New York Giants 41

Ottawa Rough Riders 18

Aug. 11, 1951

For the second year in a row, the Giants and Rough Riders met at Lansdowne Park, Ottawa. Ten thousand spectators witnessed the contest between the CFL and NFL in shirt sleeve weather. Despite unfamiliarity with Canadian rules, especially the prohibition of downfield blocking, the Giants won easily. Although it was a lopsided score, the game was described as thrilling by the New York Times.

The two squads played under Canadian rules in the first half and American rules in the second. The Giants led 13-11 at the end of the Canadian half. Ottawa quarterback, Tom O’Malley hit Bill Larochelle and Howie Turner for touchdowns in the first half. O’Malley would also toss a third quarter touchdown to Alton Baldwin who raced 63 yards for a touchdown.

On the day, O’Malley outshined his New York counterpart, Travis Tidwell. O’Malley passed 10 of 17 for 223 yards, while Tidwell finished 8 of 18 for 188. New York took advantage of the American rules to score four times in the second half. Eddie Price scored on a six-yard run in the first half and a fifteen-yard run in the second half. To open the second half, Joe Scott scored on a run. Rookie Bob Hudson scored on two receptions at his tight end position and Jimmy Ostendarp returned a punt 67 yards for a score. In this game, kicker Ray Poole connected on all 6 of his PAT attempts and scored one rouge. The final was an easy Giants victory, 41-18

The Canadian Press described the game as follows: "Rough Riders, rebuilt and with a new coach, Clem Crowe, of last year's Baltimore Colts, held their end up reasonably well in the Canadian-ruled first half, lagging 13-11 after the second quarter, but bowed out 41-18 to New York Giants of the National Football League. There was no doubt in either half that the big-league professional club had class to spare."

Powerful New York Giants Defeat Rough Riders, 41-18

By JACK KINSELLA

Ottawa Citizen Sports Writer  

Like the Romans, the New York Giants, a peerless professional organization, came, saw and conquered on a foreign field Saturday afternoon.

The itinerant gladiators from Manhattan subdued Ottawa Rough Riders, 41-18 in the second annual "friendly" played at Lansdowne Park before 7,149 interested witnesses, not the least of whom were scouting delegations from Montreal, Hamilton and Toronto,

And, as in the first game last year, it was simply no match.

Heavier, better conditioned, and generally more accomplished, the tyroes from the Polo Ground demonstrated of effectively why they are chosen as the best bet to capture the National Football League honors this season

Their running was artistic, their passing impressive, and their blocking authoritative. And what the first team could do, the second did better

Playing under Canadian rules in the first half, their attack bogged down frequently for natural reasons, but once the game swung to American regulations, the latent power of Steve Owen's goliaths came to the fore.

On the other hand, Clem Crowe's Rough Riders more than lived up to advance notices, and even in defeat gave their supporters plenty to applaud throughout the afternoon.

They held the powerful Giants in check during the first quarter, actually took the lead for a time in the second and, despite their unfamiliarity with the American rules in the last half, never stopped trying.

And all this despite the fact that the events of the opening moments of play might have shaken a stronger team. Bob Simpson was carried off the field on the very first play, and virtually seconds later, Bill Leonard fell victim to the same fate.

Shorthanded as they were from this stroke of misfortune, the Riders still managed to swap touchdowns with the visitors in the initial canto. Eddie Price, hard running Giant, drew first blood shortly after the two injuries, but Bill LaRochelle took a long heave from Tom O'Malley towards the end of the period to score, Jake Dunlap's convert offset that of Ray Poole.

It was another heave by O'Malley, this time to Howie Turner, that gave the Riders their one and only lead early in the second quarter. But the Giants, aroused by this effrontery, roared back, after blocking Jake Dunlap's attempted convert, to take a lead which they never lost.

Travis Tidwell, clever quarter passed the New Yorkers up the field, topping off the drive with a touchdown heave to big Bob Hudson deep in the end zone. Poole converted, and added another single when his attempted placement went to the deadline

The Giants really began to move under their own rules. Jim Ostendarp started the parade with a 60-yard runback of a kick that saw the Riders strewn about the field like deadwood.

Riders, however, who were doing most of their advancing via the overland route, came back momentarily with their final treat of the game when O'Malley connected to Alton Baldwin for a short pass and the latter shook off two tackles to go 63 yards for a score. Steve Hatfield converted.

