrangement similar to the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia combine of last year. At present time the Western and Eastern divisions line up like this: Western - Green Bay, Chicago Bears, Chicago Cardinals, Detroit and Cleveland; Eastern - New York, Washington, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Boston. Cleveland didn't play during 1943 and Boston was still outside the league fold...ONE TEAM IDLE: Such a 5-6 combination would prevent the schedule writers from making it possible for every team to play each Sunday during the season, since one would have to be idle while the other 10 play, Lambeau explained. Schedule difficulties alone make an 11-team wheel unsatisfactory, meaning that Boston likely will not get the "go ahead" sign for next season. One way in which Boston could play would be for the team to consolidate with one of the other clubs. Since Cleveland will be playing again and has lost many of its players, perhaps a Cleveland-Boston combination would be best, Lambeau said. Another possibility that occurs to the Green Bay coach is that Boston may join with Pittsburgh, which expressed satisfaction with results of its agreement with Philadelphia. No matter what happens, the result will be the same, Lambeau said. Ten teams - five in each division - will be angling for the choice dates when the league holds its annual schedule and draft meeting April 19 in Philadelphia. Regarding the latter business, the Packer coach believes the prospects for picking up men are fair...WAR IS TOUGHER: "Strange as it may seem to most people," he said, "many boys who are physically capable of playing football cannot take the tough and grueling grind of maneuvers and actual battle. In most cases, a lad has some minor injury which shows up when he joins the service or when he is examined. He is released from service or rejected and yet he appears to be a fine physical specimen." Whereas an injury may keep a man out of service, the chances are that it won't bother him to any great extent while playing. Modern methods of taping and braces are employed by all teams to protect their players. This is impossible under conditions in the armed forces, the coach said. As injuries show up under battle stress, men are returned to the rear lines and eventually discharged. Among these are many who are capable of playing with professional clubs. The better one probably would be snapped up in a hurry during the draft meeting with the others filling in when the higher numbered choices are reached, Lambeau said.

GRIFFITH DENIES FLATLY STRICKLER'S CHARGE OF OFFERS TO TED FRITSCH

JAN 22 (Chicago) - Major John L. Griffith, commissioner of the Western conference, said Friday night he had investigated and found no evidence supporting a statement by George Strickland, NFL press agent, that colleges "offered some of our pro players the same salary they were getting in our league to play for them." Griffith said, in a formal statement, that Strickler had been quoted as saying that in a magazine (Time, Dec. 27). Griffith named Ted Fritsch, former Green Bay Packer star, now a student at Wisconsin and employed by a dairy at Madison, as one player Strickler believed had been offered inducements to play for the school, but the commissioner said "the evidence at hand does not support his conclusion."...NO EVIDENCE ON ASHCOM: He said Strickler indicated also that he believed Richard Aschom, drafted by the Detroit Lions of the pro league, had been offered money inducements to persuade him to attend the University of Iowa medical school, but Griffith asserted "not the slightest evidence has been produced to indicate that any one had bid against the Detroit football team in an endeavor to subsidize Aschom." Griffith's statement read in part: "We discussed this matter with Mr. Strickler and asked him if any of the Big Ten universities were involved and he replied that the Universities of Wisconsin and Iowa were involved, although he added that in one case it is possible that the school itself did not make the offer or back it up. He told me that the school he had in mind was the University of Wisconsin."...SOMEONE MADE OFFER: "Mr. Strickler made it clear he thought someone had offered inducements to a professional football player, who had enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, to play on the football team. The fact are apparently these: Mr. Ted Fritsch, who is now a student at the University of Wisconsin, after being graduated from Central State Teaches college, Stevens Point, Wis., played with the Green Bay professional football team for the season of 1942 and also for the season of 1943. Following the 1942 season of professional football, he worked in a Milwaukee defense plant until June, when he entered the summer school at the University of Wisconsin and obtained a job from Mr. Duane Bowman, owner of the Bowman dairy in Madison."...REJECTED IN DRAFT: "Mr. Fritsch, because of a perforated ear drum, has been rejected for military service and he decided to try to get a master's degree in physical education at Wisconsin. He apparently had in mind that he would spend the year necessary for obtaining his degree at Madison, and his job with the Bowman dairy would enable him to work his way through the university. Mr. Bowman apparently has no connection with the university, but each year employs a number of university students for part time work in the dairy. Mr. Strickler, in our conversation, indicated that he believed that while no one connected with the University of Wisconsin had offered Mr. Fritsch money inducements to enroll at the university, someone outside had done so. While Mr. Strickler did not mention Mr. Bowman by name, he apparently was of the opinion that when Mr. Bowman gave Mr. Fritsch employment he did so with the idea of strengthening the University of Wisconsin football team. The evidence at hand does not support this conclusion."

SILLY, UNFOUNDED SAY ACCUSED AT MADISON

JAN 22 (Madison) - Duane Bowman, dairy plant operator, and Harry A. Stuhldreher, University of Wisconsin athletic director, today described as entirely unfounded a charge made by George Stricker, NFL press agent, that Ted Fritsch had been offered inducements to play football for Wisconsin. Bowman declared he had given Fritsch, an employee in his plant, no compensation other than that which he earned for services in the dairy farm. He added tat plant payroll records would establish the truth of his assertion. Stuhldreher described the matter as "entirely silly"h, declaring that he hoped that Strickler would publish a retraction when he was shown his error.

BABE WEBB, PACKER PROSPECT, IN U.S.A.

JAN 27 (Green Bay) - Babe (I Can't Get a Ride) Webb, the halfback who signed to play with the Packers in 1942 and again in 1943 and then didn't show up because of transportation difficulties, finally managed to solve his problem. He is now residing in Cleborne, Texas, awaiting the opening of drills for the 1944 season, Coach Curly Lambeau announced today. Several times Webb, who has received quite a build-up because of the thousands of miles which separated him from Green Bay, booked passage on either a Clipper or a boat but something always intervened to prevent his arrival in the U.S. from Honolulu. Last year, he started early enough to get a ride - in July - but he could not make it until recently. Webb probably figures he can get here this year, even if he has to hitchhike from Texas. At any rate, he informed Lambeau he will be on hand...TO JOIN U.S. NAVY: Earl (Bud) Svednsen, former Packer center and more recently pivot man for the Brooklyn Dodgers, expects to be in the Navy in about a month. The ex-Minnesotan will probably go in as an officer. He is married and the father of two children...ONE LESS ACHE FOR PETE: Peter (Aches and Pains) Tinsley, the veteran guard of the Packers, has one less ache now. He recently underwent an operation for removal of a growth in his chest. He sustained the injury two seasons ago when he was kicked. The hurt had bothered him considerably. Pete is expected to be present when Lambeau calls roll in August...VERRY MAY GET DISCHARGE: Norm Verry, who played three years with USC and then a fourth as a member of the Marine contingent stationed at his alma mater, may be discharged from the service in about 30 days, it is rumored. Verry, who plays guard or tackle equally well, was the Packers' seventh choice in last year's draft. His 245 pounds would do much toward bolstering the Green Bay forward wall. During this year's Rose Bowl game, he captained the USC team and was the outstanding lineman on the field...KERCHER ON HAND: Unable to play last season because he couldn't get a release from the Wilmington Clippers, Bob Kercher may be in the lineup this fall. A former Georgetown end, Kercher practiced with the Packers about three weeks last season and then dropped out because of the release difficulties. He is working in a local defense plant...COMP GIVES SPEECHES: Irv Comp, who was one of the outstanding rookies in the NFL last fall, is busy speaking at gatherings in Milwaukee and showing movies of last season's Green Bay teams. Comp, now that he has a season of experience behind him, is expected to prove more valuable next fall. Consensus among the experts is that he is one of the best defensive backs to come up in some time and there is little question about his offensive ability as both a runner and passer...PANNELL ON P.T. BOAT: Having a great time for himself in waters around New Guinea is Ensign Ernie Pannell, former Packer tackle. According to word received from Pannell, he has charge of a motor torpedo boat and is having "more fun" knocking off Japanese, especially those who attempt to get off landing barges. He is down to 198 pounds from a playing weight of 215. Jestingly, Ernie said he and his crew celebrated New Year's eve by drinking the alcohol in torpedoes.

CARPENTER FOR 'PRO' FOOTBALL

FEB 1 (Philadelphia) - Pro football is a "good business" and a possible cure for a baseball magnate's sleepless nights and high overhead during the off season, claims Bob Carpenter, president of the National league Phillies. The whole situation sounds slightly complicated but Carpenter explained that football played in the off baseball season can be a means of "self preservation for owners of million-dollar sports plants who have a terrific overhead and nothing coming in" when baseball season closes...PLENTY OF THOUGHT: "I've given this plenty of thought ever since Branch Rickey, of the Brooklyn Dodgers, came out with the warning that unless baseball wakes up pro football will take the play away from us," Young Bob asserted. "If Mr. Rickey knows what he's talking about - and I have an idea he does - there is no reason why major league club owners can't go into the football business." Carpenter told a Philadelphia Record sportswriter. "They have the parks, the equipment, concessions and other facilities. In fact everything by the franchises." The Phillies president was quick to point out, however, that "I don't want to start a war or antagonize pro football, but I believe the magnates should attempt to buy NFL franchises in their respective cities, if they are for sale. The NFL, apparently, wants a rival circuit and if the franchise cannot be obtained in the older league, maybe we help them by starting another major football loop. I know if I owned a big league park I would want to acquired a pro football franchise after the war," he remarked enthusiastically. Connie Mack, owner of Shibe Park where the Phillies do their ball playing under a rental arrangement, said he didn't care to comment on Carpenter's proposal.

SID LUCKMAN VOTED MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IN PRO LOOP; HUTSON SECOND

FEB 2 (Chicago) - Sid Luckman, mastermind of the Chicago Bears' famous T-formation, today was judged the NFL's most valuable player for the 1943 season. The award crowned the five-year pro football career of the former Columbia university collegiate star who is now stationed at Sheepshead, N.Y. as an ensign in the Merchant Marines. Six players were considered in the balloting of a committee of 13 sportswriters from various cities represented in the league. But only Don Hutson of the Green Bay Packers, who won the award in 1941 and 1942, came near to beating out the 27-year old Bears' field general...CHARLIE BROCK MENTIONED: On the basis of five points for a first place vote and two for a second, the final tabulation showed Luckman, 36 points;

Hutson, 33; Sammy Baugh, Redskins, 13; Ward Cuff, New York Giants, five; Bill Paschal, Giants, and Charlie Brock, Packers, two apiece. The award is presented to the player who is considered to be the most valuable to his team over the regular league season. During the 10-game schedule last fall, Luckman set four all-time league records: Most yards gained passing, one season - 2,194; most touchdown passes, one season, 28; most touchdown passes, one game, seven; most yards gained passing, one game, 433. Luckman joins a list of previous most valuable winners which includes Hutson, Ace Parker of Brooklyn, Parker Hall of Cleveland, and Mel Hein of New York...GREAT "T" QUARTERBACK: Recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history. Luckman rode to fame on his expert manipulation of the T - a jon which he originally thought was too big for him. When the Brooklyn boy joined the college squad in 1939 for the annual All-Star game in Chicago, he spent two weeks with Luke Johnsos, then assistant Bears' coach, going over his new assignment in the T setup. Luckman was not convinced that he could operate in the delicately timed alignment, and it was only after much grooming by Johnsos that he finally accepted the quarterback job with confidence...WON THREE PLAYOFFS: Since then he led the Bears into four national championship playoffs and won three of them. His five touchdown passes Dec. 26, when the Bears drubbed Washington 41-21 for the title, set a playoff record. Luckman plans to play one or two more years of pro ball with the Bears after the war.

12 COACHES ARE AFTER SMITH'S PACKER JOB

FEB 9 (Green Bay) - An even dozen application have been received for the position made vacant when Richard (Red) Smith resigned as line coach of the Green Bay Packers although the club never made a formal announcement that it was seeking another man to replace Smith, Coach Curly Lambeau said today. While Lambeau did not reveal who had applied for the job, he said several of those who had asked for consideration are well known in national football circles. All indicated in their applications that they would like very much to become associated with the Packers in a coaching capacity, Lambeau said...TO DEFER CHOICE: Choice of a successor to Smith, who quit in December, will be deferred at least until the annual meeting of the NFL in Philadelphia April 19, and it may be some time after that until an announcement is made, the Green Bay coach asserted. Addition of a line coach would bring the staff to three men, including Lambeau, Assistant Coach Don Hutson and Smith's successor. "A plan we had worked out several years ago called for a three-man coaching staff," Lambeau explained. "It is necessary to have at least three to carry on effectively and efficiently in the professional league, which is expanding year by year. Coaching work in the league is much more detailed than it was years ago, necessitating a division of labor to cover every department of play." The new coach would arrive just prior to the opening of training in August and would remain on the job during the entire season, the Packer coach said. His job would be to supervise the offensive and defensive work of the entire line and to work closely with Lambeau and Hutson on the plans to be used for each week's game..IS YEAR-ROUND ASSISTANT: Hutson, on the other hand, has been signed as a year-around assistant to Lambeau. His duties are to study scout reports, diagram all opponents' plays on cards and give them to the players so that they will be ready for an offense sent against them, Lambeau said. Besides this, he is also expected to work with the ends to give them the benefit of his 10 years experience in the pro circuit. Lambeau is preparing for the annual meeting in the eastern city in April, when the player draft will be held. Next week, he will travel into Iowa, Illinois and Indiana to contact college coaches and look over prospects who could be added to the Packer roster this fall. While in Indiana, he expects to confer with Cecil Isbell, Purdue backfield coach and former star passer of the Green Bay club, about the prospects in the Hoosier state.

MICHALSKE NAMED TO FULL-TIME COACHING JOB

FEB 10 (Green Bay) - A.M. (Mike) Michalske, former Packer star, has been named head football coach at

Iowa State college on a full time basis. He took the coaching job there in the middle of the 1942 season, succeeding Ray Donels. In 1943 Iowa State tied for second place in the Little Six conference with Missouri. Michalske played fullback at Penn State college where he received a bachelor of arts degree in 1928. As a guard for the Green Bay Packers he won All-America professional honors six times. He was an assistant football coach at St. Norbert 1940 and 1941.

BASEBALL MAGNATES TO CONFER WITH LAYDEN ON POSSIBLE ENTRY IN PRO FOOTBALL LOOP

FEB 11 (Chicago) - One of the first statements uttered by young Bob Carpenter after he became president of the Philadelphia Phillies seemed to "take" in Midwest baseball circles - so the American association's old heads were following the brash newcomer's suggestion today. The association voted unanimously at its annual spring meeting Thursday to consider muscling in on a share of the expanding business of the NFL, as Carpenter advised last month. Representatives of the eight clubs in the midwest's Class-A league will confer with Elmer Layden, commissioner of the pro grid circuit, on what the chances are for establishing cash-basis football squads in their cities to offset wintertime expenses on their idle baseball plants...HAVE PERFECT SETUP: It was Carpenter's contention that the baseball owners have the perfect setup for operating a football team in the offseason - the field, the grandstands, the labor and the concessions. In fact, Carpenter went so far as to suggest that, if baseball moguls cannot obtain franchises in the elite football fraternity, they should set up a rival league of their own. Some of this seemed to make sense to the American Association bigwigs and they decided to look into the matter, at least, in the first such action ever taken by any baseball league. While Elmer Layden has never been petitioned for a franchise by a baseball owner, the rapidly-growing gridiron circuit never has shown any aversion to the idea, provided the applicant can meet with other requirements, such as laying $25,000 on the line as a starter.

LAMBEAU WILL PROPOSE LIMITING GRID LEAGUE TO EIGHT TEAMS

FEB 17 (New York) - When the NFL holds its annual schedule meeting at Philadelphia on April 19, Coach Curly Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers will propose that circuit play be limited to eight teams for the duration. He will also advise the grid moguls to regard as nonsense recent intimations that owners of major league baseball parks might try to invade the realm of football. Chunk Lambeau, whose black locks are now flecked with silver, does not oppose granting requested new franchises this year, so that there will be 11 or 12 clubs in the circuit. But he insists that a proposed new club, like Boston or Buffalo, or a club resuming operations, like Cleveland, should combine with a second-division club - like the Chicago Cardinals, Detroit or Brooklyn - to form a combination team because of the manpower shortage. He advocates that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh continue their Phil-Pitt combination of 1943. Eight teams, including the Phil-Pitt outfit, operated during the '43 season; and Curly - drawing upon the experience of 25 years at the Packers' helm - is convinced that it would be against the best interests of the game to attempt to put additional teams upon the gridiron now, in view of the increasing service inroads on the players...VISITING NEW YORK: Lambeau, visiting New York on his annual talent scouting, transcontinental expedition, will remain for eight good teams. He believes those eight will be able to replace their losses to the armed services by means of players who have been dishonorably discharged from the services and by means of new men who have failed to pass their physical examinations or who have not been called yet. Mentioning his own Green Bay club as an example, Coach Lambeau said, "We've lost three men already, and perhaps another half dozen will be gone before the season opens. Honorable discharges (for physical reasons) are our best bet as new players. Other prospects are decidedly limited. We're scouring the country; and we find that college players unless they're 4-F's, are unavailable. Talent from other sources is mighty scarce."...SPORTS ARE DIFFERENT: What about the suggested possibility of major league baseball park owners invading pro football? Lambeau said there' no chance of that "because there is little similarity in the conduct of the two sports." He stressed that baseball owners "have enough difficulty in successfully operating the sport they know and they're smart enough not to venture into a strange sport that too often proves a gamble even for men who know it well." Lambeau concluded that the owners of most baseball parks "are quite content to see pro football teams using the parks during the off-season paying good rent for such use. For example, the owners of the Polo Grounds received $75,000 from the New York football Giants last season. And that ain't hay."

ONE-YARD MARGIN GIVES BILL PASCHAL PRO FOOTBALL HONORS FOR BALL CARRYING OVER GRIDDER JACK HINKLE

FEB 18 (Green Bay) - William Paschal, a personable youngster with a family and an Army Air corps discharge, was officially proclaimed today the NFL's 1943 ball carrying champion on a certified margin of one yard, the irreducible minimum as ground gaining statistics are computed. Hampered first by inexperience and later by injuries, Paschal, who stepped from the freshman team at Georgia Tech into a starting assignment as fullback with the New York Giants, ran wild against Washington in the last two regularly scheduled games of the season to finish his first year in the major league with 572 yards in 147 attempts. It was the seventh time a rookie has made off with the title. Second place went to Jack Hinkle, Phil-Pitt halfback, who played ten games to Paschal's nine. Hinkle had 571 yards in 116 attempts, averaging 4.9 yards against 3.9 for the new champion. Harry Clark, veteran Chicago Bear halfback, was third with 556 yards in 120 attempts...MOST UNUSUAL RACE: Paschal's triumph highlighted the closest and most unusual race in major league history. Three men for instance finished their regular schedules in first place. Clark wound up the Bears' season on Nov. 28 ahead by 44 yards. The following week Hinkle ended Phil-Pitt's season by gaining 59 yards against Green Bay and taking over first place. One week later Paschal, starring in New York's last regularly scheduled contest, piled up 92 yards against Washington to displace Hinkle. Although he gained half of his total against Washington in the last two games of the season, Paschal owes his margin of victory to a one play appearance against Detroit on Nov. 7. Entering the game against a doctor's order, the young fullback bucked through the mud for two yards. Injuries kept him out of the Chicago Cardinal game on Nov. 21. Paschal was one of three men to gain more than 100 yards in a single game. He picked up 101 in 22 attempts against Brooklyn on Oct. 17, then set the season high in the first Washington game on Dec. 5, when he got 188 yards in 24 attempts, including a 54-yard run for the deciding touchdown in the fourth quarter...CANADEO FINISHES FIFTH: Other 100-yard performers were Hinkle, who had 132 in 13 attempts against Detroit on Nov. 21 and a week later got 117 in 26 attempts against Washington, and Tony Canadeo, Green Bay halfback, who ran through New York for 122 yards in 18 attempts on Oct. 31. Canadeo, the only passer among the first 12 ground gainers, led the race through most of the season and finished fifth, despite being assessed for losses incurred when trapped while attempting to pass. The team championship went to Phil-Pitt, which displaced the Chicago Bears, with 1,730 yards. Phil-Pitt also led in

number of rushes, carrying the ball 459 times from scrimmage. The Bears, second in yardage with 1,651 and in rushes with 424, led in average gain, thereby keeping the T formation first and second in every ground gaining department. Their average gain of 3.89 yards per attempt was slightly below their winning average in 1942, when they netted four yards on each rush.

LAMBEAU'S SON FOOTBALL SCOUT IN NEW GUINEA

FEB 19 (New York) - Pro football, which never claimed to be a great builder-upper the college game is supposed to be, may rely largely upon players who can't take the Army grind next fall. The Green Bay Packers' Curly Lambeau, a visitor here, points out that boys are being discharged from the Army every day because the training is too tough for them, but a lot of them still can play football. "The Army can't tape up a weak knee or give a boy a few minutes on the bench when he gets tired," Curly explains. "Why, we've had a lot of players who can't walk 10 miles." Lambeau has a source of material the other league clubs can't tap. His son, Don, recently sent word from New Guinea that he'd encountered some natives seven feet, six inches tall. "You'd need an interpreter, but they ought to do well against the Bears," Don wrote.

MARSHALL ONCE SQUATTED DOWN ON BAY BENCH

FEB 21 (New York) - When George (Wetwash) Marshall stirred up all that fuss by suddenly appearing on the Bears' bench during the pro football playoff last fall, it wasn't the first time he had paid an unannounced visit to the opposing team. He turned up on the Green Bay Packers bench once and when somebody recognized him, all George had to say was: "What's the matter with that team of mine?"

DON HUTSON, PEERLESS PASS PICKER, WINS CROWN AS PRO FOOTBALL'S CHAMP SCORER FOURTH YEAR IN ROW

FEB 24 (Green Bay) - The NFL today solemnly observed an old established custom. For the fourth consecutive year it officially designated Don Hutson as its scoring champion. The spindly Green Bay end, long since accepted as the greatest football stylist of all time, made secure his monopoly on the title in 1943 by racking up 117 points in 10 games. The only man ever to score more than 100 points in a major league season and the only lineman to win the championship, Hutson duplicated his 1942 performance by virtually making a show of the field. 36 consecutive conversions and three field goals gave him a 45-point margin over Bill Pasc hal, the New York Giants' rookie back who won the ground gaining crown. Pascal tied Hutson in touchdowns. Both had 12. Harry Clark, Chicago Bear halfback, finished third with 60 points compiled on three touchdowns running and seven passing. Fourth place ended in a three-way tie with Andy Farkas and Wilbur Moore of Washinton, and Harry Hopp of Detroit, all backs, scoring nine touchdowns apiece for 54 points. Hutson, as usual, was off by himself on touchdown passes, catching eleven. Paschal led in touchdowns running with ten. The conversion title fell to Bob Snyder, who was Sid Luckman's understudy, who placed 9th without scoring a touchdown. Snyder set a new season record by kicking 39 extra points for the Chicago Bears. He also set a new game record when he kicked eight extra points against New York on Nov. 14. Although Hutson did not set any record beyond winning the title for the fourth time, he added to four all-time marks he already places beyond any immediate threat in previous seasons. He brought to thirty-five the number of consecutive league games in which he has scored one or more points and raised to 641 the number of points he has scored in nine seasons. His eleven touchdowns passing increased the league record in that department to 83, and he now has 86 touchdowns, 36 more than second highest man in league history. Touchdowns came faster in the NFL during 1943 than in any other season. Seven points more were scored per game than in 1942. The Chicago Bears set the pace for the third consecutive season with Green Bay, Washington, Phil-Pitt and New York finishing in that order behinid the champions for the second consecutive year. The Bears piled up 303 points on 43 touchdowns, 39 extra point and two field goals. Their 29 touchdowns by passing tied the league record set by Green Bay in 1942. They also set a new mark for touchdowns passing and most extra points in one game when Luckman connected with seven against New York on Nov. 14 and Snyder converted eight times.

BULLETIN

FEB 28 (Green Bay) - A rumor was being circulated here this afternoon to the effect that Richard (Red) Smith has been named assistant coach of the New York Giants in the NFL. Smith resigned last December as line coach of the Green Bay Packers. With the Giants he would work under Steve Owen, head coach.

RED SMITH MADE OWEN'S AIDE WITH NEW YORK GIANTS CLUB

FEB 29 (Green Bay) - Richard (Red) Smith, who resigned in December as line coach of the Packers, has been named assistant coach of the New York Giants of the NFL, according to an announcement today by President John V. Mara of the Giants. Smith will begin his duties with the New York club before the 1944 football season. Announcement of Smith's signing with the Giants came as somewhat of a surprise to his numerous friends and acquaintances in this area. It has been rumored he was the choice of several other league teams for line coach and in one instance he also was named by a syndicated columnists as one of two owners of a new team in the league. The action, leading toward his signing a Giant contract came after Smith had announced his resignation from the Packers' staff Dec. 16. During a league meeting in Chicago in January, he contacted Giant officials personally and also talked over the coaching assignment with Head Coach Steve Owen. The Owen-Smith combination will not be a new one since the present head coach played tackle with the Giants during the 1930 and 1931 seasons, when Smith was the team's quarterback...WITH MILWAUKEE BREWERS: As assistant to Manager Charley Grimm of the Milwaukee Brewers, the new Giant coach will leave Green Bay about March 1 for Waukesha, where he will help Grimm in conditioning the Brewers for the American association pennant chase starting in April. Grimm recently announced that Smith would be given a leave of absence if his services were required by the football club during the late summer. Smith's new coaching assignment is his second in the professional football circuit. He coached the Packer line from 1936 through the 1943 seasons, during which the team copped two national championships, in 1936 and 1939, and was the Western division finalist in 1938. Smith, however, started in the pro league as a guard with the Packers in 1927. A native of Combined Locks, Wis., Smith played varsity football at Notre Dame under the late coach Knute Rockne. After leaving the South Bend school, he joined the New York baseball Giants as a catcher during the 1926 and 1927 seasons. During the summer of 1928, he played with Montreal of the International league and that fall was a member of C.C. Pyle's New York Yankees football club...FIRST WORLD TITLE: After one season with the Boston Braves of the National league, Smith returned to the Packers in 1929, when the club won its first world football championship. The following year he was named athletic director and head football and baseball coach at Seton Hall, N.J., where he remained three years. Then he joined the staff of Dr. Clarence W. Spears at the University of Wisconsin. He was at Wisconsin for three years. Named manager of the Bluejays, Green Bay's entry in the Wisconsin State league, in 1941. Smith raised the club to the championship in his first year at the helm. During the 1942 chase, the club finished a few percentage points behind the winners. Smith joined the Milwaukee Brewers staff in 1936 under a working agreement and began full-time work with the club in 1943 after the Wisconsin State league decided to abandon the sport for the duration of the war...BUILDER OF STARS: In baseball, Smith became known as a coach who developed young, inexperienced players into stars. Among those who have come under his influence is outfielder Andy Pafko, who got his start in organized baseball with the Bluejays and then went to the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast league to win the batting championship in 1943. Pafko joined the Cubs late last season. Others whom Smith has coached are Kenny Keltner of the Cleveland Indians; John Schmitz, left hander with the Cubs; Dave Koslo, pitcher with the Giants; Jack Hollet of Pittsburgh and Hal Peck, who recently returned to the Brewers after playing with Brooklyn and the Cubs. Prior to coaching and managing the Bluejays, Smith was manager of the Brewers' farm system and also did some catching for the team. Although his work with the Brewers and Giants will keep him away from Green Bay most of the year, Smith said today, "Green Bay is still my home. I'd rather live here than any place I've ever been. And I shall be here during the winter months between the close of the football season and the opening of spring training in baseball. Some day I may get old, and if there's to be any settling down to the hot stove league it most certainly will be in Green Bay." During the last two seasons, Smith has also been manager of the Columbus club bowling alley.

HALAS OPPOSED TO EXPANSION OF PRO GRID LEAGUE NOW

MAR 2 (Chicago) - Lt. Cmdr. George S. Halas, owner of the Chicago Bears, sees a great increase in pro football after the war but is against any expansion at the present time. "I see no need for expansion now," said Halas, who paid a brief visit at home before departing for the war zones. "There is no time for it." Boston, granted a franchise in the NFL, is attempting to get a team together to operate this season. Applications for franchises from Buffalo, Los Angeles and San Francisco probably will be reviewed at the league's April meeting in Philadelphia.

