Chicago Cardinals (2-1) 17, Green Bay Packers (2-2) 7
Sunday October 10th 1948 (at Milwaukee)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(MILWAUKEE) - The Chicago Cardinals, with Charley Trippi and Elmer Angsman wielding the knife, stabbed the Green Bay Packers and their championship hopes before a record crowd of 34,369 fans at State Fair park Sunday afternoon. The final score was 17-7, and the setback left the Packers with an even break in four starts. The Cardinals moved into the No. 2 position behind the Chicago Bears. The "do or die" struggle was less than five minutes old when Angsman busted wide around the Packers' right end galloped down the sidelines for 72 yards and a touchdown. Trippi, the Georgia beauty, was next. Midway in the second quarter Charley took Jack Jacobs punt to the Packer 49, ran straight up the alley for 15 yards, bumped into teammate Girard Ramsey, bounced off to his right, and then hit for the sidelines and pay dirt. Scoring things were quiet until early in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals capped a 79-yard drive with a field goal by Pat Harder from the 10. Facing their first National league shutout since 1944 and their first at the expense of the Cardinals since 1936, the Packers finally broke the scoring ice with slightly over a minute left in the game. It was as unexpected as the Trippi and Angsman explosions. Bob Flowers, who for the second straight Sunday played terrific ball at center, set the stage by picking the ball out of John Cochran's hands on the Cardinal one-yard line. Ken Roskie, the rookie fullback, smashed it over in one try. That's the scoring! What happened in between represents a mess of "almosts" for the Packers - drives that started fast and sputtered within shouting distance of the enemy goal line.
THREE SCORING THREATS
The Packers produced three big scoring threats but couldn't capitalize. Their running game just wasn't "there". The Bays were unable to adjust themselves to the Cardinals' eight-man line, the result being that the halfbacks were held to only 40 yards. The Packers were limited to 109 yards on the ground, with fullback Walt Schlinkman getting 57. Tony Canadeo, who gained 121 yards against Detroit a week ago in 17 attempts, was permitted to carry the ball only four times. The Packers had enough passing to make things miserable for their red-shirted visitors, but couldn't mix it properly with a ground attack. The Bays tried 25 passes and completed 10 for 122 yards, while the Cardinals virtually didn't have to pass. They tried 15 and worked seven for only 51 yards. Bob Forte, the Louisiana citizen, along forced Mal Kutner to leave the game with a .000 average. Twice Kutner went down for throws and twice Forte intercepted - each time stopping a definite Cardinal scoring maneuver. It was the first time Kutner, one of the top receivers in the league, ever went catch-less in pro ball. It was Forte's interception on the two-yard line that set the stage for Jack Jacobs' 80-yard punt just before Angsman's long touchdown run. His second interception provided the Packers with a big chance in the second quarter. He snared a Ray Mallouf throw on the Packer 43 and raced to the Cardinal 24. But the Cards stiffened and Ted Fritsch missed his second field goal try from the 30.
RECOVER THREE FUMBLES
The Packers recovered three Cardinal fumbles - two in Chicago territory. Irv Comp did it first. He gathered up Trippi's fumble on the 28 shortly after Angsman's run. A Jacobs to Forte pass moved the ball to the Card 16 but the attack stalled and Fritsch missed his first attempt for a field goal. Captain Dick Wildung "recovered" the other Card fumble by taking the ball out of Angsman's hand on the Packer 34 late in the third quarter to set the stage for the Packers' best drive - from their own 35 to the Cardinal 12 where Marshall Goldberg broke it up by intercepting Jacobs' toss on the nine. The Cards then drove down the field for their touchdown. The record gathering - largest crowd ever to see a professional football game in Wisconsin - watched the Cards reel off 325 yards - about 80 more than the Bears ground out in their 45-7 victory over Green Bay. The Packers were nicked for 140 yards in penalties against 55 for the Cardinals. This was probably the "puntingest" game of the season for both clubs, the two teams delivering a total of 15 - nine by the Packers. Within three minutes after the opening kickoff, Mallouf and Jacobs exchanged punts as the teams failed to make a first down. Forte soon intercepted Mallouf's pass on the Packer two to end the game's first scoring threat.
ANGSMAN ON JOY RIDE
Jacobs, standing in his own end zone, got off a tremendous boot that was downed on the Cardinal 19 by Ed Cody. But after Trippi picked up nine, Angsman went for his 72-yard joy ride. The Packers made a first down on a Jacobs to Clyde Goodnight pass so Jacobs had to punt again. A batch of Packers fell on Trippi and he fumbled on the 35, Comp scooping it up and running to the Card 30. Jacobs found Forte off to the right for 10 yards and Schlinkman and Fred Provo drove to the nine. Getting no blocking, Earhart was tossed back for three yards and Fritsch's field goal attempt went wide. Jacobs and Mallouf exchanged punts again as the game moved into the second quarter. On the Packer 43, Mallouf aimed a pass at Kutner but Forte got there "fastest" and galloped 41 yards on the interception before Mallouf knocked him out of bounds on the Card 24. A 15-yard holding penalty ruined the attack and Fritsch tried another field goal - this time from the 30. Mallouf punted twice and Jacobs once after more harmless sparring. On first down, Jig Girard heaved a long pass into the arms of Goldberg to give Mallouf another opportunity to punt, it seemed. The Packers couldn't budge so Jacobs punted. This time Trippi was the receiver and he returned 49 yards for the Cards' last TD. The Cardinals threatened to make it 21-0 but the Packers put on a terrific stand to take the ball. Robert Hanlon, rookie Card fullback, started it by intercepting a Jacobs pass on the 50 and returning to the Packer 20 but the Cards were called for clipping, putting the ball back on the 39. Trippi reeled off 13 yards on the first play and then short runs gave the Cards a first down on the 14. Mallouf tried three passes and completed two for a minus one yard and on a quick field goal formation Harder missed from the 27. The third quarter was a battle of penalties with neither team gaining or losing much, though the Packers cut their own throat on one occasion. After the Cards punted, the Packers, with E. Smith running twice for 14 and Jacobs throwing to Goodnight for 13, moved to the Cardinal 49. Jacobs was smeared for a 14-yard loss and on the same play the Pack got clipped for 15 yards for unnecessary roughness, moving them back to the 20. Girard then completed a 41-yard throw to Nolan Luhn and the Cards were bumped 15 yards for roughing the passer, moving the ball to the Card 25. It was the Packers' turn now. They were bounced 15 yards when Jacobs intentionally grounded a pass and then Jacobs was slapped back 12 more yards trying to pass. The Cardinals launched another drive and reached the 34 where Wildung took the ball out of Angsman's hands and downed it on the 35. Just before the end of the third quarter Jacobs pitched to Ted Cook for 18 yards to start the Packers' best drive. Jacobs found Luhn for nine and then Schlinkman ran for two and a first down on the 36. Cook made a nice catch of Jacobs' pass on the 12 for a 24-yard gain. In a key play Canadeo tried right and got no blocking, the result being no gain. Goldberg then intercepted Jacobs' pass up the middle on the nine and ran to the 14. The Cardinals, with Yablonski, Trippi and Angsman running, raced to the Packer seven, first down, and the Packers stiffened in a sharp goal line stand. So Harder stepped back on the 10 and booted a field goal. Two interceptions proceeded Flowers' touchdown-setup steal. Comp grabbed Mallouf's throw on the 50 and returned to the Cardinal 34 after which Cochran took Jacobs' throw on the three-yard line where Flowers stole the ball.
