1947 NFL Championship Game

The 1947 NFL Championship Game was the 15th annual National Football League (NFL) championship game, held December 28 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The attendance was 30,759, well below capacity.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

1947 NFL Championship Game
Philadelphia Eagles
(Eastern)
(8–4)		 Chicago Cardinals
(Western)
(9–3)
21 28
Head coach:
Greasy Neale		 Head coach:
Jimmy Conzelman
1234 Total
PHI 0777 21
CHI 7777 28
DateDecember 28, 1947
StadiumComiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois
FavoriteChicago by 12 points
Attendance30,759
Hall of Famers
Eagles: Greasy Neale (coach), Pete Pihos,
Steve Van Buren, Alex Wojciechowicz
Cardinals: Jimmy Conzelman (coach), Charley Trippi
Radio in the United States
NetworkABC
AnnouncersHarry Wismer, Red Grange
Comiskey Park is located in the United States
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Location in the United States
See also: 1947 NFL playoffs

The game featured the Western Division champion Chicago Cardinals (9–3) and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Eagles (8–4). A week earlier, the Eagles defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21–0 in a tiebreaker playoff to determine the Eastern winner.[7][8] Both the Eagles and Cardinals were making their first appearances in the championship game. The Cardinals had won the regular season meeting in Philadelphia three weeks earlier by 24 points and after a week off, were 12-point favorites to win the title game at home.[9][1]

This was the second NFL title game played after Christmas Day, and the latest to date. Scheduled for December 21, it was pushed back a week due to the Eastern division playoff. The temperature at kickoff was 29 °F (−2 °C).[10]

The Cardinals built a 14–0 lead in the second quarter, then the teams traded touchdowns. The Eagles closed the gap to 28–21 with five minutes to go, but the Cardinals controlled the ball the rest of the game on an extended drive to win the title.[2][3][4][5][6]

This was the only NFL title game played at Comiskey Park and remains as the Cardinals' only win. The two teams returned for a rematch in 1948 in Philadelphia, but the Eagles won in a snowstorm. The Cardinals have not won a league championship since this one, over seven decades ago, the longest drought in the NFL. They made it to Super Bowl XLIII in the 2008 season representing Arizona, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Cardinals' win kept the NFL title within the city of Chicago; the North Side's Bears had won the previous season.

This was the Cardinals' last playoff win as a franchise until January 1999; at 51 years and five days, it was the longest post-season win drought in NFL history, and still holds the current record for the longest title drought in North American sports. They relocated to St. Louis as the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960 and Arizona as the Phoenix Cardinals in 1988 (changing to Arizona Cardinals in 1994).

Scoring summary

Sunday, December 28, 1947
Kickoff: 1:05 p.m. CST[9]

  • First quarter
  • Second quarter
  • Third quarter
    • CHI – Trippi 75 punt return (Harder kick), 21–7 CHI
    • PHI – Steve Van Buren 1 run (Patton kick), 21–14 CHI
  • Fourth quarter
    • CHI – Angsman 70 run (Harder kick), 28–14 CHI
    • PHI – Russ Craft 1 run (Patton kick), 28–21 CHI

Officials

The NFL added a fifth official, the back judge, this season;[11] the line judge arrived in 1965, and the side judge in 1978.

Players' shares

Each player on the Cardinals received $1,132, while the losing Eagles got $754.[12]

References
  1. Warren, Harry (December 28, 1947). "Cardinals play Eagles for title today". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  2. Warren, Harry (December 29, 1947). "Cardinals beat Eagles for title, 28-21". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 25.
  3. Biederman, Les (December 29, 1947). "Speed, youth win title for Cards". Pittsburgh Press. p. 18.
  4. Kuechle, Oliver E. (December 29, 1947). "Cardinals trim Eagles, 28-21, to win first pro grid crown". Milwaukee Journal. p. 2, part 2.
  5. Larson, Lloyd (December 29, 1947). "Angsman, Trippi, spark Cards' 28-21 win over Eagles". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 3, part 2.
  6. Liska, Jerry (December 29, 1947). "Sensational runs give Cardinals 28-21 decision over Eagles for N.L. crown". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 10.
  7. Biederman, Les (December 22, 1947). "Steelers disappoint in grid playoff". Pittsburgh Press. p. 28.
  8. Prell, Edward (December 22, 1947). "Eagles whip Steelers in playoff". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 49.
  9. "Cardinals rule 12-point favorites to beat Eagles". Milwaukee Journal. December 28, 1947. p. 1, sports.
  10. "The weather". Chicago Daily Tribune. December 29, 1947. p. 1, part 1.
  11. "National League officials to work in crews of six (five)". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. August 19, 1947. p. 6, part 2.
  12. "Playoff melon". Pittsburgh Press. December 29, 1947. p. 18.

41.832°N 87.634°W / 41.832; -87.634

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