DON HUTSON ADDS FIELD GOAL CROWN TO LIST OF RECORDS

MAR 7 (Chicago) - Don Huston of the Green Bay Packers won the field goal kicking championship for 1943, official statistics from the NFL revealed today. Hutson paced all kickers with three field goals out of five attempts, as the professional league showed an overall drop in the use of this tactic. Hutson's goals traveled 25, 23 and yards, while he missed two 30-yard attempts. Ward Cuff, Giant veteran, also kicked three field goals, but took nine tries to do it. His 45-yard field goal against the Chicago Cardinals Nov. 21 was the longest successful kick of the season. The Cards won the team championship in percentages, making two field goals in five attempts. Green Bay had the most goals with four out of 15 tries. The average length of the league's successful field goals was 31.9 yards, figures showed.

ISBELL ABSENT, BUT HUTSON TAKES PASS RECEIVING TITLE SIXTH TIME

MAR 14 (Green Bay) - Cecil Isbell's retirement to a coach's post at Purdue last fall deprived Don Hutson of his battery mate, but it did not prevent the Green Bay bowling alley proprietor and Lions' club president from winning the NFL's pass receiving championship for the third consecutive season and the sixth time in his career. Hutson came on late in the season with two typical Hutson days to finish out in front with 47 receptions, good for 776 yards and 11 touchdowns. All three figures were high for the year, official statistics reveal. Eight against New York on Oct. 31 and eight more in the Brooklyn game on Nov. 21 enabled the newly signed Packer assistant coach to beat out Joe Aguirre of Washington. Aguirre, who returned to football last fall after more than a year on a merchantman, as he was delivering explosives to the fighting fronts, had 37 receptions in the Redskins' ten regular schedule games. He gained 420 yards and tied with his teammate, Wilbur Moore, and Harry Clark of the Chicago Bears, for runner up honors in touchdown passes. Each had seven. Moore finished third among receivers with 30 and was second in gains with 357 yards...ONE NEW RECORD: Only one new record was established in pass receiving, although Huston placed his three all-time marks a little farther beyond the reach of future National leaguers. Moore broke Huston's old record for most yards gained in one game when he caught seven passes for 314 yards and

two touchdowns against Brooklyn on Oct. 31. Huston regained the mark three weeks later when he received eight passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, also against Brooklyn. Hutson, who came out of retirement to fulfil what he considered an obligation to Green Bay and professional football, ran his lifetime total of receptions to 384 and his number of touchdowns on passes to 83. In addition, he increased his league record for yards gained to 6,310. Tony Bova, Pittsburgh end, had the best average gain per completion, 24.6 yards, while Hutson's gains averaged 16.5 yards. Ray McLean, Chicago Bear halfback, was second high in average gain with 24.1 yards.

URAM, PACKER BACK, TO ENTER NAVY

MAR 16 (Minneapolis) - Andy Uram, 29, former All-America halfback at the University of Minnesota and star of the Green Bay Packers, will report for duty with the Navy before the end of the month, Fort Snelling induction officials reported today. Uram, who is married and the father of a daughter, played with the College All-Stars before joining Green Bay.

LAMBEAU TO ASK PRO LEAGUE FOR DRASTIC PENALTY

MAR 29 (Chicago) - A change in NFL rules assessing drastic penalties for out of bounds kickoffs will be advocated at the league's rules committee meeting next month by Curly Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers. Lambeau said Wednesday that booting the ball over the sidelines - intentionally or accidentally - slows up the game and deprives fans of one of the game's greatest thrills - the kickoff return. He will propose to the committee that the receiving team not be permitted to put the ball in play but the defensive team must kick several times if necessary, until it kicks within bounds. For each out of bounds boot a penalty would be imposed.

NEW PRO CIRCUIT IS PLANNED, NOT BEFORE '45

APR 1 (Pittsburgh) - Representatives of professional football interests in ten cities are expected here tomorrow to lay the foundation for a post-war transcontinental grid circuit to go into operation as soon as manpower and transportation facilities permit. Roland D. Payne, Pittsburgh sportsman, who arranged the meeting, said planners from New York, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Seattle would attend. He said the league did not expect to operate before the 1945 season and added that it might be a year later before the interested parties could assemble teams, depending on progress of the way.

NEW PRO LOOP IS ORGANIZED

APR 3 (Pittsburgh) - Organization of a postwar transcontinental airborne professional football league was virtually completed Sunday when representatives from eight cities elected temporary officers to handle operations until a permanent setup is perfected, possibly at a December meeting. Certificates of participation in the league, as yet unnamed, were issued to representatives from New York, Seattle, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Washington. The Baltimore and Washington representatives did not attend the meeting but confirmed by telephone their desire to be included in the league. Roland D. Payne of Pittsburgh, named temporary chairman, said it would operate in competition with but not in opposition to the NFL. Payne said it was not planned to start play until manpower conditions permitted organization of teams of such character "that the class of football will be major league." This would mean after the war or not earlier than 1945, he added. Payne said the league hoped to draw upon former football stars now in the armed services for many of its players.

10 MAJOR RULE CHANGES SOUGHT BY PROFESSIONAL GRIDIRON EXPERTS

APR 8 (Green Bay) - The rules committee of the NFL will go into a huddle in Philadelphia April 19 to analyze ten major changes suggested by coaches, officials and the league corps of observers, Coach Curly Lambeau, a member of the committee, said today. In the suggested changes will be Lambeau's request for penalties for kickoffs which go out of bounds. The Packer coach wants the kicking team penalized five yards for the first offense, ten yards for the second and third. Subsequent offenses would require the ball be placed on the goal line with the kicking team being forced to kick over after each offense. Lambeau emphasized that all the changes would help to make the game more interesting for spectators. He figures the out of bounds boot on kickoffs especially has eliminate one of the big thrills in the game - the wide open kickoff return. Penalties for out of bounds kicks would put a premium on the long in-field kick he has always insisted Packers booters strive for...ALLOW KICKOFF POINT: Two other changes relating to kickoff are: (1) Provide a penalty from the previous spot for a short kickoff; (2) Allow one point for a kickoff which passes through the plane of the receiving team's goal. These two suggested modifications of existing rules are also designed to give the spectator more for his money besides spotlighting the kicker's ability. Other proposals, numbered among 43, are: Extension of protection to holder of the ball on placekicks and tries for extra points as well as the kicker; make an exception to the backward pass rule to permit the defending team to advance a muffed snap which strikes the ground; provide more than a five yard defensive holding penalty when eligible pass receivers are held on or behing the line of scrimmage. Legal recovering of a punt by the kicker or any other player who was behind the ball at the time of the punt would reinstate the old onside rule and increase punt returns, Lambeau said. Other suggestions on punts, he explained, include establishment of a restraining line over which members of the kicking team may not pass until the ball is caught...PERMIT SIDELINE COACHING: Two suggestions sure to receive gobs of discussion include: Permit coaching from the sidelines and prohibit stealing the ball from the hands of the runner. It was pointed out that major league baseball has not suffered in the least by sideline coaching and there is no reason why the pro grid loop couldn't legalize such procedure. The "stealing" prohibition argument is evenly divided. Local football fans will recall that Charlie Brock's steal in the night game against the Chicago Cardinals two years ago was one of the most spectacular of the campaign besides the fact that the Green Bay center's touchdown dash with the pilfered ball won the game for the Packers. The tenth major rules change suggestion is that the inbounds spot be 20 yards instead of 15 yards from the sidelines, Lambeau said...WANT BAN LIFTED: A move to allow professional football teams to use the huge Coliseum in Los Angeles, now prohibited by a contract the city has with Southern California and U.C.L.A., was recently reported in a Los Angeles paper. The contract is up for renewal this fall and considerable pressure is being used to throw out the pro grid exclusion clause. The move is another in a series by which promoters in the west coast city are pushing toward big time play-for-pay football - even though it may not come until after the war.

CONSIDER HONOLULU FOR NEW PRO GRID LOOP

APR 8 (Pittsburgh) - Roland D. Payne, Pittsburgh businessman and chairman of a tentatively organized new professional football league, announced that he has received a telegram from A.J. Brickner of Honolulu asking that a team from Honolulu be considered for membership. Payne said the inquiry will be considered when the league members meet later this year for the purpose of forming a permanent organization. At a meeting here last week, "certificates of operation" were granted to representatives from Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington, Seattle, New York, Cincinnati and Philadelphia. The league would begin operations after the way.

PRO BOSSES TO ARGUE WARTIME SETUP

APR 14 (Green Bay) - The principal business of NFL offiicials will be to draft players and make a schedule for the 1944 campaign when they met at Philadelphia next week, but Coach Curly Lambeau of the Packers feels that two other items may result in some debate. Lambeau will leave for the east Saturday, while Assistant Coach Don Hutson will depart Sunday. The other two subjects are: (1) Should the league operate with only eight clubs (as it did in 1943) or should it be expanded to include 11 or possible 12 teams; (2) Should players whose classes have graduated but who still have a year or two of college competition left be eligible for the draft? Both questions will have to be decided before the draft and schedule work comes up. The number of teams operating next season may well be more than eight inasmuch as the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh combination has been dissolved and neither has shown an inclination to renew the partnership. A complicating factor in the Eastern division is the Boston Yanks, who received a franchise and expect to operate next season. In the Western division, the Cleveland Rams also expect to play, making five clubs in that half of the circuit...FAVORS EIGHT TEAMS: In view of the manpower situation, Lambeau believes that the league should include only eight teams again. This would necessitate at least two combinations if Boston plays in the Eastern division and Cleveland renews competition in the Western division. There likely would have to be some crossing of divisional lines with Boston in, since New York, Washington, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh figure to go it alone. At any rate, those favoring the eight-club setup may run into some snags. On the other hand, it is not likely that those favoring the 11-team (or even 12-team) circuit will get very far with their arguments. There could be a compromise between the two, resulting in the 10-team setup which prevailed before last season. The question will have to be settled before the schedule makers bring in their proposals next Thursday...RESULT OF WAR: The war has caused the second difficulty. Many players whose classes have graduated whose classes have graduated would ordinarily be eligible for the draft. This year, there will be some of them whose classes have their sheepskins but who still have a year or two of competition left. Whether the league rule should be amended to include these men is the problem confronting all teams. It will get airing before the draft session Wednesday. It was recalled that 300 men were drafted during the 1943 season but only 23 of them actually reported for practice. If the old rule of allowing each of the 10 clubs to draft 20 men would have been followed last spring, the number reporting would have been still smaller. League moguls are almost sure to keep the 30-player draft again this year, Lambeau said...AT COMMITTEE MEETINGS: The Green Bay coach will atttend ruiles and executive committee meetings Tuesday. He knows who his first choice in the draft will be but that is one thing that just can't be noised around. Because the Packers finished second in the Western division last fall, Lambeau's first choice will be either No. 5 or No. 6. The alternative depends on whether Boston is allowd to have first choice since it is a new member of the league. Criticism has developed among several owners on this score. If Boston is not allowed to pick first, Green Bay will have the No. 5 spot. The order of choices with Boston first includes: Chicago Cardinals, Brooklyn, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, Green Bay, Washington, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

BABE WEBB, PACKER PROSPECT, ARRIVES IN CITY AFTER LONG WAIT

APR 17 (Green Bay) - Babe Webb, who failed to arrive for Packer practice two years in a row because of transportation difficulties from Hawaii, is scheduled to be in Green Bay late this afternoon, Coach Curly Lambeau said today. Webb, accompanied by his wife, is coming from Clebourne, Texas. A halfback, Webb was much discussed at the outset of the 1942 and 1943 campaigns but each time something turned up to prevent his leaving Honolulu. Last November, however, he managed to book passage and arrived in the United States early this year. He plans to enter defense work in Green Bay.

PRO CLUBS PLAN TO KEEP GOING

APR 18 (Philadelphia) - Whether professional football continues is "up to the government", Commissioner Elmer Layden said Tuesday as club owners of the NFL opened a four day meeting. "The league's objective is getting the war over with as quickly as possible," he said. "Therefore, it is up to the government. Whenever they want us to quit we are ready. But," Layden continued, "I feel that we are making a definite contribution to the wartime athletic program by keeping the league in operation. The game is an incentive to our American kids, who gain a fighting spirit that serves them well in war or peace." Layden disapproved replenishing war shrunken club rosters with boys of subdraft age. "I think boys of 16 or 17 should definitely be in college first," he said. "We must consider the boy himself and his development."

NATIONAL GRID LEAGUE PONDERS PLAN FOR SIDELINE COACHING

APR 19 (Philadelphia) - A suggestion that NFL coaches be allowed to coach from the sidelines during a game, already approved for a one year trial by the rules committee, was to be voted on Wednesday by the league executive board. The decision by the rules committee amounts to a compromise on the suggestion offered by Fred Mandel, owner of the Detroit Lions. Mandel asked that it be permissible to designate a coach, put him in uniform, and allow him to wander at will between the 20 yard lines - a radical departure from the existing rule which bans sideline coaching. The recommendation, one of several to be acted upon, would permit the coach to use a space of 10 yards from the center of his team bench and extending from the bench to the sidelines. If accepted, it also would permit players to run to the bench for instruction during legal timeouts, provided that the player is back in time to assume his position at the start of the next play. Otherwise, the offending team would receive a penalty for delaying the game. The committee also recommended a change eliminating the time killing out of bounds kickoff by assessing the kicking team a five yard penalty each time the kickoff is handled illegally. The change deals with out of bounds kickoffs and kickoffs touched by the kicking team before the ball has traveled the legal 10 yards. In the final two minutes of each half, it was suggested the timers watch not be started until the ball legally is in play. The committee rejected all suggestions for a revision of the extra point rules, stealing the ball from carriers, and suggestions for protection of punt handlers. The changes, in order to become effective, must be voted on favorably by nine of the league's eleven clubs.

BOSTON YANKS PICK IRISH STAR; PREGULAMAN CHOSEN BY PACKERS

APR 20 (Philadelphia) - The Boston Yankees, whose assets going into Wednesday's NFL meeting consisted of only boundless optimism and three pieces of paper, came up with a potential drawing card today. Given first pick at the annual pro football draft of college talent, they chose Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame's 1943 passing ace whose home is in West Springfield, Mass. That, owner Ted Collins considers, gives the Yankees something to interest New England fans although Bertelli is in the Marines, and presumably won't be available until after the war. After one first choice, the Yankees had to take the eleventh pick each time, but they consider that they made out as well as most other clubs, since comparatively few players chosen will be available next fall...HAVE LEASE ON PARK: In addition to their draft selections, the Yankees have only their franchise, a lease on Fenway park, a postwar contract with Navy Lt. Jim Lansing, a former Fordham star, and line on a few players located by their scouts. Of the eleven college stars chosen in the first round, only three even possibly will be on hand to play in 1944. Creighton Miller, Notre Dame's All- America halfback who was medically discharged from the Army, was Brooklyn's first choice. Steve van Buren of Louisiana State. picked by Philadelphia, still is in college and is due to graduate in June and Johnny (Presto) Podesto of St. Mary's, was discharged from the Marines after playing as a trainee at the College of the Pacific last fall.

TWO SEEK BERTHS

APR 20 (Philadelphia) - Harvey Hester of Miami and Doug Wycoff, former Georgia Tech football star who played 11 seasons in the professional ranks, said Wednesday that they would apply for a postwar membership in the NFL. Appearing at the NFL meeting, Hester, who has promoted various sports events in Miami, and Wycoff said they were ready to post a membership fee and to begin operations as soon as the war ends. They said they already had an agreement for the use of the Orange Bowl stadium, and of a new stadium, seating 75,000, which will be constructed after the war.

LAMBEAU DRAFTS 30 GRID STARS

APR 20 (Philadelphia) - Packer Coach Curly Lambeau today has 11 backs, six ends, five tackles, five guards and three centers on the team's draft list following a lengthy session of NFL coaches and owners at the Warwick hotel. The draft session wound up at 3:50 this morning. The Green Bay coach, aided by his assistant, Don Hutson, made his first choice Mervin Pregulman of Michigan. Five other choices, headed by the Boston Yanks' pick of Angelo Bertelli of Notre Dame, preceded Green Bay's fist pick but Lambeau said today he felt fortunate in obtaining the Wolverine center, who can double at guard or tackle...COACH GETS BREAK: In general, Lambeau said, the Bays received good breaks in the draft of collegiate talent. Whether many of the men picked will be on hand when the Packers open their 1944 campaign remains to be seen since many of them will be in the armed forces by that time, the Green Bay coach said. He feels particularly fortunate in having been able to obtain strong candidates for line positions. Pregulman was named to several all-America teams as was Lambeau's second choice, Tom Kuzma, also of Michigan. Kuzma, a tailback, actually was the 22nd man to be picked because of draft sequence which allows team finishing low in the Eastern and Western divisions prior choices. The Green Bay coach's third choice was Bill McPartland, a 235-pount tackle who played for St.

Mary's in California. The fourth and fifth choices were Mickey McArtle, one of the best passers the University of California has had in some time, and Jack Tracy, who played end for three years at the University of Washington. While the Packers' sixth choice was far down on the list, Lambeau said that Alex Agase, Purdue guard, would be a valuable addition to the team if he is available. A fast lineman, Agase performed last season under the watchful eye of the Boilermakers' assistant coach, Cecil Isbell, who knows from long experience as a player with the Bays what type of linemen is best suited for the club. Today's league session will take up unfinished business although there was some indication that considerable argument would develop on suggested rules changes, including allowing coaching from a restricted zone on the sideline. The session will probably continue until Saturday with schedule making taking up most of the time Friday.

EXPANSION PLANS TABLED BY PRO FOOTBALL LEAGUE

APR 21 (Philadelphia) - With all new franchise applications tabled for the duration, the NFL went to work Friday on its 1944 schedule. Some difficulty was expected in drafting the schedule because of the odd number of teams in the circuit. There are now 11 with the entry of the Boston Yankees. In rejecting franchise applications, Commissioner Elmer Layden was authorized to return checks of $25,000 to each of five applicants. Those who has applied and submitted checks were Abe Wattner, Baltimore; Sam Cordovano, Buffalo; Marine Capt. Ernie Nevers, San Francisco; Anthony Morabito, San Francisco lumberman, and a group of Los Angeles businessmen, Tabling of the applications ended possibility of expanding the league to the Pacific coast until after the war. A group of Miami sportsmen also had considered membership but no formal application was filed. Layden said this action was taken because the league officials were not sure in which direction to expand in the critical war period. In approve the rules committee's recommendations Thursday the league adopted the practice of ice hockey to permit players under the free substitution rule to enter a game without reporting to an official. Other major changes, including league coaching from the sidelines and the abolition of out-of-bounds kickoffs, also were adopted. Henceforth, there is no kickoff out of bounds in pro ball. Any such kick will result in a five yard penalty against the kicking team, and the kicking will continue until the ball is handled legally. In the final two minutes of either half, time will be out until the ball is in play, thus preventing the kicking team from wasting the last minutes of a half. The coaching rule permits coaches to operate openly in an area 10 yards in either direction from the center of his team's bench. During legal timeouts, players on the field may come to the bench for instructions. Other changes cut the called time out period by 30 seconds, legislated a penalty of 15 yards from the spot of the previous down plus the loss of a down for pass interference by the passing team, and allowed a kicking team to advance any kick it recovered behind its scrimmage line. In the free substitute rule, guards, centers and tackles may change to the backfield, and vice versa, by reporting to the official and leaving the game for one play before returning to an original position.

EYE TEAM MERGERS

APR 21 (Philadelphia) - Now that Coach Curly Lambeau's suggestion that kickoffs out of bounds be eliminated has been adopted by the NFL, the Green Bay coach looked today for approval of another suggestion that the league be kept at eight-team strength because of the manpower situation. As the league turned to schedule problems, there were strong rumors that mergers such as last year's Philadelphia-Pittsburgh combination might be the league's solution to its problems. The Boston Yanks have indicated they would merge with another club, provided all games were played in Boston. Any such changes must be made before the 1944 schedule is drawn up.

RUMORS HEARD ABOUT HUTSON PLAYING AGAIN

APR 22 (Philadelphia) - Today's Philadelphia story: If Don Hutson tried another comeback with the Green Bay Packers next fall, it will be because he finds the business of being a coach too strenuous.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WILL HAVE ROVING TEAM

APR 22 (Philadelphia) - After three long days of meeting, during which they were not even certain how many teams they would have next fall, the NFL club owners settled Friday on an 11 club circuit in 1944. Rumors of withdrawals and mergers were set at rest when all 11 clubs, including one newcomer since last season, the Boston Yankees, definitely announced their intention to operate independently. To balance up a schedule for an uneven number of teams, the owners decided to designate one eastern club as a rover, not required to play home and home games against the other clubs in the division. Designation of the club for the roving assignment was postponed until Saturday, when the club owners hoped to adopt a schedule. The Philadelphia Eagles appeared most likely to be the rover. Five clubs in each division will play home and home games in their own division and some intersectional contests to complete a 10 or 11 game program. The rover will play one against each of the other 10, and an extra game if an 11 game schedule is settled upon. The league outlawed postseason exhibition games by the teams and sharply limited individual participation by players in such games. It banned selection of all-star or all-opponent teams by owners or coaches. Dennis J. Shea was re-elected treasurer for three years, and George Strickler of Chicago was re-engaged as publicity director for a like term. A proposal to alternate the league headquarters between Chicago and New York for five year periods was voted down.

STEELERS AND CARDINALS MERGE IN PRO LEAGUE

APR 23 (Philadelphia) - The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals agreed Saturday to merge for the 1944 NFL season. The league, which had asked the merger as one way to avoid schedule problems attendant upon an 11 team circuit, immediately gave its blessing to the move. Pittsburgh-Chicago will play in the Western division, but the Steelers, who merged last year with the Philadelphia Eagles, made it clear that they want to play as a single team in the eastern division after this year. The merger will leave the league with five teams in each division. Boston, newest member, would have made the eleventh team but for the merger. At Friday's session, the league had decided to operate with 11 teams and make one of them a roving club. This was made unnecessary. The combined team, as yet unnamed, will get the use of any available players from the draft lists of both clubs. Phil Handler of the Cardinals and Walt Kiesling of the Steelers will serve as co-coaches of the new squad, which will pitch its training camp at Waukesha, Wis., next fall.

PACKERS OPEN YEAR WITH BROOKLYN TEAM

APR 24 (Philadelphia) - The Green Bay Packers will entertain five NFL clubs in home games during the 1944 season, it was announced here over the weekend following six days of meetings of owners and coaches at the Warwick hotel. Five other Packer games will be played on the road. Fifty games were arranged in all, on a home and home basis in each division, and each team was given two inter-division games. For the Packers, these include the opener against Brooklyn at City stadium there Sept. 17, and a Nov. 19 date with the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. Only one night game was scheduled. Coach Curly Lambeau said today that the Packers would also play an intersectional exhibition game against the Washington Redskins in Baltimore Labor day, Sept. 4. The Green Bay coach was to be in New York today to talk over the possibility of another exhibition against the Boston Yankees Sept. 10. Lambeau will confer with owner Ted Collins of the Yankees, the league's new entry...MAY COACH YANKS: Possibility that a former Green Bay resident, Lt. Cmdr. Jimmy Crowley, would be the Yankees' coach after the war was also expressed by Lambeau, who said that the former Fordham coach was to be in New York some time this week. Crowley has been in the southwest Pacific as director of Navy recreational activities. Lambeau said there is a definite possibility that Crowley would be signed by Collins. Who the Boston coach would be for the duration is not known yet although Yankee officials are optimistic about their team's chances in the professional circuit. It was recalled that Lt. Cmdr. George Halas, owner of the Chicago Bears, has been doing some advisory work for the Chicago club even though he is on active duty with the Navy. Lambeau said that the Packers' schedule will eliminate much of the traveling that was necessary in other seasons. Asked about games which might be played in Milwaukee, he said that would have to be decided later. During the last several seasons, the Packers have played two of their home games at the Wisconsin State fairgrounds in suburban West Allis...TWO TEAMS MERGE: Final agreement on the schedule became possible after the Chicago Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to merge as a Western division team for the coming season, according to Commissioner Elmer Layden. The combine decided to adopt the name of Cards-Pitt and will try out their new combination against the Packers and Chicago Bears in Chicago. Three other games will be played bvy the team in Pittsburgh. After opening against the Dodgers, the Green Bay eleven will play the Chicago Bears at City stadium Sept. 24. The next Sunday, Oct. 1, the Detroit Lions will be entertained by the Packers. The first appearance of the Card-Pitts against Green Bay will be Oct. 8. The Packers will have an open date Oct. 15 before winding down their home schedule Oct. 22 against Cleveland. Games on the road for Green Bay include: Oct. 29 - Detroit; Nov.. 5 - Chicago Bears; Nov. 12 - Cleveland; Nov. 19 - New York; Nov. 26 - Card-Pitts at Chicago. The season will close Dec. 10 with Cleveland at Philadelphia and New York at Washington. The annual championship playoff between the Eastern and Western division winners will be played Dec. 17 on the home field of the Eastern division winner. Lambeau was renamed to the league's executive commmittee for a one-year term at the final session Sunday afternoon. Others on the committee include: Commissioner Layden, Jack Mara of New York, Charley Bidwell of the Chicago Cardinals, and Tom Gallery, new vice president and general manager of the Brooklyn team.

NEVERS FINALLY GETS BALAZS IN MARINE 'TRADE'

MAY 4 (Philadelphia) - First report of trading athletes on the battlefront comes from a Marine combat correspondent who tells how Capt. Roscoe (Torchy) Torrance, vice president of the Seattle Coast league club, was talking baseball with Bill Veeck, Milwaukee prexy, and moaning over his team's need of a shortstop. Veeck said he thought the Brewers had one to spare and wrote Charley Grimm to try and fix up a deal. And from the same territory Capt. Ernie Nevers, who hopes to head a National league club, sends this word: "Tell Curly Lambeau I finally mad a deal for his former fullback, Frank Balazs, only the deal was with another Marine squadron, and Balazs didn't cost me a cent." When Nevers coached the Chicago Cardinals he tried to hide out Balazs in the pro draft but Lambeau took him and wouldn't listen to Ernie's offers.

BUCKETS GIVING STIDHAM A HAND AT MARQUETTE

MAY 6 (Milwaukee) - Charles (Buckets) Goldenberg, a guard with the Green Bay Packers for 11 years, is helping coach Tom Stidham train the Marquette University football team in spring practice. Goldenberg operates two Milwaukee restaurants. Stidham's other assistants, also volunteers, are Myron (Mike) Hanley, former University of Washington star, and line coach Carl. E. (Bus) Owen, who has been on the Northwestern University staff for 15 years.

FATHER DIES

MAY 10 (Green Bay) - Larry Craig, Green Bay Packer blocking back, today informed Coach Curly Lambeau of the sudden death Tuesday of his father at the family home in Ninety Six, S.C. Carig did not inform the Packer coach of the cause of his father's death.

BROOKLYN DODGER GRID TEAM RENAMED 'TIGERS'

MAY 10 (Brooklyn) - The Brooklyn Dodgers of the NFL, sometimes confused with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National baseball league, will be known in the future as the Brooklyn Tigers, general manager Tom Gallery said today.

GREEN BAY PACKERS BOOK 2 PRACTICE GAMES IN EAST

MAY 11 (Green Bay) - Coach Curly Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers announced Wednesday that the team will play two practice games in the east early in September before meeting up with the Brooklyn Tigers in the first game of the NFL at Green Bay September 17. The Green Bay eleven will battle the Washington Redskins in Baltimore September 4 and the new Boston Yankees, the league's new entry, at Buffalo September 10. Meanwhile, the Green Bay coach sent out the first bulletin to team members and prospective players who were selected two weeks ago in the league's annual draft session at Philadelphia. The bulletin, urging the players to get in shape during the summer months, explains that the first practice session will be held at Green Bay Sunday August 20. The Packers will do part of their training while in the east at U.S. naval training center at Sampson, N.Y. Lieut. Comdr. Jimmy Crowley was recently assigned to the Sampson station as athletic director, and may coach the football team there this fall. Crowley has also been named postwar coach of the Yanks. He, no doubt, will be on hand during the exhibition game to determine what strength the team has, where it will need bolstering and to answer the host of other questions that all professional circuit coaches are heir to.

