Evening star., 1939-10-01
Air Fight Looms
AsCapita| Club
Faces Giants
New York's Champs
To Provide Hot Test
For New Home Stors
BY BILL DISMER, Jr,

With the largest advance sale In
local history presaging a record
crowd for pro football in Wash
1ngton, upward of 10000 fans are
expected to storm Griffith Stadium
this afternoon for an early-season
thriller between those arch rivals,
the Washington Redskins and the
New York Giants.
Despite the erection of the tenn.
porary stands along the south side.
lines. standing room only was ex-
pected to be the order of the day
long before game time, 2:30 o'clock.
Less. than 1000 seats-lower box
seats behind the end zone-re.
mained on sale when the Redskin
ticket Office closed last night. These,
with about 5000 standing room ac-
commodations, will be made avail
able at Griffith Stadium when the
gates open at noon.
The probable 30,O00-plus attend
ance today will not be a record
for local football only because special
seats erected for a service game be-
tween the Marines and Sd Corps
Area here in 1922 accommodated
more than an estimated 10000 Army
and Navy enthusiasts.
Giants Heavy Favorites.
For a turnout of purely local fam
dom motivated, as Owner George
Marshall would say, by deep civic
interest in the Redskins, today's
multitude will be unprecedented.
Despite the title hope-crushing blow
administered by these same Giants
in the last game of the 1898 sea-
son, new fervor has captured the
spirit OF Capital fandom and it is
ready to lend support all over again
to team of potentially champion
ship caliber.
Because of the days opposition.
the question of whether the Indians
have chance of regaining the
heights might be determined by
their supporters in their first peek
at their favorites. Almost unani-
mously, the Giants have been picked
to retain their Eastern, If not ma
tional, title and the Redskins stand
against them should prove enlight-
ening, to say the least. But the
Giants will enter the game as bet
ting favorites, possibly as high as
8 to 5.
Redskin Line at Peak.
Undefeated, like the Giants, in
preseason exhibition games and their
mutual league start against the
Philadelphia Eagles, the Redskins
nevertheless 60 against the New
Workers as question marks. To
date, their scoring punch has come
from only three veterans-Sammy
Baugh, Frank Filchock and Andy
Farkas-although the latent pow
ers of such ball carriers as Dick
Todd, Jimmy Johnston, Wilbur
Moore and Jim Meade are vouched
for by Coach Ray Flaherty.
Unquestionably the Redskins line
is stronger than last year, with two
rookie guards from the Pacific Coast,
Steve Slivinski of the University of
Washington and Dick Farman of
Washington State, giving Flaherty
his greatest cause to smile. Slivin-
ski gives the Redskins one of the
best running guards they ever had
while Farman seems a tower of
strength defensively.
Only one new face will be seen
at tackle, Bo Russell of Auburn-a
selection on many all America
teams last year-having proven in
valuable in more ways than one.
Battle In Air Due.
If today's game is close, look for
Russell to attempt to match field
goals with those crack Giant place
ment hooters, Ken Strong and Ward
Cuff. Also look for Bo to kick
of when Capt. Turk Edwards isn't
in the game.
While the prospective course of
any Giant -Redskin game makes
prognostication imprudent, there
seems enough scoring power in both
teams to preclude the blanking of
either. With the Giants ready to
counteract Baugh's passing with
their own all-time league champion,
Ed Danowski, and an apparent
conner in Eddie Miller, the air lanes
won't be exactly deserted. And In
contrast to the Redskins running
hopes" of Todd, Johnston ct al.
the Giants can counter with such
established threats as Tuf1y Lee
mans, Johnny Karcis, Dale Burnett.
kink Richards, Cuff and Strong.
Leemans, they say, is ready for
MS best year as a pro. In greatest
physical shape ever, George WASH
ington University's greatest. product
may show local pro spectators the
same kind Of elusive, slippery
hipped, brilliant broken-field run.
(See REDSKINS, Page ED