1934 NFL Championship vs New York Giants

Lore & Background

The defending champion Bears entered the game undefeated at 13–0, with an 18-game winning streak. The Giants (8–5) won consecutive division titles, but had lost their final regular season game at Philadelphia. The Bears were favored to repeat as champions. A freezing rain the night before the game froze the Polo Grounds field. After Giants end Ray Flaherty remarked to head coach Steve Owen that sneakers would provide better footing on the frozen playing surface, Owen sent his friend Abe Cohen, a tailor who assisted on the Giants sideline, to Manhattan College to get some sneakers. The Bears led 10–3 at the half when the Giants switched to the basketball sneakers. A Chicago field goal was the only score in the third quarter, extending the lead to ten points. Early in the fourth, Giants quarterback Ed Danowski threw a touchdown pass to Ike Frankian to close the score to 13–10. (The pass was momentarily intercepted at the Bears' 2-yard line, but Frankian was there to snatch the ball out of the defender's hands.) On the next New York drive, running back Ken Strong scored on a 42-yard touchdown run. Later Strong had another touchdown run. The Giants scored for a final time on Danowski's 9-yard run, a fourth unanswered touchdown. New York scored 27 points in the 4th quarter and won 30–13. The Giants 27 fourth quarter points in a championship game set an NFL record that still stands today.

In Their Own Story

The cold December wind whipped across the Polo Grounds, carrying the chill of a frozen field that had turned into a sheet of ice overnight. As the Bears built a 10–3 halftime lead, Giants head coach Steve Owen sent his friend Abe Cohen, a tailor who assisted on the sideline, to Manhattan College to get some sneakers. The switch came at halftime. A Chicago field goal in the third quarter made it 13–3, but then the Giants erupted. Early in the fourth, quarterback Ed Danowski threw a touchdown pass to Ike Frankian — the pass was momentarily intercepted at the Bears' 2-yard line, but Frankian snatched the ball out of the defender's hands to make the score 13–10. On the next drive, running back Ken Strong scored on a 42-yard touchdown run. Later Strong had another touchdown run. Danowski added a 9-yard touchdown run for a fourth unanswered score. The Giants scored 27 points in the 4th quarter and won 30–13. As Bears legend Bronko Nagurski put it later, "We immediately said something was wrong because they suddenly had good footing and we didn't...they just out-smarted us."

Did You Know?

• The game is popularly remembered as 'The Sneakers Game' because the Giants switched to basketball sneakers at halftime to get better footing on the frozen field.
• Giants end Ray Flaherty suggested the sneaker idea to head coach Steve Owen, who sent tailor Abe Cohen to Manhattan College to get them.
• The Giants scored 27 points in the 4th quarter, an NFL record for a championship game that still stands today.
• After the game, Abe Cohen returned the sneakers to Manhattan College so the basketball team could practice the next day.
• The Bears entered the game undefeated at 13–0 with an 18-game winning streak, but the Giants denied them a three-peat.

Franchise Origins and Relocation

Before becoming the Detroit Lions, this franchise began in 1928 as the Portsmouth Spartans in Ohio. After joining the NFL in July 1930, the team faced significant financial difficulties that necessitated a major move. In 1934, ownership relocated the club to Detroit, renaming them the Lions to honor the city's Major League Baseball team, the Tigers. This pivotal transition established the team's presence in Michigan, where they have remained ever since. Although they currently play at Ford Field in downtown Detroit, their identity was forged during this turbulent period of relocation. The move from a struggling Ohio-based operation to a major metropolitan hub set the stage for future successes, including four NFL Championships between 1935 and 1957. This era marked the beginning of a long operational history that continues today, making them one of the league's enduring franchises despite later periods of playoff droughts.

Selection of Team Colors

The iconic blue and silver color scheme was not immediately obvious but resulted from a personal selection process involving team owner George A. Richards. Following the move to Detroit in 1934, Richards asked Glenn Presnell, a surviving member of that inaugural squad, and his wife to choose from several combinations, including red and white or orange and black. The couple favored blue and silver, leading to their official adoption. This specific shade of blue is officially designated as "Honolulu blue," inspired by the waves off the Hawaiian coast. While there was a brief deviation between 1948 and 1950 when coach Bo McMillin introduced scarlet and black uniforms influenced by his time at Indiana, the team largely returned to their classic look. The core identity of silver helmets and pants paired with blue or white jerseys has remained remarkably consistent for nearly a century, anchoring the franchise's visual heritage in these specific hues chosen by Presnell.

Uniform Evolution and Modern Identity

Throughout the decades, the Lions have undergone various uniform modifications while maintaining their foundational aesthetic. Significant changes include the addition of "TV numbers" on sleeves in 1956 to aid broadcasters, which later moved to the shoulders in 1999. The team has experimented with alternate jerseys, such as a black version introduced in 2005 and later replaced by a throwback design for their 75th anniversary. In 2017, the franchise made a bold decision to remove black entirely from its brand identity, reverting to silver borders on logos and reintroducing white pants with blue jerseys. Recent updates include the "One Pride" home jersey and the "Motor City Muscle" black alternate, which features a unique leaping lion logo. These designs often pay homage to historical eras, such as the 1960s logo or the 1935 championship season, ensuring that modern players wear gear that respects the team's deep history while embracing contemporary styles.

Championship Legacy and Super Bowl Era

The Lions established themselves as a dominant force early in their Detroit tenure, securing four NFL Championship titles between 1935 and 1957. However, following their final championship victory in 1957, the franchise entered an extended period of playoff struggles, failing to win another postseason game until the 1991 season, with a subsequent drought lasting until 2023. A unique distinction defines their modern history: they are the only team operational for the entire Super Bowl era that has never appeared in a Super Bowl. This absence from the league's premier stage contrasts sharply with their early success and highlights a complex legacy of high peaks followed by long valleys. Despite these challenges, the franchise remains a continuous entity in professional football, celebrated for its longevity even as it navigates decades without a championship ring.