CHI CARDINALS - 7 7 0 3 - 17
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 7 - 7
SCORING
1ST - CHI - Elmer Angsman, 72-yard run (Pat Harder kick) CHICAGO CARDINALS 7-0
2ND - CHI - Charley Trippi, 49-yard punt return (Harder kick) CHICAGO CARDINALS 14-0
4TH - CHI - Harder, 10-yard field goal CHICAGO CARDINALS 17-0
4TH - GB - Roskie, 2-yard run (Cody kick) CHICAGO CARDINALS 17-7
the largest Packer crowd in the history of State Fair park, had been "let down". "The situation," he repeated, "is going to be corrected one way or another - but it WILL be corrected..." Downtown at the Hotel Schroeder, Cardinal Coach James G. (Jimmy) Conzelman was inclined, for obvious reasons, to take a more charitable view. "It took two individually brilliant plays (those long runs by Elmer Angsman and Charley Trippi) to do it," Conzelman observed, adding, "it would only have taken a break or two to make it close. Other than that - the game was played in the middle of the field." As far as his own Cardinals were concerned, the silver-haired savant felt, "We were logical to come back - after all we didn't play our best ball against the Bears. Therefore, we were bound to have a resurgence." The 53-year old gentleman admitted, however, that "We didn't know anything about this ball game because it's the first game we've played without Christman (passing star Paul) in three years. And there's a difference between Christman and Mallouf."...SURE PACKERS ARE BETTER: Conzelman, who emphasized that his team was subpar because of injuries and the death of star tackle Stan Mauldin, indicated that the Packers hadn't come up to his expectations. "I don't know what's the matter with Green Bay. I'm sure the Packers are better than they looked today." "Don't misunderstand me, however," he warned. "I'm always glad when we beat Green Bay, I'll tell you, because the Packers almost always are tough." "Those two missed field goals hurt Green Bay an awful lot," Jimmy went on. "We were using a ground attack almost exclusively and that hurt, too." At this point, Conzelman's wife, Ann, came in to offer a congratulatory kiss. Apparently buoyed up by this expression of confidence, he surveyed the NFL race as a whole optimistically. "The winning team's going to lose three games (this declaration was possibly influenced by the fact that his Cards already have lost once and partly to point out that the Packers still have a chance). You just can't get away from it, that's all."...Tragedy almost struck the Cardinals for the second time within three weeks before the game. Dutch Kriznecky, veteran Chicago property man, was stricken with a heart attack while taping a player and collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital where he later recovered sufficiently to make the return trip to Chicago with the team...WTMJ sportscaster Bob Heiss, whose game broadcast was carried by the Press-Gazette's WJPG, pulled an "iron man" stunt over the weekend. In Berkeley, Calif., Saturday afternoon to do the Wisconsin-California game, he flew back immediately after the contest, arriving in Milwaukee at 8 o'clock Sunday morning. He managed to squeeze in only two hours of sleep before reporting at the park to describe the Packer-Cardinal contest and was already "dead" at halftime...The team of officials working the game set a record - 5.15 seconds - for time elapsed in putting the ball in play in the Bear-Cardinal game six days before, but the gridiron monitors had their troubles Sunday. The most glaring instance came in the fourth quarter when the sticks had to be brought in on the perennial first down question. When the chains were first pulled taut, the ball lacked an inch of making the required distance. A second alignment brought the sticks almost even with the tip of the ball and a third produced a Cardinal first down with an inch to spare. Had the original measurement held, the Packers would have taken possession for the Chicagoans had used up their four downs...Conzelman, who is noted for his penchant for the unusual, came up with another new one Sunday. As the Cardinals lined up to receive the opening kickoff - and all thereafter - he had four of his huskies bunched on the 20-yard line. Sideline experts, temporarily mystified, soon were enlightened when the quartet retreated in haste to form an escort for Elmer Angsman, who took Ted Fritsch's boot on the two-yard line. The results were not, however, spectacular - Angsman was dropped on his own 29...Speaking of kickoffs, Fritsch's long, towering boots always have drawn "oohs" and "ahs" from the crowd, but he outdid himself as the third quarter opened. Aided somewhat by a stiff wind, he sent the ball over the goal posts, beyond the goal line and the end zone to within a yard or two of the fence enclosing the field - an effort of between 75 and 80 yards...The fans' attention was diverted from the 14-0 Cardinal edge between halves by a sensational acrobat team fresh from New York where it had just finished playing an engagement with film and radio comics Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. The Packer Lumberjack band also made its first trip of the season, and its first in several years minus the majorettes. They were, however, accompanied by Bruce Stengel, the band's drum major, who entertained between the game and between halves in a deft twirling exhibition...Paul Christman, star Cardinal quarterback, was on the bench in his civilian clothes Sunday, handling the field telephone with his good right hand (the left one was fractured in the Bear game). Also on the visitor's bench was Ray Benningson, dapper president of the Cardinals, who took over 18 months ago following the death of the late Charles Bidwell...Two former Packers were in the stands to see their "alma mater" go down to defeat. Herman Rohrig, 1947 quarterback, came in from Omaha, Neb., where he's coaching six-man football, while ex-fullback Don Perkins, who was with the Bears after being released by Green Bay, motored from Platteville...Another pair who watched Packer operations with more than normal interest with Eddie Kotal, chief scout of the Los Angeles Rams - they meet the Packers in City stadium next Sunday - and Pete Halas, part-time observer for the LA eleven. Jack LaVelle of the Giants and Harvey Rooker of the Pittsburgh Steelers also were taking notes.
