Evening star., 1948-12-13
Baltimore Coach BIomes
Whelon, Official, for Defect
bv Merrell WhiffleSav

The most unpopular man in Bal
timore today is Tommy Whelan.
the former Catholic University grid
great, who on Sundays takes time
out from tending his District tavern
to off1ciate in the All-America Con-
ference.
Whelan's unpopularity is at its
peak with Cecil Isbell, the Balti-
more Colts coach, who screamed,
That Whelan cost us two games
this season and he cost me my job"
as he stormed into the dressing room
following his teams 2S-17 defeat by
the Buffalo Bills yesterday.
Appropriately enough, Whelan,
sideline judge, and the other officials
were herded out of Baltimore stadi-
um last night in the darkened Bills
bus. They slipped quietly past sew
eral hundred irate fans, the rem-
nants Of an original group of thou
sands who poured onto the field
and surrounded the officials in mob
fashion. Players and police helped
the offlcials of the field but on the
way to the dressing room they were
kicked, scratched and showed and
Whelan was hit on the back of the
head. 1T felt like somebody's fist"
he said later.
Colts Chief To Protest.
Jake Embrey, president of the
Colts, plans to lodge a formal
protest. When told Isbell said the
game cost him his job, Embrey said,
"Ceces contract has another year
to go and everybody is well pleased
with the work he has done. He will
be here next year."
Isbell must have heard the
rumors that are going around, how
ever, and when Commissioner Jonas
Ingram made an appearance in the
Colts quarters Isbell again blasted
the league officials and pointing to
Line Coach Tom Stidham repeated,
"Whelan cost us our jobs"
The disputed play was. one that
involved judgment and not some
thing in black and white. A player
must have possession and control
OF a ball after catching a forward
pass to effect its completion. Chet
Mutryn of the Bills took q pass
from George Ratterman, ran three
or four steps, fumbled, and Johnny
Mellus Of the Colts recovered.
Mutryn had possession of the ball.
alright, but did he have control?
Whelan said no, positively no.
Mellus, naturally. said yes.
Desperate Pass Intercepted.
The score was 17-14 at the time In
favor of Baltimore with little more
than five minutes remaining. Buf.
falo scored six plays later and add
ed needless touchdown when Y. A.
Title was tossing desperate passes
deep in his own territory and Guard
Ed Hirsch intercepted one and lum-
bered to a touchdown.
A constant threat of rain and Bal
timore's 10000 television sets held
the crowd to 27,327, but it probably
was one of the most highly partisan
crowds ever TO see a game. When
the Colts pulled out of their sloppy
f1rst-half play with brilliant foot.
ball and two touchdowns in the
third quarter, Babe Ruth Stadium
was a madhouse, with no college
crowd ever more enthusiastic. An
were made that trains
would leave Baltimore Saturday
night for the playoff in Cleveland
and everybody seemed to want to
get aboard.
But the enthusiasm was short.
lived and the train announcements
premature. For after the excellent
passing Of little and the spectac.
ular catches of Lamar Davis put
the Colts in position for Bus Mertes'
scoring efforts, the Colts collapsed.
They had no defense for George
Ratterman's long, hanging aerials
in the last 10 minutes of play.
Ratterman's Gambling Pays OFF.
Buffalo was a beaten team-l7-7
in the fourth quarter when
Ratterman decided to gamble. II
(See BILLS. PAGE A-151