Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-19

A N GIL E
The millionaire Coach
BY LEWIS +. ATcHIsoN

WHEN FOOTBALL CONVERSATION gets around to the
big money coaches the who get lOyear contracts
five figures, with Cadillac and spacious country home
thrown In Tor good measure the eonversatonastS are
speaking Of pkers Sunday millionaire coach will be in
our midst when George Haas shepherds his flock of Chi
cago Bears into Griffith Stadium for at the Redskins
With a flourishing ewelry business, sporting goods
store football team that draws well at the gate and an
oil we'll or two Haas is in the chips But Sunday, you'll
see him roaming the sdelne like any poor
COACH chewing his nails and waving program when the
officials call against his beloved Bears That wave
will be no cool hello but harsh note of protest.
When most with the to retire from a sport
exhaustng and demanding football would be con-
tent to sit in the stands before Tv set and let
else fight out the field Halas prefers the
front-ine trenches. He tried sitting still for two years
and squred much he out his best wopants suit
HALAS is ONE of the two most successful promoters
Of football in the National League The other George
Marshall who has had losing season. financially
since moving the Redskins from Boston to Washington in
1887 Halas had couple 1921 the Bears lost ST. 49,
In 1882, although they the league championship for
the first time in decade the club finished about $4,000
in the red But that didn't discourage George He never
doubted that pro football someday would pay Off He'd
still be crazy about it even if it didn't
But not until the two Georges put their heads together
in 1888 Marshas first year in the league and persuaded
their fellow club to adopt the division system
with cimactical championship game, did pro football
catch on in big way with the public.
Numerous other reforms suggested by the pair followed
until the pros not only pulled up even terms with college
football in public interest but in some respects surpassed It,
$3.50
HOWEVER, THE TWO Georges didn't always get along
well together They've bckered fought and tried to outwit
another almost from the beginning of their long rea
tionshp
In 1947, at the leagues md-winter meeting at Chicago
the voted to establish bonus pick whereby the
team drawing the lucky number from hat could choose
any eligible college football player in the country before
the regular draft began. Haas the first pick.
When the Bears owner-coach emerged from the
ell chamber minutes later to inform the of his
good fortune the writers already knew Marshall told them
81 wish you'd make your own announcements" said
Halas looking daggers at the Redskins owner land leave
the Bears to me-"
"oh, that wasn't very important" Marshall scoffed,
walking jauntily away"
HALAs GENERALLY is credited with revving the T
formation and If he isn't Clark ShaughneSsy is. since
Clark used it put Stanfords 1910 team the Bowl
with the And the Bears 1870 victory the Redskins
in the 1910 title payoff at Griffith Stadium is believed to
have induced Marshall to switch the Washington oense
from Ray Flahertys powerful snge-wing to the T. Both
versions wrong
The Bears always used the T. But Ralph Jones, who
coached the from 1890 through 1885, after Haas and
to handle the club the first to employ the man-in
motion-T
The Redskins adopted the because Marshall figured
1t would and tear Baugh and give him few
years in the league 1t added eight years to
Sans career, which ended in 1852.
The first time the Bears tried their against
Green Bay in 1880 and the Packers beat them, TO.
1t could happen again Sunday but it won't If the
enthusiasm generated by HaaS infecs the Bears squad
you know something else about Halas" a man said
Hes also psychologist. real Knute Rockne. That
sometimes helps"