Part 2 of my 2018 College Football Pilgrimage begins at Harvard Stadium on the campus of Harvard University. According to Joe Vitale from UGA Football Live, Harvard Stadium is the 2nd oldest football stadium in the USA. Harvard along with Yale and a few other universities are given credit by the historians for the creation of American Football. Though Harvard Stadium was constructed in 1904, Harvard Football began many years before the first shovel broke ground. Another journey back in TIME begins Part 2. This is a short story format with about 12,500 words plus images and video.
Prior to the Stadium’s opening, Harvard played its home football games at a number of sites. Jarvis Field, where the Littauer Center now stands, was the setting for the Crimson’s inaugural contest against McGill (1874) and its first intercollegiate game against Tufts (1875).
After several seasons of playing home games at the South End Grounds, Harvard returned to Cambridge in 1881 and played at Holmes Field, now the sight of Langdell Hall. Football, and most of the school’s outdoor teams, moved to Soldiers Field in 1894. Similar to the other universities at the time, football began at Harvard as an Intramural sport prior to the 1850’s. It was best described as Mob Football with 30 or more players per team.
BLOODY MONDAY & MORE
“In the early days of college football each school developed its own rules–in intercollegiate contests the home team’s rules prevailed. The early days of college football were a time of trial and error. Different schools played different versions of the game. Some versions looked more like soccer, others like rugby, and others were a combination of many influences.
During the 1820s, several colleges in the northeast played their own version of college football. Each had its own set of rules and played only intramural games. For example, Princeton played a game called “ballown” as early as 1820. (Punching the ball with fists and kicking the ball was permitted.) Harvard began its own version in 1827 with a game between the freshmen and sophomore classes affectionately known as “Bloody Monday,” while Dartmouth played something called “Old Division Football.”
These disparate games had some basic features in common: large numbers of players trying to advance a ball into a goal by any means necessary, violence, and frequent injury. Because of the injury issue, these schools abolished their brand of football by the beginning of the Civil War, although the game continued in some form at various east coast prep schools”. Jim Weathersby @ https://www.thesportshistorian.com/bloody-monday-to-walter-camp-the-standardization-of-american-football-2/#
THE EARLY DAYS OF FOOTBALL
Kicking the ball was the primary objective to send it over the opponent’s goal line. Slowly, during the 1850’s, the game of football began to evolve. The number of players per team was reduced to 20-25. A round inflatable rubber ball was introduced at east coast prep schools and some called the sport the Boston Game.
Other schools played with a “bladder ball, enclosed in a leathern case’. Depending on the local rules, players were permitted to pick the ball up and run with it until declared downed by their opponent.
Eventually, the game of football became known as a Brawl Game resulting in injuries, which then led to universities banning the game of football on their campuses. The small towns surrounding these colleges also followed suit.
“This early game was known a sort of cross between rugby and a free-for-all. A curious feature was that a player could run and throw or pass the ball only if he were being pursued by an opponent. When the opposing player gave up pursuit he called out to the runner, who had to stop and kick the ball. It was in 1871 that football, after being prohibited by a faculty decree for 11 years, was resurrected by a group of students who had played the game in prep school. The Cambridge Common was selected as the field until the City Council, prompted by indignant towns-people, kicked them off.
As more colleges began playing football, school officials quickly saw the need for standardized rules. On October 20, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met in New York to develop a set of regulations based more on soccer than rugby. Harvard boycotted the meeting because it insisted on playing by its own regulations known as the “Boston game” – a version predicated more on carrying the ball than on kicking it.
In 1874, some students met representatives of McGill University–in what is generally recognized as the legitimate predecessor of modern football. Since McGill played under rugby rules, the teams agreed to meet twice, first playing the “Boston game” and then the McGill rugby. Harvard won the first match easily, and held the Canadians to a scoreless tie at their own game. A half-dollar admission was charged, and the $250 collected was used by both teams for a drunken orgy”. (Plus, McGill’s traveling expenses.) https://www.ivyrugby.com)
This game was played on Jarvis Field.
Posted on November 20, 2010 by Michael Weishan @ http://fdrfoundation.org/how-harvard-invented-modern-football-part-2/
Part II of the excerpt by Morton (Henry) Prince, Class of 1875:
The Harvard season of 1874, which began in the spring, was destined to be historic for American football because in it occurred the Harvard-McGill game, the first game of intercollegiate Rugby played in this country and the contest, which lead directly to the present intercollegiate game. This contest, therefore, and the circumstances attending its inception and the historic event itself deserve to be more fully recorded.
Harvard was surprised and pleased to receive from McGill University in Montreal a proposal for a series of matches. As McGill played under the Rugby rules (slightly modified) it was proposed, in order to overcome the difficulty, that two matches be played, one under the Rugby rules and one under the Harvard rules. Of course we eagerly fell in with the idea of the two matches…
A crowd of about 500 spectators, mostly students, lined the sides of Jarvis field. All were keyed with intense interest. It needed, however, but a few moments of play to relieve whatever anxiety there was and for it to become obvious that our easygoing Canadian visitors had not taken the trouble to practice the game and were totally unfamiliar with it. The match (three games) was speedily over. Harvard won all three.
The second match on the next day was a different affair. We now had to meet our opponents at their own game. Instead of the round “rubber” fabric ball used in the Harvard game, the ball was the English oval, leather-covered ball, substantially the same as that used today in the present American game. The match was hard fought and evenly contested for it turned out to be a drawn battle, neither side scoring a goal or a touchdown in the three half-hours”.
On June 4, 1875, Tufts College, which is situated outside of Boston agreed to play Harvard. The following is taken from an article written in 2005 By Paul Sweeney
http://ase.tufts.edu/athletics/old/menFootball/press/2004-2005/firstgamebuzz.html@
“Tufts University has officially claimed it defeated Harvard in the first game of American football between two American colleges since Penn State sports historian Ron Smith researched the subject and agreed with that conclusion in 1986. The claim is in the Tufts football program every year, it’s on a plaque embedded in the Captains’ Gate at the entrance to Ellis Oval, and campus tour guides recite it to visitors.
Until recently, not many people outside of Tufts knew or cared about the claim. A Rutgers versus Princeton game on November 6, 1869 is historically referred to as the first game. The Tufts versus Harvard game, though it featured more elements similar to today’s game of football, was barely a footnote in the sport’s history.
That changed when the Boston Globe ran a story on Tufts’ challenge to football history written by Kevin Paul Dupont on Thursday, September 23. “Carzo, the former Tufts football coach, athletic director, and now AD emeritus, makes a convincing case that the first true link in US college football’s evolutionary chain was forged when Tufts squared off against Harvard at 3 p.m., June 4, 1875, on what was then Jarvis Field, just a short stroll north of Harvard Square,”
Dupont wrote.
Reaction was immediate. It was the first story listed in the day’s top 10 on sportspages.com, the must-see stop for sportswriters, according to Mark McCarter, whose daughter Jordon went to Tufts, and who checked in from Huntsville, Alabama where he is a sports columnist. The next morning Carzo appeared on ESPN2’s Cold Pizza morning show to debate the issue with Rutgers deputy athletic director Joe Quinlan.
