1951 NFL Championship Game

none November 2013 nflc 1951 Cleveland Browns Los Angeles Rams Paul Brown Joe Stydahar American National CLE LA 11–1 8–4 0 10 0 7 17 0 7 7 10 24 December 23, 1951 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, California 59,475 DuMont Harry Wismer & Earl Gillespie Browns: Paul Brown (coach/gm), Len Ford, Frank Gatski, Otto Graham, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, Marion Motley, Mac Speedie, Bill Willis Rams: Dan Reeves (owner), Tex Schramm (administrator), Joe Stydahar (coach), Tom Fears, Elroy Hirsch, Andy Robustelli, Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Waterfield File:1951NFLChampionshipGameProgram.jpg USA 1 Los Angeles 34.014 -118.287 Location in the United States 5 290 The 1951 NFL Championship Game was the National Football League's 19th championship game, played December 23 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1951/12/23/page/17/article/browns-defend-pro-crown-against-rams-today Chicago Sunday Tribune Smith Wilfrid Browns defend pro crown against Rams today December 23, 1951 1, part 2http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1951/12/24/page/15/article/rams-beat-browns-24-17-for-pro-title Chicago Daily Tribune Smith Wilfrid Rams beat Browns, 24-17, for pro title December 24, 1951 1, part 2 It was a rematch of the previous year's game in Cleveland, with the Los Angeles Rams (8–4) of the National Conference meeting the defending league champion Cleveland 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 early 1946 (the Cleveland Rams won the 1945 title, then left a month later). The Browns were favored to win this title game on the road by six points.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dgEqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oiMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6351%2C3242740 Milwaukee Journal Associated Press Browns are favored to turn back Rams for pro title today December 23, 1951 1, sports This was the first NFL championship game to be televised coast-to-coast,MacCambridge, 2005, p. 73. and was blacked out by the league in the southern California area. The DuMont Network purchased the championship game TV rights from the NFL in May for five years (1951–55) for $475,000. Dan Hall Hallucinations May 22, 1951 17 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=adM0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=UU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5906%2C3028635 St. Petersburg Times October 31, 2011 Bell said the money received each year under terms of the agreement will be placed in the players' pool.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TQEqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dCMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2618%2C3124769 Milwaukee Journal Du Mont buys rights to pro title contest May 22, 1951 6, part 2 Pro Football and DuMont Sign a $475,000 TV Pact May 22, 1951 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1951/05/22/89441682.pdf The New York Times October 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 December 18, 1951 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XMJRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nmoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4260%2C1532124 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press 18 October 30, 2011The Pittsburgh Press and Patton p. 35 incorrectly state it was for $75,000.Rader, 1984, p. 35. 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YcJRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nmoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4070%2C108105 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press Rams upset Browns, 24-17; win NFL title December 24, 1951 12https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dwEqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oiMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4988%2C3778143 Milwaukee Journal Kuechle Oliver E. Los Angeles wins pro title by beating Cleveland, 24-17 December 24, 1951 4, part 2 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 first professional sports championship ever won by a Los Angeles-based team and was the Rams' only NFL championship as a California team until 2022 when they won Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, which is coincidentally the team founded by Brown. The Rams won their first NFL championship during their final season in Cleveland, and also won Super Bowl XXXIV during their fifth season in St. Louis. Game summary 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 fullback Dick Hoerner in the second quarter. The Browns answered back with an NFL Championship record 52-yard field goal by Lou Groza, following the first of two interceptions by Rams QB Bob Waterfield, who would later be replaced by Norm van Brocklin. The Browns later took the lead with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Otto Graham to Dub Jones, which accounted for the halftime score of 10–7. In the third quarter, Ram Larry Brink landed a hard tackle on Graham, causing him to fumble the ball, which Andy Robustelli picked up on the Cleveland 24 and returned it to the two-yard-line. On third down from the one, "Deacon" Dan Towler ran 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 local UCLA great Bob Waterfield early in the fourth quarter. The Browns answered back with an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Ken Carpenter to tie the game at 17–17. Twenty-five seconds later, Tom Fears beat defenders Cliff Lewis and Tommy James, and received a Norm Van Brocklin pass 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 the St. Louis Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV in January 2000. Scoring summary text-align:center; background:#eee Los Angeles Rams 24, Cleveland Browns 17 December 23, 1951 1:05 p.m. PST Browns 0 10 0 7 Rams 0 7 7 10 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California Pro-Football-Reference First quarter no scoring Second quarter LA – Dick Hoerner 1-yard run (Bob Waterfield kick). Rams 7–0 CLE – Lou Groza 52-yard field goal. Rams 7–3 CLE – Dub Jones 17-yard pass from Otto Graham (Groza kick). Browns 10–7 Third quarter LA – Dan Towler 1-yard run (Waterfield kick). Rams 14–10 Fourth quarter LA – Bob Waterfield 17-yard field goal, 17–10 LA CLE – Ken Carpenter 5-yard run (Groza kick). Tied 17–17 LA – Tom Fears 73-yard pass from Norm Van Brocklin (Waterfield kick). Rams 24–17 Officials Referee: Ronald Gibbs Umpire: Samuel Wilson Head linesman: Dan Tehan Back judge: Norman Duncan Field judge: Lloyd Brazil 4em Alternate: Emil Heintz Alternate: Cletus Gardner The NFL added the fifth official, the back judge, in 1947; the line judge arrived in 1965, and the side judge in 1978. Players' shares 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 in 1946. Each player on the winning Rams team received $2,108, while Browns players made $1,483 each.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dwEqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oiMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4761%2C3779039 Milwaukee Journal Associated Press Rams collect $2,108 each December 24, 1951 4, part 2 References 2 Bibliography 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 Books 978-0-307-48143-6 Powers, Ron (1984). Supertube: The Rise of Television Sports. New York: Coward-McCann. 0-698-11253-9 Rader, Benjamin G. (1984). In its Own Image: How Television Has Transformed Sports. New York: The Free Press. 0-02-925700-X pp. 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. 0-06-270174-6 Harold Sauerbrie Browns Lose Title to Rams, 24–17 December 23, 1951 Cleveland Live, LLC http://www.cleveland.com/brownshistory/plaindealer/index.ssf?/browns/more/history/19511223BROWNS.html Cleveland Plain Dealer 18 December 12, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20121001165003/http://www.cleveland.com/brownshistory/plaindealer/index.ssf?%2Fbrowns%2Fmore%2Fhistory%2F19511223BROWNS.html October 1, 2012 dead mdy-all External links "1951 NFL Championship Game." (Video.) 34.014 -118.287 type:event title Championship Game, 1951 Category:NFL Championship games Category:Cleveland Browns postseason Category:Los Angeles Rams postseason Category:December 1951 sports events in the United States Category:1951 in sports in Ohio Category:1950s in Cleveland Category:American football competitions in Cleveland Category:Events at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum