Evening star., 1940-12-01
Tired, Short-Handed
Birds Offer 0'Brien
As Only Threat
Dovey PIoys Lost Come;
Fans Present Gifts to
Edwards, Pinckert
BY BILL DISMER, jr


Overwhelmingly favored to win
their first Eastern championship
since 1887, the Redskins ring down
the curtain on the regular National
Football League campaign today
with the hapless Philadelphia Eagles
providing the opposition CD at
Grif11th Stadium.
Today has been designated a.
''Edwards-Pinckert day" and the
two Redskin stars, only survivors OF
the original team Of 1882, will be
honored between halves by pres
entation of gifts from local fans
Neither definitely has announced
his retirement from pro football
but it is the ninth season for each
although Edwards has played but
little. Turk is Erny's senior By a
year, being 33.
Although it would be humiliatine
to back in," the Redskins do not
have to beat the Eagles to assure
their presence in the championship
playoff week from today. Any one
of three other developments wouo
prove just as decisive, If not salts
flying.
They are:
IA tie with the nine times
beaten Eagles.
2. A loss by the Brooklyn Dodgers
the only team with a chance tc
catch the Redskins, to the New
York Giants.
8. "A tie in the Dodger- Giant
game which will. incidentally, de.
ternine second place in the Eastern
Division.
Redskins Eager to Finish 1t.
In other words. only a defeat OF
the Redskins by the Eagles coupled
with victory for the Dodgers over
the Giants would deprive the Wash
ington team of an outright title
In that event, the Dodgers and Red
skins would be tied with q final rec
ord of eight victories and three
defeats, and would play OF the dead
lock for the Eastern crown here
next Sunday.
The Redskins, to a man, seem
determined to pour it on" the ILL
refreshed Eagles from the time they
take the field at 2 o'clock until the
final gun pops in an effort to erase
memories of last weeks 7-2l loss
at New York.
Indeed. it appears as if only one
Of the Philadelphia players who
won their first game of the season
only three days ago will be spared
the week-long wrath of the Indians.
As usual. an exception will be made
in the case of liz Davey OBrien,
the Eagles star backf1eld midget
who will be playing his last game
of football today.
O'Brien, Sammy Baugh's success
sor at Texas Christian University
goes to work here tomorrow as a
Oman for j. Edgar Hoover's Bureau
Of Investigation. Because he has
shown himself to be big little man
among big men, able and willing
to take it" unflinchingly, the Red
skins-like most of the other teams
in the league-see to it that Davey
never is subjected to undue rough
treatment.
O'Brien Most Prolific Passer.
Davey has thrown more passes
than any back in the league, tossing
his 217th in his 10th game last
Thursday. But O'Brien's current
percentage of AIS is points below
the average he finished with last
year and more than 20 points below
the average with which Baugh cur
rently is setting the pace. Only
Baugh, however, has completed
more passes this year than O'Brien,
who is credited with 81 competitions.
Baugh has 106.
Most notable of OBrien's team
mates here today will be his old
sidekick at T. c. u, who has been
on the receiving end of most of
No. S's passes, Rookie Don Looney.
Looney. an end, broke Don Hut
sons all-time season record by
catching his 42d pass two weeks
ago, only to have the Packer star
make his 42d last Sunday. But
Looney went ahead three days ago
and in his first year stands a good
chance of winding up as the
leagues new pass-catching cham
pion.
One other Eagle will bear watch
Ing. He is Dick Bassi, guard, who
played with the Chicago Bears for
two years after graduating from
Santa Clara in 1888 Basi is being
boosted for an all-league berth this
year by those who have been his
most constant observers.
Injured Baugh Won't Punt.
But from that trio on, the Eagles
have little to offer. That little
incidentally, can be interpreted two
ways, for with only % players In
uniform, Philadelphia will come here
with the smallest squad in the loop
The Redskins are not at full
strength for their last regular game
Tackle Bill Young is out for the
season with torn cartilege in hi,
right knee; Halfback Bob Hoffman
won't be in uniform because of a
torn lgament, also in his knee, and
End Bo McChesney isn't expected tc
see much service with broken right
hand. And because Baugh's foot
was bruised in the Bear game two
weeks ago, the Singer isn't expected
to do much, If any, punting.
But Don Irwin and Andy Farkas
are available for backf1eld duties and
Rookie Sandy Sanford is expected te
do all right as an end on the second
and fourth period teams. Frank Fill
chock's status is questionable. He
left the hospital only three days age
and he may, or may not play. Gen.
ter Vic Carroll, incidentally, may as
sumo Young's place at tackle during
the second and fourth quarters.