“It’s not a matter of changing history, it’s a matter of clarifying it,” Carzo said to Cold Pizza’s Kit Hoover.
The Tufts claim is based upon the Rutgers-Princeton game more closely resembling soccer. As Dupont stated, an 1874 game between McGill University in Montreal and Harvard first employed the “Boston Rules” with 11 men on a side, and non-continuous play. Tufts and Harvard later became the first American colleges to play under these rules.
Interviewed by Dupont, Bob Casciola, president of the National Football Foundation/College Hall of Fame, supported Tufts’ contention by saying that “the ’69 game only allowed kicking the ball … while picking up the ball and running with it to advance the offensive play was central to the ’75 game.”
The Newark Star-Ledger, smack-dab in Rutgers country, featured an article about Tufts’ challenge on September 24. “Rutgers historians have never argued their game against Princeton was starkly different than the football that eventually evolved,” wrote Steve Politi. “The game, the school Web site says, bore little resemblance to its modern-day counterpart.”
Further evidence is presented in a Boston Daily Globe article about the Tufts-Harvard game that was printed on June 5, 1875. “Ere long five or six Tufts men found themselves laid on their back so violently that they imagined it was evening by the stars they saw. They soon repaid the compliment, however,” Dupont cited from the original Globe story. “That sure sounds like the blood ‘n guts gridiron game that Americans have grown to know and love,” he added.
In dispute of the Tufts theory, Jerry Price, Princeton’s longtime director of sports information, told Dupont, “If Tufts is willing to produce an eyewitness of the game they’re talking about, maybe we’ll be willing to accept it.”
Though Carzo joked that he would dig one up, Tufts has the next best thing in the form of a letter from Eugene Bowen, the manager of the 1875 Tufts football team. Written to football coach Fred “Fish” Ellis and dated March 24, 1949, it provides more compelling proof of the game that was played that day. Describing the only touchdown, scored by Tuftonian F.B. Harrington, Bowen wrote, “Harrington eluded the first Harvard would-be tackler and Cushman running interference shouldered off three Harvard players and Harrington scored.”
With the admission that Abner Doubleday was wrongly recognized as the inventor of American baseball for so many years, why can’t this piece of college football history be updated? Carzo does not want to erase Rutgers and Princeton out of the history books. He just wants to see Tufts included.
“We understand, politically, the Princeton-Rutgers game is right there,” he said to Dupont. “But just as the game changes, times change. We’ve got the evidence, and the point is, 135 years later, no one says it’s Tufts. Well, it is Tufts, and our family wants to be recognized — somehow, some place.”
The national splash made by the story had Jumbo alums calling, faxing and sending emails. Overseeing the “Jumbo Footprints: History of Tufts Athletics” project since retiring as Athletic Director in 1999, Carzo more aggressively sought exposure for the Tufts claim. Paul Rich, a Tufts publicist in the 1960s, wrote in depth about the first game for Jumbo Footprints.
Harvard, with its place in the academic world already well established, did not join Tufts in this quest to correct history. However, Carzo informed Crimson officials of his intentions received their blessings to go forward. The Tufts side of the story did gain an important ally when Boston Globe sports columnist Will McDonough both wrote and said on a sports radio talk show that he was going to investigate the origin of American football, believing it began at Harvard. Carzo called McDonough and the flame was lit. However, McDonough soon passed away suddenly.
Time passed, but Carzo kept the story alive with persistent calls to the Globe. He always received encouragement that the paper liked the story idea and would get it done. Just when the story seemed like it would never be written, Dupont called to set up an interview. One of nation’s foremost hockey journalists, Dupont wasn’t covering the Boston Bruins on a daily basis due to the current National Hockey League lockout. He dug into the story and put Tufts in the spotlight”.
As more colleges began playing football, school officials quickly saw the need for standardized rules.
In 1876, representatives from Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia met in New York City to try once more to standardized the rules. The schools agreed on a new code of regulations based on the Rugby Football Union’s code from England. Under the new rules a two-point touchdown replaced the kicked goal as the primary means of scoring. Other rules were incorporated as the game continued to evolve. It wasn’t until the 1880’s that college football began to resemble the game as it is played today.
A monetary bonanza appeared on the horizon as the popularity of college football continued to explode.
First and 100 by Craig Lambert and John T. Bethell Sept-Oct 2003
@ https://harvardmagazine.com
“The games gushed cash. In 1893 the Yale Football Association’s revenues of $31,000 surpassed the annual receipts of Yale’s medical, art, or music departments, The sport was so popular and lucrative that some felt football had begun to overshadow education as the mission of colleges.
The frenzy to win football games drove colleges to recruit ringers older roughnecks who had merely a nodding acquaintance with academic life to play. Columbia’s 1900 roster had only three undergraduates. Teams avidly sought out tough players and carefully schooled them in their prime mission: fomenting havoc on the gridiron. “The beef must be active, teachable, and intelligent,” wrote Harvard coach William Reid, A.B. 1901, in his journal, quoted in Manhood at Harvard: William James and Others by Kim Townsend.
By 1903, the Yale Football Association’s gross was more than $100,000. When he returned to Harvard to coach football in 1905, Reid collected a salary that was a third higher than any faculty member’s and only slightly less than that paid the president of the University, Charles William Eliot, according to Townsend. Many called for drastic reforms even abolition of the game. Among those who spoke out, perhaps the most vociferous critic and surely the one with the highest profile was Harvard’s Charles William Eliot, the first college president to roundly attack intercollegiate sports.
Yet amid this turmoil, something extraordinary happened an event nearly inconceivable today. In 1903, despite President Eliot’s fusillades, an enthusiastic band of Harvard alumni funded and had built a new arena for football games: the country’s largest venue for intercollegiate sports.
Eliot harbored practical as well as philosophical concerns about the structure; he worried that it would become a white elephant once the football craze had blown over. Time has proven his fears groundless”.
SOUTH END GROUNDS
HOLMES FIELD @ SOLDIER FIELD SITE
HARVARD STADIUM
“In 1890, Major Henry Lee Higginson, A.B. 1855, changed the future of Harvard athletics by giving the University the 31 acres dedicated as Soldiers Field. His gift honors six young Harvard men “friends, comrades, kinsmen” who perished in the Civil War. Their names are engraved on a marble shaft that stands in the corner of Soldiers Field nearest Harvard Square
There was a treasure chest: the University had saved $75,000 from athletic receipts, and the fall of 1903 would bring in $25,000 more. Then, some alumni in their mid-40s made a larger project possible; two years before its twenty-fifth reunion, the class of 1879 had decided to up the ante from the reunion gifts of earlier classes, typically about $10,000. They kicked in $100,000, which went a long way toward the Stadium’s eventual cost of $310,000. Recouping some of the outlay via ticket sales posed little problem; in 1903, the box office sent $12,000 back to alumni and students whose orders for Yale tickets could not be filled.
The architectural plan modeled itself on ancient Greek stadia. Harvard Stadium’s length of 576 feet matches that of the great stadium in Athens and the design also recalls a small Roman circus. The design called for 37 sections, with 31 rows per section, and a seating capacity of 22,000.