COACH LAMBEAU FINES ENTIRE PACKER SQUAD
OCT 12 (Green Bay) - Following up his threat of disciplinary action after his team had submitted meekly to defeat at the hands of the Chicago Cardinals in Milwaukee Sunday, Curly Lambeau, coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers, Tuesday fined the entire personnel one-half salary and asked waivers on Bruce Smith, veteran halfback from Minnesota, and Jim Kekeris, a tackle from Missouri. The fines, Lambeau said, would stick unless the movies of the game not yet back from the developing company revealed extenuating circumstances in individual cases. "The Packers have always had a spirited club, even when they lost," Lambeau declared heatedly. "Sunday's game was awful. We own an apology to the people who paid good money to see it." The action is the most severe Lambeau has ever taken. Smith, one of the most talented backs on the club, has been of little use this season. The slightest bump has knocked him out of play. Kekeris was obtained on waivers from the Eagles. The Packers meet the Los Angeles Rams Sunday.
'LAZY' PACKERS FINED HALF GAME SALARY
OCT 12 (Milwaukee Sentinel) - The Green Bay Packers, soundly beaten by the Chicago Cardinals, took it on the chin again today as a result of the poor exhibition in Milwaukee last Sunday. The second defeat came when Coach Curly Lambeau announced he was fining each member of the squad one-half of one game's pay for the shoddy showing against the Cardinals. The only 'soft spot" in the drastic and unprecedented move to bring about a reawakening was Lambeau's assurance that "the fines will stick in all cases except possibly several who may be saved by a review of motion pictures of the game." "We always have had a reputation for spirit," Lambeau added. "But we haven't shown it once this year. One of the big reasons this situation exists is that the boys are getting good salaries, and they're content. For that reason there's got to be a penalty for losing." In addition to the blanket fines, Lambeau said he was asking waivers on Bruce Smith, former Minnesota halfback, and Jim Kekeris, rookie tackle from Missouri. "A $100,000 setback" was the way another Packer spokesman looked at the Cardinal game. "It will cost us that much in ticket sales the rest of this season and the first part of next," he continued. "That's a might serious blow to a nonprofit organization which has to struggle to break even under the most favorable circumstances. If the boys had played the game up to the hilt, everything would have been all right. But they didn't and we're taking the rap." What players, if any, will get full pay for last Sunday was still a secret after the awaited movie showing at the Rockwood Lodge training headquarters tonight. Lambeau told his quiet and subdued squad that final decision will not be forthcoming until the coaching staff takes another close look tomorrow night. For purposes of comparison, the coach also showed the pictures of last year's victory over the Los Angeles Rams at Milwaukee. Very little comment was necessary. The players, already informed that a sharp about-face is in order or else, knew exactly what the big boss was driving at. Despite the fines, there was no indication or kicking over the traces this morning when the Bays started practice for next Sunday's Rams game here with what was considered "the best Tuesday workout in years". Another heavy program is on tap for tomorrow morning, perhaps the afternoon, too. But the evening session is certain to be the highlight with Lambeau scheduled to make known his half-pay list.
LAMBEAU PROMISES SOME SALARY 'ADJUSTMENTS' AFTER SETBACK
OCT 11 (Green Bay) - A bitterly disappointed Curly Lambeau, who rapped, "I'm not feeling bad, I'M MAD", after the Green Bay Packers lost a game they "had" to win here Sunday afternoon, declared that "salary adjustments will be made until we begin to play the brand of ball we're capable of." Pacing the carpet in his Hotel Pfister room, he asserted, "I never have been so disappointed in my life." The Packer coach continued, "There was a decided lack of spirit today. This can't be applied, of course, to all 35 of them because we had a half a dozen boys out there who had it - but that isn't enough." "We always have had a reputation for spirit," the NFL's oldest coach in point of service declared. "We haven't shown it once this year." "But," he said meaningfully, "we're going to correct this situation this week - or else. There'll be salary adjustments and changes made until it is corrected - one of the big reasons it exists is that the boys are getting good salaries and they're contest. For that reason, there's got to be a penalty for losing."...IT'S POOR EXECUTION: "The Cardinals scored 17 points, but, good heavens, we are capable of scoring more than 17 points when we're right," he exploded, turning his hands palms upward in despair. "Primarily, our trouble was poor execution - there wasn't proper execution 25 percent of the time. In fact," he summarized, "in the last 10 years I can't remember a Packer team looking bad in Milwaukee." Lambeau also felt keenly that the 34,000-odd fans,
He added: "There was a decided lack of spirit today." Lambeau had no comment today other than the two flat announcements. Smith, who has been living with his wife on Day street, stated that he planned to return to his sporting goods business in Northfield, Minn. The former Minnesota star, rated one of the college's game greatest breakaway runners in 1941 and 1942, had been injured most of this season, but, he added, "I was beginning to feel good last week and hoped to work more Sunday."...CAME HERE IN 1945: Smith came here in 1945 after the season started and suffered a neck injury. He was troubled with injuries in 1946 and gradually worked himself into a defensive role. His work on defense last year was considered outstanding in several games, though an injury sidelined him for two contests...The Packers next Sunday get their last chance of the infant 1948 NFL season to perform before the "home folks". The Los Angeles Rams, coached by Clark Shaughnessy, will be making their first appearance here as a representative of the west coast. The Rams, then fighting for Cleveland, last performed here in 1945. Still stung by the 17-7 defeat from the Cardinals Sunday, the Packers went back to work today at Rockwood lodge while less than 40 miles north the Rams resumed training at Maxwelton Braes in Sturgeon Bay. The Rams, who were swatted, 42-21, by the Bears in Chicago Sunday, arrived in Green Bay Monday afternoon and then moved to Sturgeon Bay by bus. The Rams will remain in Sturgeon Bay until after their game with Detroit there Oct. 24. The Packer office put out the "no news" sign this morning, but the NFL headquarters in Philadelphia responded with the usual Tuesday statistical dope. The eight departments of action were without a Packer leader, the top representative a week ago - halfback Tony Canadeo - dropping to third place. Canadeo was replaced by Johnny Clement of Pittsburgh in rushing with 223 yards in 47 attempts and Elmer Angsman of the Cardinals, with 217 in 37 tries. Canadeo, who got his hands on the ball only four times for seven yards against the Cards, is third with 198 yards in 41 tries. Packer fullback Walt Schlinkman is sixth with 154 yards in 34 attempts. Incidentally, the two longest runs of the season both went for 72 yards - Packer Ralph Earhart against Boston Sept. 17 and Angsman against the Packers last Sunday...JACOBS DROPS TO NINTH: Packer Jack Jacobs, third in passing last week, dropped to ninth place. He has 19 completions in 37 attempts for a gain of 199 yards and two touchdowns. Tommy Thompson of Philadelphia is leading with 37 completions in 69 tosses, good for 496 yards and seven touchdowns. In pass receiving, Packer Clyde Goodnight ranks fourth with 11 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown. Hal Crisler of Washington is leading with 15 for 247 yards. Nolan Luhn of the Bays is 10th with eight for 142. Jacobs ranks fourth in punting with an average of 44 yards on 18 boots while Joe Muha of Philadelphia has an average of 48.3 in 20 kicks. Ed Smith, Packer right halfback, is second on kickoff returns, returning six for 131 yards. Joe Margucci of Detroit is tops with 185 yards on nine returns. Bob Forte, Bay right halfback, is tied with five other players with three interceptions each.
