SB Nation User Blog: george cronin

Sherman Coach of the Year in '61

george cronin — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 02:00:23 -0000

In 1960, after a devastating hit by Chuck Bednarik that left him hospitalized with a deep concussion and unconscious for a few days, Frank Gifford retired. Even without his biggest offensive star, Allie Sherman's first year as a coach was a huge success.

With YA at QB (Sherman gave him a free hand in the huddle), Del Shofner to stretch the field, Kyle Rote running crossing routes, Joe Walton at TE (via a trade with the Redskins), and glue-fingered Alex Webster catching screens, the Giants became a glitzy aerial circus. They finished with a 10-3-1 record, good enough for the Eastern Division crown.

The Green Bay squad they met in the NFL championship game had been turned into division winners in two short years, losing the title contest to the Eagles in '60 (17-13.) Using his personal relationship with JFK, Lombardi wangled a leave from the Army for Hornung so he could play in the '61 championship game.

Besides Hornung, the Pack fielded 10 other future HOFers.

Thanks to Hornung and Jim Taylor, they led the league in rushing (using the famous Green Bay sweep.) Outside of John Henry Johnson, Taylor was perhaps the most crazed RB in league history, habitually changing direction to deliberately ram into and over would-be tacklers.

The game was far rougher at that time. Players could tackle and spear with the helmet, grab the face mask, horse collar, and check receivers at the line of scrimmage. RBs like Taylor and Johnson (and later, Csonka) were adept at throwing forearm smashes at defenders. (A Sam Huff helmet's in the HOF displaying a dent, the result of a collision with Taylor.)

The Giants had the league's stingiest defense, led the league in interceptions and included seven future HOFers on the roster.

In the first quarter, two miscues, both involving Kyle Rote, gave a hint of what kind of a day it would be: wide open, he dropped a sure TD pass, and Bobby Gaiters (Giff's replacement) overthrew him all alone in the end zone.
Rote was a marvelous athlete, a All-American triple threat back in college, who tore up his knee in his first training camp and the other knee two years later. This was years before arthroscopic surgery. To repair knees they opened them up, did the repairs, and closed them, creating big "zippers" in the flesh. Speed gone, he never played RB for the Giants but had a great career as a receiver, going to the Pro Bowl a couple of times, I believe. He had an uncanny knack to get into the clear (as did Giff.)

Early in the 2nd quarter, Hornung ran for a TD, putting the Pack up, 7-0. QB Starr followed with two TD srikes and Hornung (who scored 19 points in the game) closed out the half with an FG. Going into the dressing room, the Giants trailed, 24-0. I'll spare you the rest of the gory details leading to a final score of 37-0

Hornung won the game MVP

Sherman was honored as Coach-of-the-Year.

1959-1960

george cronin — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:28:23 -0000

[EDITOR'S NOTE: George Cronin, one of the senior members of Big Blue View Nation, has been entertaining us throughout the off-season with stories of yesteryear. His posts appear each Saturday.]

Before the 1959 season, Vince Lombardi departed for Green Bay with the blessings of the Maras, who thought it was a loan and expected to get Vinny back after Howell retired.

The Giants ended the season with a 10-2 record. For the third time in four seasons, Charlie Conerly (who entered the league as a 27-year-old rookie after service in the Pacific with the-Marines during WWII) quarterbacked the team to a championship game. He received the MVP that year.

They met the 9-3 Colts again. Today, people remember the Colts primarily for their explosive offense, but their defense was just as awesome. They led the league in interceptions with 40, almost twice as many as the runner-up Bears (with 22.) The fierce rush of two Hall Of Fame linemen (Marchetti and Donovan) helped the secondary and Big Daddy Lipscomb was no slouch, either.

The game was blacked out in the NYC Metropolitan area, so had I to trek to Hartford, CT to watch it.

In the first quarter, Unitas hit Lenny Moore with a bomb to put Baltimore up, 7-0. Summerall brought the Giants closer with an FG. He kicked another in the 2nd, and at the half the Giants trailed, 7-6.

The G-Men went ahead in the third on another Summerall FG. Things fell apart in the fourth when Unitas ran for a TD and threw for another. The Colts scored again on a Johnny Sample interception (my most vivid --and disappointing-- memory of that game.) Conerly's pass for a TD was too little too late, and the Giants lost the championship game to the Colts for the second year in a row, 31-16.

