Monday, October 24, 2011

Chicago Sports Relics-- Part 2

WILSON'S BELT BUCKLE

Northwestern's 20-0 victory over Notre Dame on Nov. 23, 1940, was such a big deal that classes were cancelled the following Monday "to relieve emotional strain." To commemorate it, Northwestern Athletic Director Kenneth "Tug" Wilson received a belt buckle with Dyche Stadium (what it was called back then) and a shillelagh below it.

Wilson was AD for twenty years and served as Big Ten Commissioner from 1945-1961.

It is on display at Northwestern.


73-0 FOOTBALL

On December 8, 1940, the Bears and the Redskins met for the NFL championship at Griffith Stadium in DC. Three weeks earlier, the Redskin owner had called the Bears "quitters" and "crybabies" after defeating them 7-3.

Led by qb Sid Luckman, the Bears were out for revenge and using the "T" Formation scored on a 68-yard run 55 seconds into the game. Then, the rout began. In the 4th quarter, officials asked Coach George Halas not to kick any more points after because they were running out of footballs.

The final score is the largest margin ever in NFL history. Now, an autographed ball from the game is owned by the Chicago History Museum, but is not on display.

Stuff I Didn't Know. --DaCoot

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