PACKERS GET AMPLE TIME TO PREPARE FOR BEARS AND CARDS
OCT 12 (Green Bay) - Well, kiddies, what happens with our Packers now? Their record stands at 2-2 and there are eight games left - five with Western division teams and three with Eastern sector representatives. On the basis of what happened in two of the Packers' four starts (45-7 to the Bears and 17-7 to the Cards), one would get the idea that the Packers are going to straight to nowhere. But, on the basis of the other two games (31-0 over Boston and 33-21 over Detroit) the Packers can't be counted out. That indescribable something that was lacking against the Bears and Cards was present against the Bostons and Detroits. It was just a year ago that Chicago was screaming bloody murder when the Bears dropped two games. They proceeded to win eight straight before getting bumped by the Los Angeles Rams and Cardinals. The Packers today find themselves in a similar spot but they have ample time to prepare for the clubs they've got to beat for the Western division crown - the Bears in Chicago Nov. 14 and the Cards there Dec. 5. The remaining opponents, in their order, are Los Angeles, Washington, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Bears, New York, Los Angeles and Cardinals. Sunday's performance against the Cardinals was not exactly conducive to optimistic thinking. To make it worse, the Cards were far from the Cards who whipped the Packers twice by a total of five points last year or the Cards who fell before the Bears a week ago last night. What happens at Rockwood lodge this week as the Packers prepare to meet Los Angeles here next Sunday should be more interesting. Even more interesting will be the developments on City stadium turf next Sunday afternoon. Speaking about interesting things, the guy who made the most tackles for the Packers Sunday was a comparative unknown - little Gene Wilson, the former Southern Methodist mite who came here in 1946 with a fancy reputation as a pass catcher. Wilson was credited with eight tackles in a defensive role. The two tackles - Dick Wildung and Paul Lipscomb - got seven apiece, while Larry Craig and Bob Forte snared six. In the five-class were centers Bob Flowers and Lloyd Baxter and fullback Ted Fritsch. The guards who made six tackles all afternoon, but it can be added that the Packers use only one guard on defense - the man opposite the center. The Packers, in receiving 140 yards on 12 penalties, are traveling at a record breaking clip. The Bears in 1944 set the league record with 1,025 yards or an average of 102.5 yards per game while the Packers presently are averaging 107.5 with 430 yards in four games. The Packers kicked themselves for 111 yards in the Boston game, only 38 in the Bear (we didn't get a chance), 140 in the Detroit fuss and 140 in the Cardinal mess. On the subject of facts and figures, it's noteworthy that the Packer line has permitted 645 yards by rushing in double opposites, so to speak. The Packer wall allowed Boston 16 yards on the ground, then permitted the Bears 240, then limited Detroit's unbalanced attack to 64, and finally the Cardinals 325. The Packer pass defense allowed Boston 107 yards, the Bears 57, Detroit 133 and the Cardinals 51. But the two teams with the lowest totals, the Bears and Cardinals, didn't have to pass. Ho hum!
'WALTZ ME AROUND AGAIN, WILLIE' WAS THE TUNE AS THE PACKERS LOST
OCT 12 (Milwaukee Journal) - "Waltz me around again, Willie." The accompanying picture, taken by an Associated Press photographer at Sunday's Packer-Cardinal game here, tells pretty well the kind of game it was and especially the large part, the very large part, the Packers played in making it what it was. The Cardinals, except for flashes of brilliance in their backfield and a hard charging defensive line, were no great championship shakes themselves, yet even on what undoubtedly was one of their lesser days they looked like a football team. And the Packers generally didn't. Yes, "Waltz me around again, Willie" is right. The waltzers here happen to be Clyde Goodnight (left) of the Packers whirling Boris Dimancheff of the Cards (right) - and lest some of the other Packers get jealous about Goodnight's grace, they, took, it must be quickly added, looked very "good" at times. What happened to the Packers? Curly Lambeau would like to know. The club that was annihilated by the Bears, that staggered against the Lions and that looked so inept against the Cardinals was not the club that won its first three exhibitions - one against Washington, 43-0 - or that rolled over the Boston Yankees in the league opener, 31-0. This was a ragged, uninspired "so what" club, not because it happened to lose again, but because it offered such a disappointing performance - at $4.80 a head. It didn't win any friends for Green Bay and didn't win any for pro ball. The actions and reactions of a football club from week to week are almost impossible to explain, and that goes for college football as well as pro football. Maybe one shouldn't even presume to attempt to explain them. A few things about the Packers, though, seem to come in relief now that they have played three straight bad games. (1) The club lacks a leader on the field, a Hutson or Goldenberg or Laws or Isbell, who by word or by deed can rally the club in tough going. (2) The club lacks buoyancy. It was crushed by the Bears, and it has remained more or less crushed. There has been no real emotional comeback. (3) The club has too many older men, who, after the first few games, apparently have become sated with football with the season, and too many younger men, who, though seven games have now been played, haven't lived up to their college press notices. Or maybe the picking originally was bad despite an early flash. (4) The club lacks good, consistently sound quarterbacking. (5) The club has become lax in the execution of details. Maybe there isn't enough insistence on perfection in practice, for it is easy to fall into loose habits. The blocking and tackling and faking Sunday was all slovenly done. Now will somebody else please say what is the matter with the Packers? And with State Fair park for mishandling the crowd the way it mishandled Sunday's? The picture might help. "Waltz me around again Willie" indeed.
