Last Team Standing (38 page)

Three: New Priorities

20
“In dramatic lore …”
(Rice): Heisler,
Echoes of Notre Dame Football
(p. 222).

20
Amos Alonzo Stagg's anti–pro football quote
comes from Peterson,
Pigskin
(p. 6).

21
Al Ennis' lament
about the lack of local coverage is contained in a fascinating booklet on file at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The booklet was written by Ennis (and, certainly, Greasy Neale) and distributed to members of the Eagles during training camp in 1948. It contains long lists of rules for training camp and road trips, as well as frank assessments of everything from the team's public relations efforts to the quality of various hotels in NFL cities. (“For the 1947 Championship Game at Chicago, we elected to stay at the Hotel Sherman, in downtown Chicago, and had a most unpleasant experience there. At no time did any member of the management … evince the slightest interest in our behalf.”)

21
My account of Elmer Layden's reign
as NFL commissioner (and his sometimes peculiar preoccupations) is based largely on MacCambridge,
America's Game
and Peterson,
Pigskin.

21
Layden's efforts
to move pro football to a “high, dignified plane” are described in MacCambridge,
America's Game
(p. 9) and Peterson,
Pigskin
(pp. 136–137).

22
“Material will be scarce …”
(Layden):
Philadelphia Inquirer,
December 9, 1941.

22
Roosevelt's Green Light Letter
has been widely published, including in Bloomfield,
Duty, Honor, Victory
(p. 69), Gilbert,
They Also Served
(pp. 41–42), MacCambridge,
America's Game
(p. 11), and Mead,
Even the Browns
(pp. 35–36). A copy of the original letter is posted on the website of the National Baseball Hall of Fame:
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/education/primary_sources/world_war_ii/letter_01.htm
.

23
“But everything we decide …”
(Layden): Peterson,
Pigskin
(p. 138).

23
I calculated the number of players
lost to the armed forces based on contemporaneous newspaper accounts, as well as data contained in Neft, et al.,
The Football Encyclopedia
and Peterson,
Pigskin.

24
The Ted Doyle biography
is based on interviews with him and his wife, Harriet Doyle.

25
Rooney's signing of Whizzer White
is described in Cope,
The Game That Was
(p. 129).

25
My description of Johnny Blood
is based on Cope,
The Game That Was,
Peterson,
Pigskin,
and Whittingham,
What a Game They Played.
Blood explained the origin of his pseudonym in Whittingham,
What a Game They Played
(p. 32).

26
“He liked an unusual …”
(Hinkle): Cope,
The Game That Was
(p. 99).

26
“I've always had …”
(Blood): Whittingham,
What a Game They Played
(p. 38).

27
“I would not say …”
(Blood): Cope,
The Game That Was
(p. 69).

27
Ted Doyle's letter to Bert Bell
was published in the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
June 15, 1943.

Four: Making Changes

29
My account of the April 1943 league meeting
is based on contemporaneous newspaper reports, as well as the minutes of the meeting, which are on file at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

29
“I don't believe …”
(Layden): NFL meeting minutes, April 6, 1943.

30
“It'll be a miracle …”
(unnamed coach):
Chicago Daily Times,
April 6, 1943.

30
“We're going to operate …”
(Marshall):
Chicago Daily Times,
April 7, 1943.

30
“we can and will play football”
(Layden):
Philadelphia Inquirer,
April 6, 1943.

30
The “war clause” in Layden's contract
and his salary were reported in the
Pittsburgh Press,
June 23, 1943.

32
“If a squad …”
(Layden):
Stars and Stripes,
April 8, 1943.

32
“I don't want …”
(Neale):
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin,
November 1, 1948.

34
“It's just a matter …”
(unnamed official):
Chicago Daily Times,
April 8, 1943.

35
“At no time …”
(Thayer):
Chicago Tribune,
April 8, 1943.

35
“I believe we'll …”
(Layden):
Chicago Daily Times,
April 6, 1943.

35
For my account of African-Americans in professional football,
I am deeply indebted to Levy,
Tackling Jim Crow.

36
Judge Landis' declaration
that “any major league club is entirely free to employ Negroes” was reported on December 3, 1943, in newspapers nationwide, including the
Pittsburgh Press.

38
Marshall's racism
is well documented in Levy,
Tackling Jim Crow.

38
The minutes of the 1933 league meeting
make no mention of race. However, as Levy writes, “it is abundantly clear that at the end of the 1933 season [the owners] chose to ban African-Americans from the league.” The fact that Joe Lillard, the Chicago Cardinals' leading scorer in 1933, was not invited back to the team in 1934 is prima facie evidence that a ban had been implemented.

39
Myron Cope's interview with Art Rooney
is in Cope,
The Game That Was
(p. 7).

39
“We'll start signing …”
(Marshall): Levy,
Tackling Jim Crow
(p. 120).

Five: Hatching the Steagles

41
My account of the negotiations
that led to the merger of the Steelers and the Eagles is based on contemporaneous newspaper reports, particularly in the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
the
Pittsburgh Press,
and the
Philadelphia Inquirer,
as well as the minutes of league meetings, which are on file at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

41
“The prospects …”
(Rooney):
Pittsburgh Press,
May 27, 1943.

42
“contribute substantially”
(Thompson):
Philadelphia Inquirer,
June 16, 1943.

