1961 NFL Championship Game
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Date | December 31, 1961 | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||
TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Lindsey Nelson, Chris Schenkel | ||||||||||||||||||
Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Ray Scott, Jim Leaming | ||||||||||||||||||
The 1961 NFL Championship Game was the 29th title game. It was played on December 31 at "New" City Stadium, later known as Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with an attendance of 39,029.[2][3][4]
The contest was touted as "The Million Dollar Game," owing to the $600,000 in television broadcast rights paid to the NFL by
The game was a match-up of the Eastern Conference champion
The victory was the first of five NFL titles won in a seven-season span by the Packers and their head coach, Vince Lombardi. It was the Packers' seventh league title and their first in 17 years.
Overview
This was the first NFL championship game held in Green Bay.
Temperature at game time hovered at 20 °F (−7 °C) and for several days the field had been covered with a tarp, topped by a foot (30 cm) of hay. The covering was particularly significant as just two days before, the temperature dipped to −15 °F (−26 °C). Field conditions were of paramount concern if the teams were to make effective use of the running game. All the Packers players used cleats and about half of the Giants players, led by head coach Allie Sherman, chose sneakers, believing they would grip better on a frozen field. At 6 a.m. on game day, workers began the arduous process of snow and hay removal by hand using baskets, as heavy equipment could have potentially damaged the field.[9][10][11][12]
Green Bay had defeated the Giants 20–17 four weeks earlier at County Stadium in Milwaukee to clinch the Western title before a record crowd of 47,012.[13][14]
Injured in late October, Packer right guard Jerry Kramer was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Forrest Gregg moved in from right tackle to guard, and Norm Masters started at right tackle.
Game summary
First quarter
After both teams exchanged punts, the Giants were on the move to the Green Bay 46-yard line when the Giants end
Second quarter
Capping a 12-play 80-yard drive, Hornung, the
Third quarter
In an unusual turn of events, the Packers were given five downs on their first possession of the quarter. On first down, Hornung ran up the middle. Then, on second down, Bart Starr scrambled for fifteen yards and fumbled the ball away. But the Packers were flagged for an illegal procedure penalty. After the Giants refused the penalty, the officials at first gave the ball to the Giants. But realizing a procedure penalty negates any resulting play, the officials correctly gave the ball back to Green Bay, albeit with a first down instead of second down. Despite the extra play, Green Bay eventually punted. The following series also resulted in a GB punt, with the Giants Joe Morrison fumbling and Forrest Gregg recovering for the Packers. Hornung then booted a 22-yard field goal, making it 27-0.
The Packers continued their march toward a championship with hard running by Hornung and Tom Moore (replacing Taylor). Starr completed his third touchdown pass, this one to Ron Kramer in the left corner of the end zone. Kramer fell heavily on the ice after scoring and limped off the field. The Giants went back to Tittle at quarterback again as the quarter ended.
Fourth quarter
The veteran Tittle, who led the Giants to two more championship appearances in
Scoring summary
Sunday, December 31, 1961
Kickoff: 1 p.m. CST
- First quarter
- no scoring
- Second quarter
- GB – Paul Hornung 6 yard run (Hornung kick), 7–0 GB
- GB – Boyd Dowler 13 yard pass from Bart Starr (Hornung kick), 14–0 GB
- GB – Ron Kramer 14 yard pass from Starr (Hornung kick), 21–0 GB
- GB – Hornung 17 yard FG, 24–0 GB
- Third quarter
- GB – Hornung 22 yard FG, 27–0 GB
- GB – Kramer 13 yard pass from Starr (Hornung kick), 34–0 GB
- Fourth quarter
- GB – Hornung 19 yard FG, 37–0 GB
Source:[15]
Officials
- Referee: George Rennix (#52)
- Umpire: James Beiersdorfer (#17)
- Head Linesman: John Highberger (#48)
- Back Judge: Charles Sweeney (#22)
- Field Judge: Frank Luzar (#14)[4][16]
The NFL had five game officials in 1961; the line judge was added in 1965 and the side judge in 1978.
With 40,000 tickets sold at $10 each and $615,000 in TV revenue, this game was the first NFL Championship to generate $1 million in revenue.[17] Each player on the winning Packers team received $5,195, while Giants players made $3,340 each.[3][7][10][17]
Vince Lombardi
This was the fifth shutout in NFL Championship game history and coach Lombardi's first of five championships in seven years. Lombardi used a strategy in this game that was common in all the Packers championships. A strategy of fundamentally sound football (the Packers had no turnovers and only 16 yards in penalties) and to beat the opposition at their strength, in this case running the ball at the Giants linemen Andy Robustelli and Rosey Grier.[10] This strategy allowed the Packers to control the game, running 63 offensive plays to only 43 for the Giants. In 1959, Lombardi (who formerly happened to be the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants) had taken over a Green Bay franchise that was the worst team in the league in 1958,[18] and in three years turned them into NFL Champions.
See also
- 1961 NFL season
- History of the National Football League championship
- 1961 American Football League Championship Game
Video
- "1961 NFL Championship Broadcast – New York Giants at Green Bay Packers," NBC via YouTube.com (Full game.)
- "1961 NFL Championship Broadcast – New York Giants at Green Bay Packers," NBC via YouTube.com (Extended version, lower quality.)
References
- ^ a b c d "Favored Green Bay meets Gotham in title battle today". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 31, 1961. p. 4, sports.
- ^ a b c Lea, Bud (January 1, 1962). "Packers World Champions!". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1M.
- ^ a b "Facts and figures". Milwaukee Sentinel. January 1, 1962. p. 1S.
- ^ a b Strickler, George (January 1, 1962). "Green Bay 37, New York 0!". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 6.
- ^ Lindsey Nelson, "NBC Pregame Telecast," (video), 1:30 mark.
- ^ Maule, Tex (January 8, 1962). "Day of devastation". Sports Illustrated. p. 12.
- ^ a b "'Soldier' Hornung leads driving Packers to 37–0 humiliation of New York Giants". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 1, 1962. p. 14.
- ^ "Private planes typify Hornung". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. January 4, 1962. p. 14, part 2.
- ISBN 0-312-05089-5, p.335
- ^ a b c d e Announcers Lindsay Nelson or Chris Schenkel during CBS's original game broadcast
- ^ Green Bay's City Stadium Field Before The Championship Game Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Wisconsin Historical Society, website [1]
- ^ "Green Bay Packers Team Encyclopedia". www.pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ Johnson, Chuck (December 4, 1961). "Packers tip Giants, 20-17; cinch title before 47,012". Milwaukee Journal. p. 2, sports.
- ^ "New York Giants at Green Bay Packers - December 3rd, 1961". www.pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ "Championship - New York Giants at Green Bay Packers - December 31st, 1961". www.pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ "Packers at full strength for title fray". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 30, 1961. p. 13.
- ^ a b Johnson, Chuck (December 31, 1961). "Packers play Giants in 'million dollar' game". Milwaukee Journal. p. 2, sports.
- ^ "1958 NFL Standings & Team Stats". www.pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 10, 2010.