ISBELL SAYS HE'S NOT COMING BACK

MAY 12 (Detroit) - Contrary to word passed along the football grapevine, Cecil Isbell of the Purdue university coaching staff has no intention of returning to the Green Bay Packers. "If I continue to coach, I won't play football," said Isbell Thursday while in Detroit to attend a Purdue alumni meeting. "I decided that last fall and haven't changed my mind." Isbell said he had conferred with Coach Curly Lambeau of the Packers and had informed him of the decision.

PACKERS TO PLAY THREE TILTS AT CITY STADIUM NEXT SEASON

MAY 13 (Green Bay) - Three of the five home games of the Packers will be played at City stadium, it was announced today following a meeting of the club's executive committee. The action to stage three games here and two others at State Fair park in Milwaukee was unanimous. Games to be played here include those against the Chicago Bears Sept. 24, the Card-Pitts Oct. 8, and Cleveland Oct. 22. Milwaukee games include the league opener against Brooklyn Sept. 17 and Detroit Oct. 1, the committee announcement said. During the 1943 season, two games were played in Green Bay against the Bears and Detroit. Two others were played in Milwaukee against the Chicago Cardinals, merged this year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Washington Redskins. One more home game was provide this year because the circuit will operate with ten teams instead of eight as during 1943...APPRECIATE TURNOUTS: The executive committee's decision to bring three teams to Green Bay followed an expression of appreciation for the fine support given the club at its local games last season. The Bear tussle was sold out and a crowd in excess of 20,000 attended the game against the Detroit eleven. Cleveland will be making its first appearance here in two years. The club did not operate last season. In the Card-Pitt encounter, Packer fans will have an opportunity to see what will probably be one of the strongest teams in the league next season. This prediction, generally held by league owners and coaches, is based on the fact that the Cardinals will supply a strong backfield while Pittsburgh has powerful linemen to plug gaps which excited in the Chicago team's front line last fall...FIVE GAMES ON ROAD: After the final home game against Cleveland, the Packers play: Detroit at Detroit Oct. 29; Chicago Bears at Chicago, Nov. 5; Cleveland at Cleveland Nov. 12; New York Giants at New York Nov. 19; and Card-Pitt at Chicago Nov.. 26. An announcement earlier this week told of two exhibition games to be held in the east, the first Sept. 4, Labor day, against the Washington Redskins at Baltimore and the second Sept. 10 against the Boston Yankees at Buffalo. The latter contest will be the first for the Bays against the latest entry in the NFL.

NO MORE FOOTBALL FOR BOB INGALLS, EX-PACKER CENTER

MAY 13 (Lincoln Army Air Field, NB) - Army doctors have written "finis" to the active football career of Sgt. Bob Ingalls, former All-American and All-Big Ten center, it was announced today. Ingalls, currently physical training instructor at the Lincoln air field, was told a knee injury he suffered during his college days at the University of Michigan was aggravated in an Army fray last year, and has forced his retirement. For three years Ingalls was varsity center and a spearhead of the Wolverines' forward wall, and for a time filled in at the blocking back's position. He made the All-Big Ten first squad in his sophomore and junior years, and during his last two seasons was named to the All-American squad by a national magazine. After his graduation, the 25-year old soldier played in three All-Star games, and before entering the Army alternated with Nebraska's Charley Brock at the center post for the Green Bay Packers. "I had hoped to play with the Packers again after the war," he said, "but now I might try to land a coaching job."

ISBELL, FORMER PACKER STAR, MADE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT PURDUE

MAY 16 (Green Bay) - Cecil Isbell, former Green Bay Packer and Purdue university star, today was appointed head football coach at Purdue, Athletic Director Guy Mackey announced at Lafayette, Ind. The Houston, Texas, boy, who gained fame as a forward passer will take over his new duties July 1, in time to direct summer football training for the Boilermakers. He served as backfield coach last year and had been mentioned as a candidate for head coach since the resignation Sunday of Elmer Burnham to accept a contract as head football coach at the University of Rochester, Rochester, Minn. Purdue is co-holder with Michigan of the Big ten championship, and Isbell was given credit for developing its fine backfield. Isbell played left halfback for the Packers five years, coming here after he starred at Purdue. Following the 1941 campaign, he was hailed as the most productive passer of all time. He more than lived up to this reputation in the 1942 season, his last with the Packers. In both 1941 and 1942, Isbell was placed on the first string of the NFL's honorary team, beating out the highly publicized Sammy Baugh of the Redskins because he was a better ball carrier and he showed better proficiency in the forward pass department...GREATEST GRID RECORD: Isbell holds one of the greatest records in football, that of having tossed at least one touchdown pass in his last 23 consecutive league games for the Packers. At Purdue university, Isbell won places on several Big Ten, midwest and national honor teams. He was named the most valuable player on the Chicago All-Star team of 1938, playing in that game against the Packers. For several years while playing with the Packers, Isbell maintained a water softener business in Manitowoc. He is six feet, one inch tall, and his usual playing weight was 190 pounds.

PACKER COACH TELLS REASONS FOR 4-F'S CONTINUED ATHLETIC ABILITY

MAY 23 (Manitowoc) - Coach Curly Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers told members of the Manitowoc and Two Rivers clubs Monday night that a soldier may be a good athlete it does not follow that an athlete will necessarily have the physical qualities necessary for long hours of combat. Explaining that many people question why athletes in every type of sports are not in the service, the Packer coach asserted that there is an essential difference between the physical makeup needed for combat service and those required of an athlete. He pointed up the difference by using several examples...CAN BE TREATED: In combat, he said, there is little chance that a man can be taped or treated properly for injuries or weaknesses caused by injuries. Once the order is given to start a drive into enemy territory - or even on maneuvers in this country - the soldier must struggle through regardless. In football or other sports, trainers are able to use many methods

whereby a weak ankle, a bruised shoulder, or any other injury can be made ready to withstand the force of hard play. In other words, he said, the weakness in an athlete is anticipated while the armed services cannot take such chances and thereby reject men for physical reasons. In line with this, the Packer coach explained that many athletes in professional football have been rejected for Army duty but the causes of rejection did not hamper the player's ability on the gridiron. He said more and more men in the league are being drawn from the lists of 4-F's and those honorably discharged because of service-related injuries...OUTLOOK IS GOOD: Speaking of prospects for 1944, Lambeau asserted that the picture at the present time is not by any means discouraging. He warned, however, that coming events can change the attack considerably, and NFL owners are working on a day-to-day basis to prepare for any eventuality. He said the Boston Yanks, new entry in the circuit, have a tough job ahead but seem to be "coming around" while the combined Pittsburgh-Chicago Cardinals club would be one of the league's strongest. The Green Bay outlook is good, the coach said. Four men - Chet Adams, Dick Evans, Tony Canadeo and Andy Uram - have been drafted since last season but several men on the Packer draft list have been discharged and may be available in 1944. Lambeau specifically referred to Roy Dale McKay, former Texas back, and Norm Verry, who was a standout in the 1944 Rose Bowl game for California. After his talk, Lambeau showed color pictures of the Packer-Chicago Bear game held in City stadium last fall.

POSTWAR PRO LOOP PLANNED

MAY 23 (Pittsburgh) - Permanent organization of a new transcontinental postwar professional football league, temporarily organized last April 3, is expected to be completed at a meeting here Sunday. Roland D. Payne of Pittsburgh, temporary chairman, said that permanent officers would be elected, franchises issued, a constitution ratified, a name chosen, and headquarters established. Eight teams were issued "certificates of participation" at the April meeting. These are to be exchanged for franchises Sunday. Several additional applications, including one from Honolulu, have been received, he added. Tentative plans are for air transportation of teams in the league, with a schedule calling for two games a week. Cities represented by temporary certificates are New York, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Seattle. Payne said operation of the league probably would not begin until after the way, or "at least not until manpower conditions are such that the quality of football we play will be definitely of major league."

HAL VAN EVERY, PACKER STAR, REPORTED MISSING

MAY 26 (Minneapolis) - Captain Harold Van Every, 26, fullback for University of Minnesota football teams in 1937-38-39 and later for the Green Bay Packers, has been reported missing in action since his fourth mission as a bomber pilot over Germany May 12, his wife, Mrs. Drexel Van Every, Slayton, Minn., was notified yesterday by the war department. Captain Van Every graduated from the university in 1940 and enlisted in the Air Corps soon after Pearl Harbor. While a member of the Army Air Corps he added to his football laurels while touring the country with an Air Corps team.

BRUTE TRAFTON SIGNED AS PACKERS' ASSISTANT COACH

JUN 10 (Green Bay) - George (Brute) Trafton, former NFL center, today signed as line coach of the Packers, according to an announcement by Coach Curly Lambeau. He will start work with the Green Bay club Aug, 15, five days before opening of practice sessions, and remain during the entire football season. Lambeau said that negotiations for Trafton, who played 10 seasons with the Chicago Bears following graduate from Notre Dame, have been going on for some time. His addition to the Packer staff completes the roster of coaches at three men, including Lambeau, the new line coach and Assistant Coach Don Hutson. Hutson, it was expected, will be the backfield coach and also will work on pass defense...WEIGHS 235 POUNDS: The new coach is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 235 pounds. He is 47 years old. He is known from coast to coast for his extreme interest in football and his ability as a story teller about sports figures, many of whom he came to know personally while operating a gymnasium in Chicago. At present he is owner and manager of Willie Joyce, the fighter who last week won a decision over Henry Armstrong in Chicago. Lambeau said he has always been impressed with Trafton's fighting spirit and determination to win ball games. The Packer coach said he had attempted to obtain the former Bear star for the Green Bay team, but the Bruins would never part with his services. Trafton was named several times to the all-league team. During his undergraduate years at Notre Dame, the Packer line coach often drew the praise of the last Knute Rockne. The latter later described Trafton as the best center he ever coached. He gained this praise not only for his worth as a football player but also because of his ability to keep the morale of his teammates at a high pitch...ENEMY OF ANDERSON: Playing at Notre Dame in 1919, 1920 and 1921, Trafton was a teammate of Co-Coach Hunk Anderson of the Chicago Bears. The two men became enemies in school and the grudge has been carried over to this time - a fact which should make Trafton particularly anxious to be on the winning side when the Packers and Bears tangle during the 1944 season. The basis of the grudge was a boxing match between the school's heavyweight championship, Coach Lambeau said. Before the bout, Anderson allegedly approached Trafton and pointed out that they could fight to a draw inasmuch as they were members of the same football team. Trafton agreed. During the first round of the match, Anderson forgot the agreement and handed Trafton a wallop which carried him out of the ring. The big center managed to get back in time to give Anderson a thorough beating. Since then, neither has any love for the other.

OUR FAVORITE ENEMY RETURNS

JUN 16 (Green Bay) - He was a big man with springs in his legs. As he rocked up on his toes or strode across the gridiron, the most anemic spectator could enjoy vicariously his boundless energy. But when he was in Green Bay stadium his name was always coupled with boos and purple insults. The time began in 1922 when George Trafton was just a fresh bunch of muscle from Notre Dame, playing center for the Chicago Bears. it ran on for many long, snappy and brilliant years. In those days Trafton was Green Bay's arch enemy - the most "hated" man among many who raised local ire. Any man with a sufficiently robust sense of humor might have attempted to build a reputation for showmanship upon a practice of public insults, but only a man with the lift of perfect health and tremendous physical energy could have carried on in that role for ten years. Trafton marched down the football years with jeers, boos and Bronx cheers bouncing off his helmet, but his attitude was that of a dashing hero smiling under applause and confetti. Green Bay crowds turned out to see this warrior though his appearance roiled them to fury. He received the best of the crowd's offerings with broad smiles, bellowed his replies and used his fertile brain to think up new devil-try to annoy them. The years went on and the crowds at the Bear game grew. The Bears still hold attendance records in Green Bay and people go to see something that was typified by the brawling, battling spirit of Trafton. Now Trafton has joined the Packers as line coach. Some of the old timers may question the strange allegiance. They learned to hate Trafton and want to nourish undisturbed their graying grouch. But most Packer fans will welcome him as a great athlete, a fellow who took it as well as he dished it out, a man with such stamina and doggedness as to excite admiration among the most hostile crowd. We hope he is as great a coach as he was a player. If he is all will end well.

MCKAY, ALL-AMERICAN FULLBACK, SIGNS WITH PACKERS

JUN 17 (Green Bay) - Roy D. McKay, one of the best fullbacks in the history of the University of Texas and a former All-American, has signed a contract to play with the Green Bay Packers during the 1944 season, according to an announcement today by Coach Curly Lambeau. McKay is the first player to sign with the Packers this year. Picked third by Lambeau in the NFL draft in April, 1943, the Texas gridder did not report last fall because of service in the armed forces. He since has been given his honorable discharge and is set to play with the Packers this year. A member of the college All-Star team in 1943, McKay will play with the team again this year when they meet the Chicago Bears at Dyche stadium, Evanston, Aug. 30. He will report for practice with the Packers the following day. He is expected to be ready for duty against Washington in Baltimore Sept. 4, and against Boston at Buffalo, Sept. 10, Lambeau said...FAST AND RUGGED: Now living in Bandera, Texas, McKay is six feet tall, weighs 205 pounds and is 22 years old. He has often emphasized that he wants to play pro football. Fast and rugged, he can run 100 yards in 10.3 seconds. His ability was recognized to the extent that he was the first halfback invited to join the 1943 college All-Star eleven that defeated the Washington Redskins, 1942 world champions. Listed as a fullback in the system used by Texas coach Dana X. Bible, actually McKay did the work of a left halfback and will be used in that position here, Lambeau said. A triple-threat man, McKay was outstanding during his college career for his "scat' running, his passing and punting ability. Defensively he is rated as excellent both as a line backer and safety man. Bible, who handled McKay for three years, call him "the best fullback I ever coached." The Packer coach said that scout reports on the Texas star have been uniformly enthusiastic. He said that McKay will be the best rookie ball player entering the NFL this year and will fit admirably into the Green Bay system...SEARCH IS ENDED: "We have been looking for a long time for a man of his qualities," Lambeau said, "and at least we have found one." The scout report which Lambeau received prior to the 1943 draft session, said, in part: "I could talk about his abilities for a week and still not be able to tell you just how good he is. His ball packing is something that goes with the best in the land. He is good in line cracking and in the open field. He is just about tops as a passer and has the best passing average in the southwest."

TINSLEY WAS KIDDING; REJOINS PACKER TEAM

JUN 21 (Green Bay) - Pete Tinsley, the Packer guard who vowed last fall that he was finished playing football, today became the first veteran to return his signed contract, according to an announcement by Coach Curly Lambeau. The Packer roster for the 1944 season now includes Tinsley and Roy D. McKay, former University of Texas All-American who signed last week. Now in the painting and house washing business in Green Bay, the veteran guard will be making his seventh appearance before Packer football fans next fall. He is 27 years old, married and has an honorable discharge from the United States Army. He played undergraduate football at Georgia and was drafted by Lambeau in 1937. He weighs 200 pounds. Although he emphasized frequently during the 1943 football campaign that he had had enough football, Tinsley reconsidered during the winter and spring and then decided to sign as soon as he received a contract for next season. Tinsley's reasons for giving up the game had often been outlined by him in lectures to his teammates. He always claimed he had the longest record of continuous play of all of them...POPULAR WITH MATES: Popular with his teammates, Tinsley would outline his gridiron activities from fourth grade through grammar school, through four years of high school, freshman and varsity experience at Georgia for four more years and then six years in the pro game. "That's enough for anybody," he would say, "and besides these bones of mine can't take it anymore." For this type of conversation, he earned the nickname "Aches and Pains". However, no matter how much he complained during the early part of the week, he always managed to get the bruises and bumps ironed out before Sunday. He was on hand for every league encounter last year, when he had, in Coach Lambeau's estimation, his best season with the Packers.

PERKINS, EVERS, MCROBERTS, DZIERZEWSKI WITH PACKERS

JUN 24 (Green Bay) - The number of candidates for the 1944 Packer team was boosted to six today with the announcement by Coach Curly Lambeau that four players had returned signed contracts. The latest to sign include two linemen and two backs, one of whom saw service with the team in 1943 before going on the inactive list because of an injury. Those who signed today include: Fullback Don Perkins, who joined the squad last fall and then was forced to retire for the season because of a knee injury sustained in the exhibition game against Washington; Norbert Evers, tackle from Kenosha; Bob McRoberts, halfback from Menomonie, Wis., and Ervin Dzierzewski, guard from Milwaukee...TINSLEY, MCKAY SIGNED: Previous signers included Pete Tinsley, veteran Packer guard, and Roy D. McKay, halfback from the University of Texas. Perkins, who Lambeau said is an excellent prospect, joined the team after three years at Platteville Teachers. Although he attempted to return after he sustained a knee injury, the hurt never healed properly and he was retained on the inactive list. Since the close of the season he has had a knee operation and will be available, Lambeau said. A former fullback at Stout institute in Menomonie, McRoberts will be tried at the right halfback position to replace the veteran Andy Uram, who is now in the Army, Lambeau said. He has been working in Green Bay for the past six weeks. Fast and rugged, McRoberts runs the 100 yards in 10 seconds flat and is generally considered to be the best backfielder in Stout history. He is 21 years old. He weighs 195 pounds, is 5 feet 10 inches tall...PLAYED WITH FALK: Dzierzewski played with the Falk corporation in Milwaukee last year. Although he has had no college experience, he was recommended for a tryout at the guard spot. He is 4-F in the draft. He is 22 years old and weighs 190 pounds. Twenty-six years old, Perkins is six feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. At present he is residing in Galena, Ill. He is a good punter and passer and a hard runner. Evers was a teammate of Packer tackle Paul Berezney, when both played for the Kenosha Cardinals, and was highly recommended to Lambeau by Coach Johnny Blood when he handled the downstate eleven. Of all the members of his team, Blood said that he could recommend for major league football only Evers and Berezney. The tackle prospect is 27 years old, weighs 236 points and is 6 feet 2 inches.

CHARLIE BROCK SIGNS FOR HIS SIXTH YEAR

JUN 28 (Green Bay) - Charlie Brock, probably the best center to ever pass a ball for the Green Bay Packers in a quarter century of postgraduate gridiron play, has signed his contract for the 1944 season, Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau announced today. The Packer pilot was all smiles over coming to terms with Brock because he long has rated Charlie as the best in the National league. This takes in a lot of territory as Bulldog Turner had been an ace for the Chicago Bears, and the once-famous Mel Hein did a lot of things for the New York Giants at the pivotal post. This will be Brock's sixth season in Packer toggery. He joined the Bays after getting his sheepskin at the University of Nebraska, where he had three years of varsity football and earned considerable recognition as an All-American snapperback. He played in the Chicago All-Star game. Blessed with the coordination of a left halfback, Brock has been an outstanding player for the Packers ever since he reported here in 1939. Charlie is in a class by himself when it comes to ball-hawking. He has an uncanny sense of following the play and his smart defensive tactics have made him feared by every spoke in Elmer Layden's wheel...HIS SNATCHING MANEUVER: Charlie tackles the ball as well as the player and he has a copyrighted trick of taking the pigskin out of an opponent's grasp. This snatching maneuver of Brock's has baffled other coaches, and officials as well. It is seldom that a game passes without Brock helping himself to a couple of loose balls. Last fall Brock had his appendix removed while on the eastern football trip, and this operation dimmed the Packers' chances for the '43 championship. Even the Bears' coaches admitted that if Brock had been in the lineup in the game at Chicago, it might have been a different story...HAS TWO CHILDREN: The stellar Packer center is married and has a boy and girl in his family. He is 28 years old, stands an inch over six feet in height, and his football weight is about 205 pounds. Brock formerly lived in Hastings, Neb,. but he is now year 'round resident of Green Bay and is working an important night shift at a local industrial plant engaged in war production.

NEW PRO FOOTBALL WHEEL FORMED ON WEST COAST

JUN 28 (Hollywood) - The Pacific coast, which sought but never obtained a franchise in the NFL, finally has found its way into the big leagues - by organizing its own. The new setup, to be known as the American Professional Football league, will face a lot of problems next year - manpower, transportation, and the like - but no league on the west coast - and there have been several - has been so thoroughly planned or so financially strong as this one. The league is a brain child of William (Big Bill) Freelove, aviation industrialist of Los Angeles, who is such a football nut that he climbed into a suit a couple of years back and filled a tackle position to help out in a game. Freelove has come up with financially sound backers to take over franchises in Seattle, Portland, Oakland, San Francisco, Hollywood, San Diego and two in Los Angeles. Best known of these franchise holders are George Zaharias, the former wrestler, and his wife, Mrs. Mildred (Babe) Didrikson Zaharias, star of half a dozen or more sports. They will run the San Diego team. Boat builders, electrical concern heads and restaurant operators are included among the owners, giving the league an impressive bulge in the bankroll department. These owners tossed $5,100 apiece on the conference table, so the league starts off with a $40,000 bank account. Uniforms have already been bought and paid for by each club, and a constitution patterned after the NFL has been adopted.

CALLIGARO, BADGER BACK-CENTER, SIGNS WITH PACKERS

JUL 1 (Green Bay) - Len Calligaro, 190-pound fullback and center on the Wisconsin football team for the past three years, has signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers, Coach E.L. Lambeau announced today. The husky badger will be among the gridders reporting here Aug. 20 when the Bays start preparations for the 1944 National league flag hunt. Calligaro, a product of Hurley, Wis., is a hard-hitting line bucker, but his chief claim to fame while performing at Badger U came as a result of his terrific defensive play. As a roving center, he was quick to diagnose enemy plays and often rushed into the danger spots to break up the offensive thrusts before they were well started. Last fall, in the early season games, Coach Harry Stuhldreher had Len calling signals and he was doing nicely until academic conditions forced him to quit the grid squad and concentrate on his books...STUDENT IN AGRICULTURE: Calligaro is an advanced student in agriculture and has been deferred by reason of his studies along these lines. Len is continuing his studies in Madison during

the summer session, and between classes is playing baseball for the West Side Businessmen. On the diamond, he is a fleet center fielders and has been smacking the ball at a .370 clip. Len, a mild-spoken youth, has been popular on the Badger campus. He just coasts along in everyday life, but once in a grid battle, he becomes a changed youngster. He played with a ferocity seldom equaled on college gridirons, and his compact frame seemed to be made of rubber as he always bounced out of the toughest kind of scrimmage little the worse for wear. He had but little time out for injuries while at Wisconsin...PRAISED BY SCRIBES: Madison sportswriters think Calligaro will "cut the buck" for Lambeau with lots to spare. One of the scribes remarked that "Calligaro will do things just as well as Eddie Jankowski, Buckets Goldenberg, Milt Gantenbein and Jack Harris", a quartet of Badger aces who moved from the "U" to stardom with the Bays in their first year of postgraduate football.

IRV COMP SIGNS FOR 1944 PACKER SEASON

JUL 5 (Green Bay) - Irv Comp, who passed his way into pro football stardom during his freshman year as a member of the Green Bay Packers, has accepted Coach E.L. Lambeau's terms for his second season with the Bays, it was announced today. The Milwaukee gridder, who played his college football at St. Benedict in Kansas, was the second player picked by Coach Lambeau in the 1943 National league draft. Nearly every club in the league was after Comp, but the Packer pilot beat the other coaches to the "bid" and Irv has more than lived up to the advance notices. Aside from his passing ability, Comp is a good ball carrier and a better than average punter. The Milwaukeean was on the spot any number of times last season but he always came through with flying colors. Football coaches are of the opinion that Comp will develop into one of the best passers in pro football history...HIGH POWERED BACK: Irv is built just right for a high powered back. He stands an inch over six feet and his football weight is about 205 pounds. Comp can step the 100 in 10 seconds and when he gets loose in the open field, he has a hip movement that fools the would-be tacklers. The Packers passer is 25 years old. He is married. The official National league records for 1943 placed Comp as the third best passer in the league. He was topped only by Sammy Baugh of Washington and Sid Luckman, the Chicago Bears' overhead expert...PASSED FOR SEVEN "TOUCHES": Comp completed 50 percent of his 92 passes for seven touchdowns and 662 yards gained. Only four of his tosses were intercepted and, in this respect, he topped the circuit. Irv's longest completed pass sailed some 79 yards. The Packer backfielder was also in the first division as a ball carrier. He lugged the pigskin 182 yards in 77 offensive jaunts. This was an average of 2.3 yards on each attempt. He got away on one prance for 27 yards.

NEW PRO LOOP TO START PLAY IN '45

JUL 6 (Pittsburgh) - Organization of a new professional football league, which may begin operation in the season of 1945, is expected to be completed at a meeting of representatives of 12 embryo teams at the Philadelphia Athletic club July 23. Dick Payne, Pittsburgh sportsman and acting head of the proposed league, said nine groups holding "certificates of operation" in the circuit and three others seeking admittance will be present. Teams now holding certificates are New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Akron, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Chicago. Teams seeking admittance include Honolulu, San Francisco and Buffalo.

NEW PACKER COACH PLAYED IN PRO GAMES' ROUGH DAYS

JUL 7 (Green Bay) - For 13 years starting in 1920, George Trafton swaggered in the center of the Chicago Bears' line, a truculent, blustery competitor, to whom diplomacy was just a nine letter word meaning a punch in the nose. Every team he played against attempted to make a deal for him, some in self defense. Trafton returns to professional football this fall after 12 years of retirement. It is a good thing for the game. Three Finger George's return is strictly in step with the rest of his career. He not only joins his archenemies, the Green Bay Packers, for whom he becomes line coach, but he made himself a candidate for the job by criticizing them in a chance meeting with their coach, Curly Lambeau. "What's wrong with that club of yours?" he demanded. "They don't scrap back like that old Green Bay crowd. Why right now, in this dinner jacket, I could chase those mugs out of the park." "You've got the job," Lambeau replied. "Show up in Green Bay August 20." Trafton will find things a little different from the way they were back there, say in 1925, when he played 30 games in one season. "Imagine," he says in amazement, "thirty-three players on one squad. Why, when I started with the Bears we had 15. You were hired to play a football game and you played it - all 60 minutes of it, brother. That Halas used to come into the dressing room and say: 'Now boys, this half Trafton will replace Trafton, Hunk Anderson will replace Hunk Anderson and Healy, you'd better replace Healy." In Rock Island, Ill., in 1920 the gamblers did a landoffice business, not on the outcome of the Bears-Independents game, but on whether Trafton would last out the 60 minutes. By way of insurance some of the public spirited citizens had imported a huge center by the name of Gunderson. "That Gunderson," says Trafton, "was the biggest, toughest Swede I ever saw. He knocked me out four times in the first half. But I lasted the 60 minutes. Every time I got knocked out Hughie Blacclock and Jerry Jones, our guards, would pick me up and stand me on my feet. They had a bet on me." Among other things Trafton, who began his collegiate career at Notre Dame, has a fling at prize fighting. As in football, Trafton took on all comers in the ring until he ran up against an offer for a bout against Frank Nesser, one of the fabulous seven Nessers of early professional football fame. The fact that the Nesser offer came early in his career explains why Trafton did not profess beyond the first stages of what his manager commonly calls his "pursuit of the heavyweight championship". Trafton explains it this way: "Eleven of the Bears ganged on that Nesser in 1926. We used everything but ice picks. After 60 minutes of it he walked off the Polo Grounds into a hospital. It wasn't that I was afraid of him, but I begin to wonder what I could possibly accomplish against him in there along in five rounds if 11 of us couldn't get him down in an entire afternoon. So I retired to think it over." So George Trafton returns to football, not the game he left, but football nevertheless. And it will do the game good to have him back.