RALPH EARHART GOES TO SMITH'S HALFBACK
OCT 13 (Green Bay) - Firmly convinced that the honeymoon is over the Green Bay Packers went back to work with a vengeance Wednesday as Coach Curly Lambeau started to break in a new left halfback in place of Bruce Smith, on whom waivers were asked after Tuesday's big shakeup. Ralph Earhart, the Border conference spring champion from Texas Tech, has been assigned to take the place of Smith. Earhart made several outstanding runs from right halfback, where he started the season. Earhart's first notable achievement was a 47 yard run in the fourth quarter of the New York Giant exhibition game to give the Packers a 7-0 victory. In the opening league game at Boston he climaxed the Packers' best showing of the season by sprinting 72 yards for a touchdown. Switching Earhart to left half now gives the Packers three rookies and a veteran at that position. The veteran is Tony Canadeo, who surrendered his ground gaining lead in the disappointing showing against the Cardinals. The rookies, in addition to Earhart, are Fred Provo of Washington and Jug Girard of Wisconsin. Lambeau said Tuesday night that he had no immediate plans to bring the squad up to the player limit of 35. Los Angeles will come to Green Bay Sunday seeking revenge for two defeats last year at the hands of a Packer team which has less ability than this year's squad. From their Sturgeon Bay headquarters, where they are preparing for Sunday's game, came word that the Rams may have Kenny Washington in their lineup. The former UCLA star did not face the Chicago Bears last week because of injuries.
LAMBEAU LEVIES 50 PERCENT PAY SLASH ON ALL PLAYERS
OCT 12 (Green Bay) - Green Bay Packer Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau today asked waivers on halfback Bruce Smith, former Minnesota All-American, and levied a 50 percent pay cut on the salaries of the remaining players for what he called their "spiritless performance against the Cardinals Sunday." Smith, in his fourth season here, said this noon he planned to retire from football. Lambeau said that examination of the game pictures at Rockwood lodge tonight may lead to restoration of some of the players' salaries if the film prove any individual player was in there trying. He emphasized that the "cut" is for the Chicago Cardinal game...TWO WINS, TWO LOSSES: The Packers, who now have a NFL record of two wins and two losses, were beaten by the Cards, 17-7. Their other loss was 45-7 to the Chicago Bears. Lambeau gave advance notice of his action Sunday night when he declared that "salary adjustment will be made until we begin to play the brand of ball we're capable of."
FINAL DECISION ON PACKER FINES DUE SUNDAY
OCT 13 (Green Bay) - Packer Coach Curly Lambeau made just one "statement" for the press this morning and then turned their attention to the Los Angeles Rams as members of the Green Bay squad took the practice field at Rockwood lodge. Referring to the 50 percent pay slash he levied on all members of the squad Tuesday, Lambeau said briefly: "I will make final judgment on the reduced salaries next Sunday night." He added: "That's all I have to say on the matter of the fines."...FINE LEVIED TUESDAY: The fine was levied on all players Tuesday for what he called "their spiritless performance against the Cardinals Sunday." He declared after the game Sunday night that "we have always had a reputation for spirit, but we haven't shown it once this season. One of the big reasons this situation exists is that the boys are getting good salaries and they're content. For that reason, there's to be a penalty for losing." Packer players received their checks for Sunday's game Tuesday, and in each case the usual amount was cut in half. In announcing the slash Tuesday, Lambeau said that showing of the films that night (last night) might lead to the restoration of some of the players' salaries. Lambeau made no reference to the films this morning except that (1) the films definitely showed "our spiritless performance" and (2) that "we actually drew ourselves 260 yards in penalties instead of the 140 the officials called on us." Also Tuesday, Lambeau placed Bruce Smith, former All-America halfback, on waivers. Smith said yesterday that he planned to retire from football, although the New York Giants were reportedly interested in picking him up...KEKERIS STORY FALSE: Reports that tackle Jim Kekeris was also placed on waivers were called "untrue" by Lambeau. Kekeris took part in the drills this morning. Also working for the first time on pass receiving were the two injured ends - Bob Skoglund and Jack Mead. Both suffered identical injuries in the non-league game with Washington Sept. 11. Skoglund may be ready for the Washington game in Milwaukee a week from next Sunday. Most noted change in the lineup today was the shift of Ralph Earhart, speedy right halfback, to the left halfback position. Earhart, Lambeau said, probably will work at both positions. The other right halfbacks are Bob Forte and Ed Smith. At left halfbacks, Earhart will work with Tony Canadeo, Jug Girard and Fred Provo. The Packers appeared quiet as they took the practice field this morning - apparently chagrined by the pay slash and publicity accorded them in Milwaukee newspapers this morning. After the usual calisthenics, backs Jack Jacobs, Canadeo and Girard punted to the rest of the backs. Several times Lambeau bellowed: "Come on, let's cut loose out there." One or two of the athletes were not running back hard enough after catching the ball, in Lambeau's opinion. The linemen were in another corner of the field under the supervision of Line Coach Walt Kiesling. Came time for the usual Wednesday scrimmage and the athletes lined up quietly, the defensive linemen adjusting their pads and listening to instructions from the coaches. Los Angeles defensive maneuvers were used. Once the scrimmage started, the mood of the entire squad seemed to change. The defensive linemen were barreling in, especially Don Wells on several occasions, and messing up the passing plays. Though the passing was off on several plays, a number of other aerial plays worked beautifully. In the pre-scrimmage passing drill, quarterback Irv Comp got off some good pitches as did some of the halfbacks during the rough stuff. A workout on defense was scheduled for this afternoon. Particular attention was placed on the Rams' terrific passing game, sparked by quarterback Bob Waterfield, the league's leading passer in 1946. Lambeau cautioned the Packers that the Rams scored three touchdowns within six minutes to gain a tie with the tough Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago, and it was Waterfield's passing that kept the Rams in the Bear game last Sunday. Regarding penalties in the Cardinal game, Lambeau stated that most of the offenses were for illegal uses of the hands, holding and, in one case, roughing the passer - all 15-yard setbacks. After the pictures Monday night, the offending players made a description of the penalty called on him. Lambeau explained that the penalty yardage is bad but "the loss of our game on the play is almost twice as bad." In one instance Sunday, a Packer punt was downed on the Cardinal four-yard line but it was recalled. "We lost not only the 15 yards but the distance of the punt," Lambeau said.
PACKER DRAFTEE HEATH PACES POWER-PACKER NEVADA PACK
OCT 13 (New York) - The University of Nevada Wolf Pack, unbeaten in three starts, today occupied the spotlight as the nation's top power-packed outfit. The Rocky Mountain crew, coached by Joe Sheeketski, a former Notre Dame great, rolled up 1,566 yards in its first three contests, for an average of 522 yards per game. Nevada also led in the forward passing offense tables, released by the NCAA bureau. The Pack, paced by its brilliant halfback, Stan Heath, totaled 798 yards in the air, averaging a flat 266 yards per game. Heath, drafted by the Green Bay Packers last winter, who ranks as the nation's top passer, has racked up 425 yards on 43 completions in 82 attempts.
