| Type: | nflc |
| 1949 | |
| Visitor: | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Home: | Los Angeles Rams |
| Visitor Coach: | Greasy Neale |
| Home Coach: | Clark Shaughnessy |
| Visitor Conf: | Eastern |
| Home Conf: | Western |
| Visitor Abbr: | PHI |
| Home Abbr: | LA |
| Visitor Record: | 11–1 |
| Home Record: | 8–2–2 |
| Visitor Qtr1: | 0 |
| Visitor Qtr2: | 7 |
| Visitor Qtr3: | 7 |
| Visitor Qtr4: | 0 |
| Visitor Total: | 14 |
| Home Qtr1: | 0 |
| Home Qtr2: | 0 |
| Home Qtr3: | 0 |
| Home Qtr4: | 0 |
| Home Total: | 0 |
| Date: | December 18, 1949 |
| Stadium: | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
| City: | Los Angeles, California |
| Attendance: | 27,980 (paid); 22,245 (actual) |
| Network: | ABC |
| Announcers: | Harry Wismer, Red Grange |
| Hofers: | Eagles: Greasy Neale (coach), Chuck Bednarik, Pete Pihos, Steve Van Buren, Alex Wojciechowicz Rams: Dan Reeves (owner), Tex Schramm (administrator), Tom Fears, Elroy Hirsch, Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Waterfield |
The 1949 NFL Championship Game was the 17th title game for the National Football League (NFL), played on December 18 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.[1] It is remembered for the driving rain that caused the field to become a mud pit. Its paid attendance was 27,980, with only 22,245 in the stadium, which was a low in attendance not reached until 2020, which drew 24,835 because of global pandemic restrictions.[2] [3] [4]
The game featured the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Eagles (11–1), the defending NFL champions, against the Los Angeles Rams (8–2–2), winners of the Western Division. This was the first NFL title game played in the western United States. The Rams had last appeared in a title game in 1945, a victory and the franchise's final game in Cleveland.
The Eagles were favored by a touchdown,[5] [6] [7] and won 14–0 for their second consecutive shutout in the title game. Running back Steve Van Buren rushed for 196 yards on 31 carries for the Eagles and their defense held the Rams to just 21 yards on the ground.[4] [8]
Philadelphia head coach Earle "Greasy" Neale did not like to fly, so the Eagles traveled to the West Coast by train.[9] On the way west, they stopped in Illinois for a workout at Stagg Field at the University of Chicago on Wednesday morning.[10]
Sunday, December 18, 1949
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. PST
The NFL added the fifth official, the back judge, in ; the line judge arrived in, and the side judge in .
The Eagles players earned $1,090 each and the Rams got $789, about one-third of what was expected with fair weather.[3] [11] Anticipating 70,000 or more in attendance and a large payoff from the gate,[12] [13] the players and owners wanted to postpone the game for a week, but were overridden by Commissioner Bert Bell, reached at home in Philadelphia.[3] [4]
Ticket prices were five dollars between the goal lines and $3.60 elsewhere.[1] [14]
This was the first NFL game which was broadcast on television, although only on the West Coast, under the auspices of Bell.[15] The traditional 60–40 player bonus for playing in a championship game was augmented by $14,000 (presently$,) from the NFL.[15] Although sources are unclear, a source writes the NFL received $20,000 (presently$,) from the broadcasting rights.[16]