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For the only time in history, an American Football League
team met a Canadian Football League Team. And, for the first time in
history, a CFL team defeated a professional team from America when the
Tiger-Cats downed the Buffalo Bills, 38-21 in Hamilton. It should be
remembered that the Bills game in Hamilton was very different than the
other games. It actually is an “NFL” game only in retrospect. In 1961,
the Buffalo Bills were purely an AFL team with the draft wars, Super
Bowls and merger still years away. This game, therefore, can be viewed
separately from the others. The game was played at Hamilton’s Ivor Wynne
Stadium before 12,000 curious fans playing with a mix of American and
Canadian rules.
 In the first quarter, Ti-Cats fullback Jerry McDougall boomed a
quick-kick 77 yards to the Bills 10 yard line. On the next play,
Hamilton’s Butch Rogers intercepted a Johnny Green pass and ran 22 yards
for a score. Midway through the first quarter, Hamilton’s Ron Miller
tried a 27 yard field goal which was wide. Buffalo’s William Fowler
attempted to run it out of the endzone (mandatory by Canadian rules) but
was stopped short by Hal Patterson for a one point rouge. The score was
8-0. On the third play of the second quarter, Rogers again intercepted a
Green pass at the Buffalo 13. Bernie Faloney then spotted Patterson
between the goalposts in the endzone and hit him with a beautiful
touchdown strike in front of defender, Jack Johnson. Later in the
quarter, the Bills stopped Hamilton’s Don Sutherin in the endzone
following a pass from Tom Dublinski for a safety. On the last play of
the half, the Bills’ Richie Lucas ran 9 yards to the Hamilton 39, but a
roughing penalty was called on the Ti-Cats for piling on. The ball was
moved to the 24 where Lucas hit Monte Crockett for a touchdown. The
halftime score was 21-8 in favor of Hamilton.
Hamilton opened it to 28-8 in the third quarter on a touchdown pass from Faloney to Paul Dekker. Later in the quarter, Green led the Bills on a
drive which ended on a three yard Art Baker scoring run. On their next
possession, Elbert Dubenion returned a Hamilton punt 21 yards and Green
hit Crockett on an 8 yard touchdown route. At 28-21, the Bills were back
in it. But, Faloney hit Ralph Goldston on a 29 yard pass play to set up
Ron Miller’s 17 yard field goal and give Hamilton a 31-21 cushion. Frank
Cosentino replaced Faloney and finished the rout with a 50 yard
touchdown pass to Goldston. The final was Hamilton 38, Buffalo 21.
For Buffalo and the AFL, the game was a disappointment. The Bills were
befuddled by the Canadian rules, suffered a rash of preseason injuries,
and used untested rookies who were not familiar with their system,
having practiced less than two weeks. The game exposed the weakness of
the young American Football League. For the Tiger-Cats and the CFL, it
was redemption for the 6 previous losses to US teams. It would mark the
last time the CFL and NFL/AFL met in history.
Canada Grid Teams Favor AFL
Tuneups
By JOE SARGIS
United Press International
 Hamilton,
Ont. (UPI)- Canadian
Football League clubs can forget all about playing exhibition games
against the tough National Football League- a move the league is
considering seriously- because it apparently is a whole lot easier
tangling with the American Football League.
That was demonstrated thoroughly and to
the delight of more than 12,000 partisan fans at Hamilton, Ont., Tuesday
night when the Tiger-Cats scored early and often in the typical
wide-open Canadian fashion to whip the Buffalo Bills of the AFL, 38-21,
in the first exhibition game between the two pro circuits (video).
The
Eastern Football Conference team, playing it wide open all the way, led
by 8-0, 21-8 and 28-8 before the Bills broke loose with a spirited
attack that threatened to wipe out the Cats' margin. They ran in a pair
of touchdowns and shook up the Ti-Cats on other occasions, only to fall
apart later as the Cats drove to a field goal and a converted touchdown
that came in the dying minutes when Frank Cosentino, fourth and last of
the Hamilton quarterbacks, found Ralph Goldston with a 50 yard forward
pass that sent the Hamilton back all the way.
There has been considerable talk in
Canadian circles in recent weeks involving the possible curtailment of
play against NFL clubs. The Canadian teams have yet to score a victory
over an NFL team in exhibition play, but what is even worse is the fact
that in losing the Dominion teams have been completely out-classed.
The CFL, though, gained prestige when
Hamilton quarterbacks Bernie Faloney and Tom Dublinski, both Americans
and former NFL'ers, riddled the Buffalo defense with a consistent
passing attack.
Faloney connected for three of Hamilton's
five touchdowns, while Dublinski kept the Ti-Cats rolling along when he
was sent in to spell Maloney.
The Hamilton squad outgunned the Yanks, under Canadian rules, making
20 first downs against 7 with 106 yards rushing against 72 for the
Bills. The Cats, with Faloney, Eisaman and Dublinski preceding Cosentino,
gained 371 yards in the air, against 121 for the Bills.
Gab Bag
by GARY LAUTENS
Hamilton Spectator
This hasn't been good week the
Americans. There was that Russian space flight and Miss Supertest's
victory over the best speedboat the Yanks had to offer and that report
of a rift in Frank Sinatra's clan and then, last night, the one-sided
defeat at the Buffalo Bills at the hands of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on
the football field. All that's needed for complete disaster is news of
Liz Taylor's defection to Nasser.
