At first, looking at the title, you would think it impossible to rank the Top Ten Games in TFL history, being that there have only been 9 Turkey Bowl match-ups, but how soon you forget. Even though we, the men, have only played 9 games, the women have participated in one. Using simple elementary mathematics, adding 9 and 1, we come to the realization of, "yes, there have been 10 games".
In a way, every game has had its own story and personality that makes it great; but, looking at each game in detail, some were just better than others. After hours of deliberation and voting, we, the TFL Commissioners, present to you the Top Ten Games in the TFL's young history.
10. Powder Puff Bowl I
You notice that a roman numeral "1" has been added to the end of the Powder Puff Bowl title. That's right, we expect to see a few more of these delightful games. Powder Puff Bowl I featured the Thugettes vs. the Linebackerinas. The Thugettes avenged the loss of Thug U by claiming a 2-0 victory. Was it a great game? Not by any means. But it was the tenth, and allowed us to round off our Top Ten list instead of turning it into an ugly Top Nine.
9. Turkey Bowl II
Turkey Bowl II, also known as "The Forgotten Game", doesn't really seem to stick out in any of the participant's minds. Quite frankly, I really don't even remember it. If it weren't for the game story and box score most of us would forget it even happened. The game featured
Beer (just Beer, not "Team Beer" as
Tim Dougherty so adamantly points out) against
Cobra Kai/Nuggets Lax/Widener. No wonder we don't remember it too well, look at those awful team names. The game ended with Beer prevailing 10-5.
Mike Trill and
Rich DiNofia garnered Co-MVP honors. I'm sure both of them had a great game, it's just nobody really can recall any of it.
8. Turkey Bowl VIII
Can everybody say "blowout"? Probably, other than maybe Turkey Bowl III, the most lopsided game in TFL history. The game, and I use that term lightly, never hung in the balance.
BNK put a thrashing on the
Sand Naggers. BNK would win by eight points, 12-4, and the Sand Naggers would never come closer than being down by 4-1 in the first half. Bad Newz held a halftime lead of 7-2, and expanded it to 9-2 to start the second half. No excitement here, just pure domination.
7. Turkey Bowl III
The only shutout in league history,
THC defeated
Po' Folk 6-0. Maybe it has something to do with the abbreviated names; THC and BNK both being completely dominate. From now on, I think the commissioners should rule that abbreviated names be outlawed. It seems like anytime a team abbreviates their name they completely blow out their opponent.
6. Turkey Bowl IX
I don't think any game was hyped as much as Turkey Bowl IX. The pre-game trash talking was at an all-time high, and each team felt that they could easily win this game.
Thug U proclaimed themselves the winner of TB IX as soon as the draft was completed. Obviously, they couldn't have been more wrong. Tim Dougherty once again proved why he might be the best player in TFL History tying the single game passing record with another nine TD performance; and
Sergeant Slaughter retired from the league with a bang, taking five touchdowns with him. Turkey Bowl IX was won in the trenches. There wasn't any overwhelming offensive dominance by either team, Thug U tried to make a game out of it. Briefly tying the score at 2 in the first half. Then scoring the first TD of the second half to cut the deficit to 5-3, but there was just too much
Linebacker U, as they physically dominated Thug U for the 9-4 win.
5. Turkey Bowl V
How fitting; Turkey Bowl V takes the #5 spot on our countdown. The second installment of
Old School vs.
New School didn't live up to its prequel or sequel, but it was still a good game. Old School avenged its Turkey Bowl IV loss with an 8-3 triumph, benefiting from having an extra man as New Schooler
Kevin Rayer missed the entire game because he was passed out somewhere on Cabrini's campus. The game was never really close at anytime, but, c'mon, it comes in at #5 because it was an Old School – New School match-up. It never has, and it probably never will, get any better than Old School vs. New School.
