Auction Block: Old School Playoffs

These teams met before. We have the stuff to prove it.

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The Cardinals have been here before. It's just been a little while.

The Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals will meet this weekend to decide which team advances to the Super Bowl. In 1947, the same two franchises met in Chicago to decide the NFL championship.

In those days, the Cards of the Western Division shared the Windy City with the Bears, and the crosstown rivals brought identical 8-3 records to Wrigley Field on December 14th—ordinarily the last day of the season. The Cards won a 30-21 thriller for the right to host the NFL championship game. No wild card, no divisional playoffs. Just straight to the penthouse with a league-best 9-3 mark.

Problem was, they didn't have an opponent yet. In the league's Eastern Division, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles had also tied to finish the regular season and were forced to play a one-game playoff to decide who would travel to Chicago. The unexpected third game brought controversy in the Steel City, as players demanded an extra game check for the playoff. They prevailed, but their demands angered coach Jock Sutherland so much that he held outdoor practices in the ice and snow to punish the "greedy" players. Perhaps unable to thaw out in time, the Steelers were blanked by their eastern rivals and the field for the final game was set.

Comiskey Park served as the championship site and the weather on December 28th was predictably frigid. A slow start by the Eagles would prove to be their undoing. Cardinals RB Charley Trippi ran for 44 yards to provide the only only TD of the first half, and the next three quarters each came up seven-all for a final score of 28-21. It was the last time the Cardinals franchise would win the NFL. Moves to Saint Louis and, eventually, Arizona, would yield several disappointing seasons. Until now.

The Eagles rebounded well, facing the Cards again in 1948 in a blizzard. Hall of Famer Stephen Van Buren rushed for the game's only TD, and Philadelphia had its first NFL title. The birds repeated in '49 and snagged one more NFL title in 1960 before their current drought began.

Conference realignments, the AFL merger, and rampant expansion have made the notion of an Eagles/Cardinals Super Bowl ridiculous in 2009. Instead, they'll play for the NFC championship this weekend, and the Steelers will play a Ravens team that used to be known as the Cleveland Browns. If you close one eye and tilt your head a little bit, it might just start to look old school.

Some schwag to remind you of the "good old days"…

Official Charley Trippi Wilson Football: Chicago Hall of Famer Trippi scored on a run and a punt return in '47. The autograph is factory-stamped from Trippi's original signature.

1951 Bowman Elmer Angsman Card: Part of the "Dream Backfield" with Trippi, Angsman made two separate 70-yard scoring runs for the Cards in that last championship win. They would be his only postseason TDs in a seven-year career.

1948 Eagles Championship Photo: Eagles head coach "Greasy" Neal is pictured, sharing a game ball with legendary halfback Stephen Van Buren. Don't you just love it that coaches used to have nicknames like "Greasy"?

1948 Leaf Steve Van Buren Card: Born in Honduras in 1920, Van Buren made the Pro Bowl five times in his eight seasons with the Eagles. Scored a TD in the losing cause in '47, and scored the only TD in the '48 win. Voted into Canton in 1965. Nickname "Big Boy" was likely given in all earnest, though his 6', 200-lb. frame would seem tiny in today's NFL.

Red Cochran signed photo: We may never understand the popularity of this pose for historical players. Red was listed primarily as an offensive player during his years with the Cardinals, but his eight interceptions on defense were his greatest contribution to the team that won the title.

1949 Leaf Paul Christman: Christman was seldom spectacular in his handful of seasons for the Cards, but his 17 aerial touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 1947 were good enough to get his team to the promised land.

Jimmy Conzelman autographed letter: The '47 Cards were not the first NFL champs Jimmy Conzelman coached. That honor goes to the 1929 Providence Steam Roller, with their record of eight wins, one loss, and two ties. People wanted his autograph.

Pat Harder Blatz Beer Ad: A man gets thirsty playing fullback and kicking extra points. The big guy tacked on all of the PATs in the Cards' championship season, giving us this enjoyable parenthetical note in the box score: (Kick Harder). No official word on whether Blatz really was Milwaukee's finest beer at the time.

That's it for today. Let us know if you spot a one-of-a-kind collectible at collectespn@gmail.com

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