1936 NFL Championship Game
The 1936 NFL Championship Game was the fourth championship game played in the National Football League (NFL). It took place on December 13 at Polo Grounds in New York City, making it the second NFL title game held on a neutral field.[1][2][3][4]
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| Date | December 13, 1936 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Polo Grounds, New York City | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Wilmer G. Crowell | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 29,545 | ||||||||||||||||||
Grounds
The Eastern Division champion Boston Redskins (7–5) were the host team, but their owner George Preston Marshall moved the game out of Fenway Park to New York due to apathy and low support in Boston.[5][6][7][8] Several days after the game, he announced plans to move the team to his hometown of Washington, D.C. for the following season.[8][9]
This was the first championship game for both the Redskins and the Western Division champion Green Bay Packers (10–1–1), who were favored.[10] The Packers won 21–6 for their fourth NFL title, all under longtime head coach Curly Lambeau. Green Bay won league championships awarded by league standing in 1929, 1930, and 1931.[11]
Scoring summary
Sunday, December 13, 1936
Kickoff: 2 p.m. EST[10]
- First quarter
- GB – Don Hutson 48-yard pass from Arnie Herber (Ernie Smith kick), 7–0 GB
- Second quarter
- BOS – Pug Rentner 2-yard run (kick failed), 7–6 GB
- Third quarter
- GB – Milt Gantenbein 8-yard pass from Herber (Smith kick), 14–6 GB
- Fourth quarter
- GB – Bob Monnett 2-yard run (Tiny Engebretsen kick), 21–6 GB
Officials
- Referee: W.G. Crowell
- Umpire: Bobby Cahn
- Head Linesman: Maurice Meyer
- Field Judge: William Halloran [1]
The NFL had only four game officials in 1936; the back judge was added in 1947, the line judge in 1965, and the side judge in 1978.
Players' shares
Each player on the winning Packer team received about $250, while Redskins received about $180 each.[4]
References
- Smith, Wilfrid (December 14, 1936). "Green Bay wins title; whips Boston, 21-6". Chicago Tribune. p. 21.
- "Packers beat Boston 21-6, for pro crown". Milwaukee Sentinel. December 14, 1936. p. 11.
- Keuchle, Oliver E. (December 14, 1936). "Packers win pro championship; passes beat Boston, 21 to 6". Milwaukee Journal. p. 4, part 2.
- "Arnold Herber's arm hurls Green Bay Packers into pro championship". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 14, 1936. p. 9.
- "Play-off game is definitely set at Polo Grounds". Milwaukee Journal. December 7, 1936. p. 6, part 2.
- "Bays, Boston play for crown in N.Y. Sunday". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 8, 1936. p. 14.
- Smith, Wilfrid (December 13, 1936). "Packers and Redskins meet today for championship". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
- McGrath, John (January 10, 2006). "Redskins history lesson". Lakeland Ledger. Florida. McClatchy News Service. p. C1.
- "Capital gets Boston team". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. December 17, 1936. p. 8, part 2.
- Keuchle, Oliver E. (December 13, 1936). "30,000 to see Packers, Boston". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1, sports.
- Howard Roberts (1953). "Redskins On The Warpath". The Story of Pro Football. Rand McNally & Company. pp. 208–209. LCN 53-9336.