THE COFFIN CORNER - VOLUME 31 - 2009
These documents are in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, or a similar PDF viewing application to access these files.
VOLUME 31 (2009)
Number 1:
PFRA Committee Report by Ken Crippen. An update on various PFRA committees.
Seasons In The Sun: The California Winter League of 1927 and '28 by Bob Gill. Nearly 20 years before the AAFC and NFL placed teams in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California fans got their first real taste of pro football.
Left Wingers by John Maxymuk. A rundown of all of pro football’s southpaw passers, including Frankie Albert, Steve Young, Ken Stabler, and Michael Vick. Accompanying tables list every left-handed quarterback drafted in the first round and every left-handed running back, such as Gale Sayers and Buddy Young, who threw at least one pass.
Horses, Trucks and Rockets by Tracy Thibeau. The story of Jack Keeshin, who tried to make Chicago a three-football-team town with the AAFC Rockets.
Hanford Dixon by Roger Gordon. In addition to being one of the finest cornerbacks in Browns history, the colorful Hanford Dixon also was one of the originators of Cleveland’s famed “Dawg Pound.”
Showing the Facts Under the Friday Night Lights by Dr. Gregory Selber. The writer takes on a near-impossible task: putting together an all-star team of players born in Texas.
Player Deaths in 2008. From Mel Agee to Jerry Zawadzkas, an alphabetical listing of all the pro players lost in 2008.
Number 2:
PFRA Corporate Bylaws Revisions by Ken Crippen. A reminder that voting ends May 1, 2009 for revisions to PFRA corporate bylaws.
One in 12,837. A trio of weird scores and weird endings, including the only NFL game with a final score of 11-10.
The Cardinals' Last Championship From Total Football, a recap and statistics from the 1947 NFL championship game between the Chicago Cardinals and Philadelphia.
Steamrollered: 1928 by Bob Carroll and John Hogrogian. Reliving the 1928 NFL season, which saw 41-year-old Jim Thorpe’s last NFL appearance and Providence outlasting Frankford and the Detroit Wolverines for the top spot in the final standings.
A True Football Classic by Rick Gonsalves. Revisiting the 1958 NFL championship game. The Colts and Giants didn’t know they had made history at the time, only that Baltimore had prevailed in the first title game to go into overtime.
Before Baugh by Bob Gill. Long before “Slingin’ Sammy” Baugh and Benny Friedman revolutionized the forward pass, the aerial game was alive and well.
(Book Review) McKay's Men by reviewed Andy Piascik. The reviewer’s verdict: “a highly-readable account of the 1979 Bucs, a team that came within one win of making it to the Super Bowl.”
(Book Review) St. Clair: I'll Take It Raw! reviewed by Andy Piascik. A biography of 49ers tackle Bob St. Clair, one of the NFL’s most colorful characters of the 1950s.
(Book Review) Pride & Poise: The Oakland Raiders of the American Football League reviewed by Andy Piascik. The reviewer describes author Jim McCullough’s effort as “a comprehensive, extremely well-researched account of the Raiders of the 1960s….ten years’ worth of games, rivalries, and the accomplishments of Jim Otto, Willie Brown, Warren Wells, and so many other players.”
Texans 27 - Bears 23 by Tracy Thibeau. Recalling the 1952 Thanksgiving Day game between the homeless Dallas Texans and the Chicago Bears, played at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio.
Number 3:
Bob Hayes Hall of Fame Biography. A profile of Dallas wide receiver “Bullet Bob” Hayes.
Randall McDaniel Hall of Fame Biography. A biographical sketch of the Hall-of-Fame guard, who played 14 seasons with Minnesota and Tampa Bay.
Bruce Smith Hall of Fame Biography. The Hall-of-Fame defensive end was a dominant force during his 19 seasons with Buffalo and Washington.
Derrick Thomas Hall of Fame Biography. A profile of Kansas City linebacker Derrick Thomas, whose extraordinary pass-rushing skills resulted in the most sacks of any player during the 1990s.
Ralph Wilson Hall of Fame Biography. A biography of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr., one of the original owners of the American Football League.
Rod Woodson Hall of Fame Biography. In his 17 NFL seasons, the Hall-of-Fame defensive back racked up 71 interceptions, returning a record 12 of them for touchdowns.
Punt Returns for Touchdowns: 1990-1999 by Gary Selby. A complete listing of all punts returned for touchdowns during the 1990s.
