Football History

Born April 9, 1898, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Curly Lambeau. Lambeau, along with his friend and fellow Green Bay, Wisconsin native George Whitney Calhoun, founded the Green Bay Packers in 1919, serving as team captain in the team's first year before becoming player-coach in 1920.

Curly was the star player of the Packers in the 1920s, as Curly was the team's primary runner and passer, accounting for 35 touchdowns in 77 games. He won his only NFL championship as a player in 1929.

As a coach from 1920 through the 1949 season, he was rivaled by only George Halas in wins and longevity ( and later Bill Belichick.) Lambeau also coached eight players who went on to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

August 11, 1919, is a crucial date in the history of the Green Bay Packers franchise. It set the stage and got things moving to organize the Gridiron Club.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons is a cropped version of Curly Lambeau posing to throw a pass in 1919.

During the first of what would be two meetings in the editorial rooms of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, preliminary plans to organize a professional football team were laid. Essentially, the Green Bay Packers were partially founded by Earl "Curly" Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. Ironically, the two had been high school rivals a few seasons earlier, but now, they are banded together for a higher cause.

To fund the project, Lambeau received $500 from his employer, the Indian Packing Company, on the condition that the team be named after their sponsor. The Packers have played in their original city longer than any other NFL team and are the only small market team community-owned in the U.S. that remains from the league's early beginnings. The Packers have won 13 league championships and 4 Super Bowls, the most Titles in NFL history per Yahoo.com. The group planned the second meeting just three days later at the Press-Gazette. At the August 14 organizational conference, over two dozen players were in attendance. Curly Lambeau was elected team captain, and George Whitney Calhoun was named manager.

For more on the Green Bay Packers and their players and origin story, visit our Packers Pages.

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The 1938 season marked a pinnacle in the New York Giants' history. Under the guidance of coach Steve Owen, the team clinched the NFL Eastern Division title and ultimately captured the NFL Championship, solidifying their status as a dominant force in professional football.

The Giants' regular season was marked by a balanced attack strategy, a testament to their versatility and adaptability. With a record of 8-2-1, they demonstrated their prowess on both sides of the ball. Their defense was a formidable obstacle for opponents, allowing the fewest points in the league. On offense, the team's balanced attack effectively moved the ball down the field and capitalized on scoring opportunities.

-The 1938 Season in NFL Eastern Division

The New York football club needed clear sailing through the season to represent the Eastern Division in the League finals. The Washington Redskins were the front runners of the East teams going into the pivotal games of week 10 of the '38 season. In their way were the defending NFL Champions, the Washington Redskins.

Washington lost to the Chicago Bears 31-7 in week 10, which allowed the Giants to take over the top spot as N.Y. blanked the Cleveland Rams 28-0. Less than a month later, the stage was set for the December 4 game at the Polo Grounds, where the G-Men would host their foes from the Nation's Capitol. This was, in essence, a game for the Eastern Title as the Giants sat at 7–2–1, and the Redskins were perched with a 6-2-2 record going into the contest. It was a win-and-in scenario for Washington, while the Giants could move on with a win or a tie. The game was a rematch from the 1937 season, which Washington won handily 49-14, propelling them to the NFL Championship game victory over the Bears 28-21.

On December 4, 1938, the largest NFL crowd of the season gathered at the Polo Grounds: 57,461 screaming fans, mainly from the Big Apple, witnessed the action.

The Skins were a talented bunch led by star Quarterback Slingin' Sammy Baugh, End Bob McChesney, Fullback Andy Farkas, and fellow fieldmates Ernie Pinkert, Max Krause, and Jay Turner.

The Giants countered with a star-studded roster featuring Quarterback Ed Danowski, backs Tuffy Leemans, Bull Karcis, Ward Cuff, Center Mel Hein, and End Jim Lee Howell.

Much of the stat line for the game was misleading, as Washington outgained New York 207 to 160 in total offensive yards, and the visitors tallied 13 first downs to the Giants 6 times of reaching the line to gain. This is very misleading, as all the other numbers in the game heavily leaned towards the home team.

The Giants' defense was outstanding, forcing seven D.C. fumbles that helped propel Big Blue to a 36-0 route. Four of the five New York TDs were set up on Redskin miscues. The scoring was led by Chuck Gelatka, who caught a Leeman's pass for a score and also took Baugh's interception to the house. Cuff completed a Pick-Six of his own, measuring 96 yards, and added more points off his toe in the kicking game.

-The 1938 Season NFL Championship Game

The Giants' successful season climaxed in the championship game against the Green Bay Packers, held on December 11 at the Polo Grounds. Over 48,000 spectators entered the New York City venue gates to root their teams on. The game was a thrilling contest that showcased both teams' talent and determination.

