The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-09-12
MULLICAN Gets
WING JOB WITH
PHILLY EAGLES
Local Boy Shows Against
New York Giants in
Quaker Bowl

Three games will mark the open
ing of the National Football League
season tomorrow, which is by far
the busiest inaugural day the pro-
fessional gridiron circuit has
experienced in its fourteen years.
Green Bay and the Chicago Car
dinals clash In their traditional
opener In Green BY. The two west
ern clubs will not have the open
spotlight alone for IN Pittsburgh the
Boston Redskins oppose the Pirates
and in Philadelphia the Eagles will
meet the New York Giants, defend
ing Eastern titleholders.
The tremendorE interest in the
preseason contests in which the
two league sectional champions, the
Detroit Lions and New York Giants
competed shows an unprecedented
football popularity. Joe F. Carr,
president OF the National Football
League, predicts that the coming
season will surpass 1885, which was
the best since the circuit began. For
the third successive year the league
will get underway with the same
clubs that finished the previous
campaign.
Rules The Same
The playing rules will remain the
same. The proc ode in effect last
year differs from college rules in
placing the goal posts on the goal
line: permits forward passing from
any point behind the line of scrim-
mage: allows a ball carrier to adj
vance until actually stopped; per-
mits running with fumbles unless
of ball kicked; and penalties an il
Legal lateral only five yards from
point of infraction. These changes
were found so satisfactory over the
past two seasons that the rules
committee under Chairman George
Halas decided to let well enough
alone.
Detroit will defend the national
and western title against the Chi
cage Bears, the Chicago Cardinals
and Green Bay. In the East, New
York seeks its fourth straight Sec
tional crown against greatly
strengthened clubs in Boston,
Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Pitts
burgh.
The Green Bay clash tomorrow
will see the Cardinals attempt to
continue its unusual domination. In
three games between these clubs last
season the Chicago eleven noSed out
the Packers each time and a win in
only one Of these games would have
meant title for the Wisconsin
eleven. Both clubs report greatly
strengthened teams, in fact that
seems to be q universal sentiment
throughout the circuit. Every one
Of the nine teams considers 1t has
an equal chance for the title.
Clemens Signed Up
Green Bay has secured some
promising newcomers including Har-
ry The Horse Mates Of st. Mary's;
Cal Clemens, Southern California
tackle: Paul Miller, who scored 10
touchdowns In one season for South
Dakota; Bernard Scherer, Minnesota
end, and several others.
The Cardinals have not been
standing still either. The team is
now thoroughly grounded in Milan
Creighton's system after year Of
play and In addition the Chicago
squad will have much stronger re-
serves especially In the line. Con-
way Baker, Centenary tackle; Ed
Brett, Washington State end; Russ
Carter, Oregon guard, and some 9TH
er good newcomers In the backfield
will make the Cards one Of the most
feared squads.
All but one Eastern team will see
action. The Pirates after a year
under Joe Bach have become famil-
lar with the Notre Dame system and
with better reserve strength threat
en- to make more trouble than year
ago when their surprising win over
the Cards kept the Chicago club
from finishing on top. Ray Flaher-
ty, former assistant coach to Steve
owen Of the Giants, will pilot the
Redskins this season and has made
great progress with the Boston
squad. He will have some sensa-
tional newcomers including Riley
Smith. Alabama quarter; Wayne
Millner, Notre Dame end; Jim Kar-
cher. Ohio State guard, and many
others equally promising. Last fall
Pittsburgh and Boston broke even
In two games.
Smukkler To Show
The Philadelphia Eagles will also
present q much stronger array
against the Giants than they boast
cd o year ago. Dave Smukkler, ex-
Temple fullback, and Don Jack Of
North Carolina, have put real punch
in the backfield while the line re-
serves with George Mulligan, Cath
ole U. end, are stronger. Jim Nc
Murdo, star tackle, Is also complete
ly recovered from the injury which
put him on the sidelines all last
season. A year ago the Eagles led
the Giants until the final period be-
fore stirntir1hin0 IN IN ID