1948 NFL Championship Game

1948 NFL Championship Game
DateDecember 19, 1948
StadiumShibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
FavoriteChicago by 3½ points[1][2]
RefereeRonald Gibbs
Attendance36,309 (paid); 28,864 (actual)
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
AnnouncersHarry Wismer, Red Grange
Shibe  Park  is located in the United States
Shibe  Park 
Shibe 
Park 
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Location in the United States

The 1948 NFL Championship Game was the 16th title game of the National Football League (NFL), played at Shibe Park in Philadelphia on December 19.[3][4][5][6]

The game was a rematch of the previous year's title game between the defending champion, the Chicago Cardinals (11–1), champions of the Western Division, and the Philadelphia Eagles (9–2–1), champions of the Eastern Division. The Cardinals were slight favorites, at 3½ points despite losing quarterback Paul Christman with a fractured wrist injury.[7][1][2]

It was the first NFL championship game to be televised. Due to heavy snowfall, the grounds crew needed the help of players from both teams to remove the tarp from the field.[8][9] The opening kickoff was delayed a half-hour until 2 p.m., and three extra officials were called into service to assist with out-of-bounds calls.[8] The stadium lights were also turned on for the entire game.[4]

The Eagles won their first NFL Championship, defeating the Cardinals 7–0 with a final quarter touchdown. It was also the first championship for Philadelphia since 1926, when the Frankford Yellow Jackets won the league championship on standings,[10] (the Championship Game was introduced in 1933).

  1. ^ a b "Cards given slight edge over Eagles". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 18, 1948. p. 12.
  2. ^ a b "Cards favored over Eagles for grid crown". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. INS. December 19, 1948. p. 41.
  3. ^ Smith, Wilfrid (December 19, 1948). "Cards seek their second from Eagles". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  4. ^ a b Smith, Wilfrid (December 20, 1948). "Browns win, 49-7; Eagles jar cards, 7-0". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 43.
  5. ^ Kuechle, Oliver E. (December 20, 1948). "Eagles beat Cardinals for title in snowstorm". Milwaukee Journal. p. 6, part 2.
  6. ^ "Eagles plow over Cardinals, 7-0, for National loop title". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 20, 1948. p. 3, part 2.
  7. ^ "1948 NFL Championship Game".
  8. ^ a b Biederman, Lester J. (December 20, 1948). "Eagles up, Cards down; score 7-0". Pittsburgh Press. p. 22.
  9. ^ NFL Top 10 – bad weather games. Broadcast NFL Network 27/10/08
  10. ^ "Thompson hailed as hero of new NFL champs". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. December 20, 1948. p. 18.