1962 NFL Championship Game

Background

The 1962 game was a rematch of the 1961 game, won by Green Bay at home, 37–0. It was the Packers' third straight appearance in the championship game, and the Giants' fourth in five seasons, and fifth in the last seven.

Green Bay began the season 10–0, including a 49–0 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, where they gained 628 yards to Philadelphia's 54. Before the game, 10,000 fans at a New York Knicks game in Madison Square Garden spontaneously began chanting "Beat Green Bay! Beat Green Bay!", and when the 18,000 tickets available to non-season ticket holders went on sale, they sold within three hours.

Due to the NFL's blackout policy which aimed to protect gate receipts, until , fans in a team's home market could not watch their team's regular season and playoff games on television, even if they were title games. New York fans made reservations for motels in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut so they could watch the game out of the 75 mi blackout zone, and even though the game was played in 17 F temperatures

Although the weather was temperate the previous day, during the contest it became so cold due to wind chill that a cameraman filming the game suffered frostbite, and television crews used dugout bonfires to thaw out their cameras. Broadcaster Art Rust, Jr. later described the weather as "barbaric". The cold conditions favored the Packers who used a run-oriented offense led by Taylor, while the Giants featured a more pass-heavy offense led by quarterback Y. A. Tittle who had passed for 3,224 yards and 33 touchdowns in the regular season.

Ticket prices for the game at Yankee Stadium ranged from eight to twelve dollars ($68.11 to $100.13 in 2018 valuation).

Game summary

The wind caused the ball to be blown off the tee three times during the opening kickoff, and a Green Bay player had to hold the ball onto the tee so Willie Wood (later ejected for bumping back judge Tom Kelleher) could kick it off. After a Jerry Kramer field goal made the score 3–0 in favor of Green Bay in the first quarter, the Giants drove to the Green Bay 15 yard line behind short passes from Tittle. Tittle then tried to hit tight end Joe Walton near the goal line, but a timely Packer blitz by Forester and Nitschke allowed the latter to deflect the pass which was intercepted by fellow linebacker Dan Currie. During most of the first and second quarter, the teams ran the ball for short gains. The Giants repeatedly hit Taylor hard, and he suffered cuts to his arm and tongue. Near halftime, the Giants Phil King fumbled on their own 28, and Nitschke recovered. A halfback option pass from Paul Hornung to flanker Boyd Dowler took the Packers to the Giants seven-yard line. On the following play Taylor used an outside fake before going back inside to run untouched into the end zone.

The weather worsened by halftime and the wind swirled dust around the stadium, tearing apart the ballpark's U.S. flag, and knocking over a television camera. Passing became even more difficult; the longest pass of the day was a 25-yard one from Tittle to Walton. After blocking a Max McGee punt and recovering it for a touchdown to pull the game to 10–7 in the third quarter, the Giants defense forced the Packers into a three and out on their next possession. Sam Horner fumbled on a punt return at the Giants 42-yard line however, and Nitschke recovered. Five plays later, Kramer kicked a field goal to make the score 13–7. Tittle, with the aid of two Packers penalties, then drove the Giants from their own 20 to the Green Bay 18 on the ensuing drive. New York then incurred two holding penalties, pushing them back to their own 40-yard line and ending their drive (holding penalties at the time were assessed from the spot of the foul). Led by Taylor, who repeatedly ran for key first downs, the Packers advanced the ball down to the New York end of the field, where Kramer kicked a third field goal (on five attempts) to make the score 16–7 with under two minutes to play. Tittle led a desperation drive which ended at the Packer 7 as time ran out. Green Bay recovered all five of their fumbles during the game, while the Giants lost both of theirs. Kramer had not played in the previous year's title game, after a lower leg injury in late October sidelined him for the rest of the 1961 season.

Legacy

A few hours after this game, Nitschke, who was the game's Most Valuable Player, appeared on CBS TV's What's My Line? wearing thick eyeglasses and a dark, conservative suit to hide his size. Panelists Martin Gabel and Bennett Cerf, both of whom were at the game and both Giants fans, recognized him. As the game's outstanding player, Nitschke was awarded a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette by Sport magazine.

Ed Sabol's film company, Blair Motion Pictures, paid $3,000 for the film rights for the game; the company would later become NFL Films.

