Evening star., 1938-09-09
REDSKINS ENEMY
COCKSURE Of WIN
PhiIIy Eagles, Last in 81,
Take TWo-Week Start on
Champs in Training.
BY BILL DISMER. Jr,

The team which finished last in the
Eastern division Of the National Foot
ball League last season confidently
expects to beat the 1887 champions
when they launch their respective
1888 campaigns against each other
Sunday!
That was the surprising, but true
news with which Coach Ray Flaherty
greeted his Washington Redskins this
morning as he rejoined them in their
workout at Fairlawn Field after a
two-days' absence. The second of
Flaherty's two days away from his
Indians was spent yesterday at Phila-
delphia. 1t was there, whae the Red
skins start in defense Of their title
Sunday, that he learned that that
city's Eagles were not only confident,
but cocky, about bowling over his
champs.
There are reasons for the Eagles
surmises and they aren't too far
fetched. In the first place, Bert Bell
owner and coach of the Philadelphia
team-started his team training more
than two weeks before the Redskins
began at Ballston, and they are that
much better conditioned than the
champions.
Bond Seen Able Sub.
In the second place, as Flaherty tells
you in his own story today, the Eagles
are so per cent stronger than they were
last year when they gave the Injuns
all the opposition they desired. In
the third place, the Eagles whipped an
Eastern All-Star aggregation by a
l4-7 score in the first of the many
preseason professional-collegia con-
tests and the Redskins have yet to
show victory in two starts over ALL
Star opposition.
Lastly, the Eagles know that the
Marshallmen aren't the same team
they were last year by long shot, or
should We say, several long shots. Cliff
Battles IS gone. Riley Smith will be
missing. Sammy Baugh won't be in his
best condition. Had you taken those
three men out Of the Redskins lineup
last year, they wouldn't have come
close to winning even their section 5
title.
Today was the first opportunity
which Flaherty had of watching
Smiths hastily-summoned successor,
Rink Bond, directing the team from
the quarterback spot-the role he will
assume Sunday in Philips Municipal
Stadium. Bond, former University of
Washington signal caller, indicated
yesterday in his first meeting with the
boys whom he thought he was leaving
for good last month when he was re-
leased, that he had mastered the
teams plays pretty we'll.
Smith Ready in Two Weeks.
He hasn't quite caught up with all
the new plays the Redskins have been
given since he last was with them, but
concentrated application during the
remaining off-feld moments should
make him thoroughly familiar with
them by game time. Despite his tenn
porary unfamiliarity with the more
complicated plays, Flaherty said that
he would rather have Bond in there
calling 'em Sunday than any other
man now available.
From his bed in Georgetown Uni
versity Hospital, Smith today said that
he expected to be in shape for the
Cleveland game. the third on WASH
ingtons schedule, two weeks from
Sunday.
Taherty brought one encouraging
word back from the rules interpreta-
ton meeting of league coaches which
kept him in Philadelphia yesterday.
That was the fact that the defensive
team cannot rough the passer If the
latter is giving ground or has thrown
the ball. The rule definitely states
that any tackler who leaves his feet
in dive for the pssser in either in
stance will draw penalty of is yards.
That Interpretation should be espe-
cialiy welcome to Baugh, who can i'll
afford any extra rough treatment at
this time. Sammy will do well to start
on his sprained instep.