TOLLEFSON, FORMER IOWA GUARD, SIGNS CONTRACT WITH PACKERS

JUL 8 (Green Bay) - Coach E.L. Lambeau has added another link to what is beginning to size up as another winning football machine with the signing of Charlie Tollefson, a rugged guard, who was one of the famous "Iron Men" that put Iowa across in the 1939 Western conference gridiron race. Tollefson was a teammate of Ens. Nile Clark Kinnick. Jr., All-American halfback, who as a Navy pilot aboard a carrier, met his death while fighting the Japs in the South Pacific. The new Packer lineman was recently discharged from the service. While in the Army, he kept his "foot" in football by playing with several soldier aggregations. Tollefson made his "I" three years running at the Hawkeye institution. He was a first stringer all the way and was frequently named for the Big 10 all-star selections...PRAISED BY ANDERSON: Eddie Anderson, coach of Iowa in 1939, was great booster for Tollefson, who he claimed was one of the best center flankers he had run across in collegiate football. Anderson piloted the Chicago Tribune All Stars in the game against the Packers in 1940, and Charlie was among the gridders that he used against Curly Lambeau's 1939 National league champions. News stories of that contest gave the Iowa guard high tribute for his outstanding play agains the Bays. The Packers triumphed in this gridiron classic by a 45-28 score. The lineman from Iowa is 28 yaears old. He goes an inch over six feet and weighs 210 at football "ringside". Tollefson is married. Service records list his hometown as Hanford, Wash.

SORENSON, GUDIE SIGN FOR '44 PACKER TEAM

JUL 11 (Green Bay) - Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers boosted his roster of signed players to an even dozen today with the announcement of contracts from Glenn Sorenson, Utah State guard, a "freshman" with the Bays in 1943, and Walter Gudie, who saw some service at Wisconsin in the backfield several years ago. The Packer pilot is expecting great things from Sorenson this fall as he figures George Trafton, the line coach, will roughen up Glenn enough so that he will be a tough customer out there on the forward wall. The Utah State product weighs 210 pounds and stands an inch over six feet. He is fairly fast for a big fellow and can pull out nicely to lead interference. Sorenson is 28 years old and lives in Salt Lake City. Due to a hunting accident while in high school which nipped a couple of fingers, Sorenson was turned down for war service. Sorenson is a kickoff specialist and his sky scraping boots often land the pigskin in the opponents' end zone. Under the new rulings against out-of-bound kickoffs, Sorenson's trick of kicking 'em in a straight line will be doubly valuable this season...MADE TRIP WITH PACKERS: Gudie, the Badger backfielder, made the preseason eastern trip with the Packers in 1943 but did not see any action. His grocery business connections in La Crosse prevented him from reporting here for the early drill. However, this season he has arranged to arrive for practice Aug. 20, and there is every expectation that he will make the grade. Gudie is a husky individual. He is a 210-pounder built on a six-foot frame. The former Badger is 28 years old, and played several seasons of Army football after leaving Wisconsin.

PACKER ROSTER RAISED TO 14 BY CROFT, WEBB

JUL 15 (Green Bay) - Coach E.L. Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers announced today that he had received the signed contracts of Milburn (Tiny) Croft, the huge tackle from Ripon who has been with the Bays for two years, and Henry (Babe) Webb, the backfielder from Hawaii, where he gained fame as a triple threat artist. The addition of these two gridders increases the ranks of signees to 14. The Packer mentor, however, will have to reap quite a contract harvest in the next four weeks if he wants to have all of his football family on the dotted line when practice starts Aug. 20. Webb mailed his contract from Clebourne, Texas, where he has been employed since visiting her with his wife this spring. The backfielder said he was feeling in the pink and eagerly awaiting the bugle call for practice...BARE-FOOTED PUNTER: The Packer recruit played his college football at New Mexico A. & M., and then hit the trail for Honolulu, where he coached and performed with the Hawaiian Polar Bears, a crack professional club. He got a lot of ink on the island for his bare-foot punting. He is 25 years old, weighs 185 pounds and stands about six feet. Last March, Webb received an honorable discharge from the Army Air corps. Webb accepted terms with the Packers in 1942 and again in '43, but each year transportation difficulties kept him on the island and he was unable to report. Last October, Babe got his papers cleared and worked his way back to the U.S.A. aboard a Pacific merchant ship...CHEESE PLANT WORKER: Croft has been working at a cheese plant here since the first of the year and he has got rid of all excess poundage. He will probably weigh in for gridiron action at about 275, which will still give him the heavyweight crown in the National league. If Tiny gets on the beam, he will probably see considerable service at the right tackle position. Coach Lambeau intendes to shoft him over from the left side on the line in hopes that the change of scenery will provide the necessary spark for him to go places. Croft is only 23 years old. His height is 6:3, and for a "man mountain", he gets around fairly fast. Wedding bells rang for him since the last football season. Tiny played his high school football in Chicago and three years on the varsity at Ripon. He reported to Washington in 1942 and made the preseason trip to the west coast with the Redskins. Soon after the league schedule got underway, the Packers secured Croft from Washington via the waiver route.

PACKERS MAY SEE ALL STAR CONTEST

JUL 17 (Green Bay) - The All Star game will be played at Evanston on August 30 and this date is O.K. with the Green Bay Packers because they will probably get a chance to see the fracas between the All Stars and the Chicago Bears, 1943 pennant winners in the National league. The Packers tackle Washington in Baltimore September 4 and it is quite possible that Coach E.L. Lambeau will arrange his traveling schedule so that the All Star game will be the first stopoff of the eastern trip.

NEWCOMERS TO PRO GRIDIRON SIGN CONTRACTS FOR '44 PACKER SQUAD

JUL 19 (Green Bay) - Don Clark, a 230-pound tackle from St. Mary's at Winona, Minn., and Dick Bilda, hard running back from Marquette, will make their postgraduate football debut with the Packers this season, according to an announcement today by Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau. These two players boost the list of signed Packers to 16. Clark comes here highly recommended by Max Mullock, line coach at St. Mary's. He played three years of varsity football at the Gopher institution and was seldom shelved by injuries. Don, who hailed from Dearborn, Mich., is 26 years old. During his scholastic days in the Wolverine state, he was twice named as all-star tackle...IS KEEN COMPETITOR: Packer scouts watched Clark in several contests last fall and they turned in good reports about the husky forward. The new lineman, from all accounts, is a keen competitor and he is right at his best when the going is the toughest. Bilda, a 205-pounder, was one of the niftiest ball carriers turned out at the Milwaukee Hilltop while Paddy Driscoll was piloting the eleven. He performed splendidly for Marquette in the 1938 Wisconsin game. The recruit backfielder is a Milwaukee product. He was a three sport star at Marquette University high before entering the Hilltop. Dick was a freshman ace in 1937 at Marquette...IN TRUCKING BUSINESS: The former Marquette performer stands an inch over six feet and is 25 years old. Faulty vision sidetracked his Army career. He is of Bohmeian extraction and for two years has been in the trucking business. Golfers here will have to look to their laurels when Bilda arrives because he is rated as one of the best linksmen in the Milwaukee district. When Don Hutson, assistant Packer coach, talked things over with Dick a short time ago, one of the first questions the backfielder asked was about the golf courses at the Bay, and if it would be all right for him to bring his clubs along.

JOE LAWS SIGNS FOR HIS 11TH GRID SEASON WITH PACKERS

JUL 22 (Green Bay) - "Tiger" Joe Laws will again cavort for the Green Bay Packers. This will be the eleventh season in a Green Bay uniform for the former Iowa quarterback, who in 1933 was placed on numerous All-America selections and was also awarded the Chicago Tribune trophy for being the most valuable footballer in the Big Ten. After graduating from the Hawkeye institution, Laws joined the All Stars for the Aug. 31, 1934, Soldier Field game in Chicago which ended in a "goose-egg" tie with the Chicago Bears. Two days later Joe came to Green Bay and he has been a Packer ever since. Laws ranks sixth on the Packers' all-time scoring list with 108 points. The gridders ahead of him are Don Hutson, Clarke Hinkle, Verne Lewellen, Johnny Blood and Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau in the order named. The "Tiger" has accounted for 18 touchdowns during his career as a Packer...EVEN SURPRISED "MEDICS": The Packer veteran suffered a severe knee injury early in the 1940 season during a game at State Fair park, Milwaukee, and it was feared for a time that his football days were over. However, he even surprised the "medics" by fluffing into action in 1941. He has been carrying on well and last fall enjoyed one of his best seasons with the Bays. Official National league records for 1943 show that Laws was among the "first dozen" gridders in ground gaining. He made 232 yards in 43 attempts for an average of 5.4 yards per rush. Joe's longest thrust was for 31 yards. Laws is a smart signal caller and the recruit gridders take to him like a "Dutch Uncle". He handles punts probably as well as any back in the loop. One New York scribe, a few years ago,

termed him an "outfielder on the gridiron." For a long while the Packers have been "way above par" on their placekick competition and Laws has had a "hand" in the majority of them because he usually "points" the cowhide for the kicker. This is quite a trick in itself. Ask any "boot-smith."...STYDAHAR TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Skipping over his postgraduate football years, Laws thinks the best Packer team he played with was the 1936 aggregation that copped the National league championship. So far as tough opponents went, the Packer signal caller give the palm to Joe Stydahar, the Chicago Bears' tackle who generally puts them down for keeps. The "Tiger" claims one of the biggest changes in the pro game since he started has been the crowds. Back in the middle '30s, the turnouts weren't anything to rave about but for the last couple of years the fans have been jamming the football parks and hollering for more. The Packer back is 33 years "young". He stands five feet nine and weighs 185 pounds during the football season. Laws is a year-round resident of Packertown. He works as a rigger at a Sturgeon Bay shipyard. Joe is the "top" father of the Packers as he has four children, three girls and a boy would rather kick a football around than eat.

COAST PRO LOOP SIGNS ITS COACHES

JUL 23 (San Francisco) - The newly organized American Professional Football league virtually completed for its 1944 Pacific coach opening next fall with the signing of two coaches. One coaching position in the eight team circuit remains vacant. In Los Angeles, George Zaharias, owner of the San Diego club franchise, announced he had signed Ed Storm, former National Pro league player, as coach. Marty Brill, former Notre Dame halfback and more recently coach of Loyola university, Los Angeles, was announced as the coach of Oakland. Other coaches already singed include Earl (Dutch) Clark at Seattle, Robert Mathews at Portland, Bill Sargent, Hollywood; Dan Barnhart, L.A. Mustangs, and Gus Henderson, Los Angeles Wildcats.

NEW PRO LOOP FLYING CIRCUIT

JUL 24 (Philadelphia) - A new professional football circuit spreading from Boston to Honolulu will begin operations in 1945, "war conditions permitting", franchise holders in 10 cities announced Monday. The organization, to be known as the United States Football league, will be composed of eastern and western teams with the teams traveling by airplane. Cities to which franchises have been issued are Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the eastern division and Akron, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis and Honolulu in the western half. Roland D. Payne, Pittsburgh industrialist, who fostered the circuit, said that applications for two remaining posts have been made by Seattle, Portland, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Fort Worth and Dallas, and that franchises would be issued in the near future. The Honolulu team, to be known as the Bears, will coached and managed by F.J. Brickner, former St. Mary college player from 1931 to 1935, who later scouted for the Gaels. He said the team would establish a camp in California early in the season and remain in the States for a complete circuit of the cities, returning to Hawaii to play each of the other league members there. Brickner, civilian athletic director for the navy at Pearl Harbor, said a stadium with a seating capacity of 35,000 would be available there. Payne said the clubs had capital posted at from $60,000 to $250,000. The league will meet again in December to draft players and draw up a schedule. Each team will visit every other team for a round robin of 20 games.

A.C. MAKES ARRANGEMENTS FOR PACKER SEASON TICKET DRIVE

JUL 28 (Green Bay) - Nineteen Green Bay firms were represented when the Association of Commerce industrial section met with Packer corporation officials and Association Secretary Earl Ward at the Beaumont hotel this week to map plans for the Packer season ticket drive in industrial parks, which winds up Aug. 23. Packer prospects in the forthcoming NFL campaign were discussed by Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau, who also summarized the probable situation throughout the loop this fall. President Lee Joannes of the Packer corporation expressed his appreciation of the section's efforts during last year's ticket drive, and voiced the opinion that the current campaign will be even more successful, as salesman will have three weeks time to canvass instead of only a few days as was the cast last year. The climax of the industrial canvass, which began today, will coincide with the one-day, citywide ducat sale planned for Aug. 23, Joannes stated. All salesman were supplied with application blank books and given the necessary information regarding ticket prices.

PACKER LUMBERJACK BAND TO FEATURE A VARIETY OF GIRLS

JUL 28 (Green Bay) - A blonde, a brunette and a redhead, plus a little, brown-haired Carol Jean Collard, will lead the colorful Green Bay Lumberjack band at the Green Bay and Milwaukee games of this city's National league gridders this season. Director Wilner Burke announced today that three attractive high school girls have been selected to serve as drum majors, along with the popular Carol Jean, who will be starting her fourth season with the band although not yet quite six years old. The brunette, Gloria Birmingham, will serve her second seasion with the Lumberjacks. A student at De Pere High school, she is a member of the school band and also teaches drum majoring at the school. Germaine Pirlot, a Green Bay East student, is the blonde, while the redhead, new to the band this year, is Joan Smits, from De Pere high. Burke plans to start rehearsals the last week in August. Several replacements in personnel will be necessary, he said, since the armed forces or defense work have taken a heavy toll. Burke will be starting his fourth season with the band, as will Jim Collard and his talented little daughter, Carol Jean.

KUUSISTO RETURNS TO GREEN BAY PACKERS

JUL 28 (Portland, OR) - Bill Kuusisto, former University of Minnesota and Green Bay Packers football player, has announced he would return to the Green Bay lineup this fall.

NEW GRID LEAGUE CAN OUTBID RIVAL

JUL 28 (Erie, PA) - Roland D. Payne, president of the United States Professional Football League said today that franchise holders in the newly-formed league were financially equipped to match such long-established football powers as the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins, on a dollar for dollar basis in the player market. Payne added, however, that team owners in both the USPFL and the NFL would tired of costly bidding and would band together to establish a less expensive means of procuring players and would result ultimately in the creation of a National Professional Football Commission. "It is inevitable that both leagues will draft the same men, and it is reasonable to believe the drafted players will go to the highest bidder," said Payne, who is here on vacation from his Pittsburgh industrial duties. "We are prepared," he stated, "to offer as much per player or more than any team in the National league." He also pointed out that in addition to cash bonuses for signing with the USPFL, his circuit could offer such attractive incentives as a trip each season to Honolulu, one of the nine franchises. The USPFL, preparatory to swinging into action in 1945, will hold its first player draft in December.

IT'S FOOTBALL TIME AGAIN! TRAINER BUD JORGENSEN TO OPEN QUARTERS TUESDAY

JUL 29 (Green Bay) - It won't be long now before the Packers launch their 26th season of postgraduate football here. Tuesday morning, Trainer Carl (Bud) Jorgenson will turn the key in the players' quarters at City stadium and from then on until the middle of December Green Bay will have its annual attack of "gridironitis". Official practice doesn't start until Aug. 20, but the training quarters will be open daily and Jorgenson will have a half dozen pigskins pumped up so that players who want to get in preliminary workouts will have something to boot around. Meanwhile, the Association of Commerce is taking a hand in the sale of season tickets. A canvass of the city's industrial plants is underway and will wind up Aug. 23, the date of a citywide campaign in the business and other sections. It is the third year that the A.C. is conducting such a drive. George (Brute) Trafton, the new line coach, is scheduled to put in his appearance today Aug. 15. This will give the former Chicago Bear center a few days to get acclimated before he starts grooming the linemen for what promises to be a most strenuous season. These are busy days for Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau who expects to have some 40-odd gridders on the hand when the gong rings for the opening workout. The Packer pilot now has 18 players under contract. This group includes seven members of the 1943 squad. Lambeau is doing contract business with 16 other veterans and some important announcements can be expected in the immediate future. Only a few members of last year's aggregation are definitely out of the picture. Tony Canadeo and Andy Uram, halfbacks, Dick Evans, end, and Chet Adams, tackle, are now in the armed services. The Bay mentor also has deals hanging fire with a half dozen other players whom he figures will bolster his battle front for the chase to Pennantsville. Several of these men being contacted are former collegiate topnotchers who have been honorably discharged from the fighting ranks. Packer candidates will have to step lively in practice as they will have only two weeks to get in shape for the preseason engagement in Baltimore against Washington, scheduled Sept. 4. Following this Labor day conflict, the Bays will drill several days at the Sampson Naval training center in Sampson, N.Y., before going on to to Buffalo for a fracas with the Boston Yanks, a new spoke in the NFL. Lt. Cmdr. James Crowley, one of Green Bay's own, is directing the football at Sampson and it was on his invitation that the Packers are stopping off at the training station. It is quite likely that the Bays will scrimmage against Crowley's team. After the engagement in Bison City, the Packers will head back home and brush off the rough spots in preparation for the league opener Sept. 17 with Brooklyn at State Fair park, Milwaukee.

SCOUT SIGNED FOR PACKERS

AUG 3 (Green Bay) - Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau of the Green Bay Packers today announced signing of Robert G. Conrad, former Utah State and University of Arizona back, as his full time assistant in the role of representative and scout. Conrad has been scouting college teams for the coach for some years, when he served as a United States Service Organization representative in Latin America. A native of Phoenix, Conrad played high school football there with Carl Mulleneaux, former Packer end, and then both played together at Utah State in 1932 and '33. Conrad spent his senior year at Arizona U., and in 1935 he then accepted a position with the A.G. Spalding company out of the Los Angeles office, covering the entire southwest area. Since 1939 until last year, he worked as a Lambeau scout during the football season.

COUNTY REGISTER DIES IN HOSPITAL

AUG 3 (Green Bay) - Rigney L. Dwyer, 48, register of deeds of Brown county for the last 22 years, end on the original Packer football team, and veteran of World War I with Battery E, died at 9 o'clock Wednesday night in a Green Bay hospital. While he had been in ill health for more than a year, his condition did not turn serious until Sunday, when he was removed to the hospital. Since then it had grown worse. Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dwyer, he was born April 18, 1896, at Ontonagon, Mich., but came to Green Bay with his parents while still a baby. His father was an engineer on the Milwaukee road here for many years...WEST HIGH GRADUATE: He attended St. Patrick's school and West High school, graduating from the latter in 1917, after achieving prominence as a football player. Soon after, he joined Battery E, Green Bay national guard unit, and served 18 months in France. Upon his return, he entered the Milwaukee road shops as a machinist's apprentice, and also continued with his athletics, playing end on the original Packer team, including three games in which Green Bay defeated the Chicago Bears. He also played with the Northern Paper Mills semipro basketball team. When the railroad shopmen's strike threw him out of work, he secured employment as a switchman. In 1920, a railroad accident cost him his left arm and left leg, ending his athletic career. This was a terrific blow to his hopes, and one which affected his entire subsequent life. In 1922, he was elected register of deeds, and had held that post continuously up to his death, a longer tenure than any county official not serving...HEADED STATE ASSOCIATION: He was president of the Wisconsin Registers of Deeds Association for three years, and for two terms president of the Wisconsin County Officers' Association. Within the last two years, as a member of the legislative committee of the Registers, he was active in securing changes in the law to simplify and expedite the procuring of birth record copies; changes which have been of tremendous help to those seeking employment in war work, members of the armed forces making allotments, and those seeking old age assistance and pensions under the Railroad Retirement Act. He was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Ward, Disabled American Veterans, Elks and Local 501, International Association of Machinist, in which he had retained membership ever since his apprentice days. He resided at 231 13th avenue.

ARNOLD HERBER MAY PITCH AGAIN

AUG 4 (Green Bay) - Arnold Herber, former passing star of the Green Bay Packers, today admitted rumors that he may do a bit more flinging. He said he has been invited to go to New York City to talk contract terms and other matters with the Giants of the National league, and that he expects to leave within a few weeks.

PACKERS SET TO OPEN PRACTICE ON AUG. 20

AUG 5 (Green Bay) - The thud of the pigskin is sounding again over the Packers' sector on the Joannes park front. The training quarters have been opened since Tuesday, and a few of the early birds have been booting the ball around to get the feel of their cleats again. Official practice will get underway Aug. 20. Zero hour is drawing near on contracts, and Coach E.L. Lambeau is figuring on plenty of business in the next week with about 15 members of the 1943 team and some half dozen prospects who have recently received their honorable discharge from the armed services. Right now Lambeau has 11 backs, five guards, three tackles and one center signed up. Of the 20 players on the dotted line, eight played with Green Bay last season. EVERYTHING SET AT STADIUM: The gridiron stage is all set at the City stadium. A crew of carpenters, under

the direction of Ira Clark, have made all the necessary repairs at the football park. The green turf blanker covering the playing field has never been better. Even the practice lot adjacent to the stadium has been carefully watered and raked all summer. Trainer Bud Jorgenson has house cleaned the players' room under the west stands all week and the quarters have been given their annual coat of pain so everything will be spic and span for the pigskin chasers when they check in. A number of the players are expected this week...TICKET OFFICE BUSY: According to Ralph C. Smith, director of ticket sales for the Packers, the Bays are sure to enjoy a bumper season at the gate. Interest in the Packers is again mounting rapidly and queries about ducts are coming from all corners of Wisconsin, and upper Michigan as well. "Not in a number of years has the Packer ticket office had such a brisk, preseason sale of tickets," said Smith. This is true of both season and individual game tickets. "In previous seasons Packer tickets were late in reaching the business office and purchasers were given a receipt for their money in place of the actual tickets which were delivered about a week before the first home game. This year the Packer tickets are already racked and fans get their ducats on their first trip to the ticket office."...BRISK ADVANCE SALE: "For the Bear game in Green Bay, scheduled for Sept. 24, the advance sale has been unusually heavy and many requests also have been filled for the Card-Pitt contest here, Oct. 8, and the Cleveland encounter, Oct. 22. The local drive for season tickets, through the cooperation of the Association of Commerce and industrial plants in Green Bay, is set for Aug. 23, and there is every indication that it will go over the top with a bang." The Packer pocket scheduled, which also carry all of the NFL dates and now being widely circulated, and the attractive posters here and in Milwaukee are now being two-toned by the printers and should be ready for distribution next week.

PRO GRIDDERS START DRILLS FOR '44 SEASON

AUG 7 (Manitowoc Times-Herald) - Some 450 pro gridders - a number which compares favorably with pre-war turnouts - have begun assembling at various training sites for the opening of the NFL season next month. The Washington Redskins and Brooklyn Tigers were scheduled to start practice today at a San Diego high school and Hardin Simmons college, Abilene, Tex., respectively. The Redskins arrived in camp last week and expected to have about 49 players on hand. The Tigers, formerly known as the Dodgers, were preparing for some 60 men - largest in the 10-team league. The NFL reported the largest advance ticket sales in history and officials looked forward to a banner season which possibly might equal or surpass last year's attendance mark of 1,151,016 - a record average of 28,073 per game. Official practice at Green Bay for the Packers is set for Sunday August 20. Right now, Coach Curly Lambeau has 11 backs, five guards, three tackles and a center. Of the 20 players signed eight were with Green Bay last year. Everything is set at the City stadium in Green Bay. The green turf blanket covering the playing field has never been better. Even the practice lot adjacent to the stadium has been carefully watered and raked all summer. Trainer Bud Jorgenson has house-cleaned the players' room under the west stands all week and the quarters have been given their annual coat of paint so everything will be spic and span for the pigskin chasers when they check in. A number of players are expected this week. According to Ralph C. Smith, director of ticket sales for the Packers, the Bays are sure to enjoy a bumper season at the gate. Interest in the Packers is again mounting rapidly and queries about ducats are coming from all corners of Wisconsin, and upper Michigan as well. "Not in a number of years has the Packer ticket office had such a brisk pre-season sale of pasteboards," said Smith. This is true of both season and individual game tickets. "In previous seasons Packer tickets were late in reaching the business office and purchasers were given a receipt for their money in place of the actual tickets which were delivered about a week before the first home game. This year the Packer tickets are already racked and fans get their ducats on their first trip to the ticket office. For the Bear game in Green Bay, scheduled for September 24, the advance sale has been unusually heavy and many requests also have been filled for the Card-Pitt contest here October 8 and the Cleveland encounter October 22.

LARRY CRAIG DECIDES TO PLAY HERE AGAIN

AUG 9 (Green Bay) - Packer football stock was boosted several notches today by the announcement by Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau that he had come to terms with Larry Craig, one of the best blocking backs and defensive ends in the NFL, and that Norm Turnow, a 250-pound tackle, had sent in his signed contract. This will be Craig's sixth year in Green Bay moleskins. Rex Enright, former Notre Dame fullback who played with the Bays in the early '30s, tipped Craig off to Lambeau. Enright was coaching at South Carolina and he had Craig under his wings there for three years. Craig generally carried a double assignment with the Packers as he was the No. 2 man for Don Hutson, pass catcher extraordinary. Larry was always in the game when Don was in action. On the defense, he played Don's wing and the pass grabber moved into a backfield assignment. A year ago, Art Daley, the New York Times' columnist, penned a most interesting column about Hutson's "shadow", as he termed Craig. In paying tribute to Larry, he termed the South Carolina product one of the hardest hitters that ever cleared the way for a ball carrier in Polo Grounds football. Larry was also a track and basketball star at college. He still holds the Southern conference shotput record. He's a farmer in South Carolina and he makes sure that his crops are all harvested before he turns his thoughts to pigskin chasing. The slashing Packer is six feet tall, weighs 210 pounds and will be 27 years old next month. He still is a very eligible bachelor...PLENTY BIG ENOUGH: Turnow is a plenty big enough prospect. He carries some 250 pounds on

his six-foot-three frame. He will case his first vote in the August 15th primary and is classified 4-F in the draft. He played two years of semipro football in the east, seeing service with a Newark, N.J., outfit. For the past six months he has been working on his father's truck farm near Weyauwega, Wis., and, in a letter to Lambeau, said he wasn't carrying around any extra poundage.

BABY RAY, BEREZNEY JOIN PACKER TEAM

AUG 12 (Green Bay) - A husky Packer front wall is taking form again. Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau said today that he had to come to terms with Buford (Baby) Ray and Dr. Paul Berezney, first string tackles on the 1943 Green Bay squad. Some interesting developments about two more snapper backs and a fleet of ends can be looked for next week, according to Coach Lambeau, who is marking time until George (Brute) Trafton, the new line mentor, arrives in Packertown. The former Bear ace is expected Tuesday, and it is possible that he may bring a couple of prospects along with him...SOME CONTRACT TROUBLES: Lambeau is running into some "dollar and cents" trouble with several of his veterans and suspensions are threatened unless these players report before Aug. 20, the official practice fate, and talk things over. Lambeau has always had good success in ironing out contract difficulties with his players, and it is reasonable to believe that the holdouts will come into the fold. This will be the seventh season for Ray, who played his college football at Vanderbilt with the Packers. The big tackle has been an outstanding performer in the National league since he joined the Bays in 1938, and for several seasons running has been named on the All-Pro selections. Ray is one of those "Man Mountain" linemen. He stands six and a half feet and tips the beams at an eighth of a ton (250 pounds). Buford is 29 years old, married and the father of two children...PLAYED UNDER CROWLEY: Berezney joined the packers in 1942 and has developed rapidly. He was a three-year letter winner on the gridiron at Fordham when Jimmy Crowley was producing great elevens for the Rams in New York. After getting his degree at Fordham, "Doc" entered the medical school at Marquette, from which he graduated almost a year ago. The new medic is completing his internship in a Fresno, Calif., hospital. He won't be able to report here until Sept. 12, but the ex-Ram will arrive in shape because he has sent for his shows and plans to do some practicing on the west coast. Berezney is 27 years old; six feet, two inches tall; weighs 220 pounds, and is married.

