Giants: Epic Moments in History #5
By Joe Tufaro
We are counting down the 7 most epic moments in history as chronicled by Sports Illustrated. It’s great to go back and see these black and white photos and re- live some of the greatest moments in team history.
"#5: December 9th 1934 The Giants outscored the Bears 27-0 in the fourth quarter for their first NFL title of the playoff era. The contest was remembered as the “Sneakers Game” after Giants players switched to basketball shoes at halftime to better navigate the Polo Grounds’ icy turf."
The turf at the old Polo Grounds had become frozen after a freezing rain the night before the big game. Both teams were struggling with their footing and the Bears led 13-3 into the third quarter. Earlier on one of the Giants players had mentioned to Head Coach Steve Owen that they would be better off wearing sneakers instead of the standard football cleats. In the days before NIKE and every player having multiple shoes in their lockers, this was not an easy change to make. Owen sent Abe Cohen over to Manhattan College to see what he could find. He arrived back at the stadium in the third quarter with 9 pairs of sneakers. The Giants went on to win on three TD runs by a score of 30-13