The groundbreaking on June 22, 1903, kicked off an amazing frenzy of heavy work: the Stadium rose into the air in only four and a half months. That summer and fall, tireless construction crews poured 200,000 cubic feet of Portland cement. (Another 50,000 cubic feet were added the following spring.) It is hard to overestimate the building’s significance in football history. In the sport’s formative years, the gridiron on Soldiers Field actually changed the way the game was played, and in some ways created football, as we know it today.
Architecturally, the edifice remains magnificent. Only three football arenas in America hold the status of National Historic Landmarks: Harvard Stadium, Yale Bowl (opened 1914), and the Rose Bowl (1922). “It’s a beautiful building,” says Robert Campbell ’58, M. Arch. ’67, architectural writer for the Boston Globe. “It successfully employs classical imagery to suggest the tradition of athletics going back to Greece and Rome, but does so without pretension and without disguising the fact that this was probably the biggest single chunk of concrete in the world up to that time.”
True enough. When built, Harvard Stadium was the largest reinforced concrete (i.e., concrete with embedded steel rods, also called ferroconcrete) building in the world, and the first massive structure ever made of that material. All but one end of the east stand was finished when Harvard opposed Dartmouth on November 14, 1903, for the first game played there. More than 200 Italian workmen who had built the Stadium were in attendance, as was Franklin D. Roosevelt, A.B. 1904, who proposed to his date, his cousin Eleanor, the following day.
RENOVATIONS AND HARVARD STADIUM
Harvard Stadium has been and still is Home for numerous Harvard sports teams. It has been a Host to various non-athletic and athletic events not associated with Harvard University throughout its glorious history. Most of the remaining focus for this story will revolve around Harvard Stadium and Harvard Football.
Wikipedia writes
Lewis Jerome Johnson, professor of civil engineering at Harvard, was a consultant to the design team for the stadium. It is historically significant that this stadium represents the first vertical concrete structure to employ reinforced structural concrete. Prior to the erection of the stadium in 1902, reinforced structural concrete was used in horizontal that is flooring, sidewalks, etc., design only. Prof. Johnson was the engineer of note responsible for incorporating the concept into the vertical structure of the stadium design. There is a plaque dedicating the stadium to his honor on the east end wall outside the stadium.
The stadium is the nation’s oldest permanent concrete structure dedicated to intercollegiate athletics. The structure was built after the design of The Panathenaic Stadium “beautiful marble” is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. A stadium was built on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman Lykourgos (Lycurgus) c. 330 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games. It was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus, an Athenian Roman senator, by 144 AD and had a capacity of 50,000 seats.
After the rise of Christianity in the 4th century it was largely abandoned. The stadium was excavated in 1869 and hosted the Zappas Olympic in 1870 and 1875. After being refurbished, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896 and was the venue for 4 of the 9 contested sports. It was used for various purposes in the 20th century and was once again used as an Olympic venue in 2004. It is the finishing point for the annual Athens Classic Marathon. It is also the last venue in Greece from where the Olympic Flame handover ceremony to the host nation takes place.
curbed.com, crimson.com, & csmonitor.com contribute next
While the stadium became the premier place to watch the game, it also significantly changed football. The Crimson’s first season at their new home ended in a series of injuries, part of a wave of violence that plagued the sport during its early years (a common tactic would be for a group of players to band together and use their helmetless heads as battering rams to help advance the ball).
Eighteen players died in 1905, leading to calls from Harvard President Charles W. Eliot to reform the game or abolish the team, and inspiring then-President Teddy Roosevelt to call a conference to reform the game. To save the game, a committee met in New York under the leadership of Yale’s Walter Camp, ”the father of American football.” Concerned with the trend toward brute force and mass attack, the group contemplated widening the field by 40 feet. Since Harvard’s field was hemmed in by a concrete horseshoe, the team proposed instituting the forward pass instead. Other teams of the day, fearful of losing the Harvard program to the rule change and anti-violence crusaders, hastily adopted the pass and other changes, in the name of making the game safer.
More than a backdrop, however, the stadium actually influenced the rules. The dimensions of Harvard’s field, for example, became the national standard. And although the forward pass did not catch on immediately—originally, the penalty for an incomplete pass was a loss of possession—the change made the game safer and ultimately helped galvanize the growth of college football on a national level. Football’s ascension reflected the United States’ increasing status globally.
“Football to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton was arguably more important in the 1890s and early 1900s than football is to Penn State and Notre Dame today,” said Ronald A. Smith, a former professor of sport history at Penn State. “Football helped make these elite schools…look like strong institutions of masculinity, which was important as America became industrialized and urbanized. Football helped create the image that America was strong.” Princeton and Yale took after Harvard by constructing stadiums in 1914, and each of the original Big Ten schools followed with their own stadiums in the 1920s. “[The big state universities] wanted to have football that was bigger and better than Harvard, Yale, and Princeton,” Smith said. “By the 1920s, they did.”
cbiconsultingllc.com, csmonitor.com, harvardmagazine.com, & harvard.edu contribute to the next segment.
In 1910 the colonnade level columns, wall, and roof were added.
Wooden endzone stands and track field seats were erected from 1915-1928 raising the seating capacity to 40,000.
During the renovation in 1929, steel bleachers were installed at the northeast end making the stadium into an oval configuration and thereby increasing the seating capacity to 57,000.
However, in 1952, the bleachers were removed, reverting the stadium back to its original horseshoe shape with a total seating capacity of 37,000.
Cosmetic and other renovations continued. In 1982, after extensive renovations to the Stadium, Harvard begins its 107th football season on schedule. The $8-million restoration project, funded by the Harvard Campaign, provides new steel supports, new concrete seating, face-liftings for the walls and colonnade, and refurbished rest rooms and concession stands. One man who clearly remembers ”Ivy” football in its heyday is William Gilbane. As a Brown running back in the 1930s, he had occasion to play in Harvard Stadium, which sits upstream from Boston. Today Gilbane owns the firm (Gilbane Construction Company) that did the Harvard renovations.
”The original structural joints at Harvard Stadium allowed water to penetrate the porous concrete and rust the steel,” he said in outlining the problem. Today, concrete is much stronger than ever before, so the renovated structure should last far longer. Harvard Stadium was originally constructed over a five (5) month period in 1903 at a cost of $310,000. In 1982, at a cost of $8 million, a renovation was made including precast concrete seating, making the stadium into what we see today.
CBI Consulting Inc. was engaged by Harvard University to investigate methods and procedures to be used for maintenance repair of Harvard Stadium. This investigation had several purposes:
- Correct some of the more serious areas of concrete spalling and deterioration while replicating the natural color cone of the adjacent concrete surfaces.
- Investigate concrete cracking and methods of repair.
- Evaluate through load testing the capacity of a typical in-situ concrete transfer beam.
Despite signs of deterioration and evidence of supplemental framing, CBI recognized that the stadium had been successfully utilized for over 100 years without signs of overstress or failure. It was this historical performance that lead CBI to advise the owner that undertaking a field load test was an expenditure that, if successful, would derive significant cost saving to the overall stadium restoration project. The load test results successfully demonstrated that the existing beams could safely support the required dead and live loads. These results eliminated the need for installation of permanent supplemental framing, allowing more expenditures for other necessary stadium repairs and improvements.
