However, Joe’s remarks this week about his lack of good players – not to mention the rescinded fines, won’t sit so hot in the player psychology department. It could backfire! The Cards play the Bears Sunday. Buddy Parker might run into trouble if the Detroit Lions lose to the Giants Sunday and drop a playoff to San Francisco. The Lions haven’t been world beaters this year and stories of dissension on the club weren’t all corn. The Lions are a terrific team but some of the stars are still living on the 1952 gravy. With the bacon in sight again, however, the Lions could jell overnight and make it easier for Buddy next year. Owner George Halas of the Bears isn’t expected to fire himself – or resign, as they put it these days. However, Halas might “realign” his staff for ’54. It’s a known fact that all is not peaches and creams among the coaching aides. George was about ready to be ties a couple of times this season, and for various games appointed this or that aide to take charge of this or that game. Halas won’t continue with that hit-and-miss setup. Fixtures, of course, are Paul Brown at Cleveland, Curly Lambeau at Washington, Jim Trimble at Philadelphia and Buck Shaw at San Francisco…TWO PIONEERS LEFT: The resignation of Owen left Lambeau and Halas as the league’s only remaining active pioneer coaches. Steve came on as Giants’ head coach in 1931 after years of playing with the Giants, while Lambeau and Halas are both charter mentors, starting Green Bay and the Bears, respectively, in league competition in 1921 after a couple of years of non-league play. Lambeau, Halas and Owen all have experienced rocky times. Halas’ Bears have been on the skids for two seasons, but Lambeau is this year making a comeback (6-4-1) after experiencing trouble in Green Bay from 1948 (3-9) through 1949 (2-10), with the Cardinals in 1950 (5-7) and 1951 (3-9), and in his first year with Washington, 1952 (4-8). Owen’s decision to retire marked a rather tragic end to his career. Big, likeable Steve always had a reputation for his rugged defenses. Yet, his Giants suffered two of the most lopsided defeats in pro history in the last two years – 63 to 7 at the hands of Pittsburgh in ’52 and 62-14 to Cleveland just last Sunday. Maybe the Giants can give Steve a going-upstairs gift Sunday – a victory over the world champion Detroit Lions. It would be a wonderful tribute to a wonderful guy!

REAL PACKER FANS!

DEC 11 (Green Bay) – “You are real Packer fans and deserve congratulations,” Chief Quarterback Jerry Atkinson told 50-odd quarterbacks who attended Thursday night’s meeting of the Men’s Quarterback Club at Washington Junior High School. Since pictures of the Packers’ game against Detroit and San Francisco were not available, the quarterbacks were shown two “earlier” Packer games – the 31 to 21 victory over the Bears here in ’45 and a 24 to 0 loss to the New York Giants in 1944. The Packers beat the Giants 14-7 in the championship game that year. Former Packer halfback Joe Laws, who appeared in both games, narrated the pictures, referring to himself as “the old man.”

RAMS SEEK 10TH STRAIGHT OVER PACKERS

DEC 11 (Los Angeles) - Hamp Pool's Rams will be shooting for their 10th straight win since '48 over Green Bay tomorrow - and they're gonna let the Packer have it with both barrels if possible. "I know this sounds like a football coach talking," said Pool, the football coach, "but Green Bay is in a lovely spot to knock us off. The Packers probably figure we'll be 'down' since dropping out of contention. If Green Bay plays the kind of football it did in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, we'll have all we can handle."...BURNING MIDNIGHT OIL: It goes without saying that Pool and his staff are taking the game seriously, although it will have no bearing on the NFL race. The coaches were still at work when I called Pool on the phone at Ram headquarters Wednesday near midnight. Green Bay has a lot of good football players but the club just didn't seem to jell this year after most of the experts had tabbed it as the darkhorse entry. The quarterbacks, Babe Parilli and Tobin Rote, placed and showed behind Dutch Van Brocklin in the 1952 aerial sweepstakes. For some inexplainable reason, they now rank 13th and 14th in the league...BEST WINGMAN: Bill Howton was far and away the NFL's best offensive end last season. He missed the first four league games this year because of injuries. Bill and the speedy Bob Mann present a dangerous threat to the leaky L.A. defense. Fullback Fred Cone is an underrated player. He's the league's fifth-ranking scorer, with 69 points. The Clemson grad has scored six touchdowns, kicked four field goals and added 21 extra points. At least three Packer defensive men would be standouts on any man's ball club: end Johnny Martinkovic, linebacker Clayton Tonnemaker and tackle Dave Hanner...FORMER RAMS: Three former Rams are with the club: Trapper Dave Stephenson, center; fullback Howard Ferguson and halfback Marv Johnson. The latter is out with a shoulder injury. Also missing will the Packer captain, Bob Forte, who flew to New Orleans yesterday to be with his ailing father. In baseball, the last game of the season between noncontenders generally turns into a hippodrome with everybody clowning it up with pitchers catching and catchers pitching, etc. I asked Pool if he was gonna let Don Paul play quarterback tomorrow and he turned purple. "We're going to play this one for all it's worth," he snapped. "We've already lost our share." Ram fans will get another long look at the two rookies, linebacker Bob Griffin and end Gene Lipscomb, who wowed 'em last week. Both will start on defense.

