Evening star., 1947-12-14

Settling Crown
Al New York
Sectional Titles Up
In Hectic National
League Struggles
BY Bob Grub
Asseeiot.d Pres. Sports Wri.sr

NEW YORK, Dec. l3.-The Ma
tional Football League may find its
championship playoff falling almost
into the New Year Day bowl cate
CORY, but the All-America Confer.
ence will definitely call it quits for
the 1947 season tomorrow.
While the defending champion,
Cleveland Browns, and the Eastern
title-holders, the New York YAM
KEGS, meet in Kankee Stadium here
to decide AAC supremacy, the out
come OF the senior circuits race will
not be known for another week. and
possibly two.
The Western Division Champion
ship Of the NFL can be settled at
Chicago tomorrow in a bitter intra-
city duel between the favored Bears
and the surprising Cardinals, but the
outcome of the Eastern title tangle
depends on what happens at Phila-
delphia, where the currently second
place Eagles entertain the Green
Bay Packers. .
Eagles Bidding for Tie.
If the Philadelphians defeat the
Packers they will go into a tie with
the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are
idle, for the Eastern pennant. A loss
or tie would eliminate the Eagles
and send the Steelers into the final
playo1 week hence against the
winner OF tomorrow's Chicago duel.
A Cardinal-Bear stalemate like
wise would necessitate a divisional
playoff in the West, forcing the
championship game back to Decem-
ber 28-date auspicious for football
nowhere but in the sunny bowl
climes.
The Yankee Stadium attraction
is expected to draw near-sellout
10000 as the Browns and the Yanks
meet for the sixth time in two sea-
sons of league competition. Their
1928 deadlock on the same site
three weeks ago was the closest the
New Workers ever came to subduing
the Browns, winners in their four
previous meetings.
Cleveland Coach Paul Brown has
schooled his Browns the past week
in extensive defensive maneuvers
against the New York ground game
which piled up a $50 lead over
Cleveland in the first half of their
November % meeting.
Young Likely Yanks Punter,
Nor has Brown neglected his Of
fensive game. the Yanks figure.
Edgar Especial Delivery Jones
didn't play in the 28-all battle. but
he'll be raring to go tomorrow. And
ace finger Otto Graham has the
two top pass receiving ends of the
Conference.-The Speedie and Dante
Lavelli-to pitch to.
Halfback Spec Sanders ankle
seems to have responded to treat.
ment although he will not likely bs
IN his accustomed role of kicker.
Coach Ray Flaherty has been
grooming Buddy Young to punt.
Bruce Affords arm has mended so
the top defensive end should be in
better shape than he has been the
past two weeks
More than 47O0O fans are ex-
pected to jam Wrigley Field for the
chicago joust between two clubs
that have each won eight and lost.
three. The Cards trimmed the Bears.
Sl-7 In October. but tomorrow
they'll be at least one touchdown
underdogs. The Cards closed the
l946 schedule with a 1928 win over
the Western Champion Bears.
The offensive action is likely to
develop into "a pitching duel be-
tween the Bears Sid Luckman and
the Cards Paul Christman. Christ
mans sharp f1inging fattened the
Bears In the initial meeting of the
CUPS this year, although Luckman
holds better record with 2,5O5 wards
ana 70 touchdowns to Christmans
l,944 yards and IS six-pointers.