Price notched his second major when he circled the right end for 15 yards, while Joe Scott roared through the center for five yards and another. Poole converted both.

The dead tired Riders stiffened in the last quarter to hold the New Yorkers to a single touchdown. Hudson clicked for his second major on another pass from Tidwell, Poole converting.

The Giants had another scoring threat going for them in the dying moments, but Bruce Cummings intercepted on the goal line to avert a score. Time then ran out before the Riders could do anything more.

Football, Canadian Style

By ARTHUR DALEY

New York Times

SARANAC LAKE, N. Y., Aug. 13- Ignorance of the law may be no excuse but the football Giants were back at training camp today, relieved to know that they could remain ignorant for another twelve months at least They had just completed successfully, too, a gridiron adventure against the Ottawa Rough Riders at the Canadian capital. To this tourist, at least, it was a fascinating and educational experience.

A guy in the press box could relax and enjoy it. But the Giants on the field had to consider the first half- which was played under Canadian rules- a frustrating and maddening phase of their careers. All their lives they'd had hammered into them one principle- keep knocking down all vertical enemy players until the whistle halts play.

But in Canadian football there is no down-field blocking at all. Only one backfield man is permitted to block, linemen can block only for ten yards in front of the line of scrimmage, no tacklers may approach within five yards of a punt receiver until after he's caught the ball.

The Giant players either remembered the rules and stood helplessly idle instead of throwing key blocks, or else they forgot, yielding to deeply ingrained instincts and getting penalized for it. They barely outscored the Rough Riders under Canadian rules, 13 to 11, but blocked like crazy in the second half under American rules to take that portion of the play, 28 to 7.

Restraints on violent bodily contact were the heaviest burden the Giants had to bear. Adapting themselves to other major differences in playing codes was easy. These included having only three downs instead of four to cover ten yards; performing on a much bigger field- 110 yards long and 65 yards wide instead of 100 yards and 53 1/3 yards; playing with twelve men instead of eleven, the extra man being an additional back known as a "flying wing," and having a slightly different scoring system.

The most intriguing phase of this is not the 5 points for a touchdown instead of 6. Rather it is the single pointer, or "rouge." The Canadian game has a huge end zone that's 25 yards in depth. A kick over this "end in touch" or angled to cross its sidelines counts for a point. Otherwise the kick receiver has to run out the kick under penalty of being thrown for a rouge.

American rules makers would find it well worth investigating the rouge point as a way of eliminating tie scores, an objective they've so far failed to find. But this observer found one major flaw in it. Ray Poole went wide of the posts on a field goal attempt and the ball bounded beyond the end zone for a point. That is a left-handed way of rewarding failure. Other than collecting an unearned point on a missed placement, the rouge has much to recommend it.

For the first time in his life this press box tenant saw a 10-yard penalty paced off. It made him think of Jim Durfee, a delightful character who was a referee back in the early days of pro football. At that time coaching from the sidelines was illegal and Durfee was sure that Mile Creighton of the Chicago Cardinals was signaling instructions to his embattled heroes. Then he caught him cold.

Durfee, who was not beyond making up his own rules when the fancy suited him, waved an admonishing finger at Creighton and paced off ten yards.

What's that for?" screamed the guilty coach. "Coaching from the sidelines," cheerfully replied Durfee.

"But there isn't a 10-yard penalty in the book." shouted Creighton. "Coaching from the sidelines should be 15 yards."

"I know that," said Durfee, an impish grin on his face, "but I consider your coaching worth only 10 yards." Creighton shut up.

The more interesting part of the affair between the Giants and the Rough Riders was the first half because it was accepted that the New Yorkers would dominate the second half. The usually worrisome coach, Steve Owen, didn't even have one furrow in his forehead and President Jack Mara, who worries even more, didn't even have a tiny case of pre-game jitters.

But those two worry-warts can relax until after the play-off in December. Confidentially, the Giants are tremendous, loaded to the gunwales and beyond. They missed the championship last year by the margin of one offside, the recall of a winning touchdown. They should be able to go offside constantly this year and still pick up the marbles.

They're not only big, fast and confident. They've even become cute. Arnie Weinmeister, who probably will captain the team, showed how resourceful these Giants can be. Before the team left Saranac he suggested to a team-mate that there was no need of both bringing a suitcase.
 

"Throw your stuff in my bag," he said, "but you'll have to carry it up there." Then he made the same deal in reverse with another teammate. He had to carry the bag home. Weinmeister sure did enjoy that trip.

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