As we kick off our bonus coverage of the 1947 Chicago Cardinals championship run, we begin with a mid-season stumble that nearly cost the Cards any shot at the championship.
After strolling through the early part of the schedule with a 7-1 record, the Cardinals looked forward to cruising towards the western division title in the National Football League. Three straight-away games against opponents with mediocre records certainly favored a strong finish by the Cardinals. However, a 45-21 loss at Washington on November 23, 1947, followed by a 35-31 upset at the hands of the New York Giants a week later, left the Cards a game behind the Chicago Bears in the western conference.
The two stunning defeats after piling up all of those early victories prompted one Chicago newspaper to describe the Cardinals as the Jekyll and Hyde of pro football.”
When the Eagles grabbed a 7-3 halftime lead on December 7, 1947, the Cardinals championship hopes appeared to be obliterated. Even coach Jimmy Conzelman declined to give his club a pep talk at halftime. Would the Cardinals once again fail to reach the title contest?
And then something clicked…
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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