PACKERS' FINALE AGAINST RAMS ON TV

DEC 11 (Los Angeles) - The Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams wind up their 1953 NFL campaign in a Saturday afternoon battle at Memorial Coliseum. The Rams are solid favorites to hand the Packers their ninth setback of the regular season and do it before some 25,000 witnesses and a national television audience. The contest is set to start at 4 p.m. (Milwaukee time) and will be televised over WTMJ-TV. The Rams, their title hopes blasted by a total of eight points scored by the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears in three games, apparently have retained their local popularity. They will have performed before more than 500,000 fans in nine home games. Green Bay became an early victim of injuries, but the club can always be expected to give any rival, including the Rams, a busy afternoon. Leading the Packer attack will be a backfield composed of Babe Parilli, Floyd Reid, Al Carmichael and Fred Cone. The Rams will lead off with Norm Van Brocklin, Skeet Quinlan, V.T. Smith, and "Deacon Dan" Towler. Local patrons will be watching the efforts of Carmichael and the Rams' alternate quarterback, Rudy Bukich. There were the touchdown combination for Southern California which doomed Wisconsin, 7-0, in the Rose Bowl game last New Year's Day. The Rams have 12-3 edge in the series with the Packers. Los Angeles won the first meeting this season at Milwaukee, 38-20.

RAMS CLOSE OUT IN TIFF WITH PACKERS

DEC 12 (Los Angeles) - It's all out, end of the line for the Rams today...and for the Green Bay Packers, too. The Los Angeles pros close out their 20-game schedule as they go gunning for their 10th consecutive win over the Packers. Kickoff time is 2 o'clock and the anticipated "small but enthusiastic gathering" will rattle around the Coliseum like a dice in a rain barrel...OUTSIDE CHANCE: It would be a nice gesture for rabid Ram rooters to give their heroes a resounding sendoff today. They finally missed the boat after four successive seasons in titular contention, but their overall '52 record of 13-5-1 for 19 games is by no means disgraceful. Hamp Pool's third-place team still is in there punching for league honors in total offense, rushing and scoring. Dan Towler and Crazy Legs Hirsch yet have an outside chance to win their specialties. But none of these things will be settled until after all returns are in tomorrow...STRONG OFFENSE: It should be a spirited contest, being a "salary" game. Even the goldbrickers put out on the final round, hoping for a tilt in salary come spring. Pool already has said that extensive revamping of the personnel is necessary for '54, particularly in his platoon on defense. Trades and "retirements" announcements can be expected after the NFL meeting next month. "We lead the league in scoring with a 30-point average, but we can't win unless we stop the other fellow," Pool pointed out. "Our offense will take care of itself" The aforesaid defense should pump up its average today; Green Bay has only two wins over Baltimore and a tie with the Bears to show for 11 games. Green Bay's exiled coach, Gene Ronzani, will be in the press box this afternoon enjoying an enforced vacation while his former aides, Ray (Scooter) McLean and Hugh Devore, handle the club. Incidentally, the Packers' stockholders, all 1,700, have appointed a screening committee to choose Ronzani's successor. The unlucky fellow will be named after the season ends but before the drafting conclave...STARTS REGULARS: Pool will pull no punches today although the Rams breezed to a 38-20 win over the Packers in Milwaukee. He will start his No. 1 backfield of Norm Van Brocklin, Skeet Quinlan, Vitamin Smith and Towler, along with Tom Fears and Hirsch at the ends. Rookies Gene Lipscomb and Bob Griffin, who caught the fancy of the Baltimore game's gathering last week, are listed as defensive starters...SPLIT-T ATTACK: Either Babe Parilli or Tobin Rote will lead Green Bay's split-T attack. Floyd Reid and SC's Al Carmichael are the starting halfbacks with versatile Fred Cone at full. Other artists of note in the Packer cast include Bill Howton, Bob Mann, J.R. Boone, Val Joe Walker, Gib Dawson and Clayton Tonnemaker.

