The eyes are the first tissue to change color, from white to yellow, bilirubin levels rising in the system. On Sunday here at City Stadium, the Packers sickened the visiting Redjackets with punishing footballmanship, turning their jerseys green with grass-stains and their eyes gold in defeat.
This Packers defense has wreaked havoc on the opponent so far this season, surrendering zero points through five complete games. Rarely has the opponent advanced beyond the fifty yard line. First downs are unfathomable.
Achieving the City Stadium end-zone is as impossible as reaching the tips of a pine tree root system with a silver spoon and a pack of fire-crackers.
Mike Michalske destroys offensive lines and offensive play-books. Lord help you if you run at him. Lord help you. He will have none of it. You will regret it. And if you run away, ho ho ho, run it side-a-ways?,,, it only makes him madder, and he seems angrier in the pursuit. But it is a calm and solid anger.
Terrifying to behold.
"My obsession is destruction," said Michalske after the game, his defense holding the Redjackets to -83 yards of offense. "You are there now but you will not be there in a moment. Most folks say, the defense should prevent forward motion."
"Ho, ho ho," he laughed suddenly, then took a large swig of ice-cold beer.
"No sir... No sir. In this defense, we inflict retrograde locomotion... Go on... GO ON AND GET. And out with you! Back now, BACK!
Back from whence ye came!"
Welcome to week five of the 1929 NFL season. Packers conclude their home-stand against the Redjackets of Minnesota. Holy Wa.
Redjackets back Molly Nydahl fumbles on his own 20 and James Bowdoin recovers.
Touchdown Packers! Verne Lewellen knifed over tackle for a 4-yard score. 6-0 Packers.
Packers stopped on next possession but Lewellen hammers a 70-yard punt down to the Redjackets 1-yard line. Splendid!
Touchdown Packers! They are really running it now as Bo Molenda spins in from the 8. 12-0 Packers.
As per tradition, every single person in the stadium is polka-dancing with vigor. Molenda Molenda MOLDENDA! One-two-three, one-two-three! Molenda! Ja ja ja.
At half, Packers lead 12-0.
Touchdown Packers! Johnny Blood crushes a defender and scores on a punishing run. 18-0 Packers.
Red Dunn has something wrong with his foot, I tells ya! He just missed his third extra point. Maybe he picked up Blood Mcnally's flask.
Touchdown Packers! The Redjackets tried filling the air with leather and Nydahl got pick-sixed by Lewellen. 24-0 Packers. The route is on.
Lavvie Dilweg put a nasty block on Nydahl at the end of that touchdown return. Ouch. He isn't moving. Here comes the mule-cart.
And now Blood misses an extra point. The victory celebration started early I think.
Packers finish their 1929 home-season with 45,000 tickets sold, a new record, and 10,000 more than last year's home-season attendance mark. They'll take their 5-0 perfect record on the road starting next week.
Packers Book Club quote of the week:
"I've had the jaundice," I said. "and I cant get drunk."
"Oh, baby, how you've come back to me. You come back serious and with a liver. I tell you, this war is a bad thing. Why did we make it anyway."
-Farewell to Arms
-30-
