December 1, 1946: Boston, MA:
Minuteman Stadium buzzed with energy as Rollie guided his family to their seats. He glanced around and commented to his wife, Francie, "Nice crowd we have today."
Francie looked around, nodding in agreement. "Yes, and considering the temperature, it's even more impressive," she replied.
Rollie, undeterred by the cold weather, shrugged it off. "At least it's not snowing," he retorted.
Following behind Francie, Marty, their daughter, shivered and remarked, "That's a blessing, indeed."
On the other hand, Allie, the youngest of the quartet, smirked and remained silent. She, too, felt the chill, but she knew that football games weren't always played in ideal weather conditions. Her aspirations to follow in her father's footsteps as the owner of the Detroit Maroons had not wavered in the slightest.
The Barrells had gathered for "Tom Bowens Appreciation Day," coinciding with the Maroons' clash against the Americans in Boston. Rollie's sister, Betsy, was already settled in her seat, positioned in the third row right at midfield. It was an excellent location, in Rollie's opinion. Francie had questioned why they hadn't secured a spot in the owner's box, to which Rollie admitted that he found Boston owner Gene Unger to be a pompous blowhard and preferred not to spend several hours in his company. "I'd rather freeze with the regular folks," he told Francie.
Betsy greeted her brother and warmly hugged both Allie and Marty.
She looked at Marty and said, "So I hear you're engaged?"
Marty's face lit up with a broad smile. She pulled off her left glove to reveal her engagement ring. "Yes! We're probably going to have the wedding in June. I'm aiming for the 14th," she shared. Marty went on to explain that her fiancé, Jack McCarver, had transitioned from playing in the AFA for the Washington Wasps to working as a defensive coach for the New York Football Stars. After serving in the Navy during the war, Jack decided to pursue coaching rather than playing, and he was now in his second season with the Stars. The head coach, Dolph Ulrich, had played alongside Jack's father at tiny Enid State.
"Football really is a small world," Rollie chimed in. Betsy chuckled and remarked, "You sound just like Pop. That man knows everyone in baseball and thinks that's a small world too."
Francie joined in the laughter and added, "Yes, a small world with about ten thousand people in it!"
Betsy agreed with a nod. Rollie simply shook his head.
"Looks like you'll be living in New York then?" Betsy inquired.
Marty nodded and then glanced at her father, pointedly stating, "Apparently."
Betsy caught the look and raised an eyebrow. "Considering a coaching change, Roland?" she asked.
Rollie shook his head. "I wish," he replied, explaining that he would love to oust Frank Yurik, the coach, but the club's board of directors held a strong affection for him. Despite Rollie being the majority shareholder, the board wielded some power, and he anticipated a messy fight if he were to unilaterally decide to remove Yurik, who also served as a board member.
"Who knows what the future holds?" surprisingly, Allie interjected. Rollie looked at her, and she gave him an overtly innocent smile. Rollie was continually taken aback by his younger daughter's insightful remarks, and he briefly pondered whether he should stop being surprised by her.
While the women continued their conversation, the game commenced. Betsy, being only nine years older than Marty, eagerly shared her wisdom about marriage. Though Francie joined in the discussion, Allie found it rather tedious and opted to sit beside her father, attentively watching the game.
"I can't wait for this season to end," Rollie confided in his daughter. And it was true - the Maroons had plummeted from being contenders to falling hard. Starting with an 0-2 record, including a demoralizing home defeat against their archrivals from Chicago, they then suffered a narrow loss to Washington. A subsequent four-game winning streak raised expectations among fans and the front office alike. However, a disheartening loss in Cleveland brought them crashing back to reality. They managed to secure a victory against Pittsburgh, although it wasn't an impressive achievement given the Paladins' lackluster performance. Following that, they lost to Cleveland and now faced a formidable Boston team.
"Del Thomas won't make it easy for us," Allie pointed out. Rollie nodded in agreement, acknowledging that Thomas was the best quarterback in the league, perhaps even the greatest of all time. Meanwhile, the Maroons desperately needed a competent quarterback of their own. With Stan Vaught and Dewey Burnett retired, the team lacked a formidable passing game. This suited Frank Yurik, the coach, as he strongly believed in a "two yards and a cloud of dust" approach. However, Rollie, with his progressive mindset, having witnessed Vaught's prowess in ripping apart opposing defenses time and again, maintained that passing was the future of the sport. "Passing is the future," he reiterated to Allie, who readily agreed, considering herself part of the same school of thought.
As the game got underway, Boston won the toss and began their offensive drive. True to expectations, Del Thomas led them down the field, and although the Maroons' defense stiffened, the Americans managed to secure a field goal, taking a 3-0 lead. Both defenses dominated for a while - Detroit's first four possessions resulted in three-and-outs, accumulating a mere five yards of offense. Rollie silently appreciated that no one in their vicinity recognized him as the club's owner. Such anonymity had its advantages during an away game, he supposed.
