I have been reading up on the 1956 season which in the Western Conference came down to the final regular season game in Chicago with the Detroit Lions vs. the Chicago Bears. Bobby Layne was knocked out of that game on an allegedly cheap shot by Bears defensive end Ed Meadows. Some people have said that Layne's injury cost Detroit the game, and Lions coach Buddy Parker said that it not only cost Detroit the game, but also the NFL Championship, because he believed that Detroit would have gone on to beat the Giants in the championship game.
Not sure that Parker was right (he may have had a bias) even about winning the Bears game with Layne, but suppose Layne wasn't hurt and led Detroit to a victory that day. If so, would they have beaten the Giants in the championship game?
Opinions are welcome.
1956 NFL Championship: Lions vs. Giants.
Re: 1956 NFL Championship: Lions vs. Giants.
No takers? OK. I don't know who would have won that game either.
I would lean toward the Giants though because:
1. Home field advantage. Home teams win more often than not.
2. Look what the Giants did to the Bears (47 to 7), although I suspect that Chicago suffered a letdown from their winner take all game against Detroit. Chicago was up very high for that game.
3. Giants had fresh sneakers from Andy Robustelli's sporting goods store. May have helped them against the Bears, and maybe against Detroit too.
I would lean toward the Giants though because:
1. Home field advantage. Home teams win more often than not.
2. Look what the Giants did to the Bears (47 to 7), although I suspect that Chicago suffered a letdown from their winner take all game against Detroit. Chicago was up very high for that game.
3. Giants had fresh sneakers from Andy Robustelli's sporting goods store. May have helped them against the Bears, and maybe against Detroit too.
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JohnTurney
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Re: 1956 NFL Championship: Lions vs. Giants.
FWIW Bears were wearing black Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers . . .Saban wrote:
3. Giants had fresh sneakers from Andy Robustelli's sporting goods store. May have helped them against the Bears, and maybe against Detroit too.
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JohnTurney
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JuggernautJ
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Re: 1956 NFL Championship: Lions vs. Giants.
The Giants did win it all in '56 so it's hard to take away the Championship without a game.
But that is a game i'd love to see...
But that is a game i'd love to see...
Re: 1956 NFL Championship: Lions vs. Giants.
JohnTurney wrote:FWIW Bears were wearing black Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers . . .Saban wrote:
3. Giants had fresh sneakers from Andy Robustelli's sporting goods store. May have helped them against the Bears, and maybe against Detroit too.
I guess the key word is fresh.
I read a book about Halas, and in the book, players said that the Bears had sneakers, but they were old, years old. Did this have an impact on the game? I don't know. I suppose that Bears players had a choice between the sneakers or cleats.