1960s Timeline

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3 days ago

Giants Dominate Redskins, 42-24, in D.C.

Nov. 26, 1962 - D.C. Stadium was the scene of a sensational Washington exposé yesterday. The New York Giants unmasked the Redskins as mere pretenders to the NFL’s Eastern Conference throne. The score: New York 42, Washington 24. As usual, the passing of Y.A. Tittle (pictured) and Alex Webster’s rushing highlighted the Giant attack, which extended the conference leaders’ win streak to six games and pushed the Redskins down to third place. A capacity gathering of 49,219 saw it

Nov 19

Giants Top Eagles at Yankee Stadium, 19-14

Nov. 19, 1962 - Wind-blown snow and rain swept away much of the differences between good and mediocre NFL clubs in Yankee Stadium yesterday, but not quite enough to prevent the New York Giants from scoring a fifth straight victory they clearly deserved. Don Chandler kicked the Philadelphia Eagles into a 19-14 defeat with 4 field goals for New York. His longest — from 37 yards late in the third quarter — put the Eastern Conference leaders ahead to stay. Two key plays by the Gi

Nov 11

Giants Thrash Cowboys, 41-10

Nov. 11, 1962 - The New York Giants’ offense is becoming so efficient these days that it is sometimes easy to overlook the defense, which was once the club’s strongest point by far. As the Giants raced to a 41-10 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys today, each of these Giant units was at peak efficiency. Obvious was the renewed excellence of Y.A. Tittle (#14) and his friends on offense. They went over and through the Cowboys virtually at will before 45,668 fans in the Cotton Bowl

Nov 9

AFL’s Titans in Financial Trouble

Nov. 9, 1962 - Milt Woodard, the assistant commissioner of the American Football League, said today the league had loaned the New York Titans enough money to meet the player payroll through tomorrow’s game with the Dallas Texans. He said the loan was “in the area of $40,000.” Woodard also said the AFL expected that the franchise owned by Harry Wismer would be sold within a week. Wismer, who has lost considerable money trying to compete with the New York Giants of the NFL, is

Nov 6

Rams Coach Bob Waterfield Resigns, Harland Svare to Take Over

Nov. 6, 1962 - Bob Waterfield today resigned as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, and Harland Svare (pictured right with Bill Wade) was appointed his successor for the rest of the season. The Rams had won only one of eight NFL games. Svare, who will be 32 this month, became the Rams’ defensive line coach this season. He was a star linebacker with the New York Giants from 1954 to 1960. He served as defensive coach for the Giants part-time in 1960 and full-time last year. Wat

Nov 4

Cowboys Dominate Redskins, 38-10

Nov. 4, 1962 - The Dallas Cowboys’ rotating quarterbacks, Don Meredith and Eddie LeBaron (pictured), each threw 2 touchdown passes today as the Cowboys overwhelmed the Redskins in Washington, 38-10. The record crowd of 49,888 saw the Redskins fumble at crucial spots and generally display a feeble offense as they lost their second straight game. The Redskins had been undefeated until they were drubbed, 49-34, by the Giants. LeBaron, the league’s top passer, didn’t complete a p

Sep 23

Giants Win Quarterback Duel, Top Eagles, 29-13

Sept. 23, 1962 - Sonny Jurgenson of the Philadelphia Eagles riddled the New York Giants’ pass defense with 33 completions today. But the Giants tightened at the right moments and gained a 29-13 victory before 60,671 fans at Franklin Field. The capacity crowd sat through an amazing 60 minutes of football in which one of the highlights was a 49-yard field goal by Don Chandler that hit the cross bar and bounced over. Jurgenson tossed 57 passes, and the 33 he completed went for 3

Sep 20

Giants Lose Roosevelt Brown to Injury

Sept. 20, 1962 - The New York Giants will be without the services of Roosevelt Brown (pictured with Tom Landry in 1959), their 260-pound tackle, when they meet the Eagles at Philadelphia Sunday. After a lengthy workout at Fordham University today, the Giants revealed that Brown had received the week off to recuperate from head injuries. The 29-year-old offensive tackle suffered a concussion in an exhibition game with the Green Bay Packers three weeks ago and was knocked aroun

Sep 3

Packers Top Giants in Exhibition Contest

Sept. 3, 1962 - Capitalizing on 3 kick returns good for a total of 179 yards, the Green Bay Packers reasserted their superiority over the New York Giants today. Coach Vince Lombardi’s 1961 NFL champions downed last year’s Eastern titleholders for the fifth time in a row, in season and out, in an exhibition contest witnessed by a capacity crowd of 38,669 at Green Bay’s City Stadium. The score was 20-17, with the Packers tallying both their touchdowns and 1 of their 2 field goa

Aug 19

Giants Destroyed by 49ers in Exhibition Game, 42-10

Aug. 19, 1962 - The injury-riddled New York Giants were racked up, 42-10, by the aggressive San Francisco 49ers in an NFL exhibition game today. The New Yorkers looked like anything but defending Eastern Division champions as the 49ers scored early and late before 38,392 pleased spectators in Kezar Stadium. San Francisco employed John Brodie’s passing, sharp running by C.R. Roberts, timely interceptions, and a blocked punt to run up its biggest score ever against the Giants.