After the game, Landry was hired to coach the expansion Cowboys, and Howell, citing burnout, tried to retire. After the Maras failed to induce Lombardi to return, they peruaded Jim Lee to stick around for one more year.

In '60, age and injury forced Conerly to the bench. George Shaw (the guy Unitas replaced in Baltimore) took over as QB. Big Blue went 6-4-2, Howell retired and Allie Sherman became the coach.

Allie had been the QB at Brooklyn College (like Joe Paterno). He played five seasons of pro ball with the Eagles as a QB and DB (the Steagles in '43), led the league in yards per passing attempt in' 46 (8 yards on 17 tosses) and the Eagles to the championship game in '47.

He coached as an assistant with the Giants from '49-53, then became a head coach in the CFL before returning to the Giants as a scout in '57 and later as an assistant again. As a player he went 5-foot-8 and weighed 168. Can you imagine a guy like that playing pro ball today?

On Sherman's insistence, the Giants acquired YA Tittle (a 13-year vet unloaded by the 49ers to make way for John Brodie) for Lou Cordileone, an All-American offensive lineman and the Giants' first-round draft pick out of Clemson. (Born in my home town, I remember Lou as an unstoppable FB and awesome defensive player at St. Michael's in Union City, NJ.)

They also traded for Del Shofner of the Rams, thus paving the way for perhaps the most famous QB-WR combo in Big Blue's history.

CRONIN'S CORNER: The Greatest Football Game Ever Played

george cronin — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:19:00 -0000

[EDITOR'S NOTE: George Cronin, one of the senior members of Big Blue View Nation, has been entertaining us throughout the off-season with stories of yesteryear. His columns appear here each Saturday.]

The 1958 championship matched the superb Giants' defense against the Colts' # 1 offense, led by Johnny Unitas, who called all his own plays.

I mentioned in the last installment that he was a rookie who took over when George Shaw went down.

I didn't mention that the first pass he threw in the pros was intercepted and that on the next two possessions he fumbled. Nevertheless, he impressed his teammates because he didn't lose a smidgen of his confidence (some would say cockiness.)

Worthy of mention also, to give a better idea of the quality of the Colts' roster is that Gino Marchetti was hailed as "the greatest defensive end of all time" in the 1999 Sporting News vote, and that Jim Parker was the first full time defensive lineman voted into the Hall Of Fame.

The Giants took an early lead on a Pat Summerall FG. The Colts came back with two scores (made possible by Frank Gifford fumbles) and led at the half, 14-3.

In the third quarter, the Giants made an heroic stand at their own 1-yard line, turning back the Colts four times.

Taking over at the five, the Giants began to move, helped by a Kyle Rote catch, which he lugged to the Colts 28. Hit hard, he coughed up the ball, but Webster grabbed it and took it to the one.

The Giants punched the ball in and cut the lead to four points. When they got the ball back, Charlie Conerly connected on three passes for 78 yards, the last a 15-yard strike to Giff in the end zone.

With 1:56 left, the Giants led 17-14.

The Colts last chance came with the ball on their own 14. Considering their inability to get into the end zone when they had a first down on the Giants 1, I was sure the Giants had the game in the bag, particularly when the Colts gained nothing on their first two downs. However, on third down, Unitas completed an 11-yard pass to Moore.

His next completion demonstrated why Unitas to Berry is considered perhaps the most storied combination in football history. They worked after practice all the time, rehearsing their plays over and over, coming up with ways to deal with game situations.

According to Berry, one play they worked up and used only once covered a situation should an LB walk up on Berry on a play that called for him to run a square-in. They decided Berry should fake outside, hoping to get bumped, and then slant underneath.

On 2nd and 10, with no time outs left, the teams lined up and a Giants' linebacker moved up on Berry. He and Unitas glanced at each other, both knowing it was time for the play they had worked on in practice.

Unitas hit him for a 25-yard gain to midfield. On the next play, he connected with him for 15; the next, 22. With seven seconds left, the Colts sent the game into OT with a field goal.

The Giants received and went three and out. The Colts got the ball at the 20. Unitas drove them 80 yards in 13 plays, with fullback Alan Ameche pounding in from the 1 for a Baltimore victory.

During the game, Unitas hit Berry 12 times for 178 yards.

With the value of practice between QB and receiver so clear from football history, why don't Plax and Shock work with Eli in training camp?

Cronin's Corner: ' 56 Championship game (Second Sneakers Game)

george cronin — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:01:38 -0000

[EDITOR'S NOTE: George Cronin is one of the senior members of Big Blue View Nation. He has been entertaining us with memories of the old days on Saturdays throughout the off-season.]

