Talking Football Rivalry-- Part 4: "Trafton Would Be Running For His Life"

While all this was going on, George Halas slipped an envelope containing the Staleys' share of the gate receipts into George Trafton's trousers.

Fans blocked Trafton's path to the taxicabs waiting outside the stadium, so he took off on foot, sprinting down the road toward the bridge over the Mississippi River to Iowa, with the angry mob at his heels.  He was saved when a curious motorist slowed down to ask what was going on.  Trafton said he was late to catch a train and the motorist let him in and sped off to the Davenport train depot.

When Trafton caught up with his teammates there, Halas asked for his envelope, which reports said held between $3,000 and $7,000.  Trafton asked his coach why in the world his coach had entrusted him with the money.

Halas said in his 1979 biography "Halas By Halas", "I knew that if trouble came, I'd be running only for the money.  Trafton would be running for his life."

Now, That Is Some Rivalry.  --Cooter

Talking Football Rivalry-- Part 3: Meet "Mr. Chicken"

As we get ready for that Bears-Packers rivalry coming up Thursday.  Now, that is a rivalry, but the Staleys-Independents one was as well.

"Mr. Chicken" turned out not to be Fred Chicken, but 6-foot-two, 200-pound lineman Harry Gunderson, who, like the 6-2, 230-pound George Trafton, played both offensive and defensive tackle.  This meant they would be lined up opposite each other for every play in the game.

And, they went at each other with much gusto.

Finally, bear the end of the first quarter, Gunderson was able to get past Trafton and tackled a Staleys running back behind  the line of scrimmage.  Trafton reacted by falling knees-first with all his weight on Gunderson's head.

Gunderson was knocked out and suffered a six-inch gash that would require about ninety stitches.

The rest of the game more resembled a mob scene with fans throwing rocks and bottles at Trafton.  It ended in a 0-0 tie.  Bears trainer  Andy Lotshaw put a gray sweatshirt over Trafton's jersey to hide his number and told him to run as fast as he could out of the stadium.

Did He Get Away?  --Cooter

Talking Football Rivalry, George Trafton Takes On "Mr. Chicken-- Part 2:

The Decatur Staleys (future Chicago Bears) and the Rock Island (Illinois) Independents clashed in two of the roughest games of 1920.  In the first one, Trafton sent four Independents off the field with injuries as the Quad City crowd booed.  The worst fate befell halfback Fred Chicken, who broke his leg when Trafton tackled him into a fence post near the field.

Three weeks later, the same two teams met again in Rock Island.  Gamblers -- who had started to turn their attention toward pro football after the baseball Black Sox scandal in the previous year got involved.

Bears owner, coach and right end George Halas sequestered his team across the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, hoping to keep his players away from the gamblers.  But word got around that the smart betting money was on the Independents winning and Trafton being knocked out in the first quarter.

The only information they could get on the player who was to take George out was that he went by the name "Mr. Chicken,"

Most of the Bears honored Halas' directive and didn't bet.  But not George Trafton.  He took all his money and bet on his team and himself.

Was This "Mr. Chicken" Fred Chicken?  --DaCoot

Talking Football Rivalry: George Trafton, Chicago Bears-- Part 1

From the August 9, 2019, Chicago Tribune  "Ranking the Best Bears Players Ever:  #28 George Trafton"  by Will Larkin.

George Trafton (1896-1971)

I have been enjoying following this series.  Most of the names are familiar, but the really old ones are not.  I didn't really start liking pro football until 1975.  I had never heard of Mr. Trafton.

He played for the Chicago Bears at their beginning, when they were the Decatur Staleys and was with them for 12 seasons 1920-21, 1923-1932.  During this time Da Bears were 99-38-26.  He was signed out of Notre Dame where he played just one year and was on the famed Knute Rockne's 1919 team which went 9-0 and outscore opponents  229-47.

There was an interesting story in the article about him.

He ranks, according to the series, #28.  In the first year of the National Football League, then known as the American Professional Football Association, George Trafton set a standard for performance in a rivalry game that has yet to be matched 99 years later.

Who Was Mr. Chicken?  (Find Out Next Post.)  --Cooter

College Football Rivalry Prizes-- Part 2

Again, I don't know what criteria exactly the Tribune used to put these in the quadrants. Some I do not agree with them.

From the CONTRIVED-CHEESY Quadrant


THE BONES-- UAB vs. Memphis A slab of ribs (Gets marks for most tasty trophy.)

PLATYPUS TROPHY-- Oregon vs. Oregon State. (I reckon a duck is close enough to a platypus. Takes the award for weirdest trophy. These guys must have too much time sitting around waiting for the rain to stop.)

BAYOU BUCKET-- Houston vs. Rice (Alright, both are close to Louisiana. The loser has to bayou a beer.)

I-94 TROPHY-- Wisconsin Eau Claire vs. Wisconsin-Stout (Sounds like a road fixation to me.)


From the HISTORIC-CHEESY QUADRANT

IRON SKILLET-- SMU vs. TCU (The loser gets brained with it.)

PAUL BUNYAN'S AXE-- Minnesota vs. Wisconsin (Again, has Minnesota ever seen it?)

MILK CAN-- Boise State vs. Fresno State (The loser gets to cry over spilt milk.)

PAUL BUNYAN TROPHY-- Michigan vs. Michigan State (Big Paul will get an ego with two trophies.)


One last trophy: MID AMERICA CLASSIC-- Eastern Illinois vs. Southern Illinois (OK, they're both in Illinois, in the Midwest and Mid America.)

I'll Be Looking Some of These Up. --DaCoot

College Football Rivalry Prizes-- Part 1

From the August 7th Chicago Tribune sports section "Main Event: Prize fights.

Nothing like a good college football rivalry. And with the season poised to start tomorrow, this is a good time to run this.

Illinois State and Eastern Illinois have been playing each other for over 100 years, and now they will have the most recent of a long line of rivalry prizes, those traveling trophies that go to the winning school each year.

Theirs will be called the Mid-America Classic.

The Tribune took a look at others and even categorized them as: classy, cheesy, contrived and historic. Included were photos of each trophy.

CLASSY-CONTRIVED QUADRANT


KEG OF NAILS-- Louisville vs. Cincinnati (Nails?)

JEWELED SHILLELAGH-- Notre Dame vs. USC (OK, the Irish have shillelaghs. What does this have to do with Southern California? Perhaps they also get the Lucky Charms.)

CRAB BOWL TROPHY-- Maryland vs. Navy (OK, both are in Maryland and they have lots of crabs.

LITTLE BROWN JUG-- Michigan vs. Minnesota (OK, does Minnesota have any idea what it looks like? Sounds like a college drinkin' thing to me.)


CLASSY HISTORIC QUADRANT


APPLE CUP-- Washington vs. Washington State (OK, Washington is the Apple State)

FLOYD OF ROSEDALE-- Iowa vs. Minnesota This one is of a pig. (OK, rise up all ye pigdom!!)

LAND OF LINCOLN TROPHY-- Illinois vs. Northwestern (OK, Illinois is the home of you-know-who)

OLD OAKEN BUCKET-- Indiana vs. Purdue (OK, my bucket's got a hole in it and I don't care.)

Eight More to Go. --Cooter