They Proved Pro Football Was a Real Game
Nowadays, Americans will pay hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars to see a pro football game, but the sport wasn't always so popular. Throughout the 1920s, Americans considered it a low quality game and instead focused their attention on collegiate football. But in December 1930, the Giants helped change the nation's perception and prove that professional football was worth watching. To raise money for families hit hard by the Depression, the Giants took on an all-star team assembled by legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne. Rockne hand-picked the squad from his 1924 championship roster, and even included the Four Horsemen, one of the most storied quartets in college football. Radiating confidence, Rockne told his players, "Fellows, these Giants are heavy but slow." But after the Giants' 22-0 victory, Rockne — and more than 50,000 fans — saw the pro team in a new light. "That was the greatest football machine I ever saw," he told his squad. I am glad none of you got hurt."