The Packers had won the Western Division with an 8-4 record, outlasting the challenges of the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears, who were nipping at their heels much of the season. A couple of weeks earlier, a dramatic win by the Pack over the Lions 28-7 and a regular season-ending Eagles victory over Detroit sealed the Green Bay appearance in the Title game.

Under Head Coach Curly Lambeau, Green Bay featured quarterback Arnie Herber and his favorite target, Don Hutson. Other formidable gridiron legends, such as Cecil Isbell, Ed Jankowski, Andy Uram, and Clark Hinkle, were also on the Wisconsin team's roster.

On game day, just before the coin toss, Giant star Mel Hein was presented with a watch by NFL President Joe Carr. This watch signified him as the League's Most Outstanding Player for the season, as he was at the top of the News Pro All-America voting. This award matches the modern NFL Player of the Year honors.

The fans were in for a treat as the game lived up to the hype in one of the season's most exciting NFL contests. Staying true to form, the Giants took advantage of their opponent using opportunities made on defense, and maybe more accurately stated, special teams, and jumped out a nine-point lead in the first quarter on a Ward Cuff field goal set up after New York's Jim Lee Howell blocked a Packer punt the Giants recovered at the Green Bay seven. Three straight rushes were stymied by the Packers short-yardage defense, which set up Cuff's three-pointer.

A bit later, a second Cecil Isbell punt was blocked, this time by Jim Poole, with Howell diving on the ball at the Green Back 26. After a short pass gained ground, the Packers D was loosened up for the Tuffy Leemans show to commence. Leemans was handed the leather on multiple plays until he finally twisted and turned through a reported four would-be Packers tacklers for the Giant's first TD. John Gildea's extra point try missed the mark, but the first quarter ended with the Giants up 9-0.

The second stanza featured a flurry of points between the two teams. Green Bay got on the board when Arnie Herber scrambled and launched a 49-yard strike to Carl Mulleneaux, who stepped under the goal post and over the goal line to cut the New York lead to two.

The momentum was with the Packers, who held the Giants on the next series and got the ball back, moving it to midfield before they fumbled, and New York's future Hall of Famer Mel Hein came out of the pile with the pigskin. The Giants scored a TD of their own six plays later with a short pass from Danowski to Hap Barnard.

Coach Lambeau would later comment that the officials made a bad call on the pass play and claim that moving pictures would show Barnum losing control of the ball and flying out of bounds, making it not a catch but an incomplete pass, which would have nullified the score.

Isbell helped the Packers get back into the game just before the half, leading a drive with his legs and arms that culminated when Paul Miller plunged over the goal line behind the block of his right guard to make the score 16-14 Giants at the intermission.

-It Was a Crazy Half Time Session

Usually, Coach Lambeau would make some adjustments and possibly give a rousing speech in the locker room at the half, but this particular game, the legendary sideline chief was eerily absent.

The halftime session was filled with drama as Curly Lambeau needed clarification from the officials as they were walking off the field and in not following the rest of the team to the Polo Grounds Visitors locker room, Lambeau made a wrong turn and, by some bizarre circumstance, found himself outside of the stadium! When he tried to return, the gatekeepers did not recognize him and would not believe his story to let him reenter.

Eventually, the commotion of Lambeau's pleas was heard by sportswriters who confirmed his identity, and Ole Curly was allowed entrance just in time to go back to the field with the team. The team showed no effects from not having their field boss in the locker room.

-Thrilling Second Half

The second half started with excitement when Green Bay's Joe Law returned the kick-off to the Packers's 31, and a combination of long runs by Clark Hinkle and Bob Monnett moved the drive to the New York fourteen before a fourth and less than a half yard brought on a field goal try. The boot by Paul Engebretsen was true, and the visitors went up by one on the scoreboard. This lead would only be for three minutes.

New York took the ball after the kick and went on a long drive that ended with Giants back Hank Soar snatching an errant pass off Hinkle's fingertips and then tiptoeing across the goal line stripe to put Big Blue up 23-17.

The game had a controversial fourth-quarter play that Lambeau would later point to when an apparent long pass play from Herber to Gantenbein, which would have moved the sticks, was called back by officials who stated that the receiver was ineligible. The Giant's defense held on to the next play and gave New York the ball back. Their drive was stalled, and Green Bay would get the ball back with little time left.

The Packers were not done yet, though. In the last eleven seconds of regulation, the Green Bay offense moved forty yards.

Ultimately, the Giants emerged victorious with a score of 23-17, securing their place in NFL history as champions.  

The 1938 New York Giants were a team defined by their grit, skill, and, most importantly, their unwavering commitment to excellence and opportunistic defensive and special team play. This dedication and determination were critical factors in their championship triumph, a cherished chapter in the franchise's storied legacy.