CRIPPLED PACKERS FACE RAMS IN FINALE AT LA

DEC 12 (Los Angeles) - The Green Bay Packers, who are crippled defensively almost beyond recognition, face the Los Angeles Rams in Memorial Coliseum here this afternoon in the 1953 NFL finale for both clubs. Kickoff is set for 4 o'clock, Green Bay time, and a crowd of around 25,000 is expected. The game will be televised nationally. The Packers will be trying to post that elusive third victory while the Rams will be going for win No. 8. The Bays experienced seven losses and managed a tie with the Chicago Bears. The Rams lost three and tied the Chicago Cardinals. Los Angeles enters today's game a goof 14-point favorite. Hampton Pool's club downed the Packers 38 to 20 in Milwaukee earlier. Packer Co-Coaches Hugh Devore and Ray McLean said that the Bays are in "fine mental condition but the physical condition is terrible." The Packers will try to combat the strong Los Angeles air game with only two defensive outfielders - Ace Loomis and Bennie Aldridge. Val Joe Walker was limping in practice Friday and will be at half-speed today. Marv Johnson re-dislocated his shoulder last Sunday and is out. In the Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit, Bobby Dillon was lost for the season by injuries. Devore and McLean said that end Clive Rush and offensive halfbacks Don Barton and Gib Dawson will be pressed into defensive service. Also on defense, the Packers will play without Capt. Bob Forte, who left the squad Wednesday to be with his critically ill father in Louisiana. This means that defensive end Roger Zatkoff will have to move into Forte's linebacking position. Because of the shortage of outfielders, the co-coaches may have to go with three linebackers - Zatkoff, Deral Teteak and Clayton Tonnemaker, thus reducing their chances against the Rams' air machine. The Bays, with Zatkoff going as a LB'er, will be down to two ends on defense, one of whom, Carleton Elliott, plays mostly on offense. The other is all-pro John Martinkovic. The injuries offensively aren't quite as serious, but there are some. Both fullbacks are ailing. Howie Ferguson has chest injuries and probably won't play at al while Fred Cone has been limping...ROTE MAY START: Veteran Tobin Rote may get the starting call over Babe Parilli at quarterback. Floyd Reid, the league's top ground gainer, will be at left half. Al Carmichael at right and Cone at fullback. If Cone is slowed down too much by injuries, Reid may shift to fullback. Limited to two touchdowns or less in their last three games, the Packers face the necessity of scoring at least four TDs this afternoon - in view of the club's weakened defense. Expected to see considerable action are Barton and Dawson. Barton caught a touchdown pass from Parilli last Sunday and was open on a couple of other occasions. Dawson, hampered by pulled muscles most of the season, is in good condition and anxious to run. The Rams haven't changed since Milwaukee. Van Brocklin is expected to throw most of the day to Elroy Hirsch, Tom Fears and Bob Boyd - their ace pass catchers, and to hand off to big Dan Towler on rushing plays. The Packers will leave here by train at 10 o'clock tonight and scatter to their homes in all parts of the country. Those returning to Green Bay, including Devore and McLean, are due to arrive here on the North Western at 8:20 Monday night.

REICHARDT ON ALL-AAF '11'

DEC 12 (Washington) - Bill Reichardt of Bolling Air Force base, who formerly starred at the University of