Evening star., 1947-12-29
Cards NFL Champion!
After Licking Eagles
In 'Gym-Shoe' Game
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

CHICAGO, Dec. 29.-The Chicago
Cardinals today reigned as the Ma
tional Football League champions
for the second time in the profess
sional circuits 28-year history and
they owed it all to fast break"
that would put basket ball to
shame.
In fact, yesterdays league cham
pionship game on the cementllke
sod of Comiskey Park was eXclu-
sively q gym shoe" romp in which
the Cardinals outlasted the Phlla-
delphia Eagles, 1921, before shlV-
ering throng of 30,759.
Completely reversing the tradl-
tional form of the pass-minded pro-
fessional footballers, the Cardinals
struck for all four of their touch
downs on two sensational gallops
each by Charley Trippi, former
Georgia All-America, and eX-Notre
Damer Elmer Angsman.
Long Runs Pay Off.
Trippi streaked "A yards on a
quick opening play in the first pc
riod. Angsman exploded 10 yards
into pay dirt on similar play In
the second quarter. Trippi ram
bled rs yards with a punt for a
third-period touchdown. And Angs-
man darted 10 yards again for an
other touchdown in the fourth
quarter.
That was the ball game, although
the Eagles gamely kept within strlk-
ing distance with Tommy Thomp-
sons 53-yard scoring toss to Pat
McHugh in the second quarter and
short touchdown smashes by Steve
Van Buren and Russ Graft In the
third and fourth stanzas.
The Cardinals. tearing a page
from the New York Giants, who
surprised the Chicago Bears by ap-
pearing in gym shoes at the start
of the second half in their 1884
league title playoff game, took the
field yesterday in sneakers.
Three Records Broken.
The Eagles tried to start the game
with sharply honed regular football
shoes, but after penalty for illegal
equipment" quickly changed to
basketball shoes and the rest Of the
game was a "fat-foot" affair.
The Cardinals triumph, which
wound up the longest season in NFL
history, was marked by three rec
ord reaking performances.
Angsman, aided by his two TO
yard touchdown rambles, amassed
159 yards in 10 ball-carrying at
tempts to shatter the former play
off mark of 1O9 yards in 10 carries
by the Bears Bill Osmanski against
Washington in 1910.
Thompson, the Philadelphians'
passing quarterback, established
two playoff marks by flinging A
passes and hitting on 27. The for
mer records of SO attempts and
1s completions were set by Sammy
Baugh OF Washington against the
Bears in 1887
Van Buren, Checked.
Van Buren. the leagues record
breaking ball carrier with 1908
yards in the regular campaign,
was a big disappointment in the
Eagles bid for their first title in
the 14-year history of the East
West playoff.
The Cardinals smothered Van
Buren for only 26 yards in 18 trips.
That left him with only 96 yards
gained in three games against the
Cardinals this year.
1t was the first title triumph for
the Cardinals since 1925. That was
we'll before the league arranged the
East West playof1s in 1888.
The Cardinals, who divided their
swag 40 ways, collected $1,132 each
from the $83, 1887 players pool. The
Eagles who also voted 40 shares,
collected $754 each. Gross receipts
from the 30,759 crowd and radio
and television rights were $l59, ,498
and the net receipts S119839.