For the Redskins, 73-0 Still Too Much to Bear

Here it is, 59 years later, and the participants are still talking about it.

Chicago Bears 73, Washington Redskins 0.

Over the years, there have been upsets, stunners and shockers in NFL championship games. But the 1940 title game remains pro football’s sonic boom, and its echo rattled around again only two weeks ago.

In an interview, the Redskins’ quarterback that day, Sammy Baugh, now 85, said he believed his defensive teammates, upset with owner George Preston Marshall, allowed the Bears to run up the score. Baugh said Marshall “put things in the paper running the Bears down. You don’t want to help the other team. You shouldn’t say things like that. It made us so mad.”

Three weeks earlier, the Redskins had beaten the Bears, 7-3, and Marshall had taunted the Bears, calling them “crybabies.”

The Bears’ coach and owner, George Halas, was furious and steeled his team for the rematch in the title game at Washington’s Griffith Stadium. He brought in T-formation genius Clark Shaughnessy to fine-tune his offense.

On the second play of the game, the Bears’ Bill Osmanski swept around his left side for a 68-yard touchdown burst. The Bears scored the first three times they had the ball and had a 28-0 halftime lead. Then they had a 45-point second half.

Chicago intercepted eight passes, and three of those were returned for touchdowns in the 26-point third-quarter.

Also on this date: In 1966, the Yankees traded Roger Maris to St. Louis for infielder Charley Smith. . . . In 1968, the Buffalo Bills finished their season 1-12-1, assuring themselves of draft rights to O.J. Simpson. . . . In 1955, the Dodgers’ Roy Campanella, by a vote of 226-221, won out over teammate Duke Snider to win the National League’s MVP award for the third time. . . . In 1958, Hall of Fame center fielder Tris Speaker died at 70. Speaker hit .345 for his career--fifth best ever--and is still the all-time doubles leader at 792.