1951 NFL Championship Game
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| Date | December 23, 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,Los Angeles,California | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 59,475 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | DuMont | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Harry Wismer&Earl Gillespie | ||||||||||||||||||
The1951 NFL Championship Gamewas theNational Football League's 19thchampionship game,played December 23 at theLos Angeles Memorial ColiseuminLos Angeles,California.[1][2]
It was a rematch of theprevious year's gamein Cleveland, with theLos Angeles Rams(8–4) of the National Conference meeting the defending league championCleveland Browns(11–1) of the American Conference. In the league championship game for the third straight year, the Rams were seeking their first NFL title since moving to California in early1946(theCleveland Ramswon the1945 title,then left a month later). The Browns were favored to win this title game on the road by six points.[3]
This was the first NFL championship game to be televised coast-to-coast,[4]and wasblacked outby the league in the southern California area.[3]TheDuMont Networkpurchased the championship game TV rights from the NFL in May for five years (1951–55) for $475,000.[5][6][7][8][9]
The home underdog Rams upset the Browns 24–17 for their second NFL championship before a then-record crowd for the title game of 59,475.[10][11]The "World Championship" banner awarded to the Rams was given as a gift to Tom Bergin after the game in gratitude for hosting the post-game dinner. As of 2016 it still hangs in the Tom Bergin's Irish pub in Los Angeles, the only one in private ownership. This was also the first time that the Browns under Paul Brown did not finish the season with a championship after 4 wins in the AAFC and a championship in their first NFL season in 1950.
This was the Rams' only NFL championship as a California team until their victory inSuper Bowl LVIagainst theCincinnati Bengals,which is coincidentally the team founded by Brown. The Rams won theirfirst NFL championshipduring their final season in Cleveland, and also wonSuper Bowl XXXIVduring their fifth season in St. Louis.
Game summary
[edit]After a missed field-goal attempt by Cleveland on its opening drive, the Rams were the first to score, with a 1-yard run by fullbackDick Hoernerin the second quarter. The Browns answered back with an NFL Championship record 52-yard field goal byLou Groza,following the first of two interceptions by Rams QBBob Waterfield,who would later be replaced byNorm van Brocklin.The Browns later took the lead with a 17-yard touchdown pass fromOtto GrahamtoDub Jones,which accounted for the halftime score of 10–7.
In the third quarter, RamLarry Brinklanded a hard tackle on Graham, causing him to fumble the ball, whichAndy Robustellipicked up on the Cleveland 24 and returned it to the two-yard-line. On third down from the one,"Deacon" Dan Towlerran the ball in for a touchdown to give the Rams a 14–10 lead.
After Graham threw an interception in two of the Browns' next three possessions, the Rams increased their lead with a 17-yard field goal by former localUCLAgreatBob Waterfieldearly in the fourth quarter. The Browns answered back with an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run byKen Carpenterto tie the game at 17–17.
Twenty-five seconds later,Tom Fearsbeat defendersCliff LewisandTommy James,and received aNorm Van Brocklinpass at midfield and raced to the end zone for a 73-yard touchdown. Van Brocklin had entered the game at quarterback for Bob Waterfield, whose two first-half interceptions accounted for two of the Rams' three turnovers.
The go-ahead touchdown from Van Brocklin to Fears was followed by Graham's third interception of the game and two more empty possessions by the Browns and thus secured the Rams' first NFL title in Los Angeles. Their second title in Los Angeles came in February 2022.
The next NFL title for the franchise came 48 years later, when theSt. Louis RamswonSuper Bowl XXXIVin January 2000.
