Football History

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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.

Huddle up, football faithful! Step back in time with us to 1939, a year etched in gridiron lore. It was a season where leather meets cleats, legends rise, and records fall. Imagine, if you will, a landscape dotted with iconic stadiums, their stands crackling with anticipation. The air vibrates with the roar of the crowd, punctuated by the thwack of the pigskin and the bone-jarring crunch of tackles. This, my friends, is the story of the 1939 NFL season, a tale woven with triumph, heartbreak, and the unyielding spirit of the game we love.

Green Bay's Dynasty Reaches Its Zenith:
Led by the indomitable trio of Arnie Herber, Cecil Isbell, and Don Hutson, the Green Bay Packers were a juggernaut. Their innovative passing attack, a marvel of the time, left defenses bewildered and fans awestruck. This year, they aimed for an unprecedented feat: a third consecutive NFL Championship, a feat unmatched in league history.

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The 1936 NFL season is a pivotal chapter in the league's burgeoning history, a year that solidified the sport's growing popularity and showcased a fascinating clash of styles. It was a time when the league was still finding its footing, characterized by regional rivalries, evolving offensive strategies, and the emergence of legendary figures.

The season witnessed a hard-fought battle for supremacy, with teams vying for the coveted championship title against economic hardship and social change.

-Changes in the NFL for 1936

The 1936 NFL season was the 17th regular season of the National Football League and it is filled with interesting items that helped shape the modern game. Possibly the most significant takeaway of the year was the stability shown in the League. For the first time, since its inception in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, there were no teams that folded that played the previous season. Likewise there was no further growth of the organization either, as no new franchises came onboard.

A second advent in 1936 NFL football was that all teams played the same number of scheduled games for the first time (12). League President Joe Carr saw his nine-team league have a bit of competition from a rival pro football organization, a group that called itself the American Football League.

-A 1936 Competitor to the NFL Emerges in Pro Football

The American Football League 2.0 was a short-lived but exciting attempt at a rival pro football institution. Many of the franchises of the AFL robbed the rosters of the NFL teams they shared cities with. That is except for Booston who refused to take any players from the NFL Boston Redskins franchise. (We will see in a bit how this may have benefitted the Redskins)

This AFL was the second of three instances an alternate League by that name would compete with the NFL, the first being the one organized by Red Grange land C.C. Pyle back in 1926. This second-generation AFL would feature an six-team league organized by former New York Giants personnel director Dr. Harry March. The popularity of the rival League was evident when fifteen cities launched applications to join the AFL. After careful consideration and viability items were addressed, March and a few others selected the six best choices to help the new League. Dr. March spearheaded the effort to have it be a league with the players' input in decision-making. March served as the president of the fledgling association until his resignation in October and his replacement by New York Yankees Football franchise owner James Bush.

The teams in this edition of the American Football League were:

-Boston Shamrocks - The eventual AFL Champions.

-New York Yankees - The second time a pro football franchise used this iconic MLB name in an organization called the AFL.

-Cleveland Rams - The inaugural season of the current LA Rams franchise in pro football

-Brooklyn Tigers

-Pittsburgh Americans

-Syracuse Braves

The AFL had attendance issues with five of its teams. New York, Cleveland, and Boston had substantial numbers at the box office, but their revenue needed more to carry the load of the entire League. The AFL was looking for some additional viable franchises after it first season.

-1936 NFL Season and Title Game

The National Football League, despite the competition, kept rolling along. The NFL's nine teams comprised the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Pirates, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cardinals, Boston Redskins, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Detroit Lions.

Philadelphia Owner Bert Bell's suggestion of holding a League-wide Draft came to fruition that year with the Eagles picking former University of Chicago Maroons star Jay Berwanger. Though Berwanger never played a snap in the League, the process of teams with the worst records the previous season set the standard for parity in not only the NFL and pro football but for professional sports across the globe.

