24 14 10 24 Network ABC Champion Chicago Bears Location Polo Grounds Announcer Harry Wismer | 14 0 Referee Ron Gibbs Announcers Harry Wismer Start date 1946 Stadium Polo Grounds Attendance 58,346 | |
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Similar 1941 NFL Championship Game, 1940 NFL Championship Game, 1934 NFL Championship Game, 1932 NFL Playoff Game, 1937 NFL Championship Game | ||
The 1946 National Football League Championship Game was the 14th annual NFL championship game, played December 15 at the Polo Grounds in New York City, with a record-breaking attendance of 58,346.
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The game matched the New York Giants (7–3–1), champions of the Eastern Division, against the Western Division champion Chicago Bears (8–2–1). The Giants had won the regular season game with Chicago 14–0 at the Polo Grounds seven weeks earlier on October 27, but the Bears were seven to ten point favorites.
This was the fifth and final NFL Championship game played at the Polo Grounds and the fourth of six meetings between the Bears and Giants in the title game.
Tied after three quarters, Chicago won 24–14 for their seventh NFL title, their fifth victory in eight NFL championship game appearances. The attendance record stood for another nine years, until the 1955 title game in Los Angeles.
Bribery scandal
The day before the game, two players for the Giants, Frank Filchock and Merle Hapes, had been accused of taking bribes to fix the game from Alvin Paris. Mayor William O'Dwyer had Jack Mara, Wellington Mara and Bert Bell informed of the police evidence against the two.
Hours later, the four then met at Gracie Mansion and the mayor interviewed the players one at a time. Under questioning, Hapes admitted that he was offered a bribe and Filchock denied being offered it. Several hours later, Paris was arrested and confessed to bribing the players. Hapes was suspended by Bell, but Filchock was allowed to play. During Paris' trial weeks later, Filchock admitting taking the bribe under oath.
Scoring summary
Sunday, December 15, 1946
Kickoff: 2 p.m. EST
Officials
The NFL had only four game officials in 1946; the back judge was added the following season in 1947, the line judge in 1965, and the side judge in 1978.
Players' shares
The gross receipts for the game, including radio and picture rights, was just under $283,000. Each player on the winning Bear team received $1,975, while Giants players made $1,295 each.