PACKER CORPORATION OFFICERS, DIRECTORS ARE RENAMED; LAMBEAU OUTLINES PROSPECTS

AUG 15 (Green Bay) - Officers, the board of directors and the executive committee of the Green Bay Packers, Inc., were ready today to do business for another year following their reelection for one-year terms at the annual stockholders meetimg of the corporation Monday evening in the courthouse. Highlight of the meeting was an outline of prospects for the 1944 season by Coach Curly Lambeau. Officers renamed were: L.H. Joannes,president; Lambeau, vice president; and F.J. Jonet, secretary-treasurer. Joannes, fourth president in the 26-yeard history of this corporation, has served in that capacity since 1930. Other presidents were A.B. Turnbull, who served through 1927; Raymond E. Evrard, 1928; and Dr. W.W. Kelly, 1929, the first championship year. The executive board, consisting of members of the board of directors, includes: Joannes, G.E. Clifford, E.R. Fischer, Lambeau, Fred Leicht, H.J. Bero, H.G. Wintgens, A.B. Turnbull and Jonet. Other directors include: Milan J. Boex, E.D. Bedore, G.W. Calhoun, Fred L. Cobb, Leslie J. Kelly, Harvey Lhost, Charles Mathys, John Moffat, J.E. Paeps, G.A. Reimer, Ed Schuster, A.E. Schumacher...40 CANDIDATES READY: Prior to the election, Coach Lambeau said that approximately 40 candidates - 11 more than reported last year - will be on hand when the Packers start their annual practice grind next Sunday afternoon. While the manpower situation can change rapidly, Lambeau said, "on paper we have as good a group of prospects as any in the league and better than most." Veterans will be available for every position although the situation at end is still in the state of flux, the Packer coach explained. "The attitude of the boys who signed this year is especially good," Lambeau said, explaining that last year many of them were worried about their status. "All the boys are coming back this fall to win ball games and prospects at the moment indicate that we will have the best personnel since 1939. We should be strong offensively and defensively," he explained. Of the 15 new men trying out this year, six of them are well known for their grid ability while the others have to prove themselves in the hard, fast professional competition. Lambeau admitted that several trades are in prospect. If they go through, he said, some of the "question marks" regarding manpower should be eliminated. Because of a successful season both at home and on the road during 1943, the financial condition of the corporation has remained good, Joannes explained after reading of the annual report by Jonet. It was brought out that the directors had agreed prior to last season that the war might have a serous effect on the pro game, but as the season progressed this proved unfounded. Joannes credited Lambeau for much of the success through his contract dealing with other clubs...STADIUM IS REPAIRED: The stands at City stadium have been repaired and put in A-1 shape for the coming season and the playing field has also been placed in top condition under the direction of Ira Clark, Joannes reported. He also explained that the annual ticket drive will be held August 23, with the cooperation of the Association of Commerce and he urged 100 percent cooperation by all residents in the purchase of tickets. About 50 salesmen have been lined up thus far but others are needed, he said. The outline of prospects for the season by Lambeau was similar to that he gave at a Monday noon meeting of the Lions club at the Beaumont hotel. Others who discussed the pro football picture were Assistant coach Don Hutson and George Strickler, publicity director of the NFL. Strickler looks for a close race in both divisions this year and more interest than ever before in the professional game.

TED FRITSCH AND LOU BROCK SIGN CONTRACTS FOR 1944 PACKER YEAR

AUG 16 (Green Bay) - Coach E.L. Lambeau of the Packers, on the last week of his contract drive, announced today that he had come to terms with Lou Brock and Ted Fritsch, two of his veteran backfielders who are expected to cut a lot of fancy capers in the chase for the1944 NFL bunting. The Packers helmsman now has 14 backs in his 'pack" and it is quite possible that several more ball carriers will be lined up before the whistle blows for first official practice next Sunday. This will be Brock's fourth season with the Bays. he graduated from Purdue in 1941, and, after being a starter in the Tribune All-Star game, he headed for Packertown and has been here ever since so far as football is concerned. The former Boilermaker has 50 points to his credit in the Packers' all-time scoring table. He has made tight "touches" (three of them last year) and also converted twice...TRIPLE THREAT BACK: Brock does a lot of things above par in the backfield. He is a fleet runner, passes well and did the bulk of the Packers' punting last fall. Lou completed nine tosses out of 22 attempts in 1943, according to the league records, for a total gain of 274 yards. He tossed one to Harry Jacunski in the Cardinal game at Milwaukee which netted 86 yards for a touchdown. Fritsch, the pile-driving fullback, came to the Packers from the Stevens Point Teachers college in 1942. He was one of Eddie Kotal's products at the Badger school. It didn't take him long to make the grade with the Bays. Ted is blessed with an educated toe. During his first year with the Lambeaus, he booted four field goals and added one point after. Last season he racked up a quartet of touchdowns which gave him a total of 37 points for two years of service...ONLY 23 YEARS OLD: In 1943 Fritsch carried the ball 54 times. His plunging tactics produced 169 yards with a 14-yard thrust as the biggest gain. The Packer plunger stands an inch under six feet and weighs 205 pounds. He is only 23 years old. Ted played baseball part of the summer. He started off with Los Angeles in the Pacific Coast league and then went to Nashville in the Southern loop. For the last month Fritsch has been at Madison, where he resumed his studies in the physical-ed course at the University of Wisconsin.

472 FORMER PLAYERS FROM NATIONAL LOOP IN NATION'S SERVICE

AUG 16 (Green Bay) - A little known fact about the NFL - the number of former players now in the armed forces - was given in detail by George Strickler, publicity director of the league, at a luncheon this week of the Green Bay Lions club. Calling the war a test of the strength of the league, Strickler said 472 former players - those who actually saw competition with league teams - are in the service and that 52 percent of them are officers. Of 176 listed on league rosters but who never actually played, 79 percent have commissions, Strickler said. Four former pro gridders have been killed in action and one, Capt. Maurice Britt, who formerly played with the Detroit Lions, was decorated with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Two National leaguers are Japanese prisoners of wars and two of the Germans, including former halfback Hal Van Every of Green Bay. Strickler said the league should continue to build a tradition so that eventually it will have the same background as baseball. He mentioned particularly Coach Curly Lambeau, former Packer tackle, Cal Hubbard, and Packer line coach, George (Brute) Trafton, as personalities who will keep interest in the game alive. "Without tradition," Strickler said, "we cannot hope to hold our proper place in the world of sports."

HARRY JACUNSKI AND JOEL MASON, PACKER VETERANS, ACCEPT TERMS

AUG 17 (Green Bay) - This was a"plus" day on the football market for the Packers because Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau received wires from two veteran ends, Harry Jacunski and Joel Mason, confirming their acceptance of terms. Both these wingmen who did a lot of pigskin chasing for the Bays last season are expected to report here in time for the opening practice Sunday at 2 p.m. Business on the contract griddle is sizzling right and Coach Lambeau has high hopes of "cooking" up a few more gridders within the next couple of days. Several more ends and two centers are in the offing...JACUNSKI'S FIFTH YEAR: This will be Jacunski's fifth year as a Packer. He is one of the most valuable wings on the postgraduate gridiron because the former Fordham captain can play at either end of the line. Harry is 28 years old, stands 6 feet 2 inches and weighs about 200 pounds. he has twins in his family. During his football career as a Bayite, Jacunski has pranced into the "pay" zone for six touchdowns. Three of these six pointers were made in 1943. In the game at New York, Harry was on the receiving end of Don Hutson's famous toss, which left the Polo Grounders gasping for breath, while in Milwaukee against the Cards, he snagged a skyscraper hurled by Lou Brock, which sailed though the air some 86 yards, according to National league records...COMES FROM STAMBAUGH: Mason comes from Stambaugh, Mich. The Packers have been famous in upper Michigan ever since they invaded Stambaugh back in 1919 and handed the Miners a 17-0 licking which was the first they had ever suffered on their home field. Joel always had Packer aims and after graduating at Western Michigan State where he played three years of varsity football, he glanced towards the pro league and caught on with the Chicago Cards. He was a member of the Windy City Redbirds in 1941 and joined the Bays the next season. This will be his third fall with the Lambeaus. Mason broke into the scoring column in 1943 with a pair of touchdowns and he was one of the most improved gridders on the squad. Coach Lambeau figures Joel should break into stardom during '44. The Packer end is an inch over six feet and carries some 205 pounds. He will be 28 years old in October. Mason is married and the father of one child.

FIVE MORE GRIDDERS SIGNED FOR PACKERS

AUG 18 (Green Bay) - Coach E.L. Lambeau announced today that he had "come to terms" with five more footballers, two veterans and three recruits, and it is possible that there will be several more additions to the squad before the first official practice gets underway Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Forrest McPherson, husky center from Nebraska, will return for his second year with the Bays. He proved a valuable understudy to Charlie Brock last fall and showed lots of pep and fire when in action. McPherson had considerable postgraduate gridiron experience before hitching up with the Packers...WEIGHS 248 POUNDS: The snapper-back lives in Los Angeles. He stands an inch under 6 feet and weighs 248 pounds. His wife is accompanying him to Green Bay. Mike Bucchannerri saw some service with Green Bay in the early part of the 1942 season but was forced to put away his uniform and return home to take over his father's business. The former Indiana guard is a rugged customer. He comes from the Pottsville area in Pennsylvania, where they play football with coal shovels. Mike is a 6 footer, weighing 210, and is blessed with speed galore for a lineman. John Coty, a 187-pound halfback from Michigan State, will make his pro football debut with the Packers. He was a scholastic star at Dearborn, Mich., before making the grade with State. The newcomer is said to be a fair passer....TO SEEK END BERTH: Mark Hammel, a resident of Huntington, Ind., and a former star in the Hoosier conference while playing at Wabash, will seek an end berth with the Bays. Hammel is 24 years old, weighs 187 pounds and is 6 feet 2 inches. He was a dash man on the track and also saw service with the caging squad. Peter Forte, a Chicagoan who had two years at Illinois, is another candidate for a wing position. Forte is said to be quite an aerial receiver. He is 5:11 and weighs 190 pounds.

PACKER TICKETS ARE GOING WELL

AUG 18 (Green Bay) - Ralph Smith, director of ticket sales, reported today that ducats are going fast for the Green Bay Packers' home games. He said that seats for the Chicago Bears game Sept. 24 have been practically sold out to the 20-yard lines. Smith stated that persons who has been notified that their tickets are on hand should get them as soon as possible. The annual ticket drive will be conducted next Wednesday.

PACKERS TO LAUNCH 26TH YEAR WITH DRILL SUNDAY

AUG 19 (Green Bay) - The Packers will launch their 26th season of football here Sunday when Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau lead his 30-plus squad of gridders out for the first official practice at 2:30 p.m. Backfield coach Don Hutson and George (Brute) Trafton, the Bays' new line mentor, will be on hand to help Lambeau put his hirelings through the inaugural workout. The Packers are in line for a stiff 10-day practice grind before they head east for the two preseason contests. The Bays are booked against the Washington Redskins in Baltimore, Sept. 4 (Labor day), and the following Sunday, Sept. 10, rub elbows with the newly organized Boston Yanks in Buffalo...SCHWAMMEL ACCEPTS TERMS: Ade Schwammel, former Oregon State tackle who played with the Packers in 1934-36 and part of last season, has accepted terms and is on his way from California, Coach Lambeau announced today. Aside from being a nifty

lineman, Schwammel is blessed with an educated toe and in the Packers' all-time scoring list he is credited with 25 points, six placements from the field and seven conversions. Lambeau now has 17 veterans in line and it is possible that several more may be added. In addition, deals are pending for reinforcements at the center and end positions. The Packers' contingent of recruits is larger than usual this year because Lambeau has been chasing gridders all over the country for the last six months. Several of the newcomers have recently been discharged from the armed services. Among the guard aspirants are Ervin Dreierzewski, who was a standout with the Milwaukee Falks last season, and Charles Tollefson, a rugged center-flanker from Iowa. The new tackles include Norbert Ebbers, Kenosha, and Don Clark, who was a three-year varsity ace at St. Mary's in Minnesota...THREE RECRUIT ENDS: There are three recruit ends. Dick McKnight, from Carter college in Colorado, starred in the "Mountain" league. He stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 197 pounds. In a pinch, he can also do a trick at tackle. Mark Hammel from Wabash was among the best pass receivers in the Hoosier conference. Peter Forte, a Chicagoans, had two years of Illinois football and performed creditably. The backfield "pack" includes: Roy McKay, Texas, now drilling with the All-Stars at Evanston; John Cody from Michigan State; Bob McRoberts, Stout; Len Calligaro, the Wisconsin star; Babe Webb, bare-footed kicker from Honolulu; Walter Gudie, another Badger; Paul Duhart, the Florida speedster; Kenneth Douglas, a rugged ball carrier from New York; Dick Bilda, the Marquette ace of several years ago and John Coty, who was outstanding at Michigan State in 1942...OPEN WITH BROOKLYN: The Packers launch the pennant hunt in the NFL Sept. 17 in Milwaukee when they tangle with the revamped Brooklyn Tigers at State Fair park. The opening game at home is Sept. 24 with the Chicago Bears, bitter rivals of the Bays for over 20 years. The Packers return to Milwaukee Oct. 1 for a tilt with the Detroit Lions and then Lambeau's hirelings are back here for an Oct. 8 engagement with the Card-Pitt outfit, which on preseason dope ranks as one of the strongest spokes in the postgraduate wheel. October 15 is an open date. The Bays wind up their home schedule Oct. 22 with a game against the much-improved Cleveland Rams. Going on the road, the Packers mix with the Lions in Detroit Oct. 29, and then battle the Bears in Chicago Nov. 5. The next Sunday, Nov. 12, the Lambeaus perform in Cleveland and go on to New York, where they will mix with the football Giants at the Polo Grounds, Nov. 19. The final Green Bay game on the regular schedule is in Chicago Nov. 26 with the Card-Pitt combination.

PACKERS GET GOING WITH MIXED HOPES

AUG 20 (Green Bay) - They'll pump the air back into Green Bay's football Sunday and another season will get underway. Some 32 or 33 huskies, the main body of a complete squad of 40 or 42 which will be assembled by mid-week, will report to Coach Curly Lambeau for the first workout of the campaign. The roster includes 17 veterans. There probably will not be much doing the first day. Lambeau has called for only one workout starting at 2:30 o'clock. Thereafter, though, until the Packers head east to play Washington in a charity game at Baltimore September 4 and the new Boston Yankees in another at Buffalo September 10, there will be nothing but hard work. The time before the opener is so short. The 17 veterans, in a war year like this, represent a pretty fair starting point. Not many clubs have many more. In quality, however, they fall far short of the nuclei of other years. Off last year's team alone such seasoned and valuable performers as Buckets Goldenberg, Don Hutson, Chet Adams, Andy Uram and Tony Canadeo, just to mention some, will not be back - and you can't laugh off any losses like that. Even Lambeau, generally an incurable optimist in August, now hesitates in any prediction. He concedes nothing to any of the other clubs, all more or less in the same boat, but he claims far less for his own, too. The list of veterans follows:

Centers - Charley Brock and Forrest McPherson

Guards - Pete Tinsley, Glenn Sorenson, Bill Kuusisto and Mike Bucchanerri

Tackles - Buford Ray, Paul Berezney and Milburn Croft

Ends - Harry Jacunski, Joel Mason

Backs - Larry Craig, Joe Laws, Irv Comp, Ted Fritsch, Don Perkins, Lou Brock

A pretty fair starting team could be picked off this list. A starting team, though, is not enough. The starters need support. It is this which bothers Lambeau most, especially at the focal tackles and at the ends. The help must come from new men. Except for Roy McKay, Texas All-American back, and a dandy, now drilling with the College All-Stars; Babe Webb, the bare footed punter from Hawaii, and Charlie Tellefson, who played fair ball for Iowa, the new men have still to prove themselves. Most promising among these are Ercin Dzierzewski of the Milwaukee Falks; Norbert Ebbers of Kenosha; Don Clark, a three year varsity man at St. Mary's (Winona); Mark Hammel of Indiana; Pete Forte, a Chicago scholastic star, who had a year at Illinois; John Cody of Michigan State; Bob McRoberts of Stout, and Ken Douglas, a rugged ball carrier from New York. While development of the new men constitutes the chief hope, there is also an outside chance that Lambeau will be able to persuade Hutson and Goldenberg to pitch in for one more year. Either or both in a year like this would mean everything to the club - Hutson especially, for after nine years he is still the greatest threat and pass catching end in football's history. Lambeau still has not given up hope. Two new assistants will help the big Belgian this year. George Trafton, up from Chicago, will take Red Smith's job as line coach, and Hutson will take Eddie Kotal's place. It used to be that Green Bay folks had nothing but jeers for Trafton in the days he played with the Bears. Today they have nothing but cheers. Hutson helped as a part time coach a year ago. Smith, now with the Brewers, will help Steve Owen with the New York Giants this season. Lambeau will have almost a full month to appraise his new material. Under league rules, the squad must be cut to the player limit of 28 before the first game. The Packers will open the league season against Brooklyn at State Fair park September 17.

30 PACKERS START PRACTICE FOR 1944 CAMPAIGN

AUG 21 (Green Bay) - Packer football fans got their first glimpse of the 1944 squad Sunday afternoon, when 30 men - a number augmented today by several more veterans - dashed through an hour and a half practice, first in a series that will extend to the latter part of November. About 400 spectators were on hand for the drill, which marked also the beginning of the 26th year of professional football in Green Bay. While it is too early to make predictions about the strength of the team Coach Curly Lambeau and his aides will have to fashion out of the candidates, there were indications which gave the Sunday sideliners plenty of opportunity for positive conversation about the prospects. Not the least of these was the appearance of 13 veterans, all of them tried gridirons in professional competition. Practically all members of the squad appeared to be in excellent condition. This will help somewhat to reduce the great amount of work remaining to be done before the exhibition contest two weeks from today against the Washington Redskins in Baltimore. Coach Lambeau said that drills will gradually increase in tempo and should be going full blast by the end of the week. For the time being, he cautioned against overexuberance which could result in pulled muscles and sore feet...DOUBLE DRILLS SCHEDULED: Sunday's drill included running through basic plays, punting and passing exercises and wind sprints, just enough of a workout to allow the squad to get up a good sweat and to whet their appetites for the lengthy session held this morning. Later on in the week, double drills will be held daily. Veterans who reported Sunday include: centers - Charley Brock and Forrest McPherson; guards - Bill Kuusisto, Pete Tinsley and Glen Sorenson; tackles - Baby Ray and Tiny Croft; ends - Harry Jacunski and Joel Mason; backs - Joe Laws, Irv Comp, Lou Brock, Don Perkins. Four other veterans were to report for drills today while tackle Paul Berezney will be on hand after the eastern exhibition swing. Those reporting today include blocking back Larry Craig, fullback Ted Fritsch, tackle Ade Schwammel and center Bob Flowers, the latest veteran to accept terms. Six feet, one inch tall, Flowers weighs 205 pounds and is a two-year veteran. He saw heavy duty late last season after Charley Brock was hospitalized with appendicitis...DEPENDS ON ROOKIES: The number of veterans is comparable to those returning for duty with other teams in the NFL. However, much depends on the manner in which rookies will develop in the line and backfield to give the Packers the needed reserve strength for the 10-game pro circuit season. This question should be answered fairly well before the exhibition battles. On the basis of the first workout, two first-year men drew mention from Coach Lambeau. They are backs Paul Duhart, former University of Florida star, and Len Calligaro, who saw undergraduate service with the University of Wisconsin. Duhart played on the Fort Riley, Kan., team with former Packer center, Tom Greenfield, and was recommended for the Green Bay eleven by both Greenfield and coach Tom Lieb of Florida. Calligaro, a Hurley product, played both fullback and center on the Badger eleven...MUST FIND REPLACEMENTS: from the group of newcomers, Coach Lambeau will have to find four to take the places of veterans now serving in the armed forces, Backs Tony Canadeo and Andy Uram, taackle Chet Adams and end Dick Evans. The fifth veteran conspicuous by his absence Sunday was guard Buckets Goldenberg, who may yet change his often-announced decision that he is finished playing. His 11 years of experience would come in handy in the line. Two others who have some experience were also out for the first drill. They are back Walter Gudie, Wisconsin, and guard Mike Bucchanerri, Indiana. Gudie joined the squad last season but was forced to retire for business reasons while Bucchanerri saw service with the 1942 team before returning to his home in Pennsylvania to take over his father's business. Others appearing in the first session included: guards - Charlie Tollefson, Iowa; Ervin Dziersewski, Milwaukee; Don Clark, St. Mary's, Minnesota; tackles - Norb Ebbers, Kenosha; Norm Tornow, New Jersey; Pete Forte, Illinois; ends - Don Holmes, Michigan; Mark Hammel, Wabash; Jack McKnight, Colorado college; backs - Bob McRoberts, Stout; Babe Webb, New Mexico; Dick Bilda, Marquette; John Cody, Michigan State...MCKAY TO REPORT: When the College All Stars finish their game against the Chicago Bears, the roster will be bolstered by the appearance of Roy D. McKay, former University of Texas back, who has been receiving a great deal of attention in the All-Stars camp. McKay, first signer this year, is slated for plenty of action against the Bears and is rated as one of the top ball carriers on the squad.

PACKER TICKET DRIVE TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY

AUG 22 (Green Bay) - The annual one-day Packer season ticket campaign will be held Wednesday, when about 80 volunteers on 10 sales squads will battle for the honor of selling the greatest number of tickets and also for all-expense trips to Milwaukee for the Detroit Lions game Oct. 1. The drive is being conducted under the auspices of the Association of Commerce. The workers will meet for breakfast at the Beaumont hotel dining room at 8 o'clock in the morning. After the breakfast, they will be assigned to various teams - one for each city in the NFL - and issued final instructions. A report dinner will be held at the Beaumont at 6:30 in the evening. For the last several years, results of the one-day drive have been increasingly better. Last year, a total of 4,811 season tickets were sold and the committee is confident that the 5,000 mark will be passed this year because of the attractive home schedule that has been arranged for the Packers, starting with the annual tussle with the Chicago Bears on Sept. 24. Other contests booked for City stadium are Oct. 8 against the strong Card-Pitt combination, generally labeled around the league as one of the toughest elevens in the pro circuit this year, and Oct. 22 against the rejuvenated Cleveland Rams, who returned to active play after a lapse of one year. Season tickets will be good for the three home games...ON COMPETITIVE BASIS: As in the past, the drive will be conducted on a competitive basis. The selling teams will contact office workers, and those in business and industrial establishments. Two-man squads selling the most tickets will receive the all-expense trip to Milwaukee. Footballs will be given to members of the winning teams. Added to the total of tickets sold Wednesday will be those which members of the Association of Commerce industrial division sales teams have sold during the last several weeks in about 20 industrial plants in the city. These plants are out-of-bounds in Wednesday's campaign. Speakers are the kickoff breakfast will be Coach Curly Lambeau, line coach George Trafton, and President L.H. Joannes of the Packer corporation. At the Victory dinner Wednesday evening, results of the drive will be chalked up on a large blackboard as they are reported by the team captains. Color movies of the Packer-Chicago Bear game in Green Bay last year will be shown after the dinner.

PACKERS ACQUIRE END RAY WHEBA IN TRADE WITH BROOKLYN TIGERS

AUG 22 (Green Bay) - Needing additional strength at the end position, the Packers today acquired Ray Wheba from the Brooklyn Tigers in a trade for fullback Tony Falkenstein, according to an announcement by Coach Curly Lambeau. The new end will report here within a few days from the Brooklyn training camp in California. A star performer in his three years of undergraduate football at the University of Southern California, Wheba broke into the professional game in a hurry last season. He started every league game for the Tigers and was described by Packer players as a tough, rough end. He is 6 feet tall, weighs 215 pound and is 26 years old. Falkenstein joined the Green Bay team last year and saw reserve duty as a fullback. He played his undergraduate football at St. Mary's of California. After announcing the trade, Coach Lambeau said the Packers have also asked waivers on end Pete Forte and halfback John Cody. Forte formerly played with Illinois and Cody at Western Michigan...WILL BOLSTER WINGS: The acquisition of Wheba will help considerably to bolster the wing positions, for which only three veterans are available including Larry Craig, who had been used principally as a defensive wingman. The other veterans are Harry Jacunski and Joel Mason. Three newcomers are also on the roster but are untested in the professional game. Coach Lambeau said another deal is pending for an end to further strengthen this position. Coach Lambeau also announced the arrival today of center Bob Flowers, former Texas Tech player who will be starting his third season with the Packers. Another newly arrived gridder was Ted Fritsch, here for his third season after starring at Stevens Point Teachers college. First contact work of the season was held Monday. Line coach George Trafton was impressed with the spirit of the forward wall candidates, especially with the zip they displayed in charging. The work of guard Charley Tollefson, formerly of Iowa, brought special mention from the new line coach who had the men working at a lively clip. Asst. Coach Don Hutson worked with the backfield on raking, pivoting and ball handling. After the session, it was generally agreed that halfback Paul Duhart, former Florida state, appears to the best passer among the newcomers and that he may go a long way toward filling the shoes left vacant by Tony Canadeo. At the fullback spot, Len Calligaro of Wisconsin also looked impressive...LEARN NEW PLAYS: The squad is wasting no time in learning plays. Realizing the first game against Washington in Baltimore is less than two weeks away, Coach Lambeau has called for lengthy sessions with the emphasis on hard work. Several new plays were given to the squad Monday and the ration will be increased daily as the exhibition contests in the east get nearer. Ade Schwammel, veteran tackle, was one of four veterans to report Monday. Craig wired Coach Lambeau that he would be in Green Bay shortly after the opening of drills but as yet he had not put in an appearance.

PACKER DRILL TEMPO STARTS UPWARD SWING

AUG 23 (Green Bay) - The Packers got down to tough business today when they had the first of several days of double drills in preparation for their exhibition opener against the Washington Redskins in Baltimore on Labor Day, Sept. 4. Coach Curly Lambeau said the tempo would be increased until Saturday, when the squad is put through its first scrimmage of the season. The team has all the working essentials for its first contest. All plays that will be used against the eastern champions were handed out during the first skull session on Tuesday. These were to receive a thorough going over in a long signal drill this morning, when an early rai gave the gridders an opportunity to test their surefootedness on slippery turf. The treatments by Lambeau and his aide, Don Hutson and George Trafton, will be continued in Thursday and Friday sessions, scheduled to be long and stiff with the climax coming up Saturday morning. The scrimmage will give the coaching staff its best opportunity to judge what th4e new men can do...LIKES SQUAD SPIRIT: Coach Lambeau continues to express delight with the spirit of the squad. While most of the candidates have the inevitable stiffness which always follows early drills, they have shown a considerable amount of zip, even to the tearing of the blocking dummies from their anchors. If no injuries result from the strenuous sessions Lambeau has scheduled, the squad should be in top shape for its exhibition tests. The Packer coach announced today that Ben Starrett, a back who joined the team in 1942 after playing at St. Mary's in California, had accepted terms and would report immediately for practice. Starrett, who has been living in Green Bay, is 24 years old and saw action with several other pro clubs before joining the Green Bay eleven. Starrett weighs 215 pounds and is six feet, two inches tall. With two linemen and two backs remaining to report, a position-by-position analysis of the squad on hand shows 20 linemen and 11 backs working out. When the absent members report, the roster will include three-deep players for each position except right tackle, blocking back and left halfback, spots for which four candidates will be available...TWO ABSENTEES DUE: Two of the absentees are due momentarily. They are blocking backs Larry Craig and end Ray Wheba, who was recently acquired in a trade with the Brooklyn Tigers. The other two, tackle Paul Berezney and left halfback Roy McKay, will join the squad in time for the eastern swing. Berezney is completing his internship in a California hospital while McKay is working out with the College All-Stars in Evanston. The only position without a newcomer is center, where the veterans Charley Brock, Bob Flowers and Forrest McPherson are available. At left guard are the veterans Bill Kuusisto and Glen Sorenson, and newcomer Charley Tollefson, formerly of Iowa. The right guard corps has veteran Pete Tinsley, Mike Bucchanerri, who saw some service in 1942, and rookie Erv Dzierzewski. The veterans Baby Ray and Tiny Croft are working in the left tackle spot along with Don Clark. On the other side of the line are Ade Schwammel, a veteran of two and a half seasons of competition, Norm Tornow and Norb Ebbers. At the ends on the left side are Joel Mason, who broke into the scoring column for the first time last year, Mark Hammel and Don Holm...JACUNSKI IS READY: Veteran Harry Jacunski is ready for the right end spot along with Jack McKnight. This spot is expected to be bolstered considerably when Wheba reports from California. The addition of Starrett to the blocking back department gives it two veterans and two rookies, Dick Bilda and Walter Gudie. Irv Comp, who has gained 15 pounds since last season and appears headed for an excellent season, is the only veteran in the left halfback position. The others working out there are Paul Duhart, former Florida ace, and Babe Webb of New Mexico A. and M. Veterans Lou Brock and Joe Laws and rookie Bob McRoberts are at the other halfback. The fullback corps has veterans Ted Fritsch and Don Perkins and newcomer Len Calligaro, all of whom saw undergraduate service at Wisconsin schools.