Green Bay ran away with the NFL's Western Division by outclassing the competition with a stellar record of 10-1-1. In the Eastern Division, there was a race between three teams to claim the right to win the Division. Near the end of the scheduled season, a big game was on the docket to help determine the Eastern representative in the postseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates were at 6–5 and the Boston Redskins at 5–5 when they met on November 29 in Boston before a crowd of only 7,000. The lack of fan support did not deter Boston, and on the arm of Sammy Baugh, defeated the Pirates 30–0. The Redskins, now at 6–5, had a showdown set in the final game of their regular season with the 5–5–1 New York Giants, who remained contenders for the Divisional crown. On December 6, the Boston Redskins won the contest 14–0 before 18,000 spectators in the Polo Grounds.

Redskins Owner George Preston Marshall, unhappy with the way his team had been supported in Beantown, decided to change the location of the 1936 Championship from his homefield in Boston to the New York Polo Grounds, where his team defeated the Giants a game earlier in front of a nice sized crowd.

The Green Bay Packers had the best regular season record, and they defeated the Boston Redskins in the NFL Championship Game, 21-6.

The Packers were led by quarterback Arnie Herber, who threw for 1,239 yards and eight touchdowns. Herber's favorite target was receiver Don Hutson, who caught 536 yards and six touchdowns.

This season highlighted the contrasting approaches to the game, particularly in the championship showdown. The Green Bay Packers, a team steeped in tradition and known for their powerful running game, faced off against the Boston Redskins, a franchise that was rapidly gaining notoriety for their innovative passing attack. Under the guidance of the iconic Curly Lambeau, the Packers represented the established order, a team built on grit and experience. The Redskins, led by the dynamic duo of quarterback Sammy Baugh and coach Ray Flaherty, embodied the future of the game, a team that dared to challenge conventional wisdom.

The 1936 NFL Championship Game, played at the Polo Grounds in New York City, became a defining moment in the league's history. It was a contest that pitted contrasting philosophies against each other, a battle between the old guard and the new wave. The outcome of this game would not only determine the season's champion but also offer a glimpse into the future direction of professional football. The Packers' decisive victory over the Redskins served as a testament to their dominance and a reminder of the enduring power of a well-rounded team, while the Redskins' presence in the championship game signaled the dawn of a new era, one where the aerial attack would become increasingly vital.

Fresh off the excitement of Super Bowl LIX, where the quest for a three-peat fell short, let's turn back the clock to a time when a team achieved that very feat – the 1931 Green Bay Packers. This era, before the Super Bowl, was a rugged and fascinating period in NFL history, and the Packers' dominance stands as a testament to their exceptional talent.

-A League in Flux:

The 1931 NFL season, the league's 12th, unfolded against the backdrop of the Great Depression. Financial hardship forced the Newark Tornadoes and Minneapolis Marines to fold, and the Frankford Yellow Jackets, champions of 1926, also succumbed to the economic pressures. This left the NFL with a mere nine teams by season's end. However, amidst the turmoil, the Cleveland Indians joined as an expansion team, and the Portsmouth Spartans emerged as a formidable force, starting with seven consecutive wins and allowing only 16 points in those games.

-The Packers' Path to Glory (and Controversy):

The Green Bay Packers, led by the legendary Curly Lambeau, were on a mission to secure their third consecutive NFL championship. They started strong, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. The season culminated in a controversial decision that ultimately crowned the Packers champions.

The Packers, with a 12-2 record, were scheduled to play the 10-3 Portsmouth Spartans. However, the Packers' brass refused to play, knowing a loss would result in a tie for the championship. The Spartans protested, but NFL Commissioner Joe Carr sided with Green Bay, awarding them the title and leaving Portsmouth with a bitter second-place finish.

The Stars of the 1931 Packers:

The Packers' success was built on a foundation of exceptional talent. Let's delve into some of the key players who contributed to their historic three-peat:

-Laverne "Lavvie" Dilweg:
A dominant defensive end, Dilweg's talent is often overlooked.
He amassed an astounding 27 career interceptions, a feat unmatched by most of his contemporaries.
As Ken Crippen of the Football Learning Academy pointed out, Dilweg was considered one of the best ends of the pre-modern era, yet he has not received the Hall of Fame recognition he deserves.

