Spaghetti Bowl (American football)
1945 Spaghetti Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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Date | 1 January 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||
Stadium | Referee Maj. Roy Pille[1] | | |||||||||||||||||
Halftime show | Peggy Jean | ||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 25,000 |
The Spaghetti Bowl was an
The game was won by the Army 20–0.Background
During
While based in Florence, the Twelfth Air Force's Special Service received a set of 120 football uniforms and organized a game with the Fifth Army.
Players for the Army included Philadelphia Eagles tackle Sergeant Cecil Sturgeon and black Los Angeles Bulldogs fullback Corporal John "Big Six" Moody.[10] Sturgeon was the lone player in the game with National Football League experience, and he served as the Army's captain; Air Force tackle Bernard Buckiewitz was also listed on the program as a former member of the Green Bay Packers, though he did not play an official game for them.[1] The Air Force was captained by Lieutenant George Barnes, a former quarterback at the University of Maryland.[4]
Game
The Spaghetti Bowl served as the de facto championship game between the service teams of the European military theater. As it was the only edition with the war close to conclusion, it was branded the "First and Last Spaghetti Bowl".
25,000 attended the game, with all ticketed spectators being military personnel though some civilians sneaked in.
Moody rushed for the first two touchdowns of the game, while Georgetown wide receiver Lt. Arthur Lemke caught the third and final touchdown from ex-Florida quarterback Private Frank Buel.[14][2] The game's trophy was a metal bowl containing paper spaghetti, while the Krautclouters also received brass medals.[14]
Gallery
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Game action
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Peggy Jean performing on the sideline with an Army band
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Aerial shot
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Army float and WAC queens on parade
See also
- List of American football games in Europe during World War II
- Atom Bowl – American football game between United States servicemen during the Pacific War
References
- ^ a b Spaghetti Bowl Game Program
- ^ a b "Spaghetti Bowl". Americanfootballitalia.com. Retrieved 2 January 2014. Archived version
- Life Magazine, 29 January 1945, pages 74-75.
- ^ a b DeFrancisci, Leonard J. (11 March 2021). "Spaghetti Bowl". Professional Pasta. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Luchter, Paul S. (15 May 2020). "American Football in France". Lucky Show. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Luchter, Paul S. (16 March 2020). "American Football in Great Britain". Lucky Show. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Soldiers Whip Airmen, 12-7, in Spaghetti Bowl". Chicago Tribune. 2 January 1953.
- ^ a b c d Zizzo, David (1 January 1995). "A Rare Game Spaghetti Bowl Played In Italy for WW II GIs". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Louis Bush". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "Big 9 Stars in Spaghetti Bowl Game". Associated Press. 23 December 1944.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.