PACKER LINE COACH IS FIRST CASUALTY OF 1944 SEASON

AUG 23 (Green Bay) - "This is the toughest work I've had for about 10 years," was the way George (Brute) Trafton, Packer line coach, put it during Tuesday morning's practice session after a couple of the hefty linemen forgot to swerve aside and collided with their new coach. It all started when tackle Tiny Croft, urged by Trafton to really "hit those dummies", cracked one so hard that he tore it from its moorings. The line coach than took upon himself the job of holding the dummy in place while the linemen prepared to place an assortment of blocks on the simulated opponent. Baby Ray, who is considerably more than a bantamweight, forgot about the dummy being loose and ripped into it with a playful vigor that sent the dummy flying in one direction and the veteran tackle into Trafton's left leg. The Brute, who withstood the buffeting of many opponents during his long career as a professional, gave up then and there. Trafton thus became the first casualty of the 1944 practice session.

1,045 SEASON TICKETS FOR PACKER GAMES SOLD DURING CAMPAIGN

AUG 24 (Green Bay) - A total of 1,054 season tickets for Packer home games were sold by approximately 80 volunteer salesmen during the annual one-day campaign held Wednesday under the auspices of the Association of Commerce, it was reported at a Touchdown dinner in the Beaumont hotel last night. The dinner climaxed a drive begun after a kickoff breakfast in the morning. Nine teams, each named after an entry in the NFL, conducted the campaign in business and industrial plants and offices. Meanwhile, the Packers continued their heavy workouts to point up for the year's first scrimmage on Saturday morning. The squad held two practices today and another pair was scheduled for Friday. Teams leading the field in the ticket selling were the Brooklyn

Dodgers, led by Chief Ralph Drum, and the Cleveland Rams, whose coach was Russ Bogda. Each team sold 156 tickets. Members of the two teams will receive autographed footballs for their efforts...WIN MILWAUKEE TRIP: The two-man squads who sold the greatest number of tickets and who will receive an all-expense trip to the Packer-Detroit Lions contest in Milwaukee Oct. 1 were: Don Sharp and Emmett Flatley, Cleveland, 105; Don Wright and John Byrnes, Boston, 96. Both totals were exceeded by the teams of E.A. S(Spike) Spachmann and Mike Carrigan of Brooklyn, who sold 116 tickets, but they withdrew from the trip competition. Also announced at the meeting were winners of an industrial division drive. All-expense trips to the Lions game were won by Rodney Stewart of Wheeler corporation and Norman Wahl of Cobb's bakery. Stewart sold 88 tickets for 53 percent and Wahl sold 24 for 40 percent. Green Bay Drop Forge led among companies with 101 tickets sold. Total sales to date are 3,321 tickets against 3,290 for 1943 at the same time, President L.H. Joannes announced at the dinner. He expressed appreciation for the work of the salesmen, explaining that their efforts in large part are responsible for the success of Green Bay's football team. Other speakers included Coach Curly Lambeau, Asst. Coach Don Hutson, Line Coach George Trafton and George Strickler, publicity director of the National league...DESCRIBE TEAM STRENGTH: The coaching staff described the probable strength of the team this year. They agreed that all the candidates are hustling and have excellent spirit. This brought particular mention from Coach Lambeau, who said this year's squad is working harder than any other in the last several years. Strickler, who is on a tour of trainihng sites, said the Packers will have to beat the Chicago Bears and the Card-Pitt combination to get in the championship playoff. The Bears, Strickler said, will have one excellent team but should not be too strong in reserves. He said the Card-Pitt team will probably be one of the toughest in the league if they can assimilate the new system beind used by Co-Coaches Walt Kiesling and Phil Handler. Coach Lambeau explained today that Saturday's scrimmage will give the best indication of thus far of the probable strength of the team this year. Considerable attention was given Wednesday to pass plays and an extra dose of charging and blocking by linemen. Irv Comp, who ranked third in the league on pass completions last year, paced the passing drill. Others who worked in the flinging department were veteran Lou Brock and rookies Paul duhart and Babe Webb. Brock, whose passing has become smoother and more accurate, divided punting honors with veteran fullback Ted Fritsch. The line candidates, who are being pushed hard by Trafton, are being whittled down to playing condition with long sessions on the charging machine and the blocking dummies. Lambeau said today the squad will entrain next Thursday morning for Baltimore, where the first of two exhibition contests in the east will be played Sept. 4 against the Washington Redskins. The other game is scheduled Sept. 10 in Buffalo against the Boston Yanks, new entry in the league.

IRV COMP GROOMED TO TAKE PLACE AS PACKERS' PASSER

AUG 24 (Green Bay) - A rugged, young halfback from a small Kansas college, groomed by Don Hutson, the master pass receiver of them all, is slated to do most of the football pitching for the Green Bay Packers this year. He is Irv Comp, a Milwaukeean, who came up to the Packers last year from St. Benedict's College in Atchison, Kansas. It was quite a jump from a college with an enrollment of 235 to Green Bay, home of the five time National league champions, but thanks to Hutson, Comp made it without stumbling. Comp was a big, willing youngster, a little bewildered by it all when he came up. He had one bad eye that had kept him out of the armed services but could pass well despite it. However, he wasn't in the class of former Packer greats like Arnold Herber and Cecil Isbell. Then Hutson went to work. He toiled with Comp daily after others had quit practice. Comp would throw footballs. Hutson would catch them, trot back and tell Comp what he was doing wrong. Hutson taught Comp how to sidestep, dodge and pivot. He taught him how to lead a receiver, how to throw a soft pass, a hard one and a long one. This week as the Packers began morning and afternoon workouts, Comp looked like a finished performer. Hutson wasn't on the receiving end, but he was there as an assistant coach and was satisfied with what he saw. The Packers have a squad of 33 men, including 20 veterans preparing for the 1944 National league season. The veterans are probably as good as any other club has this year but they aren't up to the holdovers of other years. Six veteran backs have returned. They are Comp, Larry Craig, Ted Fritsch, Don Perkins, Lou Brock and Joe Laws, who is starting his 11th year with the Packers. Three 1943 centers have returned - Charley Brock, Forrest McPherson and Bob Flowers. Veteran guards available are Pete Tinsley, Glenn Sorenson, Bill Kuusisto and Mike Bucchanerri. At tackles there are Buford Ray, Paul Berezney, Milburn Croft and Ed Schwammel. Ends with experience are Harry Jacunski, Joel Mason and Ray Wehba, acquired from Brooklyn. New backs include Babe Webb, the bare-footed punter who has been trying to get here from Hawaii for three years, Charlie Tellefson of Iowa, Ken Douglas, New York, and Len Calligaro, Wisconsin. In addition Roy McKay, Texas fullback, will join the team after the Chicago Bear All-Star game.

PACKERS POLISH UP FOR EXHIBITION AGAINST REDSKINS ON LABOR DAY

AUG 25 (Green Bay) - Bright and dull spots appeared in the Packer workout Thursday and today's last lengthy session before the first intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday morning will be given over to use of a little abrasive to shine up the spots, where the shadows appeared. In the main, the difficulty was lack of knowledge of assignments in plays the Packers will use against the Washington Redskins in the Baltimore exhibition on Labor day, Sept. 4. Coach Curly Lambeau expressed disappointment over the fact that some of the veterans - who should know better - did not have their assignments down pat. Although they have been working hard - and worked hard also - some of the candidates also have still not dropped to their playing weights. The result is that speed in executing their assignments has been missing. The Packer staff hopes to iron this out soon along with the wrinkles present in the deception quantity of the plays...HAMMEL, CLARK SHINE: During the first stiff contact work Thursday on defense, two rookie linemen - end Mark Hammel and tackle Don Clark - looked especially good along with Tiny Croft, 287-pound tackle, and Ben Starrett, who was used at an end spot as well as at blocking back. The big surprise of the session was the work of Hammel. A comparatively small man, Hammel used his 170 pounds

to his advantage. As the Packer coach put it, "he seems to be made of prewar rubber the way he bounces back after he is hit." The former Wabash player makes up for his lack of weight with plenty of speed. The ability he showed in the rough session was the first major surprise of the young practice season. Clark, a former St. Mary's of Minnesota tackle, also showed up well during the two-hour defensive drill. He is being used at the left tackle spot. Croft seems to have become aroused and was throwing his heft around better than ever before in Thursday's session. This was illustrated amply when veteran linemen had difficulty in brushing him out of a play...STARRETT AT END: Starrett, who reported to the squad for the first time Thursday, worked out at right end with a measure of success typical of that enjoyed by Larry Craig, who was used at both blocking back and end. Incidentally, Craig was due to report for his first drill this morning. He was to arrive in the city Thursday night from his home in South Carolina. Four men are now available at blocking back. In the practice on offense, the passing of veteran Irv Comp and rookie Paul Duhart was hitting the mark frequently. Signal calling has been borne by the veteran right halfbacks, Lou Brock and Joe Laws, who divide the assignments for two teams. Despite these bright spots, the coaches are not satisfied with the all-around knowledge of plays that is necessary to rap opponents, the first of which is only 10 days away. Altering a previous decision to hold two-a-day workouts Thursday and today, Coach Lambeau called for extra-long sessions and elimination of the afternoon drill. He also plans plenty of practice on placekicking. While there has always been a premium on attempts from the field, another had been added on kickoff this year...TO BRING PENALTY: Under a new rule, any kickoff out of bounds will bring the offending team a five-yard penalty for the first and each succeeding infraction in the same series. This, the Green Bay coach has emphasized to the placekickers, will call for a greater amount of accuracy than ever before. Up to the present, the kickers have left something to be desired and are due for an extra dose of booting.

PACKERS WIND UP FIRST WEEK OF DRILLS WITH LONG DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE SCRIMMAGE

AUG 26 (Green Bay) - The Packers wound up their first week of practice this morning with a two-hour scrimmage that showed Coach Curly Lambeau and his two aides the first full view of all candidates for the 1944 squad - veterans and rookies alike. It also gave them a more definite line on the spots where most work will have to be done before the team engages the Washington Redskins in an exhibition game in Baltimore Sept. 4 at night. The Green Bay coach continued to express disappointment with the manner in which some of the players are missing their assignments. He feels that they have had plenty of time to learn when and where they are to be on a play. Unless those failing in this department perk up and study their lessons, they may find themselves staying after school, the coach said...ROUGH WORK CONTINUES: The second rough contact session on both offense and defense was held Friday. Linemen were given extra work and the backs sought added precision in plays. The blocking back spot, weakened by the failure of veteran Larry Craig to put in his appearance, was bolstered today when the veteran appeared for his first drill. Friday's drill showed rookie Paul Duhart, former Florida ace, able to hit the mark with passes while under fire. Lou Brock's tosses continued accurate and in both this and the punting department, Brock is much improved over the 1943 season. In general, the passing department is about 50 percent better than it was last year at this time, Lambeau said. Others who received mention for their work Friday are Bob McRoberts, a new right halfback who played at Stout institute in Wisconsin, Guard Pete Tinsley and tackle Tiny Croft. The tough workouts have given most of the players bruises, bumps and general soreness but no serious injury has cropped up as yet. Placekicking drill, handled by Assistant Coach Don Hutson, also continues. The veteran wingman personally showed the booters something about accuracy Friday morning, when he dropped every attempt over the bar without a miss. This continues the unbroken string started in 1942 in league competition, and boosted last year to 52, without faltering. Hutson, incidentally, still weighs in at only a half pound more than when he first joined the Packers in 1935...MCKAY TO REPORT: Roy Dale McKay, former Texas star now practicing with the College All-Stars in Evanston, will join the team in Chicago next Thursday morning, Coach Lambeau said. He will have an opportunity to work out with the team in Baltimore three days before the Labor day exhibition and may see his first action against the Redskins. The Packer coaching staff will see McKay in the All-Star battle against the Chicago Bears at Dyche stadium and they will also get a good line on the Bears' strength. The teams meet here Sept. 24. Next Tuesday and Wednesday Hutson and Trafton will handle practice while Lambeau attends a meeting of the NFL in Chicago. The team will entrain for Baltimore Thursday morning.

PACKERS POLISH UP PLAYS FOR FIRST EXHIBITION

AUG 28 (Green Bay) - Moving rapidly toward their first exhibition game of the 1944 season against the Washington Redskins in Baltimore on Labor day night, the Packers prepared today to gain added precision in their aerial and ground games and a tighter defense to use against the high-powered offense of the Eastern division champions can be expected to show. Drills Tuesday and Wednesday will be the last here until after Sept. 10, when the second exhibition is scheduled in Buffalo against the NFL's newest entry, the Boston Yanks. On return from their eastern swing, which begins Thursday morning at 7 o'clock, the Green Bay eleven will have little less than a week to get in shape for their first circuit game against Brooklyn. The first scrimmage of the season was held Saturday. Then it became apparent to Coach Curly Lambeau and his aides that the Packers will be able to field a strong starting team with enough material in reserve to keep the starters hustling. The first week's practice did not entirely eliminate the expected raggedness. It is doubtful whether smoothness will be present until the league campaign begins...ROOKIES GET CHANCE: The session gave rookies a good chance to show their ability. Three of them - two backs and a lineman - got a special nod. Left halfback Paul Duhart lived up to expectations in the running and passing departments, getting a thorough dose of both when veteran Irv Comp was forced to take to the sidelines after being shaken up. Len Calligaro, who came up from Wisconsin, showed ability in defensive play. The crowd of about 150 who watched the scrimmage took an immediate liking to the work of little Mark Hammel, left end from Wabash. Fast and shifty, Hammel bounces around and uses what little weight he has - 170 pounds - to good advantage. He goes down fast under passes and is improving rapidly on defense. No indication was given as to the probable starting eleven next week since the scrimmaging teams were shuffled about considerably. Of the veterans, center Charley Brock indicated he is still able to do his stint of intercepting enemy passes and running them back while fullback Ted Fritsch is ramming harder than ever...PLAY TWO EXHIBITIONS: In their game against the Redskins, the Packers will be facing a team with two exhibition games already out of the way. Tuesday night, Washington and the Brooklyn Tigers meet at Ogden, Utah, from where the Eastern division champions will go directly to the east. Last Friday night in Los Angeles, the 'Skins barely managed to win over the March field All-Stars, 7-3. The two-game experience of the Washington eleven should make them a tough outfit for the Packers to topple. The squad will continue to feel the brunt of hard workouts, including a couple scheduled the end of the week in Baltimore. Both linemen and backs missing assignments will get extra work on the books besides a verbal barb or two to get them studying. The weight chart shows a gradual leveling off, indicating most of the players are getting down to playing heft. In the sprints after Saturday's scrimmage, Pete Tinsley and Glen Sorenson led the guards; Baby Ray and Ade Schwammel the tackles; Joel Mason and Harry Jacunski the ends; Fritsch and Larry Craig, who reported for the drill but did not scrimmage, the backs, and Charley Brock and Bob Flowers the centers...WEBB LEAVES SQUAD: Coach Lambeau announced that halfback Babe Webb had returned to his home in Texas. The former New Mexico and Hawaiian Polar Bear player told the Packer coach that he has not felt well and that he had not regained his strength after suffering an attack of malaria while in the Arny. His departure leaves the squad with three left halfbacks, including Dale McKay, who will join the team in Chicago on Thursday for the trip east. For the first time since drills started, the practice sche4dule was changed because of the weather. The program Sunday called for the annual session with the photographers but the rains came and the lens experts had to postpone their work. More rain today did not stand in the way of practice, however, and provided the first opportunity for the squad to work under adverse conditions. Workouts Tuesday and Wednesday will be handled by Asst. Coaches Don Hutson and George Trafton. Lambeau will be in Chicago attending a meeting of the National league, annually held before the All-Star contest.

PACKERS FINISH HEAVY WORK WITH TWO DRILLS

AUG 29 (Green Bay) - Two workouts today wound up the heaviest part of the practice schedule for the Packers before they take off for Baltimore and their exhibition game against the Washington Redskins. One more drill Wednesday will include a thorough going over of everything they will use against the Eastern division champions in Baltimore's municipal stadium. No less than seven members of the squad have shown the result of rough contact work the coaching staff threw at them Monday and prior to that in Saturday's long scrimmage. Guard Mike Buchanieri is hospitalized with a bad foot but should be out in time to entrain with the squad Thursday morning. Four other linemen and two backs are also shaken up...SEVERAL ARE HURT: Those on the hurt list are end Harry Jacunski, center Charley Brock and guard Pete Tinsley. The backs bruised up are Walter Gudie and Dick Bilda. Coach Curly Lambeau, who today is attending a meeting of the NFL in Chicago, said that all the men should be available against the Redskins. Despite extra long sessions, some raggedness still appeared. This will have to be cleared up before game time if the Packers hope to duplicate their exhibition victory of 1943 this year. Line Coach George Trafton has promised an extra hour of work to those who are not blocking effectively, meaning that the boys will have to brush up or get cold lunch. The squad was reduced Monday when Lambeau announced that rookies Jack McKnight, right end from Colorado college, and Norbert Ebbers, tackle from Kenosha, had been released. One man will be added Thursday, when Roy Dale McKay, a left halfback, joins the squad in Chicago. No word has been received about the arrival of end Ray Wheba, recently acquired in a trade with Brooklyn. The only other addition in prospect now is tackle Paul Berezney, who is completing his internship in a California hospital...WORK ON ASSIGNMENTS: The working schedule includes more drills on assignments. This will probably be the principal action in Baltimore, where drills are set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some members of the squad will leave here Wednesday afternoon for Evanston, where they will take in the Chicago Bears-College All-Stars game at night. The remainder of the squad leaves Thursday morning at 7 o'clock on the Milwaukee road. There was little else to report on the progress of practice. The routine work of polishing up plays and getting precision as a unit has begun. The Green Bay team will have plenty of both against the Redskins, who have the advantage of their experience in exhibitions against the March Field All-Stars and the Brooklyn Tigers, a game set tonight at Ogden, Utah. After playing in Baltimore, the team will go to Sampson, N.Y., naval training center to prepare for their second exhibition game against the Boston Yanks in Buffalo on Sept. 10. The Yanks, newest entry in the league, are working hard to get off to a winning start against one of the circuit's oldest and most famous elevens. Assistant coaches Don Hutson and Trafton handled the double drill today. They will meet Coach Lambeau Wednesday night in Evanston and the trio will be busy with pads and pencils charting the Bears, who can be expected to show a little something inasmuch as they want to topple the All-Stars and keep their record in the annual classic clear of defeat. They have won three games and the first one was a scoreless tie.

TUNNEY ANGLING FOR A PRO ELEVEN

AUG 29 (Baltimore) - Baltimore hopes for a franchise in a new professional football league were given impetus Thursday when it was reported that Gene Tunney, former heavyweight boxing champion, was investigating attendance figures and other data concerning pro football games played at Baltimore municipal stadium. Sources close to Tunney, now a commander in the United States naval reserve, reported that sponsors of the proposed league would meet in Chicago Tuesday night prior to the Chicago All-Star game Wednesday. These sources also said that Tunney had arranged to have representation at the meeting. Tunney is now on a 10 day leave with his family, but it was not known whether he would attend the Washington Redskins-Green Bay Packers exhibition game Monday night at Baltimore stadium. Two years ago, the Redskins and Packers drew 34,697 paid admissions in Baltimore. The paid admission last year was 27,500. A week later, 32,300 paid to see the Chicago Bears and Washington play a Sunday afternoon exhibition at the stadium.

LEAGUE APPROVES CHANGES IN STATISTICS FIGURING

AUG 30 (Chicago) - Changes in the method of determining individual and team standings for forward passes, individual punt returns and team standings in punt returns were announced today by the NFL, following a conference between owners and Commissioner Elmer Layden. Forward pass ratings are to be determined on the number of passes completed, total yards gained, percentage completed, interceptions, touchdown passes and percentage of attempts intercepted, instead of the old method based only on the number and percentage completed, Layden said. Punt returns and kickoff returns are to based on an inverse grading system involving the number returned and the average distance of returns. Layden proposed the changes after a four-year survey of statistics by the league's public relations department.

PACKERS SHOVE OFF THURSDAY

AUG 30 (Green Bay) - As the Packers prepared to leave

town today for a 12-day trip in the east, where they will appear in exhibition contests against two National league opponents, Coach Curly Lambeau came up with the announcement that Bob Kercher, former Georgetown university end, has been acquired from the New York Giants and will make the trip with the ball club. The Bay coach closed the deal for Kercher in a huddle with Giant officials attending the league meeting in Chicago. News of the deal was relayed by Lambeau to Asst. Coach Don Hutson, and follows almost a year of negotiations. Kercher will aid considerably in strengthening the wing positions, where only two veterans are available. He is 26 years old, weighs 196 pounds and is 6 feet 2 inches tall. He played with Georgetown from 1938 through 1940 and then joined the Paterson, N.J., pro team. After a year with Patterson, he transferred to Wilmington, Del., where he played another year. Both teams are in the Eastern Football league. Kercher was on the reserve list of the Giants. A native of Evansville, Ind., the new Packer end worked out briefly with the team at the start of the 1943 season, but Lambeau failed to acquire him from the Giants. Kercher continued his residence in the city. He is working for a local industrial firm. He is married. A frequent visitor at drills, Kercher indicated he was anxious to join the squad, an impossibility until Lambeau closed the deal for him. He reported for his first practice this morning...LEAVE ON THURSDAY: The majority of the team will leave at 7 o'clock Thursday morning on the Milwaukee Road. Some of the men were to go to Evanston late this afternoon to witness the College All-Stars and Chicago Bears clash in the 11th annual renewal of that classic. The entire squad will leave from Chicago for the east about noon on Thursday. Arrival in Baltimore is scheduled Friday morning. In all, 31 players will be on the traveling squad. There is a possibility that end Ray Wheba, acquired in a trade with Brooklyn, may make the trip although this was indefinite. Also joining the squad in Chicago will be halfback Roy Dale McKay, who will see action with the All-Stars in tonight's game, which will be thoroughly scouted by the Packer coaching staff. Finishing their home practice schedule until they return to prepare for the league opener against Brooklyn in Milwaukee Sept. 17, the squad ran through its entire repertory this morning. There is no question in the minds of the players that their work is cut off for them against the Redskins, who rang up their second exhibition victory in Ogden, Utah, Tuesday night with a 14 to 7 win over the Brooklyn Tigers...MUST STOP BAUGH: The principal job the Packers have had for the last several seasons against the Redskins has been stopping quarterback Sammy Baugh. On the basis of the exhibition tilts, it appears that Baugh again is the sparkplug in the Redskins' attack. The Green Bay eleven's chances for a duplication of their 1943 exhibition victory over the Skins seem to hinge on the effectiveness of the defense against Sammy. The drill here today does not wind up the practice schedule before game time Monday night. The first of three to be held in Baltimore is set for shortly after the team's arrival there Friday and one each will be held Saturday and Sunday. These drills will give both McKay and Kercher a chance to work into the Bay system and will aid the others in perfecting precision. Also accompanying the team east will be Trainer Bud Jorgenson and Johnny Proski, who is assisting Bud until Gus Seaburg joins the club for his second season Sept. 11. E.D. Crim, Milwaukee road passenger agent here, has charge of the trip arrangements and will accompany the team.

PACKERS HAVE VETS ON TEAM

AUG 30 (Baltimore) - Even though the famous Isbell-to-Hutson passing team will not be with the Green Bay Packers when they play the Washington Redskins here on Monday night, the Lambeau troup from Wisconsin has a fine nucleus of pro football players. Cecil Isbell is coaching at Purdue, and will be here later when the Boilermakers play the Navy in the Stadium. Don Hutson, having retired as the greatest pass receiver in pro football history, is now backfield coach of the Packers. Green Bay did not have the great combination last year, for Isbell already had joined the Purdue staff, where this season he is head man, but Hutson was on hand and he sparked the Packers to their 23-21 victory...MIDDLE OF LINE POWERFUL: But there are compensations. First, the middle of the Green Bay line probably will be one of the strongest in this war year. At center is Charley Brock, the Nebraskan rated second only to the Bears' Bulldog Turner in pro ranks. He is amply backed up by Forrest McPherson. Four veteran guards - Pete Tinsley, Bill Kuusisto, Glen Sorenson and Mike Bucchannerri - are flanked by tackles Paul Berezney, Baby Ray, Tiny Croft and Ade Schwammel, all big men of pro experience. Joe Laws, Lou Brock, Irv Comp, Ted Frtisch and Ben Starrett provide backfield experience, but some of the Green Bay newcomers are hailed as real prospects for National league success. Chief among them is Paul Duhart, a 23-yeard old halfback from the University of Florida, who has just received a medical discharge from the Army. Duhart will be remembered as one of the Gator backs who played against the University of Maryland not so many years ago. He is counted upon to provide much of the spark in the Packers' attack this year...THREE FROM PREP RANKS: He played on the Fort Riley team in Kansas and was recommended by Tom Greenfield, of the University of Arizona, who played center for Green Bay in 1940. In addition, Green Bay has three recruits who have made the big jump from high school into pro football and have shown sufficient ability to satisfy Curly Lambeau, who is as keen any coach in the business in appraising material. One is Mark Hammel, a 170-pound end, from Huntington (Wis.) High school. Ordinarily his size would mark him for an early cut from such a squad, but it will be remembered that the great Hutson is not a big man. Another is Norm Turnlow, a 250-pound tackle from Weyauwega (Wis.) High, and the third is Ervin Dzierzewski, a 192-pound guard from Pulaski (Wis.) High. The chances are these players will not star in the game here, but since the contest is a preseason affair with no league standing at stake, they probably will be given playing assignments somewhere along the line.

PACKERS, EN ROUTE TO BALTIMORE, WONDER ABOUT REDSKINS, BEARS

AUG 31 (Green Bay) - En route to Baltimore today, the Green Bay Packers had two matters to think over and both of them are serious. To put first things first, the team's immediate worry is just how strong the Washington Redskins are with a head start of two exhibition games before they meet the Packers in Municipal stadium in the Maryland city Monday night. The second worry concerns the Chicago Bears, who toppled the College All-Stars in the 11th annual classic Wednesday night, 24 to 21. The Bears, it may be recalled, were heralded as a much weaker team this year than last, when they captured the professional championship. The Packers meet the Bears here Sept. 24. Obviously, the Redskins will have an advantage in Monday night's contest. They began practice early this month, while the Packers will have had only two weeks of drills before game time. Then the Eastern division champions rapped a strong March Field All-Star eleven, 7 to 3, and racked up their second victory Tuesday night over the Brooklyn Tigers, 14 to 7. In both games, the pitching of quarterback Sammy Baugh proved to be the 'Skins' principal offensive weapon along with the catching of veteran end Joe Aguirre. Defensively, the Washington team has proved it is far from peak form. This condition may help to offset the Packers' lack of game experience this season. Just for the sake of the record, it may be said that a similar practice prevailed last year when the Packers went east to tangle with the same team in the same city. The Redskins had met the All-Stars in the Evanston stadium the week before they played the local eleven, who apparently failed to recognize this apparently advantage and timmed the Washington team, 23 to 21...WONDER ABOUT BEARS: The second worry concerns the somewhat distant - right now - battle against the Bears. It is obvious from the All-Star game result that the champions still have some power, despite the groaning and writhings of the coaches about lack of material. Of course, Ens. Sid Luckman helped the Bears' cause Wednesday night and he won't be around when the oldest rivals in the pro circuit meet here next month. That brightens the prospect some. The Packers are scheduled to arrive in Baltimore Friday morning. They will work out there in the afternoon and hold drills Saturday and Sunday also. The bulk of the team left this morning on the Milwaukee road while others departed Wednesday afternoon and took in the All-Star game last night. Also present in the stands were Coach Curly Lambeau, Asst. Coach Don Hutson and Line Coach George Trafton. Between halves of the game, Rep. LaVern R. Dilweg, former Packer end, spoke over a nationwide radio hookup in behalf of the war finance division of the Treasury department. Dilweg urged listeners to continue to buy war bonds after he had drawn a comparison and contrast between a football game and war...GERMANS ARE REELING: The Allies are using plays that that the Germans dizzy and reeling now, Dilweg said, adding that American generals who played football at West Point are now calling signals for end runs, center smashes and off-tackle plays in France. But, the congressman said, there are several ways in which football and war are not alike. "When a fellow's carried off the football field, it generally means he's had the wind knocked out of him," he explained. "When he's carried off in that bigger game, there's a pretty good chance that he's either dead or maimed for life. There's no referee in war who blows a whistle and penalizes dirty play, because everything goes." To win wars takes lot of money, he said, and since this can't all be raised by taxes, the government must borrow by selling bonds, not only during war loan drives by tall the time. "...there's no time out on the battlefield," Dilweg said. "Why should we on the home front take time out from buying bonds? The answer to that one is that we can't take time out. We must buy bonds and more bonds until the last Nazi and Jap is carried off the field."