LAMBEAU SAYS HE'LL REFUND FINES IF PACKERS CLICK AGAINST RAMS
OCT 13 (Green Bay) - Coach E.L. (Curly) Lambeau, who assessed a blanket fine of half of one game's salary against his Green Bay Packers yesterday, may give some of it back, he said today. Lambeau docked the entire team for its showing against the Chicago Cardinals in Milwaukee last Sunday. The Bays lost 17 to 7. In addition, he asked waivers on halfback Bruce Smith of Minnesota and rookie tackle Jim Kekeris. The veteran Green Bay coach said he would wait until after next Sunday's game here with the Los Angeles Rams to determine what players will receive the money which was withheld from this week's paychecks. Lambeau said yesterday the fines "will stick in all cases except possibly several who may be saved by a review of motion pictures of the game" with the Cardinals. Lambeau viewed the movies last night and decided, he said, to withhold his decision until after the Los Angeles contest at City stadium. The movies showed a lot of things," said Lambeau. "They showed that we were spiritless, and remember, we always had a reputation for spirit. The fact is, we haven't shown spirit once this year." Lambeau said yesterday that "one reason this situation exists is that the boys are getting good salaries and they're content. For that reason there's got to be a penalty for losing." The Packers engaged in a spirited scrimmage today. Ralph Earhart, speedy Texas back, was shifted to left half in place of Smith.
RAMS PREPARE FOR PACKERS
OCT 13 (Bailey's Harbor, WI) - The Los Angeles Rams, although a good distance from their sunny homeland, are making things pretty warm for the Green Bay Packers in this vacation spa. Of course the Packers don't know about it, at present their role being played by especially selected members of the Ram squad. Jacobs, Schlinkman, Craig and Co., are getting a good working over. It is all part of the Rams' preparations for Sunday's crucial clash with Curly Lambeau's Packers. And head coach Clark Shaughnessy, the master strategist to whom thoroughness is a leading virtue, isn't taking any chances of sending his club against the Packers unprepared. The Rams are getting practical experience, and plenty of it, on just what to expect from the Lambeau machine. Like the Packers, the Rams are attempting to get back on the victory trail after being tied by the Philadelphia Eagles and defeated by the Chicago Bears in their past two starts.
LAMBEAU HAS TOUGH JOB ON HIS HANDS
OCT 13 (Milwaukee Sentinel-Lloyd Larson) - Packer Coach Curly Lambeau has a tough situation - perhaps the toughest in history - on his hands this week as a result of the grumble-and-growl defeat by the Cardinals at Fair Park last Sunday. What makes it really delicate was the dramatic half-pay order. Outwardly the players took it in stride as they went about the business of getting ready for the Rams and beating they way back. Drills Tuesday and yesterday were on the spirited side. But if the fines finally stick, it will be a very unhappy family to say the least. The first break in the blanket fine edit came in Lambeau's original announcement. He indicated that the movie review might take some of the boys off the hook. Yesterday came another softener - the news that individual showings next Sunday will help determine final pay deductions, if any. All of which leads to the hope, on the part of the players, that bearing down hard will cause the boss to forgive and kick back. Maybe that's Curly's plan: Keep 'em on the hot seat and if they bounce back, return the fines. That could be the best possible springboard to better days. One thing the players don't want is to have only a few singled out as the beneficiaries of a "remit" order. As one of them explained: "It should be all or none. Nobody wants to be one of the chosen few." Sunday should tell the story.
PACKER FINES STICK, CURLY LAMBEAU SAYS
OCT 13 (Milwaukee Journal) - The half salary fines imposed on the entire Green Bay Packer squad after the disappointing showing against the Chicago Cardinals in Milwaukee last Sunday will stick, Coach Curly Lambeau announced Thursday morning. "The incident is over," Lambeau declared after looking at the pictures of the game for the fifth time Wednesday night. "The fines stick." Lambeau's declaration answered rumors around town Wednesday that he had rescinded most of the fines after seeing the pictures. The Packers, meanwhile, dug into their work with a will, and Tony Canadeo specifically spiked another rumor that he has left the squad. The Gonzaga halfback was one of the hardest working boys in the two drills that Lambeau held Wednesday.
RAMS GOT 21 POINTS ON BEARS; 'NUFF SAID!
OCT 14 (Green Bay) - The Los Angeles Rams, with their dipsy-do offense, are a scoring team. Clark Shaugnhessy's West Coasters, who are taking special note of Packer "fine" developments this week, proved their scoring ability in Chicago last Sunday when they drilled the Chicago Bears for 21 points. Until that time, no team has been able to post three touchdowns in NFL competition on the ferocious Bears. The Packers, who meet the Rams in City stadium Sunday afternoon, picked up only seven points on the Bears while the Chicago Cardinals managed to eke out 17. The Rams, playing without their brilliant halfback, Kenny Washington, counted 14 points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth before the Bears' largest home crowd. It was an unusual game, the Bears counted 21 quick markers in the second frame. Then, the two clubs battled evenly, each getting 21 in the last half. The Packers also remember what the Rams did with the Philadelphia Eagles who dumped the New York Giants last Sunday, 45-0. The Eagles had a 28-0 lead on the Rams in the last quarter when the LA's picked up one TD early in the frame and then cut loose with three more in the last six minutes to gain a well-earned tie. In the Rams' only other loop start, they slaughtered Detroit, 44-7, or scored 11 more points and permitted 14 less than the Packers in their tussle with the Lions. With Washington back in the lineup, the Rams are expected to operate their double formation with more force. That so-called dipsy-do is nothing more than a switch between the T-formation, the single wing and the winged-T, with quarterback Bob Waterfield playing anchorman. Also playing an important role will be two new arrivals - halfback Joe Corn and end Don Currivan. Corn is a 168-pound scatback imported from Hawaii and Currivan was acquired from the Boston Yanks. Currivan led the Eastern division in touchdown passes and yards gained receiving passes last year. At Maxwelton Braes in Bailey's Harbor, where the Rams are training, the general opinion seems to be that the Packers will be out for blood Sunday. They were referring, of course, to the mass fine slapped on the Packers by Coach Curly Lambeau for their performance in the Cardinal game in Milwaukee last Sunday. Lambeau said before practice Wednesday that he will make final judgment on the fines Sunday night. The Wednesday morning scrimmage was considered "spirited" through the passing attack was "off" during a brief pre-scrimmage throwing period...Ticket Manager Carl Mraz announced today that there are nearly 500 tickets left for the Packer-Ram game. They may be purchased at the Packer ticket office in the Legion building. The Packers will be making their last appearance at City stadium this season...NFL statistics proved today that the Chicago Bears are the class of the NFL. The Bears, only unbeaten team in the league, are setting a brisk pace offensively and defensively in statistics released by the NFL. Led by the three "L's" - Luckman, Lujack and Layne - the Bears have amassed the most touchdowns in the league, scored the most points, recorded the best percentage of pass completions and kicked the oval farther than any other team. Green Bay is in the front of ground gaining with 748 yards in four games. The Bears are second with 616 in three games while Pittsburgh, also with three games played, is third at 611. Green Bay has amassed the greatest total yardage - 1,188. Washington with 1,137, Los Angeles with 1,130 and the Bears with 1,060 are the only others over the 1,000 mark.
