Evening star., 1939-12-09
Marshall Opens
Attack on Pro
Grid Officials
Uses Redskin-Giunt
Film to Show They
Are Inefficient
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.,
Star stan Correspondent.

BY BILL DISMER, Jr,
Star stan Correspondent.
MILWAUKEE,, Wis, Dec. g.
What may develop into the Ma
tional Football Leagues stormiest
winter meeting, usually held only
for the annual college draft, seemed
likely here today as the result OF
universal and still raging disputes
over Referee Bill Halloran's decision
on Bo Russell's attempted field goal
last Sunday, which gave the Giants
the Eastern championship over the
Washington Redskins.
Two steps that will be taken by
Redskin Owner George Marshall, and
Green Bay Coach Curly Lambeau
appeared destined to fan the fires
of the steadily growing argument.
Accompanied by Coach Ray Fla
herty and General Business Mana
ger Jack Espey, Marshall arrived
here this morning with moving pic
lures of the entire game last Sun
day. These he proposed to show to
a gathering of National League club
owners and President Carl G. Storck
but the concentration wasn't to be
on the disputed kick.
It is Marshall's contention, and
he says the pictures bear him out,
that officiating throughout the
game was poor. He proposes to
show Storck and his fellow owners
where Referee Halloran and his col
leagues failed repeatedly to call
penalties for obvious violations OF
the rules. A case in point was to
be Hank Scars holding of End
Wayne Millner on a pass which was
ruled incomplete instead of inter-
ference on the part of the Giant
player, as the Redskins claim should
have been called.
Lambeau Takes Precautions.
Other rule infractions, some on the
part of the Redskins, just as con-
sistently were ignored, according to
those who have seen the film. AS
to shots of the last-minute kick
Redskin officials admit that the ball
is lost sight of before it can be
ascertained whether 1t was good or
bad, but they will point out that
immediate and contrasting behavior
on the part of the individuals on
the field indicate that the goal was
slated to be allowed.
An effort was to be made to get
Halloran to sit in on the showing
but it was rumored that the veteran
official was not scheduled to arrive
here until late tonight or early to-
morrow morning.
That the questionable aspect OF
the decision has been realized even
out here, however, was seen in pre-
game action to be taken by LAM
beau before sending his Packers
against the Giants tomorrow. Lam
beau will insist, it is said, that the
validity of any field goal must be
decided by no less than three OF
the games four omcials-and not
left up to one man as it has been
in the past. The Packers coach
will request the field judge to sta
ton himself directly back Of the
goal post and the umpire to follow
the flight of the ball in order that
he may give a deciding opinion In
case the referee and field judge
disagree.
With all of the country's best COL
lege seniors to choose from, the
Redskins owner and coach pre-
dicted that Nile Kinnick, Iowa's
great all-America halfback, would
be the first to be selected. If that
is true, he will 60 to the Chicago
Cardinals, who finished with the
lowest percentage of any team in
the league. Pittsburgh, the next
team to draw, will spring a sur
prise, however, by passing over such
prominent draftees as George
Cafego, Banks McFadden and others
in their anxiety to obtain Boyd, q
tackle of Texas A. and M.
AS always, the draft will start
with the writing of the names Of 200
college senior gridmen on a huge
board. Starting with the lowest
percentage team and working up,
each club will select one man. On
the second round, only the five low
est teams in the league-the Cardi-
mails, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadel-
phia Eagles, Brooklyn Dodgers and
Cleveland Rams-will have choice,
before again starting a complete
round with the Cards. All 10 teams
pick on this round, but on the
fourth, again only the five bottom
teams select. From the sixth
through the eighth rounds all 10
teams pick in order, with the high
est teams getting two picks on the
ninth and tenth rounds to round
out 20 draftees for each team.
Not Ready for IL Teams.
The system does not guarantee
any college senior selected playing
next year with the team that drafts
him, but merely gives that team
first call on his services should he
desire to enter the National League
He can negotiate with no other team
in the league, although he could,
of course, play professional football
in a minor league without interfer-
ence from the major loop in the
play -for-pay sport. The selective
draft system is designed to give
weaker teams prior opportunity to
strengthen themselves as well as
prevent all the outstanding stars
from drifting to the more success
full clubs.
George Marshall's advocacy Of a
12-team league, with prospective
new franchises being established in
Boston and Los Angeles, would not
require any amendment of the Ma
tional League constitution, which
stipulates that the loop shall have
no less than eight nor more than
IL members. Because of more press
ing matters at this time, however
Marshall will let this matter drift
until the annual business meeting in
April, but there seems little liken-
hood that the membership will be