Over the past century, tradition has outweighed change for Harvard Stadium, but the space has been adapted to meet the technological standards of a modern arena. In 1998, construction commenced on the Murr Center at the open end of the horseshoe.
In 2006 renovations continued. Following four months of labor — largely spent digging, hauling, and piling some 125,000 square feet of dirt — workers from Boston-based Payton Construction completed the first phase of a donor-funded $5 million improvement project to the storied landmark: replacing the field of the 103-year-old stadium with a 21st century synthetic surface known as FieldTurf. With its subsurface drainage system and conduit system for telecommunication lines, this clearly is not your father’s artificial turf.
In October, the second phase of the renovation project kicked off with the installation of permanent lighting. The high-powered system fit snugly into the railing cove just above the colonnade section, thereby preserving the original look and integrity of the stadium (deemed an official National Historic Landmark). The lights are broadcast-friendly for television and will allow the football team to hold practices past dark, while greatly extending evening use for other intercollegiate and intramural teams.
Come late November, the stadium jumped right into the 22nd century when it introduce its third and final upgrade — an inflatable domelike “bubble” for housing wintertime sporting events and practices. Anchored to a concrete foundation, the bubble can be inflated within four hours by a permanent furnace located at the bottom of the stadium’s U shape. Visitors to the bubble enter through a revolving door to maintain steady air pressure, while a series of sensors connected to the facility monitor and adjust the structure’s pressure for handling heavy winds and external temperature for melting collected snowfall.
Inside, the temperature is kept at a balmy 72 degrees throughout the winter months. Taken together with the freshly laid turf, the bubble has greatly extended the use of the stadium complex for those varsity programs that compete in the elements. Likewise, the range of club, intramural, and recreational opportunities have flourished within its comfy confines. Despite the changes on the surface, the real heart of Harvard Stadium lies in its history and its meaning to those who have set foot on its hallowed ground. The Ivy was removed from the exterior walls in 2006. Over the multitude of years, the Ivy enjoyed the moisture from the concrete causing a slight erosion of the material. To protect the ‘Shrine’, officials decided to remove it.
“With Harvard Stadium, they built an institution that tied football into history and antiquity,” Smith said. “If you look at the colonnade, the columns recall classical Greece. That ties the concept of football within the institution into a historical record people can be proud of.”
In 2008, a new digital scoreboard and video board were installed atop the Murr. Recent structural testing confirmed that Harvard Stadium will be as functional well into the 21st century as it was in the early 20th.
Another renovation was announced in October of 2012 and is still ongoing. The renovation of Harvard Stadium included preservation of the existing structure, built in 1903 and a National Historic Landmark. This revamp include installation of an elevator to improve accessibility to disabled visitors, expand and upgrade the stadium’s restroom and concession facilities, addition of new locker rooms and meeting and office space, an upgraded press box, and construction of enclosed club seating, all of which will result in a slight reduction in overall seating capacity. An extension to the stadium’s west side will house some of the additional space. It is estimated that the renovations will be completed in 2022 with a possible extension. New FieldTurf was installed in 2015.
YouTube video of Harvard Stadium
NOTE: Franklin Field will stake its claim that it is the ‘Oldest College Football Stadium in the USA.
RITUAL DAY THURSDAY OCTOBER 11, 2018-HARVARD STADIUM
My new campsite was set-up in Framingham, MA, about 12 miles from Harvard Stadium. The drive from the Yale Bowl campsite was slightly over two hours. Fall was peeking its head from the country side as my 2018 CFP has taken a more northern direction from Connecticut. During my drive to Harvard Stadium, the heavy, different shades of gray, clouds provided the coverage overhead. The colors of autumn dotted the roadway exposing the next phase of the seasons. With the weather forecast unknown, additional gear was loaded in case of moisture.
The Spirits of the Yale Bowl were secured in my Spirit as my Road Not Taken led to Harvard Stadium. While reminiscing about the Yale Bowl, Excitement joined in for the ride. What would Harvard Stadium and its Spirits create as my feet walked among its ‘Sacred Ground’? Harvard along with Yale was the major Birthing Partners for American Football. Other universities played supportive roles contributing to the game as it is known today.
Traveling with my GPS has provided much needed thrills and missed turns during my College Football Pilgrimages. It was with hope that my GPS would guide my Red Rental Chariot to its location on one shot. The drive was completed in less than 30 minutes. After securing a paid parking spot, my first and second pics of Harvard Stadium.
The Sounds of Renovations echoed from Harvard Stadium as modifications continued. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic was light and when the heavy equipment took a break, a different vibe of relaxation was sensed. As my senses reflected on the exterior of Harvard Stadium, Excitement urged my feet to venture on. Excitement was explained that a couple of pics needed to be snapped before the Ritual Walk could continue. In a short TIME, the next two pics were added to the 2018 CFP.
With many renovation artists on site and visible, my feet led the way as they followed the traffic to seek an entry. A gate was opened, but it came with a Warning Sign.
Carefully, the sign was reviewed. While thinking about the risks, rewards and consequences, my vision caught a glimpse of the rewards through a Gateway leading to the field inside of Harvard Stadium.
The sign indicated that trespassers could be prosecuted. To what extent, was not clarified. My ESPN then communicated with the Spirits of Harvard Stadium as my feet pondered their next plan of action. My 2018 CFP was explained and so was my purpose to secure Blessings from Harvard Stadium and their Spirits. With ‘SILENCE’ as consent, my feet gingerly walked to the Gateway, realizing that at any moment my feet could be prosecuted.
As my feet stepped onto the field, TIME was now of the essence before the end of my Dream Moment. Helen was waiting to snap a few pics for the story. My 1st pic on the field at Harvard Stadium.
AWE took over from Excitement as my feet landed in the 2nd Oldest College Football Stadium in the USA. Not only did my IMAGINATION zoom back to 1904, after a brief stop it continued to TIME Travel back to ancient Rome and Greece. As my senses observed and analyzed the Timeless Stadium, it was clear on this cloudy day, my choices for a photographer were extremely limited for a quick photo. A few potential candidates, sprinkled the steps at the far end as their feet ascended and descended the concrete stairs and seats. With my visitation TIME not known, a seldom used ‘selfie’ was put into play.
After the ‘selfie’ was invoked, a sense of calmness now entered my feet. With pics now secured in Helen, any more TIME in Harvard Stadium would be additional Blessings. As my feet stood with AWE, my senses continued to digest the ‘Magnitude of Harvard Stadium’. Though it was one-half the size of the Yale Bowl, the majesty of Harvard Stadium was its own. Slowly another human while running the seats was making their way in the direction of my feet. Eventually, with my voice within greeting distance, my pleas for assistance of a pic were heard. A Runner wearing shorts and a Texas Longhorn T-shirt stopped near the bottom of the Stadium. Helen was handed up to him as he bent over to retrieve her. Next is my 1st Official Pic in Harvard Stadium.
A brief conversation followed, which led to another meeting at the end of his run. My feet led the way through the Gateway out of the field and up into the Stadium end zone seats. The solidness of the Shrine could now be sensed as my feet stood with AWE. Harvard Stadium is the Oldest Concrete College Football Stadium in the USA. As my Angel finished his run, more talk led the way. The name of a book, ‘Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer’ was tossed my way for a reference of other Pilgrimages. The Angel said his name was John.
