Sneakers

Giants at home in Pacific Northwest

Giants at home in Pacific Northwest: Flaherty, Badgro and Hein were teammates on a 1934 Giants team that upset unbeaten Chicago in the NFL championship game. The Giants prevailed through a combination of luck (a winter storm that turned the grass field of the Polo Grounds into a sheet of ice) and resourcefulness.

Before kickoff, when it was apparent footing would be a factor, Flaherty approached head coach Steve Owen and suggested the Giants exchange their cleats for basketball sneakers. Sneakers, Flaherty told Owen, once worked on a slippery field at Gonzaga.

Giants trainer Gus Mauch, who worked at Manhattan College, summoned part-time clubhouse attendant Abe Cohen to rush over to the Manhattan campus and return with as many pairs of sneakers as he could find. Cohen either broke into the basketball locker_ the details are vague _ but he brought back nine pairs of sneakers after halftime.

posted by Eugen @ 4:06 AM