| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Date | December 23, 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 59,475 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | DuMont | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Harry Wismer & Earl Gillespie | ||||||||||||||||||
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.[1][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.[3]
This was the first NFL championship game to be televised coast-to-coast,[4] and was blacked out by the league in the southern California area.[3] The DuMont Network purchased the championship game TV rights from the NFL in May for five years (1951–55) for $475,000.[5][6][7][8][9]
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.[10][11] 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 Rams' only NFL championship as a California team until their victory in 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.
- ^ Smith, Wilfrid (December 23, 1951). "Browns defend pro crown against Rams today". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
- ^ Smith, Wilfrid (December 24, 1951). "Rams beat Browns, 24-17, for pro title". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
- ^ a b "Browns are favored to turn back Rams for pro title today". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. December 23, 1951. p. 1, sports.
- ^ MacCambridge, 2005, p. 73.
- ^ Hall, Dan (May 22, 1951). "Hallucinations". St. Petersburg Times. p. 17. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
Bell said the money received each year under terms of the agreement will be placed in the players' pool.
- ^ "Du Mont buys rights to pro title contest". Milwaukee Journal. May 22, 1951. p. 6, part 2.
- ^ "Pro Football and DuMont Sign a $475,000 TV Pact" (PDF). The New York Times. May 22, 1951. Retrieved 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". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 18, 1951. p. 18. Retrieved October 30, 2011.The Pittsburgh Press and Patton p. 35 incorrectly state it was for $75,000.
- ^ Rader, 1984, p. 35.
- ^ "Rams upset Browns, 24-17; win NFL title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 24, 1951. p. 12.
- ^ Kuechle, Oliver E. (December 24, 1951). "Los Angeles wins pro title by beating Cleveland, 24-17". Milwaukee Journal. p. 4, part 2.