The first Sneakers Game was the 1934 championship. The Bears were heavy favorites, having won 13 in a row and gone undefeated in 33 games. The Giants came in with 8-5 record.

During the pre-game warm-ups, Steve Owen noticed that in the sleet storm the players were slipping and sliding all over frozen field. He dispatched the equipment manager to Manhattan College to get sneakers.

At the end of the half, the Giants were down, 10-3. After the half, the Bears kicked a FG to take a 10-point lead near the end of the third quarter when the equipment manager arrived with the sneakers.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants, able to cut back, ran all over the Bears, scored 4 TDs and won, 30-13.

In 1954, Tom Landry installed the 4-3. It didn't realy begin to jell until the '56 season was underway. What made it click was the addition of three new arrivals to join Rosey Grier on the line--Robustelli (from LA), Katcavage (a rookie). and "Little Mo" Modzelewski (from the Steelers), and another rookie, LB Sam Huff.

The field was as bad in '56 as it had been in '34, and the same teams squared off (both wearing sneaks.)

Earlier in the year they had played a 17-17 tie, so a tight game was expected. Gene Filipski ran back the opening kickoff 53 yards and a rout was on.

The half ended with the Giants up 34-7, and the game ended with a final score of 47-7, earning the Giants their first championship since 1938.

A highlight of the game was the Giants bottling up of the Bears All-Pro RB, Rick Casares. Huff was used as a spy, going wherever Casares went.

The same strategy was used many times in the future vs. Cleveland's Jim Brown.

Cronin's Corner: 1950 Eastern Division championship game

george cronin — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 12:03:01 -0000

[EDITOR'S NOTE: George Cronin is one of the senior members of Big Blue View Nation. He will be sharing memories of yesteryear on Saturdays throughout the offseason.]

The Cleveland Browns of the All American Football Conference won the conference championship every year of the league's existence ('46-49.) Their overall record during the life of the league was 47-4-3. In 1948, they went 15-0. Many consider that team the best football team of all time.

In 1950, the AAFL and NFL merged. The NFL absorbed the 49ers, Colts and Browns. The best players from the other AAFL teams were distributed to NFL teams. The Giants got two Hall of Famers, Arnie Weinmeister and Tom Landry.

No AAFL stats were kept, so it's difficult for those who didn't see them play to get a full appreciation for Hall of Famers on the Browns 1950 squad like QB Otto Graham, FB Marion Motley and WR Dante Lavelli.

In addition to these players, the team included three other Hall of Famers, center Frank Gatski, G Bill Willis and Lou Groza, kicker and offensive tackle. (He didn't kick soccer style, but his kickoffs invariably wound up behind the other squad's goal line.)

I don't believe any other team has placed six guys who played in the same years in the HOF. Graham, Motley and Groza also made the 2000 Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players of All Time.

In their first year in the NFL, the Browns played the Giants three times.

The Giants won their first game vs. the Browns, 17-3 and shut them out in the second, 6-0. Both battles featured the kind of brutal defensive struggles that came to categorize contests between the teams.

The Giants roster, not quite as star-studded as Cleveland's, included two Hall of Famers, Emlen Tunnel and Arnie Weinmeister, an All-Pro DB, Otto Ole Schnellbacher (who also played pro basketball), two good RBs in Choo-Choo Roberts (who held the Giants single game running record until Blabber beat it in '05), and Eddie Price. The legendary Charlie Conerly QB'ed and made All-Pro that year (as did Roberts.)

Although they mastered the Browns during the year, the Giants lost to the Chicago Cardinals featuring Hall of Fame RB Charley Trippi and to Pittsburgh, whose lineup included HOF T Ernie Stautner. The season ended with the Giants and Browns tied for first at the top of the Eastern Conference with identical 10-2 records, necessitating a playoff to decide which team would represent the East in the NFL championship game.

Having already beaten them twice, the Giants were favored to win again. The Browns scored a FG in the first quarter and held the lead into the fourth, when Choo-Choo broke into the clear and headed for a TD, only to be dragged down from behind inside the 10 after 47 yards by Bill Willis, a middle guard (the precursor to MLB). Our best RB, a speedster caught from BEHIND! The Giants settled for a FG to tie the score.

Later in the fourth, Willis(again!) tackled Conerly in the end zone for a safety. Still later, Groza kicked a field goal and the game ended with the Browns on top, 8-3.