RAMS DISTURBED BY PACKER FINES
OCT 14 (Bailey's Harbor) - Coach Clark Shaughnessy of the Los Angeles Rams said here Thursday that "it looks like the Packers are really going to be after our skins Sunday." The general opinion in the Ram training camp was that the mass fines slapped on the Green Bay players would "put blood in their eyes". With this "comforting" thought in mind, the Rams stepped up their drills, concentrating mostly on offense.
RAMS ARRANGING DIRE DEEDS!
OCT 15 (Green Bay) - The Los Angeles Rams must be planning dire deeds at Maxwelton Braes in Bailey's Harbor. The place is wrapped in secrecy. Coach Clark Shaughnessy won't even allow the press and radio on the premises. Texas Schramm, Jr., LA publicity chief, Thursday afternoon invited representatives of Green Bay's three radio stations and the Press-Gazette to visit the Ram camp this morning. Before completing arrangements, Mr. Schramm telephoned the honorable Mr. Shaughnessy, who promptly said "no soap". Possibly, in this paragraph, Mr. Shaughnessy can be told that "that ain't Wisconsin hospitality and when you live in Wisconsin you do like the Wisconsins do." Anyhow, it must be pointed out that the Packer Coach Curly Lambeau has never barred the press and radio - here or in Los Angeles. In fact, the LA scribes traveling with the Rams are welcome at Rockwood lodge. Two weeks ago the Detroit Lions held a Saturday morning workout back of East High. Lion coaches kept out "unidentified" stranger, but the press and radio boys were permitted to remain. Also, for the record, the Rams will meet the Packers at City stadium Sunday afternoon...Though Rockwood lodge is open to the press and radio, we can't honestly say that there is much "new" news from there. The Pack went through a three-hour, double-duty drill Thursday morning. The early part was devoted to offense, and, after a 10 minute break, the boys returned to the field to work on defense. This represented a change from the usual procedure which had the offensive drill in the morning and the defensive in the afternoon. Perry Moss and Irv Comp played the part of LA quarterback Bob Waterfield in the defensive practice. The Packer squad should be in good condition for Sunday's encounter. Even the two injured ends, Bob Skoglund and Jack Mead, took part in pass receiving. They suffered identical knee injuries Sept. 11. Center Jay Rhodemyre is expected to play Sunday, his fractured thumb having healed sufficiently...The story from Bailey's Harbor (we ain't supposed to know this) is that halfbacks Fred Gehrke and Jack Banta will be ready to go Sunday. Both missed the Bear game last week with injuries. The status of Kenny Washington, brilliant Negro halfback, isn't quite clear. 'Tis heard that he may play but that fact will not be established until shortly before kickoff time. Their aerial game is admittedly more effective with the addition of Don Currivan, former Boston Yank end who ranked high among receivers in the Eastern division last year. A more interesting comment would concern the reason Currivan left Boston, but the rangy end is due to play an important role on the other end of Waterfield pitches. The Rams have one of the most promising rookie pass catchers in the circuit in Tom Fears, ex-UCLA star. He ranks second in the league with 12 receptions for 188 yards thus far. He caught one for a touchdown in the Detroit game. John Zilly paces the squad on TD catches with three - two in the Philadelphia game and one against the Bears last Sunday.
OH NUTS - THAT'S CARDS' REACTION
OCT 15 (New York) - The champion Chicago
Cardinals of the NFL climbed indignantly upon a soapbox Friday and boomed, "What's eating the Green Bay Packers anyway?" The Cardinals were miffed because Coach Curly Lambeau fined the entire Packer squad for its defeat by the Cards last week. Cardinal publicist Eddie McGuire inquired: "Is Lambeau saying that the Cards are bums and that anybody that can't beat them doesn't belong in the league? Or is there another reason for this drastic measure? The Packers weren't fined for losing to the Bears when the Bears scored more than 40 points. They weren't fined for winning by only five points over the Detroit Lions (the league's cellar club) but they were fined for losing, 17-7, to the Cardinals, the defending champions, and a team which had previously defeated them three times in a row and now have extended it to four straight. And the Packers are fined because they didn't beat the Cards. Oh nuts."
PACKERS, RAMS CLASH AT CITY STADIUM ON SUNDAY
OCT 16 (Green Bay) - The Los Angeles Ram and Green Bay Packers collide at City stadium Sunday afternoon in what looms as the top "battle royal" of the NFL's 1948 season. A sellout crowd of 25,000 fans - the Packers' sixth consecutive stadium gathering - will witness the Rams' first appearance here as a representative of the west coast and the Packers' last presentation here this season. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 o'clock. Smarting under their 17-7 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Cardinals in Milwaukee last Sunday and subsequent "fine" events, the Packers will be seeking their sixth victory in eight starts this season. This includes an even break in four loop starts and a sweep of their three-game non-circuit excursion. The Rams, only team to score three touchdowns on the powerful Chicago Bears in the 1948 league competition, will present one of the screwiest offensive setups in major league football. Making their debut under Coach Clark Shaughnessy who took over the club upon the dismissal of Bob Snyder early in the season, the Rams work the orthodox T-formation, an unorthodox T with a shift, and the single wing. Bob Waterfield, the brilliant passer and field general, is the key figure in the Ram scoring works...SHENANIGANS DUE TO EXPLODE: Shaughnessy's shenanigans are due to explode with more force than ever before Sunday for the simple reason that his men have been working on them for three weeks. A sudden shift in tactics brought the Rams three TD's in the last six minutes for a tie with Philadelphia, while the mixture produced three TD's against the Bears. With Waterfield back in his 1946 form, the Rams are expected to pass 60 percent of the game. Noted receivers are Tom Fears, rookie end from UCLA; Bob Zilley, end from Notre Dame; Don Currivan, recently acquired from Boston; and most of the backs. The Ram backfield has been strengthened considerably by the return of halfbacks Jack Banta and Fred Gehrke, both of whom missed the Bear game. Kenny Washington, ace Negro ball carrier, is expected to play some though he is reportedly injured. The big crowd will be watching the Packers closely. The performance against the Cardinals before over 34,369 fans resulted in Packer Coach Curly Lambeau docking the players one-half of their pay for that game. He will make final judgment on his decision Sunday night...FRITSCH INJURES LEG: What the Packers show on offense Sunday, of course, is a deep, dark secret. Ralph Earhart, the rookie right halfback, may do a bit of running from left halfback and it may be interesting to see what he does on slants through the line. Earhart was shifted to left half when waivers were put on Bruce Smith earlier in the week. The bulk of the left half duties, however, will probably fall on Tony Canadeo, the veteran who gained 121 yards in his last appearance at City stadium. The Packer backfield was weakened Friday when fullback Ted Fritsch came up with a leg injury, although Walt Schlinkman had been doing most of the running at fullback. Fritsch, who has kicked three field goals in league play, had a terrific day against the Rams in Los Angeles last year. Jack Jacobs and Irv Comp likely will share the quarterback and passing duties. The Packer line is in good physical condition but much will depend on two key figures - guard Ed Neal and Don Wells, crashing right end. Wells had a tough time in Milwaukee Sunday but he looked sharp in practice this week. Neal had the pressure of blocking a Waterfield punt in Milwaukee last fall. The Rams, who trained at Maxwelton Braes in Bailey's Harbor this week, will bus down from there Saturday evening and headquarter at the Northland hotel.