4. Turkey Bowl VII
Tim Dougherty. Enough said. He's what made this game great. Not only did Tim's opponents call themselves the
Doc F*ckers, but Tim and
Team Zissou claimed a victory without even using Tim at the quarterback position. The Doc F*ckers talked a lot of trash before Turkey Bowl VII, but just couldn't back it up. After taking an early 2-0 lead, The Doc F*ckers faltered. A late arrival by Kevin Rayer sparked Zissou. And a touchdown trip by Sean "Horse" Kelly brought the F*ckers to their knees. The game resembled a boxing match early, with the teams going punch for punch. A look at the box score reveals the back and forth nature to start the game: 2-0, 3-2, 3-3, 5-3, 5-5. Three unanswered touchdowns by Zissou would finally put the game out of reach.
3. Turkey Bowl VI
To this date, the final installment of
Old School vs.
New School did not disappoint. This game was fantastic; a defensive battle from the opening kickoff. The teams literally beat the hell out of one another. It is widely considered the hardest hitting Turkey Bowl of all time. The game would end in a 4-3 victory for Old School, but both teams left it all on the field. It was a game in which every play and every inch counted. Drives were long, and defenses were on point. Quarterbacks were continually hassled and
Mark Marcelli used the match-up to solidify himself as one of the hardest hitters in league history. Old School got a late TD from
Keith Cottom to take a 4-3 lead; and then used a goal line stand, punctuated by a 4th down sack from
Tony Laughlin, to preserve the win. Simply put, this was just a great game.
2. Turkey Bowl IV
You knew this one had to be up there. Turkey Bowl IV gave us one of the most talked about plays in league history: "The Strippage at Pritchard". Not only was this game a back and forth battle, but the ending was above and beyond that of any other Turkey Bowl. Up 9-8,
Old School drives deep into
New School territory, searching for the winning touchdown; however, New Schooler Mike Trill intercepts a Tim Dougherty pass on the goal line, ending Old School's campaign for victory. Trill then leads New School down the field to a touchdown and ties the game at nine. After receiving the kickoff, Old School, again, marches into New School territory. Old School QB Rich DiNofia drops back, throws a bomb to an open Tim Dougherty, who trucks towards the end zone. Mark Marcelli, sprints towards Tim, barely catching him before he crosses the goal line. Mark then strips Tim of the ball, feet before he claimed victory in Old School's name. New School, regaining possession deep in their own territory, marches down field to win the game. Epic.
1. Turkey Bowl I
The first, and best, game of all. Turkey Bowl I is where it all started, and, it's only fitting, that it be at the point where this countdown ends. Another game that gave us, possibly, one of the best plays in TFL history: "The Push-Off".
Team Possum against
The UnPhairs. What a match-up. Nobody could have predicted that this game would have been as great as it was, especially Tim Dougherty, who thought the teams were completely unfair, hence the name, "The UnPhairs"; a name that paid homage to not only his thoughts on the teams, but our high school infatuation with Phish. The game initially looked like a blowout, as Team Possum took a commanding 5-1 lead at the end of the first half. But Tim and The UnPhairs would mount a second half comeback that would go down in TFL history.
Looking back, we should have seen what would happen in Turkey Bowl IV long before it occurred. Let's revisit our #2 game. Tim Dougherty, looking as though he would bring his squad a win, has victory stolen from him by Mark Marcelli in the form of "The Strippage at Pritchard". The "Strippage at Pritchard", a play we look back on so fondly, in essence was just the sequel to the end of Turkey Bowl I.
In TB I Tim Dougherty is leading The UnPhairs to victory. As he drops back to deliver a pass that many thought would be the winning touchdown of TB I, the ball is intercepted by Team Possum's Mark Marcelli. Mark proceeds to return the INT for the tying score, killing Tims' dreams of winning TB I. With the game knotted at nine, the younger Marcelli and Team Possum march down the field into the red zone. On what would be the final play of TB I, Tim Dougherty lines up across from Team Possum receiver
Chris Crooks. Crooks, on a deep slant route, somehow gets separation from Dougherty and receives a pass from Mike Trill for the winning touchdown. How did Crooks get open? Some say it was just a solid route. Others say he blatantly pushed off to create room for himself, hence the name that has been attached to that play for nine years: "The Push Off". We couldn't have asked for a better game or a better ending for the first installment of TFL football.