Midway through the second quarter, Thomas reignited the American's offense, marching them into the end zone. At halftime, the score stood at 10-0 in favor of Boston. The Maroons had amassed a meager 35 yards of offense. The Americans hadn't fared much better, but with 10 points and 118 yards, the comparison appeared stark.
During the halftime ceremony, Betsy joined Tom on the field for the festivities. Bowens received a gold watch and a plaque, and Unger, the owner of the Boston team, delivered a lengthy and tedious speech. Soon after, the game resumed, and Rollie couldn't help but notice that Tony Oliver, Boston's head coach had been absent from the halftime ceremony for Tom Bowens. "I wonder what's going on there," he mused.
Throughout the first half, Rollie's frustration mounted as he watched his team relentlessly attempt to run the ball with minimal success. Even Allie, with her keen eye for the game, pointed out the missed opportunities that the Maroons could have capitalized on had they retained the services of Burnett and Vaught. The current quarterback, Rich Coleman, paled in comparison to Dewey Burnett, and no one, anywhere, could match Stan Vaught's skill set. Although Marc Orlosky, Troy Renton, and the other Maroon running backs gave their best effort, the Americans knew the Maroons' strategy and thwarted them play after play.
When the Maroons went three-and-out once again, Rollie expressed his frustration by throwing up his hands. Mike Hendrick punted, and Mel Greene of Boston caught the ball at his own 20-yard line. After executing some impressive moves, Greene made his way to the 34-yard line before being tackled. The ball popped loose and Detroit's Jim Clapp fell on it, causing Rollie to rise to his feet while the surrounding Boston fans groaned. Rollie pumped his fist in silent celebration.
However, Rollie's elation quickly turned to disappointment as the next play unfolded. Clapp, now playing quarterback in place of the ineffective Coleman, handed the ball to Renton, who was immediately tackled for a four-yard loss. On the subsequent play, Clapp kept the ball and rushed for nine yards, setting up a somewhat manageable third-and-five situation. Yet, in line with the Maroons' predictable pattern, the next play was yet another run. Clapp handed the ball to Renton, who this time powered through for an eight-yard gain and a first down. Rollie applauded, and Allie wore a satisfied smile.
Orlosky, Art Ericksen, and Clapp each carried the ball on the following three plays, advancing it to Boston's eight-yard line. From there, Clapp once again called his own number, breaking through the line and into the end zone. Renton's successful extra point narrowed the score to 10-7, prompting Rollie to breathe a sigh of relief.
"We still need to find a competent passer," Allie pointed out. Rollie acknowledged her astute observation and agreed, yet reminded her that the search for a quarterback would have to wait until the offseason.
Boston embarked on a lengthy possession that consumed eight minutes of clock time but nearly ended in a fumble by Del Thomas, which was ultimately recovered by Boston. However, Detroit's defense stood strong, forcing Boston to settle for a field goal, extending their lead to 13-7 as the game approached the end of the third quarter.
The ensuing kickoff saw Marc Orlosky unleash a remarkable return, carrying the ball back 33 yards to the Americans' 40-yard line. Two consecutive runs were followed by an incomplete pass from Clapp. Fourth down appeared imminent, but a holding penalty against the Maroons pushed them back fifteen yards. Facing a daunting third-and-22, Clapp dropped back for another pass attempt. He targeted Art Ericksen, but the pass was intercepted by Mel Greene at the 47-yard line. To make matters worse, Greene returned the interception 42 yards, placing Boston at Detroit's 11-yard line. One play later, Tom Molloy burst into the end zone from nine yards out, widening the score margin to 20-7.
Rollie uttered a curse, eliciting a sharp rebuke from his wife. Allie frowned and shook her head. "Clapp had no business throwing into that coverage," she admonished her father.
Coleman returned as quarterback, leading the Maroons to the 27-yard line. However, Steve Wynkoop promptly broke through the line, ran into the secondary, and dashed into the end zone for a touchdown. With Renton's successful extra point, the score stood at 20-14. Unfortunately, it would remain unchanged as both defenses stubbornly refused to yield in the final stretch. Rollie felt a sense of pride in the determination his team displayed, yet the gaping absence of a skilled quarterback continued to plague the Maroons.
"We need to find a capable QB. I don't care what Yurik says," Rollie confided in Allie. She knew that Coach Yurik believed the team would thrive with a minimal passing game, running the ball with their talented stable of backs.
"Yurik is a dinosaur," Allie asserted, voicing her agreement.
Rollie frowned. "Yes, and we're the ones facing extinction if we continue to play football his way," he declared.
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Detroit Maroons coach Frank Yurik, 1946:
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