The 1962 Packers team is considered one of the best in NFL history. 11 members of the 1962 Packer team are in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Scoring summary

• First quarter
  • GB – Jerry Kramer 26-yard field goal. Packers 3–0
• Second quarter
  • GB – Jim Taylor 7-yard run (Kramer kick). Packers 10–0
• Third quarter
  • NY – Jim Collier block punt recovery in end zone (Don Chandler kick). Packers 10–7
  • GB – Jerry Kramer 29-yard field goal. Packers 13–7
• Fourth quarter
  • GB – Jerry Kramer 30-yard field goal. Packers 16–7 Top passers
• GB – Bart Starr – 9/21, 85 yards
• NY – Y.A. Tittle – 18/41, 197 yards, 1 INT Top rushers
• GB – Jim Taylor – 31 rushes, 85 yards, 1 TD
• NY – Alex Webster – 15 rushes, 56 yards Top receivers
• GB – Boyd Dowler – 4 receptions, 48 yards
• NY – Joe Walton – 5 receptions, 75 yards

Starting lineups

:Source:

Officials

• Referee: (9) Emil Heintz
• Umpire: (57) Joseph Connell
• Head linesman: (30) George Murphy
• Back judge: (25) Tom Kelleher
• Field judge: (21) Fred Swearingen
• Alternate referee: Norm Schachter
• Alternate umpire: Lou Palazzi
• Alternate back judge: Bruce Alford

The NFL had five game officials in ; the line judge was added in and the side judge in .

Players' shares

The gross receipts for the game, including $615,000 radio and television rights, were just under $1,243,000, the highest to date. Each player on the winning Packers team received $5,888, while Giants players made $4,166 each.

Quotes

References

References

1. Hand, Jack. (December 30, 1962). "Crunching Green Bay vs. "go-for-broke" Giants". Spokesman-Review.
2. (December 31, 1962). "Packers still champs!". Milwaukee Sentinel.
3. Johnson, Chuck. (December 31, 1962). "Packers beat down Giants, 16-7, win their second straight title". Milwaukee Journal.
4. (December 31, 1962). "Packers grind out grim 16-7 win". Spokesman-Review.
5. Maule, Tex. (January 7, 1963). "The Packers, yes!".
6. Strickler, George. (December 30, 1962). "Snow may mar title contest today". Chicago Tribune.
7. Miller, Norman. (December 31, 1962). "Packers good bet for a new pro dynasty". The Bulletin.
8. Strickler, George. (December 31, 1962). "Packers keep title; beat Giants, 16-7". Chicago Tribune.
9. [http://www.giants.com/history/ChampionshipGames1950present.asp Championship Games 1950–present] {{Webarchive. link. (March 17, 2007 , giants.com, accessed January 12, 2007.)
10. Gottehrer. pg. 17
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12. (December 29, 1962). "Packers-Giants in NFL title clash tomorrow". Nashua Telegraph.
13. (December 31, 1962). "Fans flee N.Y. area for TV look". Spokesman-Review.
14. with {{convert. 35. –. 40. mph
15. Gottehrer. pgs. 21–2
16. ''$8 in 1962 → $100.13 in 2018'' https://www.officialdata.org/1962-dollars-in-2018?amount=12→ , $12 in 1962 → $100.13 in 2018 https://www.officialdata.org/1962-dollars-in-2018?amount=12
17. Gottehrer. pg. 21
18. Sternberg, Alan J. [http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/professional/a-meadowlands-super-bowl-could-be-an-nfl-and-new-jersey-debacle A Meadowlands Super Bowl could be an NFL — and New Jersey — debacle] {{Webarchive. link. (May 8, 2011 , newjerseynewsroom.com, May 24, 2010, accessed December 1, 2010.)
19. Gottehrer. pg. 22
20. (December 31, 1962). "Cool champs!". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
21. Gottehrer. pg. 20
22. link. (March 13, 2014 , profootballhof.com, January 14, 2008, accessed December 1, 2010.)
23. Kenney, Ray. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=acciAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BysEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2604,2583779&dq=nitschke+what's-my-line&hl=en MIller All-Stars get Cash on the Barrelhead], ''[[The Milwaukee Journal]]'', November 18, 1987, accessed December 1, 2010.
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25. (December 31, 1962). "Nitschke outstanding". Milwaukee Sentinel.
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28. (December 29, 1962). "Packer, Giant TV program". Milwaukee Sentinel.
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31. Gottehrer. pg. 23