The Lineups:

Rock Island.........vs............Decatur Smith....................RE...............Halas Buland..................RT.........Blacklock Mockmore...........RG...............Keefe Kolls.....................C...............Trafton Wyland................LG.........Shoemake Synhorst..............LT........Ingwerson Lyle.....................LE......Chamberlain Devlin............. ....QB...........Gepford Kuehl............... ...RH.............Lanum Novak............. ....LH.........Sternaman Mansfield........ ...FB.............Koehler

Rock Island Subs - Norton, Quinn, Robb, Kuehl. Thorn Subs - Johnson

STALEYS FINALLY FALL TO INDEPENDENTS

Chicagoans See Locals Beat Starch-workers at Own Game, 14-7 Whole Play a Revelation.

The "Chicago Thorns" or so they were called, turned out to be the Decatur Staleys. This may be one of the first games played indoors in the NFL. It is also the first time Halas booked a game in Chicago with the Stayleys/Bears. The Thorns started nine Staleys, one Chicago Tiger and one player from the Thorns-Tornados.

The Rock Island Independents showed the good folks of Chicago what Rock Island Football was all about yesterday at Dexter Park Pavilion in Chicago. 3,500 pro football fans showed up to witness the mid winter game between the Chicago Pullman Thorns and the visiting Rock Island Independents.

Ground Rules - Since the game was played indoors and under a pavilion there were some differences between this and the normal NFL game from 1920. The park covers only 80 yards of field instead of the traditional 100. The Pavilion stood roughly 100 feet above the playing surface and under the roof was a mass of iron girders and chandeliers of incandescent lights. Since the field was only 80 yards long it was determined that if on a run play the ball carrier crossed goal, the ball would be returned to the 10-yard line and the down be a first. The offense would have to cross goal once again for a touchdown to be earned. The ruling on a fumble, interception or pass reception was that once the ball carrier crossed over goal it would count as a touchdown.

Pre-Game - The crowd that piled in under the pavilion was eager to welcome the teams to the field. The Independents were the first to arrive and though the Staleys were not really Chicago’s team yet, they were from Illinois and the crowd was familiar with Halas and Stenaman who played their college ball for Illinois. The home crowd jeered and hissed at first sign of the green and white.

The Game - The Independents came out determined to hold off the Staleys and take charge of the game. The Staleys put together a nice drive but missed out on a great scoring opportunity when Lanum fumbled and lost the ball on the Rock Island 27-yard line. Waddy Kuehl scooped up the fumble and carried it out of danger. The rest of the first quarter the two teams slugged it out with neither tema showing an advantage.

In the second quarter the Staleys began another march consisting of several shorts run and then a pass from Gepford to Halas that netted 22 yards.”Dutch” Sternaman carried the ball over goal and then added the point after.

Islanders Get Started - Shoemaker hit a low kick and the ball never rose off the ground. The ball struck Kuehl who then located the ball and recovered it on the Staley’s 30-yard line.

Kuehl took the ball around right end past Halas for a first down. Quarterback Devlin took the next snap and added 2 yards on a gain around left tackle. The Staley’s were called offside and the ball was spotted at the 19-yard line and the Independents were awarded a first down.

Rock Island lined up, Mansfield smashed through center for two yards and then Devlin smashed through the line for 3 more. On 3rd and 5 left half Novak took the ball out wide, with blockers in front he put a move on Chamberlain and dodged his way down to the 1 yard line. Right half Kuehl hit the line with great force and was in the endzone. By ground rules due to the short field, the ball was placed back at the 10 yard line. This appears to have had no effect on the Islanders as they continued to pound the ball through the Staley line. Kuelh, Novak and Mansfield all gained several yards but the Indpendents fell short. On Forth down, and 1 and half yards to go, Rock Island lined up and once again Keuhl took the ball and hit the line with such tremendous force that two of the Staley player were thrown back in the air. With is head down and his feet still churning Waddy must have been a bit off balance, his momentum carried him through the endzone and into the wooden enclosure behind the Staley’s goalpost. Wyland tied the game with the point after and neither side could move the ball in the short time that remained in the half.