Posts Tagged ‘rose bowl’

What’s wrong with me? Am I crazy? Am I crazy? Am I crazy?

That’s been the lament of my week. How about you? Football historians will also recognize it as one of the most famous game calls in history.

In the 1920s, Graham McNamee became the world’s first broadcasting superstar, the first sports color commentator, the guy who covered everything from the play-by-play of the World Series to political conventions to Charles Lindbergh’s arrival in back New York after his transatlantic flight. But perhaps his most famous on-air moment came while calling the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, 1929.

The University of California Golden Bears were facing off against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets with the National Championship on the line. And the nation was listening. The teams were in a scoreless tie in the second when Tech running back Stumpy Thomason fumbled on his own 36. California center Roy Reigels, in on defense, recovered on the 30. All he had to do was fall on the ball, and the Golden Bears were within scoring range. But Riegels was determined to be the hero.

He scooped up the ball … and started to run … in the wrong direction.

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