Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-20
NEGH AT LARGE
1t All Started
With Marshall
By MORRIS SIEGEE

THE PITTSBURGH STEEIERS got an understandable
boot out Of the winning field goal their man Lou
Mchaes made against the Redskins, but If the Redskins
feel like raising big kick the incident they don't
have to go far to do it, 68f
Their own man, George Preston Marshall who wasn't
in Pittsburgh responsible About 80 years in
1888, Marshall then freshman owner Of freshman
franchise called the Boston Redskins proposed that the
goal posts be returned to the goal line to hypo scoring
The National Football Leagues official textbook does
not give Marshall credit for the proposal adopted almost
unanimously but George insists it was he who did It, so
far nobody has disputed Marshas claim at least not
around here and there is little chance anybody will
THE OFFICIAL NIL canon does cite the man for
other suggestions the daddy the book says OF the
idea to split the league into two divisions He fathered
the idea of the Bowl George also may have introduced
the resolution honorng himself for Is of service to
the NF adopted in 1857 The author currently remains
anonymous, perhaps due to modesty.
There no inclination question Marshalls boast
that he's the got the goal posts restored who
made it legal to pass from anywhere behind the line OF
Scrmmage and other suggestions which con-
trbuted to making the game what is today The least
the NIL could do it seems would be to give the man
complete credit
1t merely could list Marshall and place the required
number of asterks beside his name they do in baseball
for noteworthy accomplishments
gest that the rewre its guidebook into unabridged
Marshall edition. but to point out the importance that
fancy footwork notably the toe played in Sundays events
in both the NIL and Its ugly duckling second cousin the
sAFR
In the normal course OF seasons pro football bust
ouchdowns outnumber field goals by almost three to
one Last year. for example there were 526 touchdown
made against ITO field goals in the NIL Even If specialists
had made all the field goals they tried touchdowns still
would have led by margin Of about 22 to l.
However. a
shortage in and nordnate stress of three
pointers in others Touchdowns led by narrow 80
gin, considerably below the league average.
THERE WERE THREE GAMES in the NFL on
field goals The Bears outscored Dallas lastsecond
boot by Roger Lecerc Don Chandler booted four three
pointers to edge the Eagles for the Giants and there
that fellow Lou Mchaes up in Pittsburgh who had some
thing to do with the Redskins not winning.
60 In Mchaes case it would have made little difference
If the goal posts had been the goal line in Civic
Center, which adoins Forbes Field His strong kick
which propelled the ball in the general direction Of West
Philadelphia But there other where the 10
yard difference between placing the posts the goal line
or in the end made THE difference.
The Marshall rule did not apply at College Park The
Clemson boy arched goal posts set back off the
end zone college STYLE and the kick that separated
Maryland from its l4-14 tie with the visitors.
TOM NUGENT MARYLAND's pro-minded coach long
has espoused moving the posts back to the goal line and
other devices the Sunday gadators to facilitate
activity the scoreboard But Nugens problem against
Clemson something uncovered in any football rule:
How to prevent a field goal.
Shifting back to the Marshall goal post stand 1t was
mentioned several paragraphs above that Georges reso-
ton for posts the goal line adopted almost
unanimously. True.
The protest vote offered by Curley Lambeau run
ming the store at Green Bay Cureys Packers those
years played high school grdron His objections were
not theological but financial would cost him Is bucks
to move the posts for his Sunday games He somehow
found the money to do it.