44
My description of Lewis Hershey
is based on Flynn,
Lewis B. Hershey.

44
I based my account of the Father Draft debate
on contemporaneous newspaper accounts, as well as Flynn,
The Draft, 1940–1973,
Flynn,
Lewis B. Hershey,
and United States Selective Service System,
Selective Service as the Tide of War Turns.

44
Public opinion regarding the Father Draft
is discussed in Flynn,
Lewis B. Hershey
(p. 117).

45
“the preservation of the family”
(Kilday): Flynn,
The Draft, 1940–1973
(p. 72).

45
The exchange between Senator Wheeler and General McNarney
was reported in the
Philadelphia Inquirer,
September 16, 1943. 45
“We certainly can't …”
(unnamed draft board chairman):
Philadelphia Inquirer,
October 1, 1943.

45
“one-half million fathers”
(Hershey): United States Selective Service System,
Selective Service as the Tide of War Turns
(p. 20).

46
My account of the June 1943 league meeting
is based on contemporaneous newspaper reports, as well as the minutes of the meeting, which are on file
at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

46
“There is a more optimistic …”
(Layden):
Pittsburgh Press,
June 15, 1943.

48
Arch Ward's anti-merger column
was published in the
Chicago Tribune
on June 18, 1943.

49
“To allow Pittsburgh and Philadelphia …”
(Bell): NFL meeting minutes, June 19, 1943.

50
“When the Bears and Cardinals' …”
(Thayer):
Pittsburgh Press,
June 20, 1943.

50
“Without it …”
(Bell):
Pittsburgh Press,
July 7, 1943.

52
“We believe football …”
(Layden):
Chicago Daily Times,
June 21, 1943.

52
“I think that …”
(Marshall): NFL meeting minutes, June 20, 1943.

53
The Bill Hewitt biographical information
comes from Hewitt, “Don't Send My Boy to Halas,” Davis,
Papa Bear,
and material contained in the
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin
clip files. Unless otherwise noted, all Hewitt quotes are taken from Hewitt, “Don't Send My Boy to Halas.”

54
“one of the great ends” and “flaming spirit”
(Halas): Davis,
Papa Bear
(pp. 132–133).

54
My account of the 1932 championship game
is based on Neft, et al.,
The Football Encyclopedia
(pp. 92–93) and Peterson,
Pigskin
(pp. 107–108).

54
“I never saw …”
(Grange): Roberts,
The Chicago Bears
(p. 139).

Six: Greasy and Walt

57
“Why, we wouldn't see Thorpe …”
(Neale): Holland, “Greasy Neale: Nothing To Prove, Nothing To Ask.”

58
The Neale biographical information
comes from Holland, “Greasy Neale: Nothing To Prove, Nothing To Ask,” Neale and Meany, “Football Is My Life,” and material contained in the
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin
clip files. Unless otherwise noted, all Neale quotes in this chapter come from Neale and Meany, “Football Is My Life.”

59
“Yale or no Yale …”
(Neale):
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin,
November 3, 1973.

62
The Kiesling biographical information
comes from Pro Football Hall of Fame, “Hall of Fame Profile: Walt Kiesling,” Tucker,
Steelers' Victory After Forty
(pp. 56–59), and his obituary published in the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
March 3, 1962.

63
My account of the Duluth Eskimos
is based on Cope,
The Game That Was
(pp. 71–81) and Carroll, et al.,
Total Football II
(pp. 103–104).

64
“I chased him …”
(Haugsrud): Cope,
The Game That Was
(p. 78).

65
“I plan no …”
(Kiesling):
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
October 4, 1939.

66
The Steagles' summer practices
and training camp were covered extensively in the
Philadelphia Inquirer,
probably because the newspaper's charitable arm sponsored the team's September 16 exhibition game against the Bears at Shibe Park. After that game, the
Inquirer's
coverage of the Steagles diminished.

67
Today River Field
is part of a University of Pennsylvania athletic complex. None of the Steagles' other homes for practices and games (Forbes Field, Parkside Field, Shibe Park, and the field at 54th Street and City Line Avenue) is extant.

68
My description of football formations
is based on Carroll, et al.,
Total Football II
(pp. 474–490).

68
“Football became …”
(Halas): Peterson,
Pigskin
(p. 134).

69
“If that wouldn't …”
(Neale):
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin,
November 7, 1948.

69
Greasy Neale recounted his purchase of the 1940 championship game film
in Holland, “Greasy Neale: Nothing To Prove, Nothing To Ask” and Daley, “High Flying Eagle.”

70
“I don't think the T …”
(Bierman):
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
December 8, 1943.

70
“On the whole …”
(Neale):
Philadelphia Inquirer,
August 8, 1943.

71
Elmer Layden's decision
to increase team rosters to 28 players was reported in the
Philadelphia Inquirer,
August 26, 1943.

71
“We're going to …”
(Ennis):
Pittsburgh Press,
August 26, 1943.

71
“Pittsburgh gridders-workers …”
(Bell):
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
July 8, 1943.

72
“Why couldn't our professional squads …”
(Bell):
Philadelphia Inquirer,
January 8, 1942.

73
The “non-deferrable” and “essential”
lists were published in the
New York Times
on August 15, 1943.