The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-15
Forecast Of Snow, Baugh's
Injured Rib Expected To
Hamper Washington
Bob Waterheld
BY SID FEEDER

CLEVELAND, Dec. "A u,
Cleveland's football folks, after
learning that Jim Benton's flu was
just a bad case of Imagination, to-
day took news of Sammy Baugh's
wrecked rib with a proverbia1;
grain of salt.
Now, Of course no one camel
right out to deny that Singing
Samuel did hurt his rib last week,
and may not be at his pitching
best for Sundays SNOWFALL fight
with Bob Waterfield for profess
siona1 footballs "world series.*
But one local gridiron guy, hearing
the news which reached here to-
day, just looked you up and down
and snickered, "boy, those Red
skins really busted off an old one
for us, didn't they?"
And the football boys and girls
around and about, from the fans
right up-or down-to the char1t-
able bookmaking gentlemen, didn't
bulge from the firm belief in these
parts that on Sunday the rah-rah
Rams would give the west its ninth
national professional league cham
pionship in the 13 years of the
east-west playoffs. The bookmak-
ers, as might be expected, had the
price rugged so they, themselves,
couldn't miss. Around the hotel
Hobbies, if you like Cleveland, you
Elay 8 to and give four points. III
you like Washington, you take z ITO
and 8 IL points.
A statistic of more moment,
particularly in the cash register
department, was the possibility
that all financial and crowd pee
ords might be erased when the
Rams and the Redskins spring
from the barrier in Clevelandts
76, 0O0-seat Municipal. stadium at
1880 pm. (EST) Sunday. A che elk
up Of the bankrol1 today revealed
$131 1000 already in the till, making
it almost certain that the record
$14e, 2O4.15, set in New York last
year by the Giants and Green Bay
Packers, would be wiped out Ay
advance sales alone.
It was showing here today, and
1925 shovelers were strutting their
stuff at the stadium, while the
Rams ran through their plays
and Washington's formations--in q
local armory. The Redskins bit
town tomorrow. The weather &dh'1
worry the money-counters, how
ever. In addition to being promised
that the snow faucets would be
turned off Sunday, they point Out
that last Tuesday, when it Snow
ed, their advance sale was 81, OC
alone, and Wednesday when 4 was
clear, only $4,000 dropped intp the
strong boxes.
Switching from the sordid finan-
| cial to the artistic picture OF this
game of skill and chance and legal
assault, the experts" tell you
that the Rams are 'it" because o.
their speed They insist that a clut
that can scat has always made the
redskins reach for the aspirin
battle. Baugh to the contrary not
withdrawing, and they take yon ne
farther back than to rapid PH1lla
delphia's 1910 shutout over the RED
skins a few weeks back. And it il
wellknown fact that the Mans
can romp with no delay.
The Rams, too, whipped Wash
ington in a preseason exhibition a
game this year 21-O, but amy re
semblance to that Redskin. outtl
and the current-or playof7cast il
purely coincidental, for 16 mem
|bers Of the present squad Weren
On hand for that fuss. Amdrfg tn
differences are such standout oaii
! toters as Bill DeCorrevont, Die.
| Todd. Steve Bagarus and 'Ceei
| Hare, who produced a running at
H tack to click alongside of Slingins
u samuers pitching last Sunday, ane
such sturdy forwards as center X
Aldrich and tackle Fred Davis, !;
tiny 24o-pounder off whom 1t i
definitely no pleasure for a bach