(Found this in my draft folder. I wrote it last year)
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Yankee Stadium is being closed at the end of this year (2008). Stories abound from young and old alike in realation to the stadium.
Heck, I even have one (I attended a three game series between the Red Sox and Yankees where a friend and I sat in the bleachers…wearing Red Sox gear in a sea of blue and gray fanatics. We got a picture back and lo and behold it’s my friend and I, with Yankee Stadium in the background and a big middle finger from a Yankee fan. Now that’s good stuff), but I bet you didn’t know that Oregon State has a Yankee Stadium connection.
After head coach Tommy Prothro helped guide his team to a 6-3-1 record that included a schedule with four nationally ranked teams Oregon State College was invited to play in the inaugural Gotham Bowl to be held in Yankee Stadium.
The team wasn’t expecting to receive a bowl bid as just one assistant coach and a student helper was on campus when the invitation was extended. The rest of the coach staff were gone on recruiting trips.
The two accepted the bid with the game to be played on Dec. 10. When Gotham Bowl director Robert M. Ready was asked by OSC Athletic Director “Spec” Keene who the opponent would probably be, Ready replied that they were going to invite Holy Cross.
For unknown reasons Ready renigged on their deal with Holy Cross and invited the Colorado Buffaloes, who politley declined saying they had too many injuries and their 6-4 record didn’t deserve a bowl bid. Kind of ironic considering the state of today’s bowl game qualifications.
With Colorado not accepting the invitation Ready quickly re-invited Holy Cross, who rejected the offer feeling slighted.
Due to the scheduling nightmare Keene pulled the Beavers out of the game stating in his telegram: “We were honored to receive the invitation…but information received since that time indicates preparations are incomplete…and perhaps plans for the year are premature. For this reason, Oregon State regretfully withdraws from the Gotham Bowl. REF: http://alumni.oregonstate.edu/eclips/newsletter/index_20051123.html“
As a result, the inaugural Gotham Bowl was called off.
The Gotham Bowl was played twice though with Utah State defeating Baylor in 1961 and Nebraska beating Miami in 1962 for its first bowl win. If your interested in reading more about the Gotham Bowl, the New York Times has a nice piece on it.
