 |
Chicago Cardinals 53 Toronto Argonauts 26
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Aug. 5, 1959 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
In 1959, the Toronto Argonauts moved from Varsity Stadium to the brand new C.N.E. grounds. They opened their new facility in a unique way by hosting the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in an exhibition game. Football fans on both sides of the border were curious as to how the game would take shape and 27,700 showed up for the contest. A blend of Canadian and American rules were employed in the game. The coaches were Hamp Pool for Toronto and Pop Ivy (former Edmonton coach) for Chicago
Cards Face Argonauts Of Big 4 Union Chicago And Toronto Teams To Use Mixed Rules For Exhibition
By JACK CLARY Associated Press Sports Writer
The pro football whirl, climaxed so brilliantly with Baltimore's overtime National Football league championship victory last December, gets started tonight with an offering of a different nature.
The NFL Chicago Cardinals will play the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Big Four Football Union in an exhibition game featuring the rules of both leagues.
This is not the first time NFL and Canadian teams have matched styles of play, but it will offer good comparisons for the rule makers and football style devotees.
When the Cards have the ball, each team will have 11 men on the field a la American style of play. Also the U.S. rule of unlimited interference will be in effect when either team is on the offensive.
The teams will be allowed 12 men when the Argos are on offensive. But the big excitement in Toronto is the unlimited blocking rule, directly opposed to the Canadian rule that says a ball carrier is on his own once he hits the secondary.
Card Coach Frank (Pop) Ivy, who was a successful Canadian professional coach before taking over the Cards last season, may have Tom Catlin, veteran center whom the Cards obtained Tuesday from the Cleveland Browns. They gave up a draft choice for the former Oklahoma star.
Ivy’s Boy Win 53-26 Chicago Cards Pounce On Argos
By JACK SULLIVAN Canadian Press Staff Writer
The Cards, last-place finishers in the National Football League last season, spoiled the Big Four club’s 13-7 lead and then proceeded to demolish opposition. They led 21-13 at half, 33-26 after the third quarter and added another 20 points in the final 15 minutes.
The game was billed as a great experiment to try to provide fans and experts a first hand look at the unlimited blocking on all plays in the American game as compared with the restricted blocking rules in Canadian football.
It didn’t prove too much apart from a few plays when the Cardinals, with their downfield blocking, sent ball-carriers for big gains.
Argos, bottom-place team in the Big Four in 1958, were ineffective in the blocking department, even at the line of scrimmage.
The game gave Coach Frank (Pop) Ivy of the Cards an excellent opportunity to assess club's strength. He had 50 players dressed and cleared the bench, including four quarterbacks. Quarter Ronnie Knox, former UCLA star on loan from the Chicago Bears of the NFL. played most of the 60 minutes for Argos with John Green, new import from the University of Chattanooga, taking over in the last few minutes.
Chicago’s touchdowns were divided evenly among eight players- Joe Childress, Bobby Watkins, King Hill, Bobby Joe Conrad, Jim Crow, Mal Hammock, Leo Sugar and Lee Williams. Conrad also kicked a first quarter single and made the convert good on six touchdowns.
Dave Mann, speedy halfback cut by the Cards a year ago and picked up by Argos, led the Toronto scoring with two touchdowns. Bob Dehlinger, new import half from the University of Idaho, and and Jerry Philp, second-year import from Florida State got the others. Vic Kristopaitis of Dayton University kicked two converts.
Too Big, Too Strong, Too Good
By JIM HUNT Toronto Star Staff Writer
But the coach didn't find much support from the 27,700 people - more than ever watched a Grey Cup game here- who saw the NFL team take the Argos apart, 53-26, and leave the pieces neatly piled on the turf.
The Cards were just too big, too tough and too competent for a team that figures to be the best Toronto has had since the Grey Cup years of 1950 and 1952. Of course, considering the Argo record, that may not be much of a club either.
Pool based his confidence on the way Argos moved the ball against the Cardinals, coached by Frank Ivy who never has lost a football game m Toronto and didn't intend to start last night. And the Scullers did gain a lot of yardage against the tanks of the NFL.
With Ronnie Knox leaving his poems for passes, the Scullers came up with an attack that had the fans cheering wildly- almost as if this were Grey Cup day instead of a warm August evening and an exhibition game.
But the defence was something else again. The Cards just knocked the Argos over and romped, particularly in the second half when a close football game turned into a rout.
Financially, the game was a success. The Cards went home with their pockets jingling and Lew Hayman had enough left, from the $100,000 gate to pay for his daughter's wedding on Saturday. But it was an expensive outing for the Argos.
Norm Stoneburgh, the best centre in the east is lost for a couple of months with a broken ankle. Don Caraway, the toughest linebacker who ever got away from Calgary, tore ligaments in his ankle. Both will be tough, if not impossible, to replace.
The biggest difference- besides on the
scoreboard- was in the blocking. The Cards fired off the line- a la Ivy
of Edmonton days- and had the Argo defenders on their backs a good part
of the time. Argos couldn’t move the Chicago Giants and so had to rely
on Knox's arm and end sweeps.
The NFL backs are also bigger and run harder. Tackles that would stop Big Four backs- and a few western ones too- didn't halt runners such as John David Crow and Joel Childress.
Thanks to Knox, Argos didn't fare too badly on the attack. Ronnie caught them off balance.
Argos went 50-yards in four plays for a touchdown in the first two-minutes. Later in the quarter, Argos had a 13-1 lead and trailed only 21-13 at the half.
But the pounding took its toll. Caraway went out and so did the Argonaut defence. But it was fun while it lasted.
The blending of U.S. and Canadian rules produced a pleasant spectacle. The unlimited blocking resulted in several spectacular runs by both teams- but mostly by the Cards since they took better advantage of the rule.
Argos couldn't seem to get adjusted to having only 11 men when the Cards had the ball. Their three men had a lot of field to cover and usually couldn't do it. The other major change was on the punt returns with blocking allowed. No one got away for a touchdown but longer runs did result.
Another' Canadian team- say the Winnipeg Blue Bombers- would have done better. Probably the Cards wouldn't have been able to run the ball as well against the Canadian champions' line. But whether we like it or not, there's still a world of difference between the calibre of play in the NFL and Canada. But then, does anyone really care?
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Toronto
(CP)- The Chicago Cardinals steam-rollered over the Toronto Argonauts
53-26 Wednesday night before 27,770 fans, the largest crowd to see a
game in Eastern Canada and the greatest turn-out for any pre-season game
in the country.
Toronto
(Special) - Hamp Pool, a football coach who has been in the cellar so
long he's suffering from the bends, walked out of Toronto’s spanking new
stadium last night firmly convinced Argonauts can beat the Chicago
Cardinals.
