Autographed football from Bears 73, Redskins 0 game

( Chris Walker, Chicago Tribune / July 6, 2011 )

On Dec. 8, 1940, the Bears and Redskins met for the NFL championship at Griffith Stadium in Washington.

Three weeks earlier, Washington had beaten Chicago 7-3 and the Redskins owner afterward called the Bears "quitters" and "crybabies." Led by Sid Luckman, the Bears sought revenge, and using the T formation scored early (Bill Osmanski on a 68-yard run 55 seconds into the game) and often. By the fourth quarter the game officials asked coach George Halas not to kick any more extra points because they were running out of footballs. The ball is in storage at the Chicago History Museum and not on display.

The final score is the largest margin of defeat in NFL history.