Evening star., 1941-12-21
GriidCrown Duel
Third Between
Great Rivals
Each Hos Triumphed
In Series; SeIIout
Appears Unlikely
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, Dec. 2O.-The National
Football Leagues ninth annual
championship playoff, delayed a
week while the Chicago Bears and
Green Bay Packers settled dis
pute over the western division title,
will take place tomorrow in Wrigley
Field when the Bears meet the New
York Giants, eastern titlists.
The prospect of unusually good
weather for this time of the year
frightened chances for a near-cap-
acity crowd. If attendance hit the
capacity 41,839 mark, the gates
would gross $l54,018.70. with mem
berS of the finalist teams to get 10
per cent of the net.
But there still were tickets avail
able today unlike last week when
all seats for the Bears-Packers play
off were snapped up within a half
day after the sale opened. There
were 10000 Green Bay fans in the
stands last Sunday, however, to
swell the total, while not more than
a scattering of New Workers chose to
make the long trip west for this
battle.
Bears Are Ia Choice.
The supreme confidence of Bears
hackers resulted in betting odds OF
IA favoring the Chicagoans. A week
ago the Bears were listed at 800 over
the Packers, whom they defeated,
1914.
The Giants, who held brief
workout this afternoon at Wrigley
Field. pointed to the fact they were
idle last Sunday and thus had two
weeks to rest up and plot tactics for
the championship game.
The Bears, though, recalled how
the New Workers had two weeks to
get ready for their final regulation
game against the Brooklyn Dodgers
only to lose to their cross-town n
walls, 21-7.
George Halas, owner-coach OF the
Bears, declared his team reached its
peak against the Packers in the
playoff but was uncertain as to
whether that fine edge had been
maintained this week. He scoffed at
the confidence shown by fans in
his boys, pointing out how they
we're set back. 1914. by the Pack
ers in midseason after winning five
straight games. That was the only
tilt the Bears lost this season.
Title Series Is Even,
I'VE had just won those five games
by overwhelming scores. the owner
coach said, 'and We couldn't tell
anybody that the Packers might
whip U.S. Everybody was certain we
wouldn't lose a single game. You
know what happened. We were out
classed for three quarters and lost"
This is the third time the Bears
and Giants have met for the title
since the interdivisional playoffs
we're instituted here in 1888. That
first year the Bears won, 1921. on
great playing by Harold tReO
Grange. In 1884 they met again IN
the famous tennis-shoe contest, the
New Workers winning on an ice
covered field in the Polo Grounds,
30-13.
The Bears stood chance of be-
ing the first team to win the title
twice in a row since the playoff
plan was adopted. They won last
years title match from the WASH
ington Redskins, 1870.
Lou De Filippo, Giants center,
paid his $50 fine-assessed for en-
gaging in a slugging bee two weeks
ago-to Commissioner Elmer lay
den and made himself eligible for
tomorrow's game. Even so, it was
doubtful he would start. Coach
Steve Owen of New York having
decided during the suspension
period to use the veteran Mel Helm.
Probable line-ups: