"ANY TEAM WINNING 60% OF ITS GAMES IS GOOD"

A BLAST FROM THE PAST: 1937 COLLEGE FOOTBALL GUIDE

Sevierville, Tennessee (JFK+50) Today while spending some time at an antique mall here in Sevierville, I ran across this 1937 Edition of "Grantland Rice's Cities Service Football Guide*."  This little booklet was only $1 so I bought it.

The cover has black and white photos of nine "famous coaches" who each have contributed one of their successful plays.  The booklet includes 225 schedules of "the leading colleges in the country" including my alma mater, The University of Tennessee.

Following the introduction is an offering by Grantland Rice**.  He says it is virtually impossible to name a national champion in today's game because of so many different teams, schedules and conditions.  Mr. Rice believes that success, however, is more due to talent than a "winning system."

He writes, "Any team that can win 60% of its games has done a good job" and he quotes Bob Zuppke of Illinois..."You can lose 'em all and still be good."  I'm not sure about that!

JFK+50 NOTE

Coach Robert R. Neyland was just getting warmed up in 1937.  UT finished with a 6-3-1 record, but 1938 was to be a national championship year.  The Vols were 11-0 defeating Oklahoma 17-0 in the Orange Bowl.  

The 1939 team went 10-1 & the 1940 team also 10-1.  The year 1941 saw Coach Neyland take a leave from football to lend his services to the United States Army. 

Of course, the stadium in Knoxville on the banks of the Tennessee River is known as NEYLAND STADIUM.

*The guide is presented by 16,000 Cities Service dealers.  It is the 5th edition.**Henry Grantland Rice (1880-1954) was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee & graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville where he played baseball & football.  HGR served in WWI & afterward became the "Dean of American Sports Writers" publishing 3 books of poetry & coining the phrase "its not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game that counts."

SOURCES

"Grantland Rice's Cities Service Football Guide," 1937 Edition, Cities Service Oil Company

"Tennessee:  Football's Greatest Dynasty," by Tom Siler, Holston Printing Company, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1962.

 

 

 Grantland Rice's Cities Service

Football Guide 1937 Edition

 Cities Service Oil Company

"GRANTLAND RICE'S VOICE RADIATED THROUGH THE ETHER"

THE WORLD SERIES TO BE BROADCAST BY RADIOPHONE

New York City (JFK+50) The New York Tribune reports "for the first time in history" the World Series will be broadcast over the radiophone* direct from the Polo Grounds here in the city.

The national championship match-up between the New York Giants and the New York Yankees will be broadcast on a play-by-play basis by Grantland Rice**, "nationally known sports expert."

Mr. Rice's voice will be "radiated through the ether***" via radio station WJZ at Newark, New Jersey.

It is expected that 1.5 million people will tune in to the broadcast.

JFK+50 NOTE

The New York Giants won the 1922 World Series in 5 games, winning 4 with 1 tie.  The Giants kept slugger Babe Ruth at bay by "pitching around" him.  The Bambino had only 1 rbi & a series batting avg of .118.

The Giants & Yankees both played their home games at the Polo Grounds, but the following year the Yanks would move to Yankee Stadium, "the house that Ruth built."

*radiophone or radio telephone is a radio communication system used for transmission of speech over radio as opposed to radiotelegraphy which transmits telegraphic or television signals.

**Henry Grantland Rice (1880-1954) was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee & graduated from Vanderbilt University, 1901 where he played football & baseball.  HGR worked at the Nashville Tennessean before beginning his sports column in the New York Tribune, 1914.  As a sports writer he was known for his eloquent prose. 

***ether, in physics a theoretical substance once believed to act as a medium for transmission of electromagnetic waves. 

SOURCES

"Ether," Britannica, www.britannica.com/

"The World Series by Radio," The New York Tribune, October 2, 1922, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

 

 

Grantland Rice on Tel/Mic

Photo by Paul Thompson

circa 1920

World Telegraph & Sun

Library of Congress

"AFTERNOON IDEAL FOR DUCKS, FISH, SEALS & PORPOISES"

NAVY BEATS ARMY AT THE POLO GROUNDS

New York City (JFK+50) On November 26, 1921, the "greatest crowd in Polo Grounds* history" witnessed Navy defeat Army on an afternoon described by Grantland Rice** as "ideal for ducks, fish, seals, porpoises, umbrella manufacturers, bootleggers and pneumonia."

46,000 football fans saw both teams turn into "charging figures of mud and goo."  The Navy's Steve Barchet scored the only touchdown of the match at the opening of the second period "by skidding over" the goal line. 

*Polo Grounds (1880-1963) located in Upper Manhattan, NYC used for professional baseball & football games opened on April 18, 1880.  The grounds were renovated in 1911 & expanded in 1923.  Closing came on Dec 14, 1963 & demolition on Apr 10, 1964.

**Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (1880-1954) was born in Murfreesboro, TN.  HGR attended Vanderbilt University^ where he played baseball & football, graduating in 1901.  He became a successful sportswriter known for his eloquent prose.

^JFK+50 Note: Vanderbilt is my alma mater's in-state rival.  In fact, General Robert R. Neyland was hired specifically to beat the Commodores in football.  Before RRN came to Knoxville in 1925, UT's record vs. Vandy was 2 wins, 2 ties & 18 losses.  Although Neyland lost his first game vs. Vandy, he didn't lose again until 1935. 

The Volunteers play the Commodores tomorrow at Neyland Stadium hoping to finish the season 7-5.  GO VOLS!

SOURCES

"Navy Beats Army 7-0 in Sea of Mud," by Grantland Rice, The New York Tribune, November 27, 1921, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

"Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt, The Historical:  The Yankee Lawyer and the Captain From West Point," by C.J. Schexnayder, 2011, www.sbnation.com/ 

   

 

1916 Army Navy Game

Polo Grounds

New York City

Library of Congress