Apr 2

NFL: Frank Grifford Ends One-Year Retirement

Apr. 2, 1962 - Frank Gifford ended a one-year retirement today and rejoined the New York Giants of the NFL. He signed for “pretty close” to his $25,000 salary of 1960. The 31-year-old former all-pro halfback said he had given up his sports broadcasting duties at WCBS to concentrate on his football comeback. “There are many reasons for my returning to the Giants,” he said. “First and most important, I love the game. Possibly, I made a mistake in leaving.” Many observers believ

Dec 31, 2021

Lombardi Says Packers Greatest Team Ever; Many Giants Agree

Dec. 31, 1961 - What happened to the New York Giants today? They ran into “the greatest team in the history of the National Football League.” Coach Vince Lombardi pinned that label on his Green Bay Packers as they swarmed into their dressing room after a 37-0 rout of the Giants in the championship game. Lombardi’s appraisal was corroborated by New York’s starting quarterback, Y.A. Tittle. “We couldn’t have beaten them if we had used 22 men at once,” he said. Tittle had spent

Dec 31, 2021

🚨Packers Win First NFL Championship Since 1944

Dec. 31, 1961 - Breaking the game wide open with an explosive second-quarter attack that netted 3 touchdowns and a field goal, the Green Bay Packers routed the New York Giants, 37-0, today in the NFL’s championship game. Coach Vince Lombardi’s Packers gave a thorough going-over to the Giants in all departments. The New Yorkers did little to help themselves, giving away the ball five times on four interceptions and a fumble. But these negative factors in no way detracted from

Dec 29, 2021

UPI Names Paul Hornung NFL Player of the Year

Dec. 29, 1961 - Paul Hornung, the Green Bay Packers’ versatile halfback, today was named the NFL player of the year in the United Press International poll. Despite an injury and his call into the army in November, Hornung was brilliant as a runner, place-kicker, blocker, passer, and pass-catcher in the Packers’ drive to a second straight Western Conference championship. The 25-year-old Hornung, playing his fifth professional season, received 12 votes to 8 each for Jim Taylor,

Dec 28, 2021

Coach Vince Lombardi Optimistic His Packers Can Beat Giants in Championship Game

Dec. 28, 1961 - Coach Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers spoke out boldly today on Sunday’s championship game against the New York Giants: “If the field is right, we should win.” He is hoping for a firm but unfrozen field. On that, Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, the twin spearheads of the powerful Green Bay running attack, and the pile-driving blockers ahead of them, can get full traction. “We’re basically a power-running team, and we don’t want any more than a fair chance

Dec 26, 2021

NFL: Packers' Practice Draws a Crowd

Dec. 26, 1961 - The Green Bay Packers opened “Championship Week” before an unexpected audience of 500 fans today. Coach Vince Lombardi was flabbergasted as he strolled onto the practice field. The temperature was 20 above zero and there was a brisk wind blowing. The turf was frozen solid but the Packers wore football cleats with success. The ends and backs dug in enough to cut sharply on pass patterns. Everybody wore gloves except the backs and ends. Once, Lombardi reminded t

Dec 20, 2021

NFL: Paul Hornung of Packers Named League MVP

Dec. 20, 1961 - Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers was named today the most valuable player of the NFL in a poll of writers and broadcasters by The Associated Press. The halfback was called to Army duty and was available only on a weekend pass during the second half of the season. But he scored 10 touchdowns, kicked 15 of 22 field goal attempts, and posted 41 successive extra points. He led the league scorers with 146 points. Other contenders in the poll were Jim Taylor of

Dec 19, 2021

NFL: Giants' Allie Sherman Named Coach of the Year

Dec. 19, 1961 - Allie Sherman, the Brooklyn College boy who made good in his first year as coach of the Giants, was named NFL coach of the year in an AP poll today. Those who know Sherman best say it’s characteristic of him to credit others for success and accept the blame for mistakes. Today, he credited the team’s clinching of the League’s Eastern Conference championship to the players, the assistant coaches, the scouting staff, and the club management. He even paid high tr

Dec 17, 2021

A 7-7 Tie with Browns Clinches NFL Eastern Conference for Giants

Dec. 17, 1961 - The New York Giants made a first-quarter touchdown stand up for a 7-7 tie with the Cleveland Browns in a tense contest witnessed by 61,084 roaring New Yorkers. The deadlock, as good as a victory, nailed down the NFL’s Eastern Conference title for the Giants. They will play the Packers for the league championship at Green Bay, Wis., on Dec. 31. Finishing with a 10-3-1 record, the Giants ended the conference race a half-game in front of the reigning NFL champion

Dec 10, 2021

NFL: Giants Top Eagles, 28-24, Clinch Tie for Eastern Conference Title

Dec. 10, 1961 - Charlie Conerly’s deft hand guided the New York Giants today to at least a tie for the NFL’s Eastern Conference title. Called to the rescue with his team trailing by 3 points midway in the second period, the gallant 40-year-old quarterback from Mississippi threw 3 touchdown passes that brought about a 28-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Now the Giants can clinch the Eastern title they last won in 1959 by beating the Cleveland Browns in their regular-se