-Vern Lewellyn:
Lewellyn, the Packers' star halfback, was a crucial part of their championship runs.
Chris Willis of NFL Films highlighted Lewellyn's consistent performance, even suggesting he would have been a back-to-back MVP in 1929 and 1930.
Again, a player whose Hall-of-Fame credentials are powerful.

-Curly Lambeau:
The founder of the Packers franchise and a visionary coach.
Lambeau was instrumental in popularizing passing plays and strategic offensive schemes.
As Larry Schmitt noted, Lambeau's leadership guided the Packers to six championships, surpassing even Vince Lombardi's record.

-Cal Hubbard:
A rare athlete who excelled in both football and baseball, earning induction into both Halls of Fame.
Hubbard was a dominant force on the offensive and defensive lines, contributing to four championship teams.
George Bozeka, PFRA president, detailed Hubbard’s amazing career.

-Johnny "Blood" McNally is a versatile player who made significant contributions.

-Mike Michalske, a Hall of Fame blocker who paved the way for the Packers' running game.

-Arnie Herber, who was in the early part of his Hall-of-Fame career.

-A Legacy Forged in Controversy and Triumph:

The 1931 season was a pivotal moment in NFL history. Though achieved amidst controversy, the Packers' three-peat solidified their place as one of the league's early dynasties. Their roster was filled with legendary players who helped shape the game.

The 1931 season was the last year in which the NFL championship was awarded without a championship game. The next year the NFL would have a championship game. The NFL would continue to evolve, but the legacy of the 1931 Green Bay Packers remains a testament to their remarkable talent and enduring spirit.

Born April 2, 1920, was Green Bay Packers legendary Quarterback Arnie Herber. Arnie Herber was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers from 1930 to 1940. Herber led the Packers to four NFL championships and was named the NFL MVP in 1933. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

Herber was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and attended Green Bay West High School, where he was a star quarterback and punter. After high school, Herber attended Regis College in Denver, Colorado. He played football for Regis for one season before transferring to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Arnie played two seasons of college football at Wisconsin. He was the starting quarterback for both seasons and led the Badgers to a 10-2 record in 1930. Herber was named the All-Big Ten Conference quarterback in 1930.

After college, Herber was signed by hometown Green Bay Packers. He was the Packers' starting quarterback for 11 seasons, from 1930 to 1940. Herber led the Packers to four NFL championships in 1930, 1931, 1936, and 1939. He was named the NFL MVP in 1933.

Herber was a pioneer of the passing game in the NFL. He was one of the first quarterbacks to use the forward pass effectively, and he was a master of the long pass. Herber was also a very accurate passer, and he was known for his ability to hit receivers in stride. Herber was a prolific passer for his era. He led the NFL in passing yards in 1932, 1933, and 1936. He was also a good runner, and he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 1934.

The 1936 NFL season unfolded like a gritty underdog story. For the first time, all ten teams played an equal schedule, setting the stage for an unpredictable scramble to the top.

Green Bay, fueled by Arnie Herber's passing and Don Hutson's receiving magic, claimed their third consecutive title, cementing a dynasty against all odds. Meanwhile, Boston's "Redskins" (now named Washington Commanders) traded home-field advantage for a neutral site in New York, fearing low attendance in Fenway Park – a sad testament to the league's struggles.

But there were glimmers of hope. The draft's first pick, Heisman winner Jay Berwanger, refused to play, challenging the game's semi-professional status. And in the newly formed AFL, the Boston Shamrocks and Cleveland Rams hinted at a brewing challenge to the NFL's dominance.

So, while 1936 wasn't a season of fireworks, it was a turning point. It laid the foundation for future parity, sowed seeds of player power, and hinted at the rivalries that would soon reshape the gridiron landscape.