Before we get to today's special bonus edition of TWIFB just a reminder for readers to check out the
Hollywood Newsreel footage of the 1941 World Championship Series as provided by our commissioner Legendsport. While you are at it you should also consider subscribing to his youtube channel which includes information on various games and other peaks into the Figment Universe.
OCTOBER 13, 1941
VICTORIOUS MINUTEMEN PARADE THROUGH BOSTON
More than 280,000 fans were in attendance during the World Champion Series and conservative estimates say nearly triple that number lined the parade route along Brookline Avenue in Boston to catch a glimpse of the WCS winning Minutemen. The crowd did not quite eclipse even that of the close to 1 million fans that were estimated to jam city streets just a week and a half ago when they welcomed the club back from Pittsburgh after winning their first Federal Association pennant in 25 years but they were just as boisterous. The WCS drought is now over as well, put to rest at 29 years and it was clear there was close to three decades worth of pent up frustration poured out in shouts of joy and songs of victory.
While official totals are not tracked it is quite possible the 281,359 paying customers that crossed through the turnstiles of the two ballparks over the past seven games is a new WCS record.
RESULTS OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
MAROONS SURVIVE A SCARE TO STAY UNBEATEN
It was a lot tougher than they likely expected but the Detroit Maroons improved to 4-0 on the season after a hard-fought 14-13 victory over a determined Cleveland squad. Cleveland third year running back Archie Bernstein had the game of his career, rushing for 121 yards as the Finches did their best to control the clock and keep the powerful Detroit passing game off the field. Double-teaming league receiving leader Stan Vaught paid dividends as the Cleveland defense limited the talented end to just 3 catches and 1 touchdown, both season lows for native of tiny Trumbell, Kansas. The Finches did not make many mistakes but one in particular proved costly and ultimately was the difference in the ball game. Early in the first quarter Cleveland quarterback Tom Mellette had a pass intercepted deep in his own territory and 4 plays later Vaught made them pay with his first catch and only touchdown on the day to put Detroit up 7-0 early, a lead they would not surrender.
The Detroit win sets up a key Western Division showdown next Sunday at Whtney Park as the Maroons must travel to Chicago to play their longtime rival, the Wildcats. Chicago is now 3-0 after Gus Harris threw for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns to lift the Wildcats to a 28-7 win over Pittsburgh.
New York is the only other unbeaten team as the Stars improved to 4-0 with a tight 30-28 win at home over the Philadelphia Frigates. Stars back Tom Jameson ran for 101 yards on 18 carries to become the third player to top the 100 yard rushing mark this week - joining Cleveland's Archie Bernstein and Hal Collett of Brooklyn - after no one broke the century mark in any of the previous games this season. Jameson should probably stop being called on to throw the ball, however, as he went 0-for-12 in forward pass attempts. Fortunately for the Stars offense, Jack Combs did have success in the air as he completed 5 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
The defending champs from Brooklyn are the latest to benefit from a trip to St Louis as the Kings handed the Ramblers their 5th straight loss at Pioneer Field, winning 35-14 behind the 113 yard rushing effort of Hal Collett. Bulldog Stein, with 68 yards on the ground, and John Faulker, who added 63, each ran for two touchdowns while Collett scored once as well for the 2-2 Kings.
Finally, Ernie Nixon turned a pair of interceptions into touchdowns and Paul Griggs ran back a punt 74 yards for another score as Boston overcame a rather pedestrian game from star QB Del Thomas to blast Washington 41-9. Thomas completed just 4 of 7 passes for 7 yards but was likely shaken up in the first quarter when he was sacked for a safety. He did not throw a pass after that, handling only the punting duties for the offense the rest of the way.
Code:
AFA STANDINGS
EASTERN W L T PCT
New York 4 0 0 1.000
Boston 2 2 0 .500
Brooklyn 2 2 0 .500
Washington 1 2 0 .333
Philadelphia 1 3 0 .250
WESTERN W L T PCT
Detroit 4 0 0 1.000
Chicago 3 0 0 1.000
Cleveland 2 3 0 .400
Pittsburgh 1 3 0 .250
St Louis 0 5 0 .000
RESULTS
Sunday Oct 12
Chicago 28 Pittsburgh 7
Brooklyn 35 St Louis 14
Detroit 14 Cleveland 13
New York 30 Philadelphia 28
Boston 41 Washington 9
UPCOMING GAMES
Sunday October 19
Detroit at Chicago
Boston at New York
Pittsburgh at Brooklyn
Washington at Philadelphia
St Louis at Cleveland
[*]You have to give the Cleveland Finches credit despite the fact they came up short in Detroit. It was a near perfect game plan by Cleveland in order to try and contain Stan Vaught and the vaunted Detroit air attack. The Finches nearly pulled it off too as they dominated the time of possession, regularly handing the ball to back Archie Bernstein, who gained 124 yards on the ground and worked the clock in an effort to limit Vaught's opportunities to catch the ball. [*]Cleveland is likely very happy with the start to the season for Bernstein. He gained 300 yards two seasons ago in his debut with the Finches and upped that total to 496 last season. His 124 yesterday was a new personal best and with 310 yards gained through 5 games he appears well on his way to a new career high.[*]Should be quite a game at Whitney Field next week when Detroit comes to town. The Western Division title will likely be decided by the results between the Maroons and Wildcats this year. The two clubs did split their games last season when Detroit won the division. The Maroons likely remember all to well the 51-21 late season pasting they took in the Windy City last November, but they got the last laugh in finishing a game ahead of the Wildcats because Chicago lost crucial late season road games in Pittsburgh and Washington.[*]The forward pass has certainly opened up the game the past few years but without the right man heaving the old pigskin skyward it can create more trouble than perhaps it is worth. So while it works just fine for Detroit or Boston, perhaps the St Louis Ramblers or the Washington Wasps should embrace the ground game a little tighter. The Ramblers don't throw the ball much - only Brooklyn has attempted less passes per game this season - but perhaps they should abandon the practice altogether this season. A year ago the Ramblers were middle of the pack with 20 interceptions thrown and second last with just 5 touchdowns coming thru the air. This year, with 5 of the 11 games completed, St Louis has already been intercepted a league high 21 times. Washington is no better with 19 interceptions in 3 games after throwing 28 all of last year. Washington has a pair of very strong runners in Bernard Dishmon, who was second in the league with 881 yards on the ground last season, and quarterback Jeff Proos, who topped the 500 yards rushing mark a year ago, but for some reason the Wasps coaching staff has fallen in love with the forward pass and has ran the ball less per game than any other club in the league.[*]It is no coincidence that the three unbeaten clubs have thrown the ball in opposition arms the least this season - with Chicago having just one, Detroit two and New York 4 interceptions on the year. [/list]
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 10/12/1941
- Germany has captured the city of Tula, less than 100 miles southwest of Moscow, as the Nazi's continue their advance.
- Red Star, official Soviet Army newspaper, has urged immediate co-ordination and activation of British and Russian forces for a mass blow against Germany as special dispatches admitted that the Red Army was in a grave situation on three battlefronts in the face of ferocious German drives.
- German authorities charge that last week's coup in Panama which ousted pro-Nazi President Arunlfo Arias was "rooted in Washington and claims Roosevelt is applying the same methods and means that his cousin, Theodore, did 40 years ago.
- The drydock strikes in New York are to end tomorrow, returning 7,500 shipyard employees back to work.
- Japan is sending three ships to the United States to evacuate Japanese nationals. The Foreign Office announcement followed increasingly bitter press attacks on the US and Britain.