When Lions Roared: Detroit's 1957 NFL Championship Season by Jim Sargent. A detailed account of Detroit’s tumultuous 1957 season, which featured Buddy Parker’s abrupt resignation, Bobby Layne’s season-ending injury, an unprecedented comeback in the divisional playoff with the 49ers, and culminated with a 59-14 thrashing of the Browns for the Lions’ last NFL title.
The Shamrock Bowl by Mark Bolding. The final game in the history of the All-America Football Conference pitted league champion Cleveland against a team of all-stars selected from the other six AAFC franchises. It was the only all-star contest in the league’s history.
Carl Hairston by Roger Gordon. A chat with defensive lineman Carl Hairston, whose 15-year career included a productive stint with the resurgent Cleveland Browns of the 1980s.
Number 4:
PFRA Committees by Ken Crippen. An update on several of the various PFRA Committees, including the Bylaws Committee, Oral History Committee, All-America Football Conference Committee, Hall of Very Good Committee, Linescore Committee, USFL Committee, Uniforms of Past Teams Committee and the TV and Radio Commentators Committee.
PFRA Elections by Ken Crippen. A call for nominations for PFRA officers.
The Packers Crash Through: 1929 by Bob Carroll and PFRA Research. A summary of the 1929 NFL season.
1946 All-America Football Conference All-Rookie Team by John Collins. An opinion on who should be on the All-Rookie team for the inaugural year of the All-America Football Conference.
Violet and Walter by Tracy Thibeau. The story of Violet Bidwill Wolfner's tenure as the owner of the Chicago Cardinals. Walter Wolfner took over football operations when he married Violet, and the team fell apart.
The NFL World Championship Game: December 24, 1950 by Bob Follensbee. The 1950 NFL Championship Game pitted the Cleveland Browns against the Los Angeles Rams. At stake was the reputation of the NFL against the former All-America Football Conference team. The game would turn out to be a passing duel between Otto Graham and Bob Waterfield.
Number 5:
PFRA-ternizing. Statements are made from the two candidates running for President of the PFRA.
PFRA Committees by Ken Crippen. An update on several of the various PFRA Committees, including the Membership Committee, Oral History Committee, Hall of Very Good Committee, Website and Forum Committee, All-America Football Conference Committee, and the Television and Radio Commentators Committee. Details of the next PFRA Meeting are also discussed.
Hall of Very Good by Andy Piascik, Bob Gill, Sean Lahman and Ken Crippen. Biographies of the Hall of Very Good are provided for this year's voting.
The National Football League Commissioner's Report on Investigation: April 17, 1963. The official NFL Commissioner's report on gambling throughout the league and the accusations against specific players: Bob St. Clair, Rick Casares, John Gordy, Alex Karras, Darris McCord, Wayne Walker, Carroll Rosenbloom (owner), Paul Hornung, Joe Schmidt and Sam Williams.
The Great Quarterback Migration by John Maxymuk. A look at black quarterbacks in the 1970s who went to Canada for a better chance at playing pro football.
Joe DeLamielleure by Roger Gordon. A short biography of the Hall of Fame guard for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns.
Taciturn Tommy Thompson by Tracy Thibeau. A biography of Tommy Thompson, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1940s.
The Most Impressive Team I've Ever Seen by Raymond Lee. A detailed look at the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs.
Number 6:
PFRA-ternizing. PFRA election results.
Bob Carroll Tribute. Several long-time members of the PFRA comment on Bob Carroll and his impact on their lives.Heidi-Ho! by Bob Carroll. An account of the infamous Heidi game, where NBC cut away from the New York Jets-Oakland Raiders contest to show Heidi.
Looking Into Your Locals by Bob Carroll. Tips and techniques on how to start researching local teams.
How to Get From Dayton To Indianapolis By Way of Brooklyn, Boston, New York, Dallas, Hershey and Baltimore by Bob Carroll. Tracing the franchise history of the Indianapolis Colts.
Semi-Pro or Pro? by Bob Carroll. Examining the difference between a semi-pro player and a pro player.
Rating the Receivers by Bob Carroll. A humorous look at trying to create a rating system for receivers.
When Halas Cornered the Draft by Bob Carroll. A detailed look at George Halas and his early 1940s drafts.
'Twas the Night Before the PFRA Meeting by Bob Carroll. A poem written by Bob Carroll.