The Browns went on to win the NFL championship by beating the Los Angeles Rams (who were the Cleveland Rams from '37-'45) in a squeaker, 30-28.

For the six years '50-'55, the Browns won the Eastern Conference title 5 times and the NFL championship three times.

1946 championship game -- and a kid's broken heart

george cronin — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:58:48 -0000

[EDITOR'S NOTE: George Cronin, one of the elder statesmen here at Big Blue View Nation, will be entertaining us during the off-season with stories of the Giants of yesteryear. His stories will appear on Saturdays.]

Hours before the 1946 championship game with the four-times-in-the-forties champion "Monsters of the Midway" Bears, a story broke that quarterback Frankie Filchock and Melre Hapes, the fullback, had been approached by gamblers and offered bribes to throw the game.

The Mayor and Police Commissioner met with Tim Mara in the Mayor's office and summoned the players. Hapes admitted being approached, Frankie didn't. Bert Bell, the NFL Commissioner, suspended Mapes, but let Frankie play.

Frankie was met by boos when he took the field at the Polo Grounds, which drove a dagger into my heart.

Frankie played 50 minutes. Early in the game, he suffered a broken nose.

Sid Luckman, who never ran, bootlegged and ran 19 yards to a TD.

The Bears later kicked a field goal to win 27-14, a heartbreaking loss for a 13-year-old who, once Frankie was allowed to play, was sure his hero would lead the team to a win. After all, they'd shut out the Bears 14-0 earlier in the year. The final score matched the betting line, so those who took or gave points broke even.

On the day the would-be briber was convicted, the Commissioner suspended Mapes and Frankie, despite the presiding Judge's statement that Frankie wasn't an accomplice, but an unfortunate victim of circumstances.

Bell's thinking was that not reporting a bribe offer was as bad as taking one (Mapes testified he told Frankie about the offer.)

When asked about his plans after his suspension, Frankie said he had none, that he'd never imagined he'd be out of football and still wanted to play.

And play he did, in Canada, where he was a great attraction. In 1950, the suspension was lifted when Bell was bombarded by testimonials and entreaties, including the NYC Mayor and DA. The Giants, saying they were emphasizing youth, didn't sign him.

Frankie never spoke to a Mara after that. He played for Montreal in 1950 and, when the Canadian season finished, went to Baltimore (the NFL was still playing.) The Colts folded after the season ended and Frankie never played in the NFL again.

He returned to Canada as a player-coach until 1953 and then became a full-time coach. During his career, he played or coached pro ball in 12 cities (including a brief stint with the Denver Broncos) 6 leagues and 2 countries.

It's a sad and tragic tale, and I'll go to my grave believing Frankie got screwed. Not as badly as Babe Dahlgren, maybe, but pretty bad.

CRONIN'S CORNER: Giants, 1939-'49, Part I

george cronin — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:22:57 -0000

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Throughout the off-season, George Cronin, one of our elder statesmen here at Big Blue View, will be entertaining us with stories of the Giants of yesteryear. 'Cronin's Corner' will run on Saturdays.]

From '39-'49, the Giants played for the NFL championship three times and for the Eastern Division championship twice. They lost every game. In fact, after winning the NFL championship in '38, they didn't win another until '56.

The '41 championship game, played two weeks after Pearl Harbor, drew the smallest attendance of any NFL Championship Game. The final score was Bears 14, Giants 7. I remember nothing of the game.

The country was focused on the war and the induction of millions of young men into the armed forces. My brother, who'd been married in September, '41, was drafted a few days after New Years '42. He fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Normandy landing and beyond. He was wounded a few times, for which he received purple hearts, but came home more or less in one piece.

The Giants played the Packers in the '44 NFL Championship Game and were expected to win, having already beaten them in the regular season. Playing without Bill Paschal, their leading rusher, they lost, 14-7, a bitter defeat.

I listened to the '46 championship game on the radio. It's the only championship game from the '40s that stands out in my memory. Frankie Filchock, one of my all-time favorite Giants, was the QB. He played in the NFL from '38-'46, with two years out for military service.

He was the first QB to throw a 99-yard TD (in '39, when he shared QB duties with Sammy Baugh in Washington.) He led the league in TD passes in '38 and '39 and had the best pass efficiency rating in '44.

He shares the dubious distinction with Layne, Favre and Van Brocklin (all HOFers and 100 Besters) of having thrown six picks in one game. He threw sidearm and could run with the ball.