PACKER TICKETS TO BE HELD TO MONDAY NIGHT ONLY, WARN

AUG 31 (Green Bay) - Previous purchasers of Packer home game season tickets who have failed to respond to notices regarding reservations of their tickets for this year's contests were given a last chance today to protect their interests in an announcement by Ticket Director Ralph C. Smith that the ducats will be sold after Monday night. Two notices have been sent out already, Smith said, and both have been given adequate publicity. The ticket director said those who have made no response to these notices and have not notified the office of their intentions cannot be protected any longer. "Those who have not signified their intention to pick up their season tickets this year will definitely lose their right to get the same seats back after Monday night," Smith said. He said tickets are needed in the four center sections on the south side and Section W also to fill orders for new customers. "We are compelled to fill these requests with the unreserved tickets of last year's season ticket holders," it was emphasized. Those who wish may get further information about tickets Friday night between 7 and 9 o'clock, when the office in the American Legion building will be open.

GRID SCOUTS DUE FOR TILT

AUG 31 (Baltimore) - Pro grid scouts and coaches will be at the Stadium Monday night to see what the Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers have to offer for the impending NFL season. Dick O'Connell, who does the tub-thumping for the Redskins, already has requests for tickets for observers from the New York Giants, Chicago Bears (they'll play Washington at the Stadium September 10), Philadelphia Eagles, Boston Yanks and Brooklyn Tigers...HERB KOPF COMING: Herb Kopf, head coach of the newly organized Boston club, will do the scouting for his own outfit, Tom Bridges will look 'em over for Brooklyn, and others due are Jack Lavelle, Giants; Walter Halas, Bears, and Greasy Neale, head mentor of the Eagles. Brooklyn shouldn't need to do much pencil work on the Redskins, because the Tigers saw pretty much what Washington has to offer in their exhibition Tuesday at Ogden, Utah. The 'Skins, with "The Arm", Slingin' Sammy Baugh, in action, took Brooklyn into camp, 14-7. Washington's pass perfectionist was in rare form as he operated from the T formation. It was Washington's second preseason win, for Dud DeGroot's play-for-pay boys previously staged a fourth quarter comeback to whip the March Field eleven, 7-3...PACKERS DUE TOMORROW: The Redskins and Packers are en route east, the latter arriving tomorrow, Washington on Saturday. Checking in on Sunday will be Clark Shaughnessy, T formation master strategist, who has been the chief adviser in installation of that system with the Redskins. Shaughnessy left the team on the West Coast to join his collegiate squad at the the University of Pittsburgh, but he'll be on hand to help direct the 'Skins for the Packers' game. Advance reports indicate the Green Bay squad is in good shape, and the Packers figure to give Washington ample trouble...TO WORK AT SAMPSON: Following the game here, Green Bay travels to Sampson, N.Y., to work out with Lieut. Com. Jim Crowley's Sampson naval squad before going on to Buffalo to meet Boston on September 10. When the Packers came through Chicago they picked up Roy McKay, former Texas triple threat back who played for the College All-Stars last night against the Bears at Evanston. The big Texan probably won't see much service here, because it'll take him a few days to get the swing of things with Green Bay. Another Packer veteran and star, Paul (Doc) Berezney, won't journey east with the team. The big, fast tackle is completing his medical internship at a Fresno (Cal.) hospital and is not due to report until the squad returns to Green Bay...PLENTY OF TACKLES: Though head coach Curly Lambeau could put Doc to good use, the Packer boss won't be without a goodly supply of big, rugged tacklers, for he has Buford (Baby) Ray, Ade Schwammel, Milburn Croft and Norman Tornow on hand. Ray, scaling 245, and Croft, 298, are listed as starters Labor day night.

BAUGH DUE TO HEAVE BALL FREELY IN 'SKIN'S T PLAY

SEPT 1 (Baltimore) - Professional football's No. 1 magnet, Slingin' Sammy Baugh, will be on display Monday night at the Stadium and his work will be viewed with considerable interest by coaches and fans alike, anxious to see how "The Arm" fits into the T formation. Those well versed in grid matters contend the T is right down Baugh's alley, but the Green Bay Packers, due to oppose the Washington Redskins and their ace at the 33d street bowl, hope Sammy won't be any tougher than in previous seasons...ALWAYS FOOLED 'EM: The 'Skins last season operated from the single and double wing formations and Baugh took the oval on direct passes from center. The opposition knew pretty well what Sammy was going to do - either pass or feed some running mate on a reverse play - yet, in spite of this, the 'Skins were able to do a good job, winning the Eastern pro crown, but losing out in the championship games with the Chicago Bears. This season, with the T formation in vogue, Baugh will take the ball on every play from his position under the center. He won't carry the pigskin very much, but Sam will do more throwing that ever, and he'll be able to give the opposition fits in trying to find out just where the ball is, providing, of course, he can do the necessary job of master faking...SHAUGHNESSY'S PLANS: Dud De Groot, Washington's new head coach, is following plans set up by Clark Shaughnessy, who knows the T system as well as anyone in the business. The former believes that Baugh will be more effective than he was before - and no one can gainsay the fact that Sammy wasn't effective in the past. Baugh, in his eighth year of play-for-pay ball, owns a remarkable passing record. According to the figures, Sammy has completed 55.2 of his passes over a seven-year span. He has flipped the pigskin 1,229 times to complete 679 passes for a total of 8,379 yards and 79 touchdowns...SETS MARKS LAST YEAR: Baugh's best year was in 1943 when he tossed 23 scoring passes for 1,754 yards. He also ranked at the top in kicking and punting, as well as quick-kicking. The former Texas Christian star has a bevy of capable backs working with him in the Redskins' secondary this season. Chances are the No. 1 backfield will have Baugh at quarterback, Wilbur Moore and Andy Farkas at the halfbacks and big, powerful Mike Micka, rookie from Colgate, at fullback. The T system requires this type of fullback, a smashing, driving fellow, and Micka's efforts in collegiate football would seem to indicate that he can fill the bill...SEYMOUR AND SENO: However, should Micka fail to make the grade as a starter, Bob Seymour, veteran and an able Washington operative the last few years, can take over, while Frank Seno, a greatly improved runner, is available as relief for Farkas, who figures to be the No,. 1 left halfback. A department of play which Coach DeGroot may utilize to its fullest extent this season is field goal kicking. Reason for this is the great improvement made by Joe Aguirre, ranking left end, in sending the ball through the uprights, with Baugh doing the holding. De Groot and his squad check in here tomorrow, but the Packer, led by Head Coach Curly Lambeau, were due today and were expected to stage a workout at the Stadium...EXPERIENCED PERFORMER: The Packers come here with a squad of experienced performers and they hope to duplicate last year's victory when they whipped the Redskins, 23-21, before some 45,000 fans. In that contest the Packers took the blanket off Ted Fritsch and the big fullback turned in an excellent job. Fritsch is still with the Green Bay array, but Lambeau may have some other fellow to surprise the Washington club.

PACKER SQUAD DRILLS FOR BALTIMORE GAME

SEPT 1 (Green Bay) - The Green Bay Packers arrived here today at 11 o'clock and immediately began preparations for the first of three workouts Coach Curly Lambeau has scheduled in huge Municipal stadium prior to the Monday night clash between the Wisconsin eleven and the Washington Redskins. Interest in the repeat performance of the professional rivals - the first battle held here just a year ago - is zooming and there was every indication that 25,000 to 30,000 customers will be on hand when the game gets underway Monday night...SEEK SECOND VICTORY: The Packers will be gunning for their second straight exhibition victory over the Eastern division champions. The 1943 battle, a thriller which the Bays won by a 23 to 21 count, helped them to launch auspiciously their 25th year in professional competition and they would like to repeat for a perfect start in their second quarter century. The team was none the worse for the trip, which began for most of the men Thursday morning and for those who attended Wednesday night's All-Star battle, the afternoon before. While here, headquarters for the club will be the Lord Baltimore hotel, where the Redskins will also hang their hats after they arrive here. Coach Lambeau said the three drills would be given over primarily to polishing up the offense. He admitted that his team will have to play heads-up ball all the way to beat the Redskins, who have a decided advantage in that they have already played two exhibitions and won both of them. In contrast, Green Bay will have had only two weeks of practice before game time...VETERANS TO START: There was no indication from the Packer coaching staff about the starting lineup although it seems reasonable to assume that Lambeau will rely on veterans to start and then will use a liberal sprinkling of rookies to detemine what they can do under fire. Two of them, halfback Paul Duhart and end Mark Hammel, are slated for especially much attention. After the game the team will leave immediately for Sampson, N.Y., where they are to stay at the naval training center until they move into Buffalo for their second exhibition against the Boston Yanks Sept. 10. The game Monday night will not be broadcast from here. However, station WTMJ of Milwaukee has arranged to give a resume of the play after the game.

ARNIE HERBER ATTEMPTS COMEBACK WITH GIANTS

SEPT 1 (Bear Mountain, NY) - Arnie Herber of Green Bay, one of the greatest passers in Packer history, was a surprise arrival in the camp of the New York Giants here Thursday as practice got underway for the fall campaign. Herber, who retired two years ago, was invited by Coach Steve Owen to try a comeback this season, but had not made his decision until he arrived here unexpectedly. He expected to sign a contract Friday or Saturday. Sixteen veterans of last year were included in the squad of players who reported for the first drill.

REDSKINS EARLY CHOICES IN STADIUM GRID JOUST

SEPT 2 (Baltimore) - It's an axiom in sports to string along with a winner, and that's what the football enthusiasts are doing in connection with Monday night's game - the first major attraction of the fall season - at the Stadium. Mindful of the Washington Redskins' two preseason triumphs, the gridiron fans have installed the Capital pigskin luggers the early choices over the Green Bay Packers in their NFL exhibition joust that climaxes the Labor Day holiday sports program here...TWO WINS FOR 'SKINS: In racking up victories over March Field (7-3) after training at San Diego, and the Brooklyn Tigers (14-7) earlier this week at Logan, Utah, Washington proved it possesses an abundance of power, even though there have been many changes in the club which last season battled the Chicago Bears in the championship finale. On the other hand, Green Bay has not yet been tested under fire this season, though the Packers have displayed great potentialities in preseason drills...PACKERS WORK OUT HERE: The Washington outfit, under the leadership of Coach Curly Lambeau, dug their cleats into the Stadium turf in a spirited workout last night, and were scheduled for another drill today. Dud DeGroot has his Redskins working out at College Park and it is not likely that he will bring his charges here until Monday afternoon. Though the Packers came here without benefit of a "tightener", the manner in which they ran through last night's practice indicates that Lambeau and his assistants have succeeded in bringing the squad far in the ten-day training siege at Green Bay. True, there are some rough spots smoothed, but the Westerners figure it won't take long to remedy some of these with game experience...MCKAY WITH BAYERS: Ray McKay, the Texas triple threat who played with the collegiate All-Stars against the Chicago Bears on Wednesday night at Evanston, was among the Packers who worked out at the 33d street bowl. However, he's not likely to see much action against the Redskins, or in subsequent exhibition games at Sampson Naval Training Center and Buffalo, but it will take some days before he gets the swing of things with the Packers....BAUGH IS MAGNET: Biggest magnet for the crowd Monday will be Slingin' Sammy Baugh, one of football's most remarkable performers, who is starting his eighth season of pro football. The Redskins have switched from the single and double wing to the T formation, and Baugh is expected to fill a major role.

DON HUTSON SIGNS CONTRACT TO PLAY 10TH SEASON

SEPT 2 (Green Bay) - No. 14 will roll again. Don Hutson, the greatest pass catching end in National league history, today signed a contract to play his 10th season with the Packers, according to an announcement by Coach Curly Lambeau in Baltimore, Md., where the team is preparing for an exhibition game Monday night against the Washington Redskins. Modifying an often reiterated stand that he was finished with active playing, Hutson said he has yielded and would play another year because he had "an obligation to Green Bay, its loyal fans and the NFL." Followers of the Packers and professional football were unanimous in their praise of Hutson's action in signing...TO PLAY MONDAY: Hutson will open his 10th season with the Green Bay eleven against the Redskins in Baltimore's Municipal stadium Monday night, almost a year from the day when he almost single-handedly helped the Packers to defeat the defending champions by 23 to 21. There was no indication before the team left here Thursday that Hutson would return as an active player although it was known that Lambeau was anxious to have him in the dual capacity of assistant coach and end. His decision to forego retirement was believed conditioned as much as anything else by the lack of wingmen on this year's squad. The slight end, he weighs only 170 pounds, has been smashing records right and left since he joined the Packers in 1935. He holds five all-time league marks, most of which he breaks every time he goes into a ball game. Testimony to his ability was given in 1942 and 1941, when he was named the circuit's most valuable player, thus becoming the only man in league history to repeat for the coveted award...LONG SCORING STRING: Five times in succession he was an all-league selection and he also received the honor in 1936. The only thing that kept him off the list last year was elimination of an all-star team by a vote of league officials. Frequently mentioned but not part of the league record is Huston's ability to demoralize an opposing team's defenses. He has scored at least one point in the last 35 consecutive games, a string started back in 1941. Recognized as the pass receiving master, Hutson has caught a pass in every game except against Cleveland at Milwaukee Sept. 21, 1941. He has a run of 52 consecutive extra points without a miss. In all departments except punting, he has figured prominently. He climaxed nine years of play in New York last October when he threw a touchdown pass to Harry Jacunski. The toss was good for 38 yards...HAS 641 POINTS: In all, Hutson has appeared in 97 league games, excluding playoffs and championship encounters. He has scored 641 points and gained a total of 6,507 yards. He has made three touchdowns running and 83 by passing and 110 extra points and five field goals. His point total, touchdowns by passing and total touchdowns are all league all-time records. In ball carrying, Hutson has 42 attempts for 148 yards, a 3.5 yards-per-attempt average. He has two records in the pass receiving department, having caught 383 for 6,291 yards. He has intercepted 16 enemy aerials and returned them exactly 300 yards. Against the Chicago Cardinals in Milwaukee last season he made his most spectacular interception return for 84 yards and a touchdown.

PACKERS OPEN EXHIBITION SWING WITH WASHINGTON IN BALTIMORE

SEPT 2 (Baltimore) - The east's first professional football game of 1944 will be staged in Municipal stadium here Monday night, when the Green Bay Packers will seek their second straight exhibition victory over the Washington Redskins. A crowd of 25,000 is expected to witness the contest, first of three the Wisconsin eleven will play in the east before returning home to prepare for the for their opening engagement in the NFL. The third game, unscheduled until the team arrived in Baltimore, will be played next Thursday afternoon against Lt. Cmdr. Jimmy Crowley's team at the Sampson, N.Y., naval training center, where the Packers will stay until they move into Buffalo at week's end to meet the Boston Yanks. Coach Curly Lambeau announced the exhibition simultaneously with the more important news that Don Hutson will play again this year. The Redskins will go into the game with an advantage of game experience, gained in two exhibitions in the west. For this reason, the Packers are not given the favorite role although Hutson's presence undoubtedly will help to level off the odds before game time. Both teams have lost seasoned veterans, whose replacements among the rookies cannot be expected to measure up in their first stiff competition. Grid enthusiasts in this area, however, are recalling that the 1943 contest turned out differently than it was pegged by the experts, the Packers winning by a scant 23 to 21 margin. This riled the Redskins so much that they went out to take the Eastern division flag, aided along the way by a 35 to 7 victory over the Wisconsin eleven in mid-season. Memories of that defeat may give the Packers an impetus that will enable them to hand the Washington team its first defeat to three exhibition starts this season. They previously won over the March Field All-Stars by a 7 to 3 count and then marked up a 14 to 7 victory over the Brooklyn Tigers. In both games, the offensive work of Sammy Baugh shone for the Redskins. While the most people will be taking their last three-day vacation of the years, the Packers will be out on the stadium turf working out for kinks in the offense and defense they will use against their Monday night opponents. Coach Lambeau has allowed no cessation in workouts, the last of which will be held Sunday afternoon. The Green Bay coach is still not satisfied with the form the team has shown. Indications were today that Lambeau will rely on 11 veterans to open the festivities although there is a possibility that the lineup will be changed by game time. The other veterans in reserve and a flock of new men will also be used before the 60 minutes of play are over. Defensively, the Packers are figured on a par with the Washington team with such stalwarts as center Charley Brock, tackle Baby Ray and end Harry Jacunski ready for duty. The other spots on the forward wall will be filled at the start by Hutson, tackle Ade Schwammel

Coach Curly Lambeau and Charley Brock discuss strategy

According to his biography in the Northland College Hall of Fame of Ashland, Wisconsin, Edward "Mac" McGroarty was both a football and basketball star for the college. He graduated in 1939 and went on to play with Green Bay and Cincinnati before a career-ending knee injury. However, in looking at the 1944 and 1945 Green Bay rosters his name does not appear, nor can I find a single Cincinnati pro football or pro basketball team from the 1940s and 1950s. It's a minor mystery, but a mystery nonetheless. (SOURCE: Astuteo.com)...But is the contract legitimate. This article on BusinessInsider.Com may lead one to think otherwise.

and guards Bill Kuusisto and Glenn Sorenson...BACKFIELD IS SET: The backfield will probably include Irv Comp at left half and Lou Brock at right. Ted Fritsch is slated to start at fullback and Larry Craig is set for the blocking back spot. Expected to spare off Comp is Paul Duhart, the rookie from Florida, who has shown plenty of stuff in practice sessions. Roy Dale McKay, who joined the team Thursday in Chicago, has looked good in drills also but has not had sufficient time to acquaint himself with Packer plays and probably won't be used much Monday. Coach Lambeau also announced that end Ray Wheba, acquired in a trade with Brooklyn, is en route here and probably will join the squad Sunday. It is doubtful whether Wheba will be ready to play against the Redskins. The principal offensive threat of the Redskins, besides the veteran Baugh, is Bob Seymour, a fullback with several years experience. A pair of ends, Joe Aguirre and Ted Lapka, are Baugh's targets with the former the more formidable of the receivers. The only other Redskin lineman who was a first stringer last year is Joe Zeno, a tackle and placekicking expert.

PRO GRIDDERS AWAIT KICKOFF

SEPT 3 (Baltimore) - Except for final polishing practice sessions today, the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers are ready for the kickoff that will mark the opening of the football season in the Stadium tomorrow night at 8 o'clock. Green Bay will conclude its preparations with an arclight workout, while the Redskins will finish their training at their temporary camp in College Park. Signing of Don Hutson, star end and coach of the backs, to a Green Bay playing contract was announced yesterday, but whether Baltimore fans will see him in action is doubtful. The exact words of Coach Curly Lambeau were these: "Don Hutson has signed as a player. It is very doubtful that he will play. He may go in to kick an extra point or a field goal."...THIRD TILT IN SERIES: The clash here tomorrow night is the third in the series. Washington won the inaugural in 1942, 28 to 7, but the Packers evened the count last year, 23 to 21. Other than for new players, the prinicipal novelty in the approaching game will be watching Sammy Baugh, Bob Seymour, Wilbur Moore and the other veteran Washington backs operating in T-formation football. The Packers are still using what is essentially the Rockne shift attack, with many Curly Lambeau variations. Tickets have been selling at a rapid clip during the past week, and the indications are that a crowd comparable to that of last year will be on hand for the proceedings. Washington will have its big band present for pregame and between halves maneuvers...REDSKINS TO REMAIN HERE: Following this tussle, the Packers will leave for the Sampson Naval Base in New York where they will play the service team. Washington remains in this section, with a second contest booked next Sunday against the Chicago Bears. In personnel, Green Bay has a marked edge over Washington this season, but the presence of the fabulous Sammy Baugh in the Redskin lineup always offsets such an advantage to some degree.

MILLIONAIRES ORGANIZE NEW PRO GRID LEAGUE

SEPT 3 (Chicago) - Organization of the All-America Football conference, a new coast to coast professional football league, sponsored by "men of millionaire incomes", was announced here Saturday. A spokesman said the new league would begin operations next year. An eight club league is a certainty and a 10 club league is a probability. Seven franchises have already been awarded as follow: Chicago, John L. Keeshin, president of a trucking concern; New York, Mrs. Lou Gehrig, widow of the famous Yankee baseball player, and Ray J. Ryan, oil company president; Baltimore, Commander Gene Tunney, former heavyweight boxing champion; Buffalo, James Breuil and Will Bennett, oil company executives, and Sam Cordovano, construction company head; Cleveland, Arthur McBride, taxicab company owner; Los Angeles, actor Don Ameche and Christy Walsh, former newspaer syndicate director; and San Francisco, Anthony J. Morabito and Allan E. Sorrell, co-owners of a lumber terminal concern, and Ernest J. Turre, construction company manager at Phoenix. In addition, the spokesman said prominent businessman in Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston have sought franchises for their cities. Organization of the league was started several months ago and was completed during the last two days at a meeting of club owners here. The owners adopted two resolutions which, according to a statement, "are certain to help shape the success of the conference" and avoid talent raids on the long established NFL. They were: 1. No club will be allowed to employ a coach or player who is under contract to any team in the NFL. 2. No player will be admitted into the organization who has college football eligibility remaining. Pointing out that the wealthy owners of the new league "are prepared to engage in a battle of dollars" with the National league, if necessary, the spokesman said the restriction on talent raids would avoid such conflict. The second resolution, he asserted, was intended to protect college football since many undergraduate players whose careers were interrupted by war might prefer grabbing "quick money" in football to returning to their studies after the war.

STATEMENT BY LAYDEN

SEPT 3 (Chicago) - "I have no contact, direct or otherwise, with the new All-America Football Conference," Elmer Layden, commissioner of the NFL, said last night, "but anything which fosters cooperation for the good of the game is all right with me."

SUNLIGHT ON SPORTS

SEPT 3 (Baltimore) - As exclusively predicted in this column six weeks ago, Commander Gene Tunney, former heavyweight boxing champion, has been awarded a professional football franchise in Baltimore. Announcement of the formation of the league was made last night in Chicago, and details of the setup are published elsewhere in the Sunday Sun. This news follows in the wake of an announcement earlier in the week that plans are being studies for the erection of a stadium to cost in the neighborhood of $2,000,000. Here's hoping we are not daydreaming. There has been a great deal of talk for years about putting Baltimore on the big league map, but thus far only the Naval Academy with the fine football games in the Stadium each year has made a valuable contribution in that direction...MARSHALL: We have with us tomorrow night George Preston Marshall, who will show his Washington Redskins in a football game against the Green Bay Packers. Where would Washington be without him? Washington, first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League, doesn't have much to offer in the way of sport thrills. The lowly Senators are down in the cellar of the American League and only a miracle now can get them out of the mire. But in pro football - ah that's something else. Marshall has had his Redskins either at the very top or right next to it in professional gridiron circles for several years. He has given the Capital more favorable advertising in the sports world than any other individual in many seasons. They don't appreciate the fact that George Preston Marshall has given them real copy to write. Call him what they may he has raised the Capital from a dull, drab spot in sports to major leaguedom. No one else would dare attempt the things he gets way with - or nearly gets away with. Who would sit on the Chicago Bears' bench when his team was battling that foe? Who would dare attempt other screwy stunts he has pulled? For my part he can pull them in Baltimore. He no doubt would move Lafayette's statue to one side of Mount Vernon Square and have erected a teepee and a mechanical Redskin barking ticket if he owned the local franchise. They say he pays Slinging Sammy Baugh $1,000 a game to throw football for his Redskins. He successfully lines up talent able to give the famed Chicago Bears an argument each season. I'm for a Marshall who can give Baltimore these added sports thrills.

PRO GRIDDERS MEET TONIGHT

SEPT 4 (Baltimore) - With all preparations complete, the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers are ready for the opening game of the local football season tonight at the Stadium at 8 o'clock. Heavy ticket demands all day yesterday caused Dick O'Connell, the Redskins advance man, to predict a crowd larger than the big gathering that watched the Packers win last year, 23 to 21. Tickets will go on sale today at the Stadium at 11:30 a.m. The gates will open for the game at 7 p.m. Pregame entertainment will be provided by the Redskin band, attired in the usual tribal dress of the Marshall braves...MEADE TO SEND MEN: Many Camp Meade servicemen will see the game just before their imminent departure overseas. Twenty thousand tickets have been distributed throughout the Third Service Command, and soldiers, sailors and marines will come from Bainbridge, Curtis Bay, Fort Belvoir, Camp Lee and other points. Washington, Eastern champion last year, and runner-up to the Chicago Bears, who won the NFL title in a playoff game in Chicago, will unveil its new T formation style of play tonight for the first time in this section, under Coach Dud De Groot, who succeeded Dutch Bergman...BAUGH PASSES EXPECTED: It is expected that the Redskin attack will include many snap tosses over the line of scrimmage from Slingin' Sammy Baugh, said to be the highest-paid football player in the circuit. Washington is well provided with backs, but has an interior line which needs seasoning. Nick Campofreda, former Loyola High School and Western Maryland College tackle, is playing center for the Washington team. Wilbur Moore, Andy Farkas and Bob Seymour are among the Redskin ball carrier who are well known to local fans...ROOKIES GET ATTENTION: The Packer attack is built around Irv Comp, Joe Laws, Larry Craig and Lou Brock. Several rookies - Paul Duhart and Roy McKay, in particular - are likely to get more than average attention. Meanwhile, there was much discussion over the franchise for Baltimore in the brand new All-America Conference. Commander Gene Tunney is away from his duties on leave, but from one source close to him it was learned last night that he will have Baltimore associates in the venture, and that he has several coaches under consideration, but has not yet made a choice. To date the new group has not entered negotiations for the use of the Stadium, but that such negotiations that will be made is certain.

PACKERS, WORLD GRID CHAMPIONS SIXTH TIME, WELCOMED HOME

DEC 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Green Bay Packers, football champions of the world for the sixth time in 25 years, came out of the east Monday night and were greeted by nearly 1,500 fans who forgot about the chilly weather to welcome them home. The team arrived on a Milwaukee road train at 10:20 after a 24-hour trip that brought them here from New York, where Sunday they had clawed their way to a 14-7 victory over the Giants. There was no formal speechmaking at the station but there was plenty of cheering, back slapping, music and noise as the members of the championship eleven came home. L.H. Joannes, president of the Packer corporation, was chairman of the reception committee. The crowd included oldsters and youngsters, members of the city council, a pumper crew from the fire department who kept sirens shrieking, and the Packer Lumberjack band under the direction of Wilner Burke...LAMBEAU IS ABSENT: The returning contingent was led by Assistant Coach Don Hutson, in the absence of Coach Curly Lambeau, busy in New York at a meeting of owners and officials of the NFL. Line Coach George (Brute) Trafton, whose first year with

the club was considerably more than moderately successful, was also absent, having remained in the east also. Special plaudits were given to backs Ted Fritsch, Joe Laws and Larry Craig and lineman Hutson, Charley Brock, baby Ray and Paul Berezney. Fritsch scored the two touchdowns for the Packers while Laws was the backfield wheelhorse in the contest. The linemen mentioned sand all their teammates who played out-charged, out-fought and out-distanced the defensive minded Eastern division winners...GO DIRECTLY TO HOMES: Several of the players had gone directly to their homes after the title contest and were not present. These included tackle Ade Schwammel, halfbacks Paul Duhart, guards Buckets Goldenberg. Halfback Lou Brock remained in Chicago, where an operation was to be performed on his knee this morning at Michael Reese hospital. Brock sustained the injury, that kept him out of the last four regular season games, against Cleveland here in October. Also conspicuous by his absence was guard Pete Tinsley, who arrived an hour earlier. Tinsley hurried him from Chicago, when he was informed on the team's arrival there early Monday afternoon that Mr. and Mrs. Peter Tinsley were the parents of a son, born Monday morning at St, Mary's hospital...NO CIVIC

CELEBRATION: The other players who do not make their homes in the city were on leave today or Wednesday. Incidentally, the Packers are now tied with the Chicago Bears for the most championships won, each team having taken six titles. The Packers, it was announced today, voted to split their playoff pool into 27 full shares, five half shares and one quarter share. The voting made a full share to winners worth $1,478.68. The losing New York Giants earlier had voted 35 shares, each member of the team thus receiving $830. The playoff gate of $146,205.15 set a new record. The players' pool totaled $81,466.51 with the winners receiving $41,896.64.

