With all of the hype now delivered and the big day finally arriving, we’ll take you back to December 14, 1947 when the Bears and the Cardinals met in Chicago to determine the NFL’s Western Division championship. It had already been an unusual decade for both teams.
Each organization survived the horrors of World War II and moved forward to this glorious day. For the Bears, another appearance in a championship game was expected. After all, the team under George Halas had already captured four NFL titles during the 1940s.
The Cardinals, however, had endured a completely different scenario. At one time, from 1942 through 1945, the club had dropped a record 29 straight games. As such, this appearance in the Western Division title match was both appreciated and unusual. With both teams holding 8-3 records, the winner would be eligible for the NFL championship game later in the month against an opponent to be determined.
Both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia entered the final week of the regular season with hopes of claiming that honor in the Eastern Division. The Steelers held an 8-4 mark on December 14 and had concluded their schedule.
The Eagles were just a step behind at 7-4, but would need a win over Green Bay on December 14 in order to forge a tie with the Steelers and force a playoff for the divisional crown.
Courage and Finesse Must Overcome
With the NFL Western Division title on the line, both the Bears and the Cardinals continued their pre-game preparations for that upcoming contest 75 years ago today. By Saturday, December 13, 1947, both teams were confident in their game plans and their overall preparation for the battle to be held on December 14 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
With each club checking in with an 8-3 record, only the winner would move forward to the upcoming NFL championship clash against the still undecided Eastern Division champ.
While Pittsburgh maintained that slight edge in the east, there was nothing the idle Steelers could do on December 14 except await the final score of the Eagles-Packers outing. If the Packers won, the divisional race was all over. However, if Philadelphia grabbed the victory, there would be a playoff with the Steelers on December 21 to determine the eastern representative in the NFL title game.
Frank O’Gara of the Philadelphia Inquirer hoped beyond hope that his Eagles might have the slightest chance to upend the invading Packers: “The Eagles know that their courage and finesse must overcome their other deficiencies and bring them a victory over Green Bay—or they will be forced to take the runner-up berth in the Eastern Division for the fourth straight year.”
O’Gara also slipped a bit in his assumptions be adding: “If there is no playoff in either division, the league title game will be at Wrigley Field next Sunday, December 21; a playoff would defer it to December 28.” Either way, O’Gara neglected to mention that the Bears would first need to defeat the Cardinals in order to host the league title clash!
Greediest Groundhog!
Part of this equation was settled quickly as super back Steve Van Buren led the Eagles to a comfortable, and surprising, 28-14 conquest of Green Bay. And, the Philadelphia Inquirer was elated: “Crippled and undermanned, the Birds rose to the heights they never attained at full strength, to defeat the heavily favored Green Bay Packers, 28-14, and Steve Van Buren became the greediest groundhog in the history of the National Football League by gaining 96 yards for a year’s total of 1,008–four more than the previous mark.”
Van Buren’s rushing totals surpassed the record of the Bears’ Beattie Feathers in 1934, when the latter picked up 1,004 yards during the season.
Back in Chicago, as excited fans jammed into Wrigley Field on December 14, no one seemed to care that the temperature would not exceed the mid-20s. A frozen turf, ancient NFL rivals, and the opportunity to witness the likely two best teams in the league was certainly an attraction.
In addition, the Cardinals chose this day to honor a veteran lineman by holding “Ray Apolskis Day” prior to the game. Apolskis would be presented with a “convertible coupe, a radio set, a motion picture set, and other gifts,” according to the Chicago Tribune. Fans who could not secure a ticket into Wrigley Field could listen to the game on either WIND or WJJD in Chicago, or watch the battle on WBKB if they were fortunate enough to have access to a television in 1947!
Unable To Practice The Play
As it was, a crowd of 48,632 piled into Wrigley Field to witness the action. The Cardinals won the toss and it was a dream come true for Coach Jimmy Conzelman. Conzelman and his key assistants, Phil Handler and Buddy Parker, had spotted a possible flaw in the Bears’ defense where a slower linebacker could be exploited by a speedy Cardinals’ receiver.
However, the receiver identified by Conzelman—Babe Dimancheff—was unable to practice all week due to being with his wife during her labor. Once a beautiful baby girl was born, Dimancheff was only able to review his responsibilities on a chalk board, but Conzelman hoped for the best.
The key to the whole scheme would be to run the play just once, early in the game, before the Bears could make adjustments. If run properly, which was never a given in the NFL, the Cardinals just might be in the right place at the right time, to grab a quick lead.
Conzelman said: “We won the toss and the Bears kicked over the goal line. The ball was brought out to the 20, and Paul Christman called for the key play.
The defensive left halfback of the Bears was pulled toward the center of the field on a fake by our right end, Mal Kutner. Babe Dimancheff swung to the outside, followed by the slower linebacker of the Bears. Babe gradually pulled away from him, and then at the 40-yard line he turned, and Christman threw the long pass.”
No One Could Catch The Babe
In the Chicago Daily News, reporter Harry Sheer wrote: “No one could catch the Babe now. Christman hung the ball on a string, perfect, and Dimancheff dragged it in with a brilliant try on the Bear 49. He was off and away, 80 yards for a touchdown, 16 seconds after the opening whistle!”
Conzelman added: “It worked perfectly. Babe grabbed it and streaked for a touchdown. We kicked the point and we were off to the 7-0 lead we figured we needed.”
The trick play had worked for the enterprising Cardinals, even if the team was never able to practice it. The Cards surged to a 27-7 halftime advantage and easily defeated the Bears, 30-21 to win the Western Division title and qualify for the NFL championship game on December 28.
Every Guy Played It Perfectly
But it all came back to that first play of the game to set the table for what would become a satisfying victory for the Cardinals. “We knew it would work,” said Conzelman. “Every guy on the team played it perfectly…the most vital play of the game.”
We will resume our series on the 1947 Chicago Cardinals championship run on December 18. While the Cards were secure with their spot in the title match, they would need to begin preparations without knowing who their opponent might be. Thank you and please join us on December 18 for another bonus episode of “When Football Was Football.”
Listen To All 1947 Championship Run Bonus Episodes
Author and Host - Joe Ziemba
Joe Ziemba is the host of this show, and he is an author of early football history in the city of Chicago. Here, you can learn more about Joe and When Football Was Football, including all of the episodes of the podcast.
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