Steve Owen needed a passer and asked Tim Mara to get Filchock. Mara traded for him and paid him huge money for those days ($35,000/year)and gave him the first multi-year contract granted to a Giants player. Injured early, Frankie had a good year running and passing and turned around a losing team, leading it to first place in the East.

He was a great QB, but played only one year with the Giants. Why then my man crush on him? Aside from the fact that he was exciting to watch, the circumstances surrounding his '46 season had an irresistible appeal to a romantic 13-year-old.

In the next installment, I'll tell you the story. There are conflicting accounts, but I'll give you the one I prefer.

CRONIN'S CORNER: Giants and players from NYC colleges

george cronin — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:58:18 -0000

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Throughout the off-season, George Cronin, one of the elder statesmen, here at Big Blue View Nation, will be providing some historical insight into the Giants. I will try to run George's thoughts on Saturday's throughout the off-season.]

During the '30s, players from NYC colleges played big-time football and some players from these teams went on to play with the Giants, which helped increase the team's fan base.

Ken Strong, a HOFer came from NYU. Bill Swiacki and Paul Governali were All-Americans at Columbia.

The local college most closely identified with Big Blue was Fordham, which graduated an HOF owner, Wellington Mara and coach Vince Lombardi.

Two well-known Rams who played for the Giants were Ed Danowski and Steve Filipowicz. Danowski '30s and was a three-time All-Pro. Filipowicz, an RB, was their first-round pick in the '43 draft and played for them in '45 and '46.

Legendary Giants coaches

george cronin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:16:55 -0000

In addition to HOF players, The Giants have had their share of legendary coaches, starting with Steve Owen. He played on the line with HOFer Cal Hubbard, was voted to the all-time twenties team as a player and was voted to the HOF as a coach. He played for the Giants for five years and coached them for twenty three.
He was the first guy I saw coach the team and devised the A-formation, a variation of the single wing that the team used from '37-'54, the year Steve retired from the Giants. (He was away feom the game for a short period, but with football in his blood, went on to coach college and Canadian football for many more years.)
The formation was structured so that the ball could be snapped to the HB, QB, or BB.
The A was extremely effective for the Giants because they were the only team that used it. Their opponents always had to make special plans to play defense against them.
Here was Owen's theory in his own words: "I wanted to spread without losing concentrated attacking power, and yet keep the defense scattered along a wide front so that it could not jam in on us at any point. To do this I deployed my line strong on one side and my backs on the other."
The wing back (Ward Cuff in the earliest games I watched) went in motion before the snap, heading for the space between QB and FB, getting there just as the QB (Charlie Conerly after WWII) spun to make fakes and handoffs. Cuff made a living from the "spin series," and Charely had some of his best years playing in the A. As I said in an earlier installment you needed a Mel Hein at center to make the A work. Once again, the guy was awesome. I even remember remembering (it seems unlikely that I actually saw it) that on occasion Hein snapped directly to Cuff while he was in motion.
I think if a team ran the A today, because of the A's novelty, it would run through the rest of the league like shit through a goose. Of course, it couldn't happen. Who could coach it? Where could you get four backs (and reserves) who could run it? How could you resurrect Mel Hein?
Stout Steve also devised the umbrella defense and was the first coach to platoon. When you root for the Giants, you're rooting for a team with a rich history.

Giants Memories

george cronin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:29:14 -0000

Another installment

Two HOF oldtimers I did see play a couple times both before and during WWII were Tuffy Leemans and Mel Hein, in my opinion and that of many others, one of the two best two way center/LBs along with Chuck Bednarik. Leemans was a FB, HB, passer, kicker who played defense as well. His induction into the armed forces was cancelled when he suffered a head injury (helmets weren't as good as those made today) in a game that left him deaf in one ear. He played one more year (and served as some sort of coach) before retiring. I'm thinking of including him on my all-time Giants team as a DB. Mel Hein played two ways for fifteen years and never missed a game. Because he could do what other centers couldn't--flawlessly snap the ball to any one of three backs, the Giants were able to use a formation unique in the league. All NFL for eight years, he was MVP in'38, the only offensive lineman to win that award. I saw him play five or six times and remember him being able to snap the ball and get out in front of a runner on a sweep, pancaking defenders as often as not. As an LB in the 5-2 defense all teams played until Bill George of the Bears became the first MLB in '54, his hits separated defenders from their cleats, and he was a demon in pass coverage. Next installment, Steve Owen and his innovations.