I: Sept. 17, 1920
II: Nov. 7, 1920
III: Nov. 28, 1920
IV: Oct. 7, 1923
V: Nov. 26, 1925
VI: Dec. 6, 1925
VII: Nov. 6, 1929
VIII: Nov. 28, 1929
IX: Oct. 24, 1933
X: Nov. 28, 1935
XI: Oct. 14, 1945
XII: Apr. 19, 1947
XIII: Dec. 28, 1947
XIV: Dec. 19, 1948
XV: Mar. 23, 1959
XVI: Mar. 13, 1960
XVII: Dec. 6, 1964
XVIII: Nov. 7, 1965
XIX: Nov. 16, 1970
XX: Dec. 27, 1975
XXI: Jan. 8, 1983
XXII: Dec. 16, 1984
XXIII: Nov. 8, 1987
XXIV: Mar. 15, 1988
XXV: Dec. 23, 1990
XXVI: Dec. 24, 1994
CARDINAL CHRONICLE VIII
November 28, 1929: "Nevers" Since Equaled
- - - - - When O'Brien sold Paddy Driscoll to the Bears after the 1925 season, he was unable to find a back that could
replace the lost hero. It was not until the team was under new ownership that another NFL superstar would find his way onto the Cardinals.
Ernie Nevers had already made a name for himself with the Stanford Cardinal and the NFL's Duluth Eskimos, the legendary "Iron Men of the North,"
during the mid-1920s. But, by the end of the decade he was out of football.
- - - - - Still in his prime, Nevers was brought out of retirement by new Cardinals owner Dr. David Jones. His breakout game came in the
middle of the season when he accounted for two touchdowns and a field goal in the Cards' 16-0 win over Providence. Until this game, the redbird
offense had scored a total of only 24 points in the six previous contests, proving that things have not changed much in 70 years. The magic for
Nevers would not stop in Rhode Island, and in a few weeks, he would put on a one-man show comparable with any single performance ever seen in
the NFL before, or since.
- - - - - The Cardinals and Bears once again crossed paths on their way to history as they met on November 28, 1929, in Comiskey Park for
their traditional Thanksgiving Day battle. Both teams were struggling and had played to a scoreless tie earlier in the season. Things would be
a bit different this time as Ernie Nevers caught fire. The Bears managed six points and would have been victorious had Nevers sat on the bench.
Unfortunately for George Halas and his Bears, Nevers did play, scoring all 40 of his team's points! His record-setting six-touchdown mark has
been tied since, but by kicking four extra points, Nevers established a record that has yet to be equaled; his single-game 40-point performance
is the NFL's longest-standing record.
- - - - - Thus, the Cardinals were 40-6 winners over the Bears, but many newspapers ran the following headline: NEVERS: 40, BEARS: 6. Meanwhile,
other papers, such as the New York Times, did not even print an account of this incredible feat, indicating the lack of attention received by the
league even in its tenth season. Things would change for the NFL, as would the traditional Thanksgiving Day match-up. From 1921 to 1933, the Cardinals
and Bears ("Staleys" in 1921) would face each other on this November holiday, the original Thanksgiving football tradition. Later, Green Bay and Detroit
would become part of this tradition, but when Packers coach Vince Lombardi complained about having a short week to prepare for the game, the Packers were
dropped in favor of Dallas. Today, the Lions and Cowboys are the annual Thanksgiving Day teams, although they do not face each other.
NEXT : October 24, 1933 - The Bidwill regime in the Cardinals' organization officially begins when the deal between Dr. David Jones and Charles Bidwill, Sr. is finalized. The team does not win a game the rest of the season, and things would get worse before improvement is seen. Meanwhile, changes are occurring within the NFL that would lead to the league of today.
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1996-2021, by "The Cardinal"
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