CUDDY WONDERS WHY PRO GRID BACKERS SEEK TO LOSE MONEY

DEC 19 (New York) - The professional pigskin paradox - in which a bunch of blokes are battling apparently for the right to lose their money - has given us the worst case of skull-colic since we were pitted against fractions. Almost anyone who operates without blinkers or earplugs must have noted that commercial football because the stormy petrel of the sports world during 1944 - such was hogs hide hurly-burly - with the NFL threatened by new grid organizations and assailed by baseball moguls. A bit of a climax was reached Monday at the national circuit's annual meeting when it answered the challenge of rival grid groups by taking steps to hog-tie the 750 to 800 players who "belong" to the 11 National clubs - on active or reserve lists. The National owners adopted a policy of signing up quickly players who are insecure, and of threatening with a five-year ban aby who contemplate jumping to new circuits. This tussing-up seemed necessary because club owners of three new circuits have been flirting clandestinely and openly with the National's beefy beauties, trying to lure than away with lavish lucre. The trio of poaching organizations are: The All-America league, with Jim Crowley as president; the United States leagues, with Red Grange as president; and the Trans-America league, with Chick Meehan in organizing. It seems that each of these three new outlets have a yen not only for National circuit players, but also for slices of National territory. They are threatening to operate in several cities where the Nationals have franchises and take over by virtue of squatters' rights - or something...MUST MAKE MONEY: Being a wide-eyed lad from the open spaces, we figured that this stampede toward the commercial gridiron must savor of a gold rush. To confirm this hunch, we braced a National league brass hat after Monday's meeting and remarked to this "unimpeachable authority" that the National leaguers certainly must be reaping a rich harvest. Since so many outsiders are trying to muscle in on the gravy. He said, "Sonny, you - and a lot of other misguided folks - are laboring under a delusion. Only five clubs in the National league did well enough financially to break even during the 1944 season. They were Green Bay, the Chicago Bears, New York, Washington and Philadelphia. All the rest lost money. They wound up in the red at a time when there's more money in circulation than ever before in the country's history. Imagine what happens in normal times. I might add that it was the first time in 15 seasons that Philadelphia finished in the black...COSTS $36,000 PER GAME: "Few men make money in pro football; few go into it for that purpose. The weather hazard generally prevents profits. It costs an average of $36,000 to stage a single game today. You have a season of only 10 games, and a couple of exhibitions. When bad weather results in a paltry gate, you're just out of luck. You shell out your 36 grand and have to like it. Games are not postponed to later dates, as in baseball. Only wealthy sportsmen like Capt. Dan Topping of Brooklyn and Lt. Alexis Thompson of Philadelphia, who can afford to lose hunks of money, should venture into pro football."

ARMY NAMED TEAM-OF-YEAR: PACKERS PLACE EIGHTH IN POLL

DEC 19 (New York) - Army's explosive unbeaten and untied football team that rolled up 504 points in gaining the mythical national championship today was picked the 1944 team-of-the-year in the annual Associated Press year-end poll. Breaking the 12-year monopoly by major league baseball teams, the T-minded West Point cadets polled a total of 209 points to finish far ahead of the 104 garnered by the second place world champion St. Louis Cardinals...BROWNS PLACE FIFTH: The unbeaten and united football teams of Randolph Field and Ohio State were third and fourth, respectively, with 28 and 23 points. Completing the first five was the St. Louis Browns, whose feat of winning their first American league pennant, earned them 21 points. Sparked by the hula-hopped Glenn Davis, national high scorer with 120 points, and a pile-driving fullback in Felix (Doc) Blanchard, the Cadets snowed under North Carolina, Brown, Pitt, Coast Guard Academy, Duke, Villanova, Notre Dame, Pennsylvania and Navy for their first perfect season since 1916.

JOE LAWS GAVE GREAT PERFORMANCE IN TILT

DEC 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer fans will have plenty to talk about as they gather around the hot stoves and then move onto front porches during the spring and summer prior to the start of practice sessions next August by the Bays, who will be defending their world championship and preparing for the annual All-Star contest in Chicago. It is not far-fetched to say that the playoff game against the New York Giants will be played over a thousand times. On several things the fans will agree. The Packers put up their best game of the 1944 season against the Giants, most rugged defensive eleven in the pro business; they used every opportunity they had to put the New York team in position where they

stymied offensively; and the team as a unit was unbeatable on that particular Sunday. Out of the contest came several other items that will bear rehashing, now and as time goes on...JOE LAWS HERE: Undoubtedly the hero of the contest was Joe Laws, who was making his fourth appearance in a championship game. he used the occasion to show both defensive and offensive brilliance, something not exactly anticipated by the 46,016 customers who turned out at the Polo Grounds. Defensively, Laws set a new pass interception mark for playoff games with three. This broke the old record of two held by six others, including center Charley Brock. Considered by the experts to be among the best field generals in the pro business, the former Iowa star rose to the heights against the Giants. Coach Phil Handler of the Chicago Cardinals epitomized it exactly when he said, "I thought Laws was the best player on the field. He proved his greatness by coming through when it was necessary to do so. Why, he actually looked faster than when he broke into pro football (1934)." An analysis of the game shows how potent a force Joe was. In the first quarter he hit the line for the first first down of the game and returned two punts for four and 15 yards. In the second quarter he ran 15 yards to the one, from where Ted Fritsch rammed over. Later in the quarter he intercepted Arnie Herber's pass on the Giants' 45 and returned 12 yards. Then he returned a punt 11 yards...INTERCEPTS HERBER PASS: In the third quarter he ran 16 yards up the middle, intercepted another Herber pass and ran eight yards to the Green Bay 41 to nullify a Giant threat. After the Giants scored in the fourth quarter, Joe pounced on the ball when Irv Comp fumbled the kickoff. When Packer fans felt chilled because the Giants were marching, Laws leaped high to grab a third Herber pass on the Packer 35. In two slashes through the middle he made 14 and four yards to get the ball in enemy territory. During the season just passed, Laws scored four touchdowns to bring his total for 11 seasons to 132, fifth in the all-time point list of the Packers. He has scored 22 touchdowns. While he never kicked a point after touchdown or field goal, he was always in evidence when either type of kick was attempted. He held the ball, a job that requires iron nerves. Although Joe, like most good athletes, know when he has come up with a 100 percent performance, he doesn't over-estimate his part in the playoff victory. He knows that Larry Craig was blocking up the middle to help him along and that the line must receive its full share of the credit. It was a cast of everybody doing his job to perfection both offensively and defensively...PUT

IN FULL DAY: The 10 days the Bays spent at Charlottesville, Va., were probably as stiff as any a Packer team has had in 26 years. The schedule was such that there was no time to loaf. Each day meant squad meetings, two workouts and motion pictures of previous Giant games. One wag exclaimed, "I saw the motion pictures so often that I could coach the Giants myself." The hard work, however, paid dividends and it's to Coach Curley Lambeau's credit that nothing was left to chance. A fierce competitor himself, the Green Bay coach expects full measure from each ball player. Preparing for the playoff, he put in more time than the players, working from 7 in the morning until 11 at night pouring over the Giants' defense and offense and working out new maneuvers for the Bays...CALLED DEFENSE SIGNAL: Ordinarily, the defensive center or one of the guards calls his team's maneuvering while the eleven having possession is in the huddle. The best example of this is Bulldog Turner of the Chicago Bears whom fans will recall seeing face his team while the Packers were choosing a play. Against the Giants, the Packers waited until the New York team lined up. Then, Charley Brock called out a signal, determining which one of three defenses his teammates were to use. This gave the Bays extreme mobility and allowed them to hold the Giants without a first down in the first half. They played the same way in the second half but were more cautious, allowing the Giants to get sufficient yardage for 10 first downs. Eddie Kotal, who knows whereof he speaks through long experience in the grid game, described the Packers' play as "the most nearly perfect I have seen on a football field." Incidentally, he had a part in the preparations too since it was his scouting of the Giants during the season that provided diagrams of their offense and defense. Coach Lambeau finished it off with a personal look at the Giants in their game against Washington Dec. 3...SQUAD HAS DISBANDED: The squad has now disbanded for the season with most of the out-of-town residents having departed for home. The football togs have been packed away in mothballs by Trainer Bud Jorgenson and his assistant, Gus Seaburg, to remain there until sometime next August. Then the team will reassemble to practice for their third appearance against the College All-Star team. Coach Lambeau returned late Tuesday night from New York, where he attended a meeting of club owners and officials Monday.

DON HUTSON HOPES TO RETIRE AFTER ALL-STAR GAME IN 1945

DEC 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Don Hutson wants to quit playing football. He hopes to end his active playing days after the All-Star game in Chicago next summer. But Hutson says so with reservations. "I've tried to retire for the past three years. I intend to retire after the All-Star game," he told the Associated Press. "But if the Packers need me next year, I'll probably be in there playing again." Hutson, who holds more individual records in the NFL than any other player, said his retirement depends upon new materials the club expects before the 1945 season starts...TO CONTINUE AS COACH: "I intend to sign a new contract as backfield coach of the Packers," he said. "But any reports of my definite retirement before the season starts are premature. I want to quit playing. Ten years in this league is enough. But I don't intend to until we find out definitely whether we will have new material we expect both from Army and Navy discharges, and from colleges." Hutson had a contract as backfield coach for the champion Packers this season, but played his regular game at end and added to the records he had compiled since he left Alabama university in 1934...SCORE 85 POINTS: He assisted Coach Curly Lambeau as backfield coach all season and played in all the Packers' league games. Although he'd scored 85 points in previous games, he didn't get any touchdowns last Sunday when the Packers beat the New York Giants in the East-West playoff game for the title. "They used me for a decoy," he said. "The Giants were so much afraid I'd catch a touchdown pass they covered me too well to stop the rest of the backfield." There were older men in point of service in the league than Hutson. None, however, can approach the sticky-fingered former Pine Bluff, Ark., resident in either scoring or pass-snatching. He's no slouch when it comes to kicking points after touchdowns, either. This year he scored nine touchdowns on passes and added 31 points after touchdowns. He caught 58 passes for a total gain of 866 yards. That brought his 10-year league record to the following: most passes caught, 442; most touchdowns passes, 92; most yards gained catching passes, 7,176; most points scored, 726; and most touchdowns scored, 95. Those records are exclusive of East-West league playoff games, and include only regularly scheduled season contests.

PACKER COACH STARTS PLANNING FOR DRAFT

DEC 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - About this time in previous years, Coach Curly Lambeau would be packing his grip to take a trip west for the two-fold purpose of seeing the annual Rose bowl classic in California and of ranging up and down the Pacific coast to talk to and with gridiron talent eligible to play in the NFL. But not this year. The head man of the six-times world champion Packers just won't have the time to make the annual trek west this year because of the fast approaching annual meeting of league club owners and officials in Chicago Jan. 10-12. "There's plenty to do before that meeting and besides we have to start thinking about the All-Star game next August," the coach said. Ordinarily, it would seem that August is a long time off. But Curly's anticipation of that event indicates pretty well why he had

enjoyed the success in running the ball club that has been his since he started the team 26 years ago. "The championship game is over, our boys did a swell job, but we can't afford to rest on past laurels," he said from behind a desk piled high with memorandums on what to do...DRAFT TO BE HELD: "The draft will be held at the January meeting, and we'll have to do gobs of work before then to get our list in shape." he said. Under league rules, the Packers will have the last choice in the annual pick of college talent since they won the title. Besides the draft, there is the re-signing of veterans to consider, all of which prevents the Packer coach from taking a vacation. Asked whether he would suggest any rule changes at the annual meeting, the coach said he preferred more time to think about the question, indicating meanwhile that he might come up with one or two ideas on the subject later on. One of his suggestions - a five-yard penalty for teams kicking out-of-bounds on kickoffs - was adopted at the 1944 session in Philadelphia. Inevitably, the discussion turned to the team's

victory over the Giants last Sunday. What was the turning point of the game? "That's an easy one," the coach replied. "We won the game on the kickoff. This may seem funny, but it's true. The Giants won the toss, chose the wind, and expected us to choose to receive. But we crossed them up and kicked, putting them in a hole from the start. They never got in position to score from then until the late third quarter."...PLAYED CONSERVATIVELY: "The greatest temptation was to open up again during the second half instead of playing conservative football," Lambeau said. "We probably could have scored at least twice more, but we didn't want to take any chances, to have something go wrong which would to the Giants' advantage. But, believe me, it was tough to continue urging the boys to keep themselves in check." The coach is still exuberant over the play of those who got into the game and reminded too that players who didn't were 100 percent ready if they were called on. "Everyone was red hot," he said. "There were no offensive or defensive mistakes of a major variety." Although he wouldn't say so, this is a tribute to Curly's insistence during pregame sessions on absolute preparedness from every angle...PACKER FAME SPREAD: That the fame of the Packers and Green Bay was spread throughout the world is indicated in the fact that the game had the most complete coverage via newspapers, radio and movies in sports history. One hundred ninety-two continental stations and an unspecified number of short wave stations beamed the broadcast to all parts of the world. In addition, 250 copies of highlights of the game will be sent to the armed forces overseas. For their own use in this area, the Packers are to be supplied with copies if 16 mm. and 35 mm. sound films of the game.

FRITSCH GETS TRYOUT

DEC 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Fullback Ted Fritsch will have a tryout with the Oshkosh All Stars basketball team as a guard, it was announced today. Fritsch will make his first appearance with the professional cage team at Oshkosh Saturday night against Sheboygan. An excellent ball handler, Ted played four years of basketball at Central State Teachers College in Stevens Point, where he was a teammate of forward Ray Terzinski, now a regular with the Oshkosh five.

RELAXATION OFFERED BY PRO GRID LEAGUE

DEC 26 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Elmer Layden, commissioner of the National Professional league, said today that professional football has fulfilled every wartime governmental requirement and should be continued as an instrument of relaxation and recreation for both civilian and military sport fans. Layden, commenting on War Mobilization Director James F. Byrnes' program for induction into the service of athletes in non-essential jobs, said that the league would have suspended operations had continuance of the sport retarded the war effort...LEAGUE WON'T START: At the same time, Harold (Red) Grange, president of the newly organized U.S. Football league, said he held little hop that his organization would begin operations in 1945 as planned. "If conditions in this war continue as they are right now," Grange said. "I don't think any league should operate." However, Curly Lambeau, coach of the world champion Green Bay Packers, said Byrnes' order would have little effect on his club "unless there is a drastic lowering of physical standards for military service." Layden defended the continuance of football on the grounds that the sport was using only 4F's and medical discharges, pointing out that many of the players worked in war plants in addition to playing football...PROVIDED RELAXATION: "In continuing football, we provided recreation and relaxation," Layden said. "We believe athletics were doing even more. We feel competitive athletics inspire the youth of America to embrace the qualities of loyalty and teamwork, the two fundamentals of patriotism. There is nothing mystifying about why a boy can participate in athletics although he is not qualified physically for armed service. A recent letter from a general on the European front told of a soldier who had to be evacuated from the front lines, much against the youngster's will, because of a trick knee. The soldier was a football player, and he can still play football."

Anchor 2

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

FRANCHISES ADDED: Boston Yanks FRANCHISES CHANGING NAMES: Brooklyn Dodgers to Brooklyn Tigers FRANCHISES MERGING: Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers FRANCHISES RETURNING: Cleveland Rams

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17

Green Bay 14, Brooklyn 7 at Milwaukee

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

New York 0 0 0 .000 0 0 GREEN BAY 1 0 0 1.000 14 7

Washington 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Detroit 0 0 0 .000 0 0

Philadelphia 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Chi Bears 0 0 0 .000 0 0

Boston 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Cleveland 0 0 0 .000 0 0

Brooklyn 0 1 0 .000 7 14 Card-Pitt 0 0 0 .000 0 0

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24

GREEN BAY 42, Chicago Bears 28 Cleveland 30, Card-Pitt 28 at Pitt

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

New York 0 0 0 .000 0 0 GREEN BAY 2 0 0 1.000 56 35

Washington 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Cleveland 1 0 0 1.000 30 28

Philadelphia 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Detroit 0 0 0 .000 0 0

Boston 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Chi Bears 0 1 0 .000 28 42

Brooklyn 0 1 0 .000 7 14 Card-Pitt 0 1 0 .000 28 30

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26

Philadelphia 28, BOSTON 7

SUNDAY OCTOBER 1

Green Bay 26, Detroit 7 at Milwaukee

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

Philadelphia 1 0 0 1.000 28 7 GREEN BAY 3 0 0 1.000 82 42

Washington 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Cleveland 1 0 0 1.000 30 28

New York 0 0 0 .000 0 0 Detroit 0 1 0 .000 7 26

Boston 0 1 0 .000 7 28 Chi Bears 0 1 0 .000 28 42

Brooklyn 0 1 0 .000 7 14 Card-Pitt 0 1 0 .000 28 30

SUNDAY OCTOBER 8

New York 22, BOSTON 10 DETROIT 19, Brooklyn 14

GREEN BAY 34, Card-Pitt 7 CLEVELAND 19, Chicago Bears 7

PHILADELPHIA 31, Washington 31 (T)

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

Philadelphia 1 0 1 1.000 59 38 GREEN BAY 4 0 0 1.000 116 49

New York 1 0 0 1.000 22 10 Cleveland 2 0 0 1.000 49 35

Washington 0 0 1 .000 31 31 Detroit 1 1 0 .500 26 40

Boston 0 2 0 .000 17 50 Chi Bears 0 2 0 .000 35 61

Brooklyn 0 2 0 .000 21 33 Card-Pitt 0 2 0 .000 35 64

SUNDAY OCTOBER 15

Washington 21, BOSTON 14 New York 14, BROOKLYN 7

CHICAGO BEARS 34, Card-Pitt 7 Cleveland 20, DETROIT 17

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

New York 2 0 0 1.000 36 17 GREEN BAY 4 0 0 1.000 116 49

Philadelphia 1 0 1 1.000 59 38 Cleveland 3 0 0 1.000 69 52

Washington 1 0 1 1.000 52 45 Detroit 1 2 0 .333 43 60

Boston 0 3 0 .000 31 71 Chi Bears 1 2 0 .333 69 68

Brooklyn 0 3 0 .000 28 47 Card-Pitt 0 3 0 .000 42 98

SUNDAY OCTOBER 22

PHILADELPHIA 38, Boston 0 WASHINGTON 17, Brooklyn 14

NEW YORK 23, Card-Pitt 0 GREEN BAY 30, Cleveland 21

CHICAGO BEARS 21, Detroit 21 (T)

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

New York 3 0 0 1.000 59 17 GREEN BAY 5 0 0 1.000 146 70

Philadelphia 2 0 1 1.000 97 38 Cleveland 3 1 0 .750 90 82

Washington 2 0 1 1.000 69 59 Detroit 1 2 1 .333 64 81

Boston 0 4 0 .000 31 109 Chi Bears 1 2 1 .333 90 89

Brooklyn 0 4 0 .000 42 64 Card-Pitt 0 4 0 .000 42 121

SUNDAY OCTOBER 29

Boston 17, BROOKLYN 14 CHI BEARS 28, Cleveland 21

Green Bay 14, DETROIT 0 Philadelphia 24, NEW YORK 17

WASHINGTON 42, Card-Pitt 20

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

Washington 3 0 1 1.000 111 79 GREEN BAY 6 0 0 1.000 160 70

Philadelphia 3 0 1 1.000 121 55 Cleveland 3 2 0 .600 111 110

New York 3 1 0 .750 76 41 Chi Bears 2 2 1 .500 118 110

Boston 1 4 0 .200 48 123 Detroit 1 3 1 .250 64 95

Brooklyn 0 5 0 .000 56 81 Card-Pitt 0 5 0 .000 62 163

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5

NEW YORK 31, Boston 0 Philadelphia 21, BROOKLYN 7

CHICAGO BEARS 21, Green Bay 0 WASHINGTON 14, Cleveland 10

Detroit 27, Card-Pitt 6 at Pittsburgh

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

Washington 4 0 1 1.000 125 89 GREEN BAY 6 1 0 .857 160 91

Philadelphia 4 0 1 1.000 142 62 Chi Bears 3 2 1 .600 139 110

New York 4 1 0 .800 107 41 Cleveland 3 3 0 .500 121 124

Boston 1 5 0 .167 48 154 Detroit 2 3 1 .400 91 101

Brooklyn 0 6 0 .000 63 102 Card-Pitt 0 6 0 .000 68 190

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12

CHICAGO BEARS 21, Boston 7 Washington 10, BROOKLYN 0

DETROIT 21, Card-Pitt 7 Green Bay 42, CLEVELAND 7

PHILADELPHIA 21, New York 21 (T)

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

Washington 5 0 1 1.000 135 89 GREEN BAY 7 1 0 .875 202 98

Philadelphia 4 0 2 1.000 163 83 Chi Bears 4 2 1 .667 160 117

New York 4 1 1 .800 128 62 Detroit 3 3 1 .500 112 108

Boston 1 6 0 .143 55 175 Cleveland 3 4 0 .429 128 166

Brooklyn 0 7 0 .000 63 112 Card-Pitt 0 7 0 .000 75 211

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19

BOSTON 13, Brooklyn 6 DETROIT 41, Chicago Bears 21

NEW YORK 24, Green Bay 0 Philadelphia 37, WASHINGTON 7

Cleveland 33, Card-Pitt 6 at Chicago

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

Philadelphia 5 0 2 1.000 200 90 X-GREEN BAY 7 2 0 .778 202 122

Washington 5 1 1 .833 142 126 Chi Bears 4 3 1 .571 181 158

New York 5 1 1 .833 152 62 Detroit 4 3 1 .571 153 129

Boston 2 6 0 .250 68 181 Cleveland 4 4 0 .500 161 172

Brooklyn 0 8 0 .000 69 125 Card-Pitt 0 8 0 .000 81 244

X-Clinched Division Title

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26

WASHINGTON 14, Boston 7 NEW YORK 7, Brooklyn 0

Chicago Bears 28, PHILADELPHIA 7 Detroit 26, CLEVELAND 14

Green Bay 35, Card-Pitt 20 at Chicago

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

New York 6 1 1 .857 159 62 X-GREEN BAY 8 2 0 .800 237 142

Washington 6 1 1 .857 156 133 Chi Bears 5 3 1 .625 209 165

Philadelphia 5 1 2 .833 207 118 Detroit 5 3 1 .625 179 143

Boston 2 7 0 .222 75 195 Cleveland 4 5 0 .444 175 198

Brooklyn 0 9 0 .000 69 132 Card-Pitt 0 9 0 .000 101 279

X-Clinched Division Title

SUNDAY DECEMBER 3

DETROIT 38, Boston 7 NEW YORK 16, Washington 13

PHILADELPHIA 34, Brooklyn 0 Chicago Bears 49, Card-Pitt 7 at Pitt

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

New York 7 1 1 .875 175 75 X-GREEN BAY 8 2 0 .800 237 142

Philadelphia 6 1 2 .857 242 118 Chi Bears 6 3 1 .667 258 172

Washington 6 2 1 .750 169 149 Detroit 6 3 1 .667 217 150

Boston 2 8 0 .200 82 233 Cleveland 4 5 0 .444 175 198

Brooklyn 0 10 0 .000 69 166 Card-Pitt 0 10 0 .000 108 328

X-Clinched Division Title

SUNDAY DECEMBER 10

New York 31, WASHINGTON 0 PHILADELPHIA 26, Cleveland 13

EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION

X-New York 8 1 1 .889 206 75 X-GREEN BAY 8 2 0 .800 238 141

Philadelphia 7 1 2 .875 267 131 Chi Bears 6 3 1 .667 258 172

Washington 6 3 1 .667 169 180 Detroit 6 3 1 .667 216 151

Boston 2 8 0 .200 82 233 Cleveland 4 6 0 .400 188 224

Brooklyn 0 10 0 .000 69 166 Card-Pitt 0 10 0 .000 108 328

X-Clinched Division Title

1944 NFL TITLE (December 17 at New York - 46,016)

GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-2) 14, NEW YORK GIANTS (8-1-1) 7

CANADIAN FOOTBALL - 1944

NOTES: With World War II continuing, the IRFU and the WIFU continued to suspend play. In late August, the Winnipeg Rugby Club (aka Blue Bombers) suspended operations for the 1944 season. The team loaned its equipment to local high schools. The Regina Roughriders disbanded in early October. Unlike the previous season, the 1944 Roughriders did not have servicemen available to the team. Regular practices were conducted but the team gave up on the season when they failed to recruit enough civilian men to field a team.

1944 Grey Cup Champions - H.M.C.S Donnacona-St. Hyacinthe (Navy Combines)

1st Row: Charlie Ellis, Wally Charron, Curly Hiltz, K. Clarke (mascot), Ginger O’Brien, Bucko McLeod, Coach Glen Brown
2nd Row: Roy Kirbyson, John Taylor, John Crncich, Steve Levantis, Jack Wedley, Al Hurley
3rd Row: Wally Patch, Malcolm Baker, Hal Chard, Tom Bainbridge, Ian Barclay, Sam Abbott, Whitey Leonard, Dick Swarbrick, Pat Santucci,
4th Row: Dutch Davey, Mickey McFall, Dave Kotavitch, Al Symms, Jim Spicer, Des Campbell, L. Raymond
5th Row: W.O. John Montague, P.O. George Reid, Bill Kydd, Slug Segatore, Fred Porter, Sugeon Lt. Comdr. Richard Lane, Lt. Christopher Ellis

1944 GREY CUP (Saturday November 25 at Hamilton - ATT: 3,871)

ST. HYACINTHE-DONNACONA NAVY 7, HAMILTON FLYING WILDCATS 6 - The Hamilton Wildcats were a good bet to defend their championship, but the St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy team finished off a Cinderella season by returning the Grey Cup back to Montreal for the first time since 1931. The 1944 champions started off as a pick-up crew, a bunch of sailors who liked to mess around on the football field. But as the Quebec season progressed, wins began to pile up, and before anybody knew it, the Donnies were in the big game. Playing coach Glen Brown molded four seniors (including himself), several intermediates and a group of high schoolers into an excellent defensive unit which won by taking advantage of their opponent’s mistakes. Fourteen of his players made a 40 mile trek just to get to the team’s headquarters for practice. After

Dutch Davey’s rouge in the opening quarter, the sailors took a 6-0 lead into halftime. Joe Krol, star of the 1943 Grey Cup, was hit hard on a run in the second quarter and coughed up the ball to a St. Hyacinthe’s player. The Donnies took advantage of the miscue, as Davey completed a forward pass to Johnny Taylor, who ducked through the Hamilton line and ran 10 yards for the major. The Wildcats were kept off the scoreboard for three quarters. In the final 15 minutes of action, Hamilton’s ground game went to work, as Krol, Paul Miocinovich and Tom Hickey picked up the necessary yardage from midfield. Miocinovich capped off the scoring drive for Wildcats, and Krol kicked a convert tie the score. Davey went on to kick the winning single late in the game, as St. Hyacinthe held on to win the crown. It was the only time Krol lost the Grey Cup in his storied career. There wasn’t a lot of interest in the game, as only 3,871 paid to see the contest at Hamilton’s Civic Stadium. It was the last time Grey Cup attendance was below 10,000 fans. It was the final time in Grey Cup history that two Eastern teams competed for Canada’s top football prize. It was also the last time service clubs played for the coveted prize, as things returned to normal following the conclusion of World War II in 1945.

ST. HYACINTHE - 1 5 0 1 - 7

HAMILTON - 0 0 0 6 - 6

1st - STH - Single, Joe Krol rouged on Dutch Davey kick STH 1-0 2nd - STH - Johnny Taylor, 10-yard pass from Davey STH 6-0 4th - HAM - Paul Miocinovich, 3-yard run (Krol convert) TIED 6-6 4th - STH - Single, Ben Dyack rouged on Davey kick STH 7-6