NFL Controversial Plays Prior to 1960

[JuggernautJ]

While not a controversy in the was-it-called-correctly vein the pass that Sammy Baugh threw in the 1945 Championship game that hit the goalpost and was therefore called a safety (according to the rule of the day) was deemed so egregious that the rule was changed in the off-season.

I think John nailed it, though.
That Bronk pass is probably the most controversial call I've read about from that era.

I can't think of any specific instances but an excellent source/reference is The Scrapbook History of Pro Football (Neft, et al).
There might be something in there... it would at least let you know what was in the papers at any given time.

[JuggernautJ]

And pre-NFL there was the 1911 forfeited Championship game (Ohio League) between the Canton Bulldogs and the Shelby Blues.
Canton captain Harry Turner called his team off the field over a controversial call and, when they refused to return, forfeited the game.
This event presaged Turner's tragic demise versus Parratt's Blues in 1914.
("I know I must go, but I'm satisfied for we beat Peggy Parrat.)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Par ... le_forfeit
The Blues won the game when Canton forfeited the title game to Shelby, after a heated dispute over an offside ruling. According to reports, Parratt was willing to compromise with Canton over the official's call, however Canton captain Harry Turner was so upset that he called his team off the field and refused to continue the game.

[Mark]

Bo Russell's field goal attempt that was ruled no good in the final game of the 1939 season -- that was a big one, similar to Don Chandler's game-tying kick in the 1965 playoff game. It put the Giants in championship game rather than the Redskins.

I recall reading that a Redskins fan who was at the game and apparently had too much to drink was quoted as saying "I saw two balls and two goal posts and I'm darned sure one of those balls made it through one of those goal posts"

[Bob Gill]

Bo Russell's field goal attempt that was ruled no good in the final game of the 1939 season -- that was a big one, similar to Don Chandler's game-tying kick in the 1965 playoff game. It put the Giants in championship game rather than the Redskins.

I recall reading that a Redskins fan who was at the game and apparently had too much to drink was quoted as saying "I saw two balls and two goal posts and I'm darned sure one of those balls made it through one of those goal posts"

There's a nice photo of the actual play in some book -- probably the Pro Football Chronicle. Trouble is, it's taken from ground level and the top of the photo cuts off just above the crossbar, so it doesn't give you any idea of where the ball was.

[Bryan]

I have read that the game-winning FG by Lou Groza in the 1950 championship was hotly disputed by the Rams as not going through the uprights, but I have not been able to find any footage of the kick.

[TanksAndSpartans]

I have read that the game-winning FG by Lou Groza in the 1950 championship was hotly disputed by the Rams as not going through the uprights, but I have not been able to find any footage of the kick.

There's a recording available online called "1950 NFL Championship The Way it Was" where a bunch of the players who participated in the game talk about it. I think 3 Rams and 3 Browns. Graham, Groza, Davis, etc. It's broken into 2 parts. At 23:40 of the 2nd video they discuss bot the FG and the final play. (The FG was shown earlier, but not from an angle that made it easy to judge imo). The host brings up some of the Rams complaining about the FG and they joke about it. It didn't feel like it would have come up otherwise. There was more discussion about the possible safety. Send me a PM if you can't find it.

[Bryan]

I have read that the game-winning FG by Lou Groza in the 1950 championship was hotly disputed by the Rams as not going through the uprights, but I have not been able to find any footage of the kick.

There's a recording available online called "1950 NFL Championship The Way it Was" where a bunch of the players who participated in the game talk about it. I think 3 Rams and 3 Browns. Graham, Groza, Davis, etc. It's broken into 2 parts. At 23:40 of the 2nd video they discuss bot the FG and the final play. (The FG was shown earlier, but not from an angle that made it easy to judge imo). The host brings up some of the Rams complaining about the FG and they joke about it. It didn't feel like it would have come up otherwise. There was more discussion about the possible safety. Send me a PM if you can't find it.

Thanks for the heads up. I found that segment online and I agree....you can't really tell if the FG is good or not. But at least the footage is actually of the FG, unlike the NFL Greatest Games Vol. 2 footage