PACKERS ON TRIAL BEFORE RAMS
OCT 16 (Green Bay) - A jury of some 25,000 Wisconsin football fans will be called upon tomorrow to make a decision involving one of the strangest trials in the history of professional sports - whether a player under contract is entitled to college the full amount of pay for a game played last Sunday and possibly tomorrow. The judge in this case will be E.L. (Curly) Lambeau, coach of the Packers. The decision on the amount of pay a player can college from his labors may hinge on the result of the NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams in City Stadium. After last Sunday's game in Milwaukee between the Chicago Cardinals and the Packers, which was won by Chicago, 17-7, Lambeau assessed a blanket fine on the Green Bay club of one-half of one game's salary. Then the coach said he would wait until tomorrow's game to decide whether some of the players would receive the full amount of pay for last Sunday's game. Before the season started the Packers were regarded as one of the top teams in the league. They defeated the New York Giants, 7 to 0; the Pittsburgh Steelers, 9 to 7, and then routed the Washington Redskins, 43 to 0, in exhibition games. The Packers opened league play with a 31 to 0 victory over the Boston Yanks, and then came one of the most startling upsets in the long series between the Packers and the Bears - a 45 to 7 rout of Green Bay. The Packers recovered from that setback by whipping Detroit, 33 to 21, but sank into a tie for third place in the western division with that 17 to 7 defeat a week ago.
BAY IN 'REDEMPTION' TILT WITH RAMS TODAY
OCT 16 (Green Bay) - Twenty-five thousand fans, the sixth capacity gathering in a row in Green Bay's snug little City stadium, will conduct a searching investigation tomorrow into that intriguing problem - the Packers. Opposition for the occasion will be the Los Angeles Rams, who are about ready to break out with the full impact of Clark Shaughnessy's magic after having gone through the experience of a coaching change three weeks ago. Between a resurgence of Ram power and passing and the
Packers' reaction to a spot of unpleasantness that started with last week's defeat by the Cardinals, the 25,000 fans are set for what most of them predict will be "the doggonest football game of the year". No word or indication has come from Rockwood Lodge that might possibly be accepted as an index on Packer reactions to the week's events, particularly the half game salary fine imposed on the entire squad. While Shaughnessy has been putting the finishing touches on his club this week at an exclusive country club up in Door County, 60 miles from Green Bay, the Packers have labored hard and long at analyzing themselves and their play. Penalties have come in for a great deal of attention. In four games, Green Bay has been penalized 41 times for 438 yards, an average of ten penalties and 110 yards a game. Green Bay's chief problem, as always against the Rams, will be Bob Waterfield, the off and on again passing sensation, who appears to have started off on one of his spectacular streaks.
RAMS BUMP INTO PACKERS
OCT 16 (Los Angeles Times) - The Green Bay "morning glories", who started the season like Citation only to pull up lame against the Bears and Cards, fully expect to bloom again tomorrow. If they do, it'll be just too bad for the party of the second part, the Los Angeles Rams...CAPACITY CROWD: A capacity crowd of 25,000 will sit in on the anticipated kill. Coach Curly Lambeau pulled a very clever psychological trick this week to stir his disappointing Packers from their lethargy. After their 17-7 defeat by the Cards, the Packers were fined half a week's salary apiece. Lambeau berated them in the press, accusing them of lying down. When they reached the boiling point, Curly cutely intimated that they might get their dough back if they happened to win Sunday...BREATHING BRIMSTONE: So the Packers will be breathing brimstone from either nostril on the morrow. To counteract this ferocity, Clark Shaughnessy should threaten to deprive his Rams of their weekly ration of bubble gum if they blow the Duke, and make 'em walk home. The piece de resistance figures to be a passing contest between Indian Jack Jacobs and Bob Waterfield, who rarely has had a bad day against the Packers. Green Bay's running attack is built around Tony Canadeo and Ralph Earhart, two fine halfbacks, and the burly brace of fullbacks, Walt Schlinkman and Ted Fritsch...DOUBTFUL STARTER: Kenny Washington yet is a doubtful starter for the Rams, but the rest of the ensemble is bursting with energy.
TODAY IS D-DAY FOR THE PACKERS
OCT 17 (Milwaukee Sentinel-Lloyd Larson) - This is D-Day for the Packers (D for Do), No. 1: They'll have to do an about-face and do some real honest-to-goodness playing against the Los Angeles Rams if they hope to get back in the good graces of the fans who saw them stumble to decisive defeat in two of their last three games. No. 2: They'll have to some winning or else - meaning that defeat will cause that last faint championship flicker to be snuffed out seven long weeks before the end of the season. It's a big job, judging by the way the Rams have improved since Clark Shaughnessy, the coaching man in motion, stepped out of the "advisory" role to pick up the pieces after Bob Snyder was given the gate. Shaughnessy isn't blessed with any new talent of consequence. But he is getting a lot out of numerous veterans who got way to a stuttering start. They caught fire for the first time when they came back to tie the Philadelphia Eagles after trailing 28-0. Last week they gave the Bears a better argument than the final 42-21 score showed. The return to form of Bob Waterfield, a big help to the Rams, won't make it any easier for the Packers. He slumped badly last year, but this season he's the Waterfield of 1946, Which mean the Lambeaumen will defend against one of the sharpest passers in the business, a great kicker and an expert T-formation director. The heat's on. Win or lose, the Packers must look like a ball club.