Scoring summary
[edit]Sunday, December 23, 1951
Kickoff: 1:05 p.m.PST
- First quarter
- no scoring
- Second quarter
- LA – TD,Dick Hoerner1 run (Bob Waterfieldkick), 7–0 LA
- CLE – FG,Lou Groza52, 7–3 LA
- CLE – TD,Dub Jones17 pass fromOtto Graham(Groza kick), 10–7 CLE
- Third quarter
- LA – TD,Dan Towler1 run (Waterfield kick), 14–10 LA
- Fourth quarter
- LA – FG, Waterfield 17, 17–10 LA
- CLE – TD,Ken Carpenter5 run (Groza kick), 17–17 tie
- LA – TD,Tom Fears73 pass fromNorm Van Brocklin(Waterfield kick), 24–17 LA
Officials
[edit]
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The NFL added the fifthofficial,the back judge, in1947;the line judge arrived in1965,and the side judge in1978.
Players' shares
[edit]The gross receipts for the game, including $75,000 for radio and television rights, was just under$326,000, the highest to date, passing the previous record of $283,000 five years earlier in1946.Each player on the winning Rams team received $2,108, while Browns players made $1,483 each.[12]
References
[edit]- ^abSmith, Wilfrid (December 23, 1951)."Browns defend pro crown against Rams today".Chicago Sunday Tribune.p. 1, part 2.
- ^abSmith, Wilfrid (December 24, 1951)."Rams beat Browns, 24-17, for pro title".Chicago Daily Tribune.p. 1, part 2.
- ^ab"Browns are favored to turn back Rams for pro title today".Milwaukee Journal.Associated Press. December 23, 1951. p. 1, sports.
- ^MacCambridge, 2005, p. 73.
- ^Hall, Dan (May 22, 1951)."Hallucinations".St. Petersburg Times.p. 17.RetrievedOctober 31,2011.
Bell said the money received each year under terms of the agreement will be placed in the players' pool.
- ^"Du Mont buys rights to pro title contest".Milwaukee Journal.May 22, 1951. p. 6, part 2.
- ^"Pro Football and DuMont Sign a $475,000 TV Pact"(PDF).The New York Times.May 22, 1951.RetrievedOctober 31,2011.
Bell said the $95,000 received each year under terms of the agreement will be placed in the players' pool.
- ^"Fans Rush for Tickets to NFL Playoff Game".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.Associated Press. December 18, 1951. p. 18.RetrievedOctober 30,2011.The Pittsburgh Press and Patton p. 35 incorrectly state it was for $75,000.
- ^Rader, 1984, p. 35.
- ^"Rams upset Browns, 24-17; win NFL title".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.Associated Press. December 24, 1951. p. 12.
- ^Kuechle, Oliver E. (December 24, 1951)."Los Angeles wins pro title by beating Cleveland, 24-17".Milwaukee Journal.p. 4, part 2.
- ^"Rams collect $2,108 each".Milwaukee Journal.Associated Press. December 24, 1951. p. 4, part 2.
Bibliography
[edit]- NFL Chronology: 1951.NFL.com.Retrieved September 17, 2006.
- Brown, Paul; with Clary, Jack (1979).PB, the Paul Brown Story.New York: Atheneum.
- Hession, Joseph (1987).The Rams: Five Decades of Football.San Francisco: Foghorn Press.
- MacCambridge, Michael (2005).America's Game.New York: Anchor BooksISBN978-0-307-48143-6
- Powers, Ron (1984).Supertube: The Rise of Television Sports.New York: Coward-McCann.ISBN0-698-11253-9
- Rader, Benjamin G. (1984).In its Own Image: How Television Has Transformed Sports.New York: The Free Press.ISBN0-02-925700-Xpp. 83–99.
- Riffenburgh, Beau, (1997). "Championships & Playoffs." Eds Silverman, Matthew, et al.Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League.New York: HarperCollins. 178–262.ISBN0-06-270174-6
- Sauerbrie, Harold (December 23, 1951)."Browns Lose Title to Rams, 24–17".Cleveland Plain Dealer.Cleveland Live, LLC. p. 18. Archived fromthe originalon October 1, 2012.RetrievedDecember 12,2007.
External links
[edit]- "1951 NFL Championship Game."(Video.)