Evening star., 1949-08-26
Redskins Open Season
Against Ready Rams
In Exhibition Tonight
By Lewis F. Atchison
Sier Stoff Correspondent

ster Stoff Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26.-It'S
only an exhibition game, but you
could write a sizzling movie script
around tonight's RAM -Redskin
football game that marks the 1949
debut of both teams.
Victory for Clark Shaughnessy's
Rams is almost a must" If they
don't capture the fans fancy in
this game It may be long. lean
season at the box Office, with vio-
lent repercussions. Some even
think the Rams will have to 60
lpacking to other climes If they
again finish deeply in the red
Add to this a mild sort of long
distance feud between Danny
Reeves, Ram president, and
George Marshall, chief stockhold-
er of the Redskins. Reeves beef
against the Redskin boss, is some
what vague. but he would con-
slider it a personal favor If his
men blast the warriors from the
Potomac. Shaughnessy not only
has the quaint desire to win, so
firmly embedded in the minds of
football coaches, but undoubtedly
remembers last year when Coach
Bob Snyder. the head coach, was
assured he didn't have to win this
ono. But at 2 am. the morning
after the game it Is said Snyder
received a telephone call and sud-
denly discovered he had a bad
case Of ulcers. Shaughnessy wants
to remain healthy, officially and
otherwise.
It's a charity game. with all
profits going to the Los Angeles
Times fund to build boys clubs.
The Skins have raised over half
10 million dollars toward this
worthy goal and expect to add to
that figure handsomely. The
fruits of the teams labors already
are visible in the building of a
handsome clubhouse.
Whelchel Expects Loss.
Against that background, Billick
Whelchel. a retired rear admiral
of the Navy. begins the new and
nerve-wrecking career of coaching
a professional football team. To
hear him tell it, Shaughnessy has
absolutely nothing to fear from
the Redskins. Biliick, not one
to mince words, says his men are
two weeks behind the Rams, that
they lack the experience and
f1nesse to cope with them. He
points to the Alb shellacking
L. A. handed the Tribe in Wash
ington last December and says his
team hasn't improved enough to
close that gap.
He expects his rockies to tumble,
pointing out that it will be the
first big league test for such boys
as Harry Dowda, Jack Kirby and
others. He isn't sure Harry Gil
mer can. step into the quarterback
ing slot and handle the team with
smart. StneotH g Assurance. He
doesn't know how Dan Sandifer
will perform in his new role Of
running back. : -; ...s,-
Whelchel il .only sure the Red
skins have done as much work and
are as physically ready as they
can be in three weeks time.
"Give US two more weeks and
we'll be ready to play anybody"
he asserted. ''but we simply haven't
had enough time to get ready for
the Rams" Billick doesn't scare
easily or worry unnecessarily. How
ever, he will be out to win to-
night by every possible means but
he won't take the gaspipe if he
loses. After weighing all the fac
tors involved he merely thinks
the odds are stacked to high
against his team.
Waterfield at Quarterback.
The Rams have named start
ing lineup of 10 veterans and a
rookie. with Bob Waterf1eld get
ting the call over Jim Hardy at
quarterback. Redskin strategiSts,
however, expect Hardy to play as
much if not more than the veteran
passer and placement kicker.
The line. averaging 220 pounds,
will have Tom Fears and Jack
lilly, ends; Dick Huffman and Ed
Champagne. tackles; Hal Dean
and Milan Lazetich, guards; Jack
Martin, center; Fred Gehrke and
Rookie T. v. Smith, halfbacks, and
Dick Hoerner, fullback. On paper
it is team that compares favor
ably with any in the league.
It Is dominated by men who
held the champion Philadelphia
Eagles to a 1928 tie here last
season and gave the Chicago
Cardinals, Western Division
Champs, a real rough time before
bowling. It has enough power and
ability to worry any coach.
Billick is sticking to his earlier
plans calling for Tereshinski and
Hal Crisler at ends, Bob Hendren
q