HAVANA, CUBA – Last year I went through all the current bowls just to give you an idea just how ridiculous the whole bowl system has become with corporate sponsorship. It really is hard to top the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl (December 20th; FIU vs. Marshall), so I went to the archives to see which bowls have gone by the wayside in hopes of finding some lost classics. The list is surprisingly, long so I’ll have to break this up into two parts. So, let’s take a look at what were real college bowls once upon a time.
All-American Bowl – No longer allowed to bar black players, Birmingham, AL set up this bowl between 1977 – 1990 for Americans only. Kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh was sent packing in 1981.
Aloha Bowl – Aloha means hello and goodbye, so we said Aloha to this bowl in 1982 and Aloha again in 2000.
Aviation Bowl – This bowl crashed and burned on it’s initial takeoff in 1961.
Bacardi Bowl – The Gatorade coolers at this Havana, Cuba bowl were all spiked with rum. Most players pissed their pants by the end of the third quarter and those were the lucky ones.
Bluebonnet Bowl – Every bowl schedule was better with Bluebonnet on it.
Bluegrass Bowl – In Louisville, Kentucky they played on real blue grass, not like that fake stuff they play on in Boise today.
Boardwalk Bowl – It took twelve years (1961 – 73) for the NCAA to realize what a dump host city Atlantic City, NJ really was.
Boot Hill Bowl – Game was always played at high noon. We lost a lot of good young men at this Dodge City, Kansas bowl.
California Bowl – You can now legally fill your California Bowl with medicinal marijuana.
Charity Bowl – The inaugural Charity Bowl was played in 1937, smack in the middle of the great depression. There was no second annual Charity Bowl.
Cherry Bowl – Everyone remembers where they lost their cherry, especially if it was in Pontiac, Michigan between 1984–1985.
Cigar Bowl – When it comes down to it, a Cigar Bowl is really just a nice term for an ashtray.
Cosmopolitan Bowl – In 1951 Alexandria, Louisiana decide to show the world it was a cosmopolitan city to be reckoned with. People down in those parts are still laughing.
Delta Bowl – This Memphis, Tennessee bowl was the biggest thing in the south until Delta Burke became the BIGGEST thing in the south.
Dixie Bowl – Was downgraded to a dixie cup in 1948. Where do cows go on Saturday night? (To the moooo-vies.)
https://youtu.be/RwXrdJLOeYE
Epson Ivy Bowl – This Japanese Bowl can now only be found on the menu of sushi restaurants.
Fort Worth Classic – This bowl was classic Fort Worth, trying to be like big brother Dallas but coming up woefully short in it’s version of the Cotton Bowl. Played in a stadium right next door to Northfork ranch.
Freedom Bowl – In a bid to reduce overcrowding, teams from California prisons would face off with the winning squad getting early parole. Done away by Republicans in 1994.
Garden State Bowl – This game took forever to play because just like the parkway it was named for, there was a 35 cent toll every 20 yards.
Glass Bowl – They weren’t even trying when they named this thing.
Gotham Bowl – Commissioner Gorden put an end to this bowl after The Joker made the goal posts disappear in 1962.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Angry Ward, same bat time, same Bat Channel.
