Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-12-28
Lions 10 Battle
Browns Today
For Pro Title
Five-Point Edge Given
Detroit After Rivals
Lose Speedie, Jones
BY the Assoeiofed Press

CLEVELAND, Dec. 27.-Detroit
Lions. hot after their first pro
football championship in II years,
move into the payoff game to-
morrow against the worried
Cleveland Browns.
Between $4,000 and $4,000 are
expected to turn out in sub-freez-
ing temperatures at Municipal
Stadium-more than 5000 max
ing the 150-mile trip from Michi-
gan for the game.
(The game, at 2 pm. E. S. T.,
will be seen on television in the
Washington area over Station
WTTG (Channel 81 and heard
by radio over WWDC.)
The Weather Bureau predicted
the highest temperature would be
"a degrees. The forecast indi-
Gated the sky would be cloudy
although there would be no snow.
Bert Bell, National Football
League commissioner, said sta
dium lights would be turned on
before the game.
Odds favoring the Lions held at
3l2 points Gin some places they
were as high as five points, even
after Paul Brown, Cleveland
coach. announced End Mac Spec
die and Halfback Dub Jones
would miss the game because OF
injuries. Speedie leads the league
in pass catching. Jones, also a
fine receiver, once scored six
touchdowns in one game.
This really hurts U.S." Brown
added. There is the crux of our
pass offense all shot to pieces
Well be without our top scoring
threats.
Lions Coach Skeptical.
Coach Buddy Parker of the
Lions expressed doubt that the
two key men would really miss
the game. "I'll believe it when
I see it," he declared.
With or without Speedie and
Jones. the Detroit coach still
thinks the game will be an "even-
Stephen" contest between 1.-TWO
great clubs" He said the odds
wouldn't affect his team.
AFTER all. they've played the
Browns before and know what
Cleveland has," Parker said. "Odds
mean nothing to players. Neither
does being an underdog."
Detroit beat Cleveland, 17-6,
earlier this season.
Brown was satisfied at first with
the Browns underdogs role, but
now he says it isn't nearly as
much fun" as he expected. This
is the first championship game
in which the Browns have been
on the short end of the odds. They
have played in the last six.
Thinks Browns Have a Chance.
A perfectionist and a great be-
lever in psychology. Brown works
hard at getting his team up" for
big games. He holds Cleveland
has a chance" if the players work
at their absolute peak"
Parker. working different
angle, said his team was taking
this one 'in stride" He declared
all the league games this year
were big ones" and that the
Lions were used to it by now.
He affirmed, however, that they
were up" for this one-confident
and ready. "All players get but
terflies before a game" he said,
but they are no more nervous
for this one than for the Others"
Moneywise, each player gets at
least $1,000 out of the game, with
the winners getting a few hun
dred dollars more than the losers.
Brown and his club said they
were more nervous than ever be-
fore. Once Brown said, We're
worried we won't be able to make
a good game of it."
I'm all probability" Brown said,
well start Horace Gillom at left
end (for Speedie) and Rex Bum
gardner at right half for jones' :"
Plans to Use Rockies.
We'll let them get it under
way and play until some of the
tension is lifted. But we have
a lot of plans for tDerrelD Brew
ster and (Ray) Renfro."
Both Brewster, formerly of Pur-