1934 Season and Sneakers Game from Pillars of the NFL by Patrick McCaskey

This post was published in the front matter of  Pillars of the NFL by Patrick McCaskey and is Copyright Sporting Chance Press:

Illustration from Pillars of the NFL
Copyright 2014 by Bill Potter

1934 Season and Sneakers Game

Before the season started, the Bears played in the first Chicago College All Star Game. Before 79,432 fans at Soldier Field, the game ended in a 0–0 tie. It was not a sign of things to come for Halas’s team. 

The Bears looked unbeatable in 1934 when they went 13–0 for the season. Halas had added a new halfback, Beattie Feathers, who rushed for 1,004 yards that season. The Bears won 18-straight games and were dominating the league. 

The championship game was one for the history books, or perhaps Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. The Bears played the Giants in the Polo Grounds. The night before the game, a storm dumped freezing rain and sleet onto the field. Abe Cohen, who served part-time in the Giants’ locker room and part time in Manhattan College’s locker room, was asked to head over to the school and borrow their basketball sneakers to help the Giants improve their footing. 

On icy field conditions, the Bears took a 13–3 lead before Cohen hopped out of a cab with a supply of basketball shoes. The Giants changed from cleats to sneakers and were able to outmaneuver the Bears. The sneakered team scored 27 unanswered points for a 30–13 win. 

The game is called the “Sneakers Game.” Rather than bemoan the unfair advantage in equipment, Halas would remember the game for the freaky weather change and the sheet of ice on the field.

In Pillars, each chapter is devoted to one of the 10 greatest coaches in NFL history.  Each chapter includes various sections and special attention is given to Championship seasons and games.