Evening star., 1939-11-23
Bitter Cod and Small
Attendance of 81
Big Factors
Detroit Lions Must Win
Sunday or Be Erased
From Pennunt Race
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.


the same jinx over the Redskins
that it usually does over a pitcher
who is reminded of his prospects
of a no-hit game in the seventh
inning, there's good chance that
Washington will get the playoff
game for the 1899 National Football
League championship, provided, of
course, the Redskins win the East
ern title.
Although it's the Western cham
pions' turn to select the site of the
title game, there's a strong suspicion
that the Green Bay Packers-if
they're the Western winners-would
not be averse to shifting the game
to the East because of climatic rea-
sons.
And league meeting of the con-
tenders in each division has been
called for next Tuesday to discuss,
among other matters, the site of
the playoff game. Already it has
been suggested that Green Bay or
Milwaukee, the Packers other home
base, might be too cold, especially
if a playoff for either divisional
title postpones the championship
tilt from its scheduled date of De-
cember 10.
Won't Say Yes or No.
AS a matter of fact, the writer
already has contacted President L.
H. Joannes of the Green Bay club
endeavoring to ascertain his reac-
ton toward playing the game in
Washington in the event the Pack
ers and Redskins were f1nalists. 1t
was pointed out that at least 10000
more fans would attend such a
game here because of the favorable
climate and the red-hot enthusiasm
of Washington fans.
In reply Joannes wired: "No reac-
ton yet. We still have two games
to play and win" But the answer
failed to reveal that the Packers
would be averse to such a transfer,
as they might have indicated by a
definite statement that the game
would be played in the West, re-
gardless.
Two years ago, when the Red
skins and Chicago Bears met for
the championship in Chicago, sub
zero weather held the attendance
to something like 100000. That
was on the second Sunday in De-
cember, the earliest possible date
that this years playoff game could
be staged Considering the fact
that Green Bay or Milwaukee is
colder even than Chicago. and that
nearly twice that many fans would
turn out for the title game in WASH
ington-or New York, if the Giants
WON'T shouldn't take a good deal
of talking to demonstrate to the
Western champions that the play
off game is more profitable when
played in the East.
Detroit Squarely on. Spot.
Meanwhile, it's altogether possible
that the only Western city capable
of staging the playoff in favorable
weather might have its team elimi-
mated here on Sunday. For one
more defeat or even a tie for the
Detroit Lions-the Redskins opposi-
ton at Griffith Stadium three days
hence-and they might just as we'll
fold.
For, barring another upset of
Green Bay by the Cleveland Rams
Sunday, the Packers will win their
eighth victory against two defeats,
and fourth setback for the Lions
already debited with three. would
eliminate them from the Western
! title chase.
So it's no consolation to the Red
skins to know that Sundays game
is just twice as crucial for the
Lions as 1t is for them. In addi-
ton, the Lions are stinging from
two successive defeats-at the hands
of the Rams and the Chicago Bears
and only once in their six-year
history have the Lions ever been
beaten three straight. In other
words, they not only will have all
the incentive in the world for victory
Sunday, but they'll be fighting mad
and due to rebound.