He was originally from South Boston and earned his undergraduate degree in the state of New York. The University of Texas then called out for him to complete his Graduate Degree. With his Grad Degree in his pocket, he returned to South Boston. Before departing, John the Angel pointed out the concrete construction and wished my feet a healthy and safe CFP. A final request was granted, a pic standing inside on the Concrete Stadium.
After John the Angel flew from the scene, my feet stood with AWE as my IMAGINATION soared back to 1904 and a sellout crowd. A track could be seen outlining the playing surface. My IMAGINATION then saw the opposite wooden endzone seats constructing a bowl, while eventually turning into steel endzone seats. After playing in the past, my vision spotted others on the playing surface of Harvard Stadium. Some sort of field goal kicking contest was taking place. With a chance for a pic on the 50 yard line, my feet found their way to the group.
According to my head count, six members made up the group. Two were females and 4 were males. As my feet neared the group, and with very little info, another request for a pic was made. A volunteer was requested from the group. Nervous eyes danced with each other as no volunteer stepped forward. After explaining the simplicity of picture taking, another request was presented to the group. While sensing and mulling over my request, the group made a decision and 5 fingers pointed to the Angel to fulfill my request. Without much fanfare, the use of Helen was explained along with outline of the 4 requested pics around the 50 yard line. With the Spirits of Harvard Stadium extending my stay, a rendition of the Yale Bowl could be replicated.
After his task was completed, more info was shared with this Angel as the rest of the group peeked at our encounter while completing the kicking contest. All 5 fingers pointed to the Angel with the ‘Right Stuff’ to complete the photo taking task. The name of this Angel was Austin Maurer, Video Producer of the Department of Athletics for Harvard University. As a grad of Villanova with a degree in Communications, Angel Austin worked at the Villanova University Athletics Production All-Access Staff from September 2014 until his current gig at Harvard in 2018. With my thanks attached to his wings, Angel Austin handed my feet his card and agreed to the next pic.
My feet then decided to return to the concrete seats and concrete stands for more AWE as borrowed TIME was still on the clock. Slowly, my feet walked the inner perimeter of the to soak up the Energy that has been stored in the concrete and steel beams. Though the original seats and stair paths have been removed and new ones installed, the Original Concrete and Steel Beams transmitted its Energy into the new settings. Sights of an empty Harvard Stadium became the theme during the tour.
Renovations could be heard sporadically throughout the tour.
More pics from the Tour
Concourse Tour Pics
After completing the Tour, is was TIME for a revisit to the Battle Field for final pics. Standing on the Battle Field almost alone permits one to enjoy the ‘Magnitude of Harvard Stadium’. End zone pics in solitude.
As my feet left the Battle Field, an Engraving defined Harvard Stadium
The Ritual Walk concluded with an outside perimeter Tour
‘CELEBRATION OF PIGSKIN’ HARVARD STADIUM- FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018
It was with welcomed relief as the rain clouds were pushed aside revealing the sun for the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’. Just as Ritual Day concluded, moisture was released as my RR Chariot headed to Cambridge Square in search of official Harvard Gear. Plus, Tokens could be obtained for my 2 Angels of INSANITY, Angel Compassion & Angel Passion Chaffee for their Guidance, Inspiration, and Stimulation as my 2018 CFP continued. The drive back to my campsite far exceeded the drive to Harvard Stadium. Going was about 25 minutes with returning about 90 minutes. The objective was completed with a Safe & Good Health return.
With lessons learned at the Yale Bowl, instead of a 5 hour arrival before kick-off, a 4 hour arrival was planned. The RR Chariot pulled into the Harvard Stadium parking lot enticed by a sign that read Game Parking $20. After a brief discussion, the attendants said that this was the best price in the area. However, parking would not be opened until 5 or 5:30 PM. It was 3 PM so Plan B would have to be put into effect. Permission was granted to use the outdoor porta potties near where the RR Chariot rested during the Ritual Day. While pulling out the lot was when the meeting with Bill took place. More on Bill later.
On my way out the main gate, the attendants offered suggestions on places to hang out in the area until their lot opened. After thanking them, a drive around the neighborhood was called for but not until the 1st pic of Battle Day at Harvard Stadium.
While driving around, the lack of parking spaces caught my attention. There were plenty of lots available but all posted signs of ‘Permits Needed and Violators Will Be Towed Away’. The chance of a Tow, always signals to seek other options. Parking was permitted on the residential streets, but a permit was needed for certain hours. This was a first ever sighting for my feet as they wondered if residents had to pay extra or if it was included in their taxes. A few spaces allowed 2 hour parking between certain hours. After about a 15-20 minute tour and discussing options with a few willing walkers, a parking space opened that read 2 Hour Parking From 8 AM to 6 PM. The TIME was about 3:40 PM.
The campsite was about 7-10 minutes walking distance from Harvard Stadium. With about 20 minutes to spend until it would be safe for ‘No Tow’, a one-man campsite was set up to prepare for the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’.
After closing up the campsite after 4 PM, my feet headed to Harvard Stadium. Traffic was light as seen in the next pic.
My feet then spotted the 1st Campsite setting up near Harvard Stadium
Once my feet arrived to greet the attendants around 4:30 PM a discovery was made. The lot was now opened earlier than previously announced. Since my campsite was free and all needed was in my clear Clemson Stadium Bag, their offer was declined for the best price in the area. Bill was a target for my feet, but when my vision caught sightings of the Holy Cross Gladiators entering for the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’, a change of direction ensued.
When my feet arrived at Bill’s station, another attendant had replaced him and he explained that Bill was now stationed at an unknown location. Bill posed as an Angel during our initial meeting, but TIME did not OK a pic of Bill. With other options a possibility for a future pic of Bill, my feet observed and analyzed the surroundings in hopes of finding more campsites. As Chariots of all sizes were now entering the lot, a snafu occurred. With limited paid parking stalls that were filled, the lots nearby also required a special Harvard Permit. Without a special permit, payees were being directed to a larger lot, a further walking distance from the Stadium. This snafu called for a supervisor.
An executive decision was made to alleviate the snafu. During the decision making process, words of Harvard Parents hosting a campsite was overheard. When the supervisor was finished, my feet approached him seeking help for knowledge of the Harvard Parents’ Campsites. After a brief introduction and exchange of pleasantries, the supervisor revealed his True Identity as Angel Mike.
Angel Mike offered his free accommodations for parking after listening to my story. He said the drive to the lot would be much shorter than the walk to and back. He asked where my campsite was, and after my reply he instructed my feet to go get it and to park for free next to the Stadium. After thanking him for his offer, Angel Mike explained about the 1st trip that he and his wife were planning to Las Vegas. He sought some advice for the higher end properties would eat up too much of his budget. My feet suggested a search and comparison on the internet for that is the choice when planning the CFP.
As we walked towards the gate, Angel Bill would tell the attendants of his offer so my return would be smooth. My card was presented to Angel Bill to seek my feet when his wings arrived in Las Vegas for a Meet & Greet if TIME permitted. When asked of potential dates for his trip, Angel Bill replied with dates of days before and after New Year’s Day 2019. With TIME running short, my feet encouraged Angel Bill to start the internet search as soon as possible in hopes of finding a resort to match his budget. Upon my return with the RR Chariot, Angel Bill waited and waved us in. Thanks were returned as the RR Chariot went off in search of campsites for photo opps.
