Cronin's Corner: ' 56 Championship game (Second Sneakers Game)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: George Cronin is one of the senior members of Big Blue View Nation. He has been entertaining us with memories of the old days on Saturdays throughout the off-season.]

The first Sneakers Game was the 1934 championship. The Bears were heavy favorites, having won 13 in a row and gone undefeated in 33 games. The Giants came in with 8-5 record.

During the pre-game warm-ups, Steve Owen noticed that in the sleet storm the players were slipping and sliding all over frozen field. He dispatched the equipment manager to Manhattan College to get sneakers.

At the end of the half, the Giants were down, 10-3. After the half, the Bears kicked a FG to take a 10-point lead near the end of the third quarter when the equipment manager arrived with the sneakers.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants, able to cut back, ran all over the Bears, scored 4 TDs and won, 30-13.

In 1954, Tom Landry installed the 4-3. It didn't realy begin to jell until the '56 season was underway. What made it click was the addition of three new arrivals to join Rosey Grier on the line--Robustelli (from LA), Katcavage (a rookie). and "Little Mo" Modzelewski (from the Steelers), and another rookie, LB Sam Huff.

The field was as bad in '56 as it had been in '34, and the same teams squared off (both wearing sneaks.)

Earlier in the year they had played a 17-17 tie, so a tight game was expected. Gene Filipski ran back the opening kickoff 53 yards and a rout was on.

The half ended with the Giants up 34-7, and the game ended with a final score of 47-7, earning the Giants their first championship since 1938.

A highlight of the game was the Giants bottling up of the Bears All-Pro RB, Rick Casares. Huff was used as a spy, going wherever Casares went.

The same strategy was used many times in the future vs. Cleveland's Jim Brown.