Evening star., 1939-11-26
Only B|eacher Seats
Left, Attendance Of
34,5O0 Assured
Detroit, Needing Victory
To Stoy in Race, Bonks
On Giunt Buckfield
By BILL DISMER, Jr.


bang battle between the visitors
fighting against elimination from
the Western title hunt-and the
Redskins, striving to keep step with
the champion New York Giants.
The heaviest advance sale in local
history last night assured capacity
assemblage of 34,500 when the open
ing kickoff whistle is blown at
O'Clock. Every seat in the grand
stand was sold four days ago and
only a few hundred tickets, in the
centerfield bleachers, will be on sale
at Griffith Stadium today. Stand
ing room will be available for only
$500.
Nobody Offers Odds.
Aware of the near-equal qualities
of the intersectional rivals in run
ming, passing and defense, it was
hard to find bettor yesterday will
ing to lay odds on either. The surest
bet apparently was that the two
teams would take the field at even
money.
Unless the regular season should
end a week from today with the
Redskins and Giants tied for the
Eastern title and the flip of coin
designate Washington as the play
off site, or unless the league cham
pionship game should be shifted to
the Capital in event the Redskins
are the Eastern standard bearers,
the majority Of local fans today will
be seeing their favorites for the
last time this year.
Not al lof them, however, for some
10000 already have planned to GO
to New York next Sunday for the
final game whether today's contest
ends in a victory, defeat or tie.
Detroit Backs Powerful.
Although their line will outweigh
the Lions by 6 pounds to the man
and has yielded 333 less yards in
nine games, the Redskin forwards
have yet to meet the backdeld pond
age that will be hurled against them
this afternoon by the ponderous De-
troit ball-carriers. With only two
quarterbacks, Dwight Sloan and
Johnny Pingel, weighing 1875, the
Lions will depend upon such ground
gamers as the 205-pound Bill Shep-
herd, the 210-pound Howie Weiss,
and the 200-pound Lloyd Cardwell to
carry the mail behind such blockers
as 230-pound Fred (Chopper) Vanzo
and the 215-pound Gordon Gore
The Redskin line may stop them,
but If they don't, it isn't pleasant to
contemplate what those burlies might
do to such featherweights in the In
dians' secondary as the 180-pound
Sammy Baugh, the 190-pound Frank
Filchock or the 168-pound (we're
trembling nowD Dick Todd.
At that, the Lions can't show as
great a ground-gainer as little Andy
Farkas, currently averaging better
than yards a whack and the great
est safety man on returning punts
we've seen in three years of National
League observation. Farkas' 49o
yards gives him a 114-yard lead
over Shepherd, the Lions greatest
running back, while Frank Filchock
the Redskins second highest ground
gamer holds a 58-yard lead over
Johnny Pingel, the Detroit rookie
runnerup to Shepherd for ball-car-
rying honors.
Concede Nothing in Air.
Despite the opposition of the
mighty Baugh, the Lions are con-
ceding no advantage in aerial at
tack with their trio of Sloan, Pingel
and Darrell Tully expected to match
Baugh, Filchock and Jimmy Ger
man. Although the Redskins pass
ing triumvirate is averaging 81 per
cent efficiency in $50 heaves to the
Lions threesome's average of 43 pei
cent in 180, all three have given the
Detroits an impressive aerial attack
which they alone lacked last year to
stamp them as title contenders.
Sloan, the Arkansas product some
Southwest folks consider the equa,
of Baugh, actually has accounted
for longer gains with eight less
passes than Sammy, his 81 heaves
having gained 526 yards for the
Lions in contrast to the ATT yards
Baugh has gained with As. In this
respect, however, Filchock holds il
over all six of today's passers fol
Redskin gains due to his throws
have totaled 818 yards-or an amaz.
ing average of Is yards pass. The
Filchock to Farkas combination the
Indians have found most potent this
season.
. OF the four leading passers-
Baugh, Filchock, Sloan and Pingel-
Filchock has the best percentage
with an average of 81 per cent com,
pletions, followed by Pingel with SIS
Baugh with So and Sloan with IS.
Kicker Might Decide 1t.
In a close game, the Redskin!
might be at distinct disadvantage
due to the presence on the Detroi
squad of Phil Martinovich, a rookie
from the College of the Pacifi'
whom the Lions picked up from tn,
Cincinnati Bengals for $1,000 il
midseason. For it was Martinovich'
toe which supplied three field goal
to give the Lions an 1914 win owe
the New York Giants last month
the first time in year the Giant
had been beaten. He hasn't kicket
any since, but the Lions can use hin
anywhere inside the 40-yard line
They also boast potential three
pointers in a pair of kicking ends
Charley Hanneman and Monk Mos
Grip, the ex-Stanford all-America.
So far, the Redskins are creditet
with only one field goal, Bo Russell
booting one last Sunday from tn
37-yard line.