The road leading to the Big Lot was well served by the RR Chariot. Though ‘Knee Supporters’ had joined in with this Celebration, the walk to and from would have exceeded walking limits. The Big Lot was indeed Huge as the RR Chariot slid into a campsite space. The hugeness of the Big Lot dwarfed the number of campsites. Out in the distance, it was the sounds and sights of the Harvard Marching Band that signaled for my feet. A large Harvard Drum would be a great background for a pic. When my feet were noticed, a call for the Leader was delivered for a potential pic with The Harvard Drum. The Harvard Drum Corp all looked into one direction and Adrian, The Drum Major, was assigned the task. After taking the pic, my offer for his pic was politely declined.
CAMPSITES
Though the campsites appeared small in stature, Energy had entered the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’ as previous Relationships were being renewed with new ones being created. The smells of cooked food, sounds from the Band, and the exchange of banter contributed to the Energy. With my ticket still waiting at Will-Call, my feet led to the RR Chariot for the return to Harvard Stadium. During the ride to the Big Lot, potential campsites to park the RR Chariot were charted. One was located next to the Harvard Baseball Stadium off the road and next to a small brick building. With no Tow Away Signs posted, and with Angel Mike’s protection, the RR Chariot was parked near Harvard Stadium.
Kick-off for the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’ was in about 100 minutes when the next pic was taken. Earlier, Bill suggested this path to the Will-Call Station.
When my feet arrived at the entry gate, a dilemma entered the picture. The printed copy for the ticket purchase was left at the main campsite in Framingham. A sign said that a ticket was needed for entry, but Bill said Will-Call was in this direction. My dilemma was explained to the Supervisor and her solution was to personally assigned an escort for my feet to Will-Call. Thanks were extended for her solution for a shorter walk to Will-Call instead of telling my feet to walk all the way around Harvard Stadium to Will-Call. Traffic near Will-Call started to increase creating a slight rise in Energy. The escort received my thanks along with my tales of the College Football Pilgrimages.
Will-Call delivered my ticket after listening to my story. TIME permitted my feet to retrace their steps for the next pic of the Large Holy Cross Transporter. There were two but only one was needed for the pic.
As daylight was shrinking and nightfall growing, my feet return to the Will-Call Station. My feet were in need of a camera person for their 1st pic outside the Stadium for the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’. Options were evaluated as a group of coeds walked in my direction. My clear Clemson Stadium Bag rested on a small elevated concrete structure next to my feet. As the group neared my position, one coed separated from the pack and turned in my direction as being guided by some Force. The rest of the pack had stopped to evaluate the surroundings. As she approached, my plea for help was sent in her direction. She flashed a SMILE and agreed to help with my 1st pic outside the Stadium on Battle Day.
During the photo opp, her group decided to enter the scene. Information was shared and the coed photographer was named Angel Victoria. Angel Victoria confessed that it was the clear Clemson Stadium Bag that pulled her to my spot for she was a student at Clemson and was visiting with friends from Holy Cross. A gate opened to share my tales of Clemson Family and football. More SMILES showed on the face of Angel Victoria as she expressed her approval of my Clemson Family stories. When asked for a picture of her and the group to add to my story, a mixed response followed. Three out of the five were in support an two declined louder than the supporters. Though supporters outnumbered the decliners, the louder dissenters got their way and no pic. Though my feet could have continued to sway the outcome, it was best to have the ‘Loud Dissenters’ control the outcome. Sometimes, the ‘Squeaking Wheel’ has its day for some in our society has now decided that their views as a minority speaks for the majority.
Before separating, final words were tossed their direction with the supporters listening attentively. To thoroughly enjoy Harvard Stadium, your IMAGINATION will have to lead the way. Only use your cellphone for a few picks and messages, and take a journey back in TIME. Pretend as you sit, it is 1904 or 1905. It is a packed house and the fans have brought their high level intensity and you are being wrapped up in it. The 3 supporters SMILED as we departed.
The Gladiators were in warm-up mode on the Battle Field as my feet entered Harvard Stadium. Next is my feet 1st pic in Harvard Stadium for the Battle.
With about 70 minutes before kick-off, my feet slowly paraded the area seeking opportunities for photos to add the story. An Angel opened the gate to the steps that led to an outside balcony connected to the Murr Center. After arriving to the top, another Angel agreed to take the next pic. Little fanfare was exchanged as the next photo was snapped.
My thanks were given to the 2 Angels as my feet sought more photos. Inside the Stadium area was a small campsite that was accented by the flowers of the season.
While standing, observing and analyzing the surroundings outside the Battle Field, the Energy started to increase as the number of fans grew. The Gladiators completed their warm-ups and cleared the Battle Field for the Harvard Marching Band led by Adrian. As Adrian led the way, a shout-out and thumbs-up were tossed in his direction from my feet. A SMILE along with a thumbs-up was returned by Adrian. While the band prepared on the field, it was a signal for my feet to find its seat. Photo of Concourse about 30 minutes prior to Kick-Off.
My seat was located on the second row behind the Harvard Gladiator bench. Unlike the obstructed view at the Yale Bowl, the height of the wall that separated the Battle Field from the stands provided a higher elevation for a clear view. Harvard Band performed the National Anthem.
Then the Crimson Gladiators of Harvard took the field.
After the Holy Cross Gladiators ran onto the Battle Field, their pre-game rituals still included a kneeling huddle for Prayer. A cloudy picture shows the Prayer.
The Kick-Off and early Battle action.
Though the Battle is part of the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’, very little is written about it, for the real stories are the others and more. Engaging with others nearby is part of the Celebration. Usually, an opening will occur, permitting an engagement. With my feet positioned on the second row directly behind the Harvard bench, my senses were treated to various sights, sounds, and smells of the area. The Harvard O Line Coach was involved in various one-man plays to rally his troops.
After every offensive series, the Coach would perform a different solo act with various types of rhythm, loudness, calmness, excitement, encouragement, challenging and many more motivational techniques. Some included props. After each act, his Troops would respond as a group preparing for the possession of the Pigskin. Fans nearby would shout words of encouragements to the nearby Troops. With my feet so close to the playing surface, the sounds of pads and helmets colliding could be heard. Some were louder than others. Familiar ‘Smells’ again invaded my Olfactory Nerve taking my IMAGINATION on a trip to the past. Since FieldTurf was the surface, earth could not be smelled as at the Yale Bowl. Each TIME the O Line Troops would gather together under my nose, and depending on the breeze, the mixture of hormones, pheromones, sweat, body odor, mixed with the leather and plastic equipment created the ‘Smells of Combat’.
These ‘Smells of Combat’ triggered memories of ‘Smells of Combat’ from my days as a Gladiator for Pitt and Aliquippa High School. ‘Smells of Combat’ were prevalent, especially in the locker rooms. The Battle would always intensify the ‘Smells of Combat’. My thought were shared with my neighbor. Eventually, the woman sitting next to my feet was not a stranger any longer. She accepted my request for the next pic.