America's pro teams aren't supposed to lose to Canadian squads (Ticats,
after all, only had 30 United States natives in uniform) but the Bills
had nothing to declare as they cleared Buffalo customs last night but an
assortment of bruises and a scrambled ego. Hospitality here was so
shabby that besides the 38-21 licking, the president of the Bills was,
at first, turned away at the gate, the American flag hung below the
Canadian ensign (and had but 48 stars according to one astute observer-
i.e., a chap with borrowed binoculars) and Vince Scott refused to talk
with the foreign forces without the services of an interpreter.
In spite of the fact Canadian rules were enforced and the Ticats had
about a three-week edge in training, this will undoubtedly be billed as
proof that the American Football League is inferior to the Canadian
product (nations rise and fall on prestige earned in such combat) and
coach Frank Filchock will be reminded of his boast of last autumn that
AFL teams are more powerful than Brand X clubs, and almost on par with
Brand Y.
Can the Bills be as bad at they appeared last night when they were
sluggish and inept except when facing reserve players which the Ticats
use only when Leonard P. Back, club physician Jim Charters and office
secretary Marion Deacon aren't able to suit up? More important, is the
Hamilton team so awesome that J. Trimble, unless filled with the milk of
human kindness, will devastate the land if Mears, Agase, Grant, Clair,
etc., do not sue for immediate peace?
It would be difficult to pick flaws in the Tiger-Cat performance. Butch
Rogers intercepted two passes, each of four quarterback had a touch of
magic, Nuemann looked 21 years young. Barrow resembled a hug-hungry
grizzly, Goldston and McDougall gave zip to the offensive backfield,
Patterson (wearing No. 77, Ralph Toohy's old jersey, incidentally)
blocked to help the outside running....it was almost too good to be
true. Actually, there haven't been many changes to the Hamilton strategy
(there's more backfield in motion but the patterns are much the same)
but the Ticats made this the best game of the pre-season schedule in
Eastern Canada.
A grouch may wish that Tom Dublinski's arm could be grafted to Bernie
Faloney's body (Faloney is still most effective on rollouts where his
running ability makes up for deficiencies as a passer) but Hamilton
quarterbacking was much superior to Buffalo's. The biggest cheer of the
game was reserved for Frank Cosentino, the local lad who threw the last
touchdown pass of the game. He could step into a Bill uniform anytime.
In spite of his handicap at being born 40 miles away from the United
States.
When trimmed to their normal complement of imports, the Cats will
obviously be weakened but the material is there for a strong contender
if properly handled. There have been some surprises (eg. Don Sutherin
was considered a shoo-in for a job but hasn't been outstanding; dark
horse John Schroeder, on the other hand, injured in the game, would be
good enough to play end for any Canadian team NOT having a Dekker and
Patterson combination) but, fortunately, Trimble hasn't insisted on all
of his experiments (Vince Scott played well at middle guard although
told he must make the team as an offensive tackle, a position he did
play briefly last night with indifferent success, not a surprising
result since Scott, at 36, can hardly be expected to now play a spot
entirely alien him).
Some doubts are held for the Hamilton defensive backfield where Trimble
has sacrificed much of his strength (George Scott, Ralph Goldston,
Garnet Henley) to spruce up his offence- at least that's the plan at the
moment. It's also baffling to see another coaching switch- Ron Howell in
defence. Howell played exceptionally well against Buffalo and he might
well justify the move. But to see a pass catcher of his calibre playing
on defence is like hearing that Bardot will appear in her next movie in
coveralls and a turtle-necked sweater.
Several of the Bills would look good in Hamilton sweaters but the pick
of the visiting club, especially from the gate standpoint, would be
backs Art Baker and Elbert Dubenion. Dubenion will remind customers of
Bernie Custis while Baker has the touch of a Johnny Bright up the
middle.
One raporter in the press box even remarked that he would have PAID to
see last night's game. He was immediately fed to the crocodiles, of
course. Trouble-maker.
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SCORING |
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Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
8 |
13 |
7 |
10 |
38 |
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Buffalo Bills |
0 |
8 |
0 |
13 |
21 |
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
HAM- Rogers 22 yard interception return (Sutherin kick)
HAM- Single, (Johnson rouged on Miller's attempted field goal)
Second Quarter
HAM- Patterson 4 yard touchdown pass from Faloney (Sutherin kick)
BUF- Safety, Atkins tackles Sutherin in endzone
HAM- Henley 36 yard touchdown pass from Dublinski (failed conversion)
BUF- Crockett 10 yard pass from Lucas (failed conversion)
Third Quarter
HAM- Dekker 10 yard touchdown pass from Faloney (Sutherin kick)
Fourth Quarter
BUF- Baker 3 run (Hergert kick)
BUF- Crocket 8 yard pass from Green (conversion failed)
HAM- FG Miller 18
HAM- Goldston 50 yard touchdown pass from Cosentino (Sutherin kick)
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Regular Season:
The Buffalo Bills finished 6-8 in 1961, last place in the AFL East. They
finished 1/2 game better than in 1960, the first year of the league’s
existence. The team was led by receiver Elbert Dubenion. Hamilton went
10-4-0 to finish first in the East and out-dueled Toronto in the
playoffs to advance to the Grey Cup. But, Winnipeg won the Cup, scoring
a thrilling 21-14 overtime victory in Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium in
the only overtime game to ever be played in Grey Cup history to date.
Quarterback Bernie Faloney would go on to be the CFL MVP in 1961. |
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