Her name was Alicia. Acting as an Angel, she was a Graduate of Holy Cross and her husband was a Graduate of Harvard. When asked what brought them to the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’, she replied that her step-son was a freshman at Harvard and it was ‘Family Weekend’. It was not ever made clear by their actions if their son was involved with the Gladiators or not. One thing was clear, he was not sitting next to them. During our encounter, a question was tossed to her husband from my feet. They asked, ‘What degree did you earn at Harvard’? He quickly replied ‘Goofing Off’.
For a moment, my feet were startled and after regaining solid footing, they responded that they earned the same degree at Pitt while performing as a Gladiator. It was then obvious that Harvard and Pitt offered the same degrees. One just cost a whole hell of a lot more than the other. As my vision scanned the stands, again more blessings rained on my feet, for they sat and walked among the highest intellectual individuals on the planet with some earning a degree from Harvard in ‘Goofing Off’.
My pleas for a pic of Alicia and her Harvard Husband fell on deaf ears. She politely declined so others in the area became the center of interest. It was early during the Battle that the PASSION for the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’ could be sensed by a nearby fan. Encouraging words were shouted out along with verbal directions to the Troops. His knowledge of the strategy of the Battle, far exceeded others in the area. As a bonus, his wisdom would be shared with eager ears that were part of his band.
His interactions with his band included PASSION, Enthusiasm, with a mixture of other virtues and values. As he pointed out the ‘Finer Phases’ of the Battle, his band would seek more of it. It became apparent, that his role was that of a ‘Watcher’ for his Band. A parent, he was not. After watching the Harvard Marching Band for halftime, my feet made their way to the Watcher. My feet explained their purpose and were in search of a ‘Great Story’ to add to the Harvard Stadium Story. His name was Anthony.
Anthony was originally from Oregon with stops in North Dakota and other states. It was in North Dakota at the University of Jamestown where Anthony laid his claim to fame. During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Anthony was a ‘Star Gladiator’. As the QB, Anthony’s leadership skills paved the way for the success of many Battles. After concluding his business in North Dakota, the East Coast signaled for his ‘Leadership Skills’. 14 seasons have now been spent on the East Coast with the last seven in the Boston area. During that TIME, Anthony earned his Education Degree from Bank Street College in NYC. He now teaches at one of the local elementary schools.
As the Watcher, his services were sought for 10 days by a known local family to House Watch and Child Watch. He decided to take advantage of the great seats at a National Landmark, disguised as the 2nd Oldest College Football Stadium in the USA to share his wisdom with his band. Members of his band are all extremely talented students in and out of the classroom. All four ‘Shine’ at their respective sports. Perhaps, if they follow the Wisdom of Anthony, they too can be honored by their colleges. Anthony leads by example with his ‘Leadership Skills’ and other outstanding attributes for he was recently inducted into the University of Jamestown Sports Hall of Fame. Next is pic of Anthony, The Watcher, and his Band.
With another story added, it was TIME for food and a seat in the endzone. There were 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter when my feet went in search of food. To the dismay of my feet, all food stations had shut down operations according to Stadium Policy. My feet walked empty handed to the endzone, and it was where the Lone Fan was sitting. Perhaps another story waited. The view from the endzone provided its own spectacular settings.
The Battle continued and talk was exchanged between the Lone Fan and my feet. His Enthusiasm and Dedication were sent as Blessings. His name was Mike and did not attend either University. His choice for an undergraduate degree was Syracuse University in the early 1980’s. When asked why he chose this Battle and the seats, he replied; There are very little distractions when sitting in the endzone. The wide opened space permitted solitude for the enjoyment of the Battle and the view was different. He said that his interest in the Battle was the result of his wife’s cousin’s child. Though Mike The Lone Fan only played as a High School Gladiator, his Enthusiasm and Dedication to the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’ had not diminished.
He decided to Live the Battle vicariously through a next of kin. His next of kin was #91 on the Holy Cross Gladiators and named Teddy as in Theodore. Teddy has played in every game since his freshman campaign. The first few games saw Teddy as a special team player while substituting on defense. Eventually, his talent and hard work led to a starting position half-way through his freshman season, which continued to this ‘Celebration of Pigskin’ at Harvard Stadium. The Lone Fan Mike has attended most of the Battles in 4 years, missing only a handful. He lives on Long Island near the Connecticut border and usually travels solo to and from most of the Battles. He is unsure of his plans after Teddy hangs up his cleats. Next is a pic of Mike, The Lone Fan, wearing his cap of Enthusiasm and Dedication.
The Battle in Harvard Stadium was just as exciting and hard hitting as previous Battles since 1904. In my IMAGINATION, the Stadium was over flowing its capacity as Harvard was attempting the last second game winning field goal. The loud crowd was in a frenzy as timeout was called. Delirium had entered Harvard Stadium as the Harvard Gladiators prepared for its last play. Though both Troops of Gladiators played with PASSION, Enthusiasm and Dedication, only one squad would earn the result of winning the Battle. The other squad would taste defeat. In a moment, the kick was up and the Harvard Gladiators drank victory.
Mike and my feet exchanged wishes of ‘Good Health’ and a ‘Safe Journey’ along with GRATITUDE for the TIME that was Well-Spent, With No Guarantees as Olde Faithful Friends. My feet watched as the fans, players and others marched out of the Stadium filled with mixed emotions mirroring the emotions of my feet, as the Harvard Band under the leadership of Adrian played its Swan Song.
Harvard Stadium provided an unique and similar Blessings and Gifts of Accommodations and Generosity as the Yale Bowl. Perhaps as ‘Birthing Partners’ and through ESPN, the Yale Bowl alerted Harvard Stadium of my 2018 CFP. As ‘Birthing Partners’ of American Football, it was obvious that the Red Carpet Treatment was staged for my feet. As my feet left Harvard Stadium, my GRATITUDE was left behind to be embedded within the concrete structure and steel beams to be shared by all others to walk where my feet walked.
INSTEAD OF GOD AND NATURE, ANOTHER STADIUM WAS ON THE MENU FOR SATURDAY 10/13/18
As the plans were being developed for the 2018 CFP and with the Ivy League games scheduled on Fridays, other local College Football Stadiums were examined for potential ‘Celebration of Pigskin’ on Saturday. While none was available in New Haven after the Yale Bowl, Alumni Stadium at Boston College offered one the day after Harvard Stadium. With an extremely close window for a turnaround from Friday night to a 12:30 PM kick-off, an arrival to Alumni Stadium was planned for 11 AM. For this story, details of the history of Alumni Stadium will not be included. Instead, it will focus on the experience of the ‘Celebration of Pigskin’.
Signs from the morning look outside my campsite’s window showed rain with various degrees of intensity. Rain gear would be the choice of dress. The Stadium was located about 11 miles from my campsite. A departure for 10 AM was selected for potential traffic and parking. The rain joined in with the drive and the wipers of the RR Chariot cleared the windshield. Game traffic was light and my arrival at the Stadium was about 10:30 AM. With the Stadium in view, parking was the next issue to be solved. The road leading near the Stadium had zero opportunities to park, so another option had to be found. With the rains still pouring, there was very little foot traffic to seek help. Overhead View of Alumni Stadium and Area.
While driving, a sign appeared for Game Parking. Relief joined in while the RR Chariot pulled into the lot through a back door. After explaining the pleas of my feet to the attendant, he directed my feet to the Head Attendant. The HA sympathized with my pleas, but said a permit was needed and he could not accept my offer of cash. He said, most fans either prepay for a permit or park about a mile and a half away and take a shuttle to the Stadium. With TIME not as my ally, my thanks were given and into the neighborhood the RR Chariot went in search of a campsite.
As at Harvard, all residential streets required a permit. Plus, warning signs were posted for No-Parking on this Saturday. After talking with a visitor of a resident, dismal news was shared, parking was strictly enforced. The ongoing rain had also limited the sightings of residents for a cash offer to park the RR Chariot on their property. It was then, my feet sent out a prayer signal to God and my 2 Angels of INSANITY, Danigirl Royalty and Batgirl Chaffee for their help. The RR Chariot continued its crawl through the neighborhood of Chestnut Hill searching for a campsite. With Time now becoming a major player, the rain continued to splash the windshield. It was at a T-crossroad that a possible campsite was in sight. An extremely large home was under construction with one truck parked nearby.
The RR Chariot was neatly stashed on the property out of harm’s way. My feet walked to the opened front door, seeking permission to park. Not wanting to shout to gain attention, my feet explored the down stairs with no success. TIME encouraged my feet to get moving for kick-off was on the horizon. While gathering the rest of the needed gear, a neighbor across the street was walking her dog in the rain. My feet decided to seek her advice about my campsite. She explained that since it was private property, there was a risk involved that could result in a Tow. My fruitless encounter seeking permission from the owner of the truck was explained. She advised my feet to seek a fruitful meeting before walking to the stadium.
A returned walk to the ‘Big House’ commenced. As my feet entered the opened door, the truck owner appeared. He was not the owner of the Big House, but a sub-contractor. After explaining the campsite dilemma, he responded with confidence that all would be okay. My thanks were extended, as one more stop at the campsite was needed. My feet followed the directions of the Dog Walker to the stadium. When the next T appeared, her directions said to take a left, and then at the next major street to make a right. A road straight ahead with a no thruway sign stared back. Across the street a group of tailgaters started to scramble from their yard heading for cover as the rains intensified. My feet shouted for their attention while crossing the street. After grabbing their attention, questions of a short-cut to the stadium was next.
A member of the committee said to keep following the road until it ends, then remain on the path until the stadium appears. My thanks were sent back along with my tales of the 2018 CFP. This Welcoming Committee opened their arms and invited my feet into their campsite. Food and drink was offered along with a generous supply of hospitality and stories of the Boston Sports. Next is the Chestnut Hills Welcoming Committee.
Christopher weaved tales of his kin that played pro sports. One kin from Boston played with Otto Graham on the Champion Cleveland Browns in the American Football League during the early 50’s. Another kin was the first round draft choice of the Boston Celtics during the early reign of Red Auerbach. As part of his contract, this kin would play his accordion during halftime for a set number of games. As an accomplished Accordion Player, a number of loyal fans would only attend games when his performance was scheduled for halftime.
When the short visit concluded, my feet followed their directions and arrived outside of the stadium in about five minutes. Next are 1st Pics
Signs indicated that Louisville had arrived.
Next on the things to do list was to find the will call ticket office and to seek Bill, the parking attendant from Harvard Stadium. Rain did not deter the campsites.
During the short moment with Bill at Harvard, much was verbally exchanged. The 2018 CFP and past CFPs was a topic. Bill spoke of many things including the ivy that was removed from Harvard Stadium, which had become a deterrent for its consumption of moisture from the concrete. His Boston generosity was also tossed at my feet, as his talks switched to the Boston Red Sox. He asked of my interest for attending the ALCS on Saturday night in Fenway Park. When told, that a ticket was not purchased for the game, Bill made a counter-offer. Wanting to add to the 2018 CFP experience and to extend his Boston hospitality, Bill said it was no problem. All that was needed was for my feet to meet him at Fenway Park and Angel Bill would take care of the rest. After mulling over his very generous offer to a ‘Complete Stranger’, my feet politely declined his offer. Next is a pic of Angel Bill as he guards his gate at Alumni Stadium.
Angel Bill with his final duties sent my feet off into the direction of the will-call office. By the TIME my feet made their way to their seat, the Battle had already started and the Boston College Gladiators were leading by 7 points. Pics from my seat.
According to the signals, it was Homecoming Weekend at Boston College. The crowd may or may not have been affected by the weather. While my feet settled in, my IMAGINATION started to take flight. Somewhere in TIME while preparing for the 2018 CFP, the Boston College Battle appeared on my radar. It has yet to be determined at what TIME did my past Gladiator days at Pitt University connect with Alumni Stadium and the 2018 CFP. During the TIME driving to the Stadium, recollections could not connect the dots for a reference point. With my feet resting in a small puddle, the rains continued at various volumes. My senses scanned the interior of Alumni Stadium looking for indications to jog my memory. For back in 1971, my feet played as a Pitt Gladiator against the Gladiators of Boston College. My 2018 CFP had arranged to take my feet back for Homecoming Weekend at Alumni Stadium. 1st Pic Inside Alumni Stadium for Homecoming Weekend.
My IMAGINATION only recalled the lower bowl with wooden benches back in 1971. Besides that, the entire structure looked foreign to my senses. Eventually, the rains decreased opening up an avenue for conversation with a male fan sitting next to my feet. His visits to the stadium were only in the past few years and he could not share any knowledge of the past about Alumni Stadium. Talks eventually shifted to my 2018 CFP and my previous visit as a Pitt Gladiator. As the talks ended, it was though that the Yale Bowl sent their approval for my feet’s attendance in Alumni Stadium. In some 2nd quarter ritual, the students and other fans stood and loudly sang along with the song by the Killers that was played during my Pilgrimage at the Yale Bowl.
A Few Battle Pics
Since the visit was similar to a visit in Nature and with God, roaming during the second half became the norm. All who was met were very cordial, polite and willing to assist with my pics. A few shared recollections of the previous versions of Alumni Stadium to jog my memory by painting a verbal picture. Roaming pics
While my feet walked to the campsite on the lot of the Big House, many thoughts paced within my skull. Was the RR Chariot towed or not? The Homecoming Stop at Alumni Stadium was filled with the same level of Bostonian hospitality and accommodations that were bestowed on my feet at Harvard Stadium. Finally, my feet reached the T at the Big Lot and with confidence, the RR Chariot was not towed.
Two main stadiums and one bonus stadium were checked off the list. With Sunday as a play day, the 2018 CFP shifts back to Philadelphia, PA on Monday 10/15/18 for the Grand Finale at Franklin Field on the campus of Penn University. It is considered to be the ‘Oldest College Football Stadium’ in the USA. The Stadium had their first guests in 1895 and after undergoing a few renovations and additions, it securely holds the title.
Remember to always PLAYIN YOUR DREAMS. If not, others and more will have you play in their dreams. For additional College Football Pilgrimages, check the Pilgrimage Section located on the Homepage.
Fox Feather
