On Thanksgiving morning, the pickup football matchup in Mount Prospect, Ill., a Chicago suburb, pitted the Pilgrims v. Indians, as old high-school buddies faced off in their annual “Turkey Bowl.”
“It’s tradition. These guys look forward to playing in it all year,” said Chris Romaniwitz, 43, who sells insurance the rest of the year but caught passes as the 6-foot 200 pound receiver of the Pilgrims.
Football and Thanksgiving go together like turkey and mashed potatoes, from the annual NFL games in Dallas and Detroit to college football games between in-state rivals.
Then there are the backyard Turkey Bowls: the games played by friends, families and whoever else has the urge to chuck it long like Brett Favre. The games have become Thanksgiving rituals across the United States.
The Pilgrims v. Indians game was first played in the 1970’s, as many of the current players’ dads started the tradition.
“I remember coming out here when I was a little boy and watching my dad and all his friends play,” said John Russo, 37. “My dad was always in a much better mood if he won the game.”
Now Russo is playing in the game as the quarterback for the Indians. He is a divorce lawyer the rest of the year, but on Thanksgiving he puts all that behind him and tries to relive his park district football days.
“I can’t throw the ball as far as I used to,” Russo said. “But I still got pretty good touch on the ball.”
The game is tied and the next touchdown wins. The Indians have the ball and are driving down the field. Russo dropped back and seemed baited to throw it deep by a Pilgrims defensive back. But he underthrew the ball and was intercepted and returned for the game-winning touchdown.
“What a big win,” said Marcus Kardos, the Pilgrims defensive back who had the game-winning interception return for a touchdown. “We’ve lost the past four years and I didn’t want to lose again. I’m going to give Russo crap about it for the next year.”
At another park a mere two blocks away, men in their 50’s and early 60’s were out playing football. Even though some of the men are going to be sore for the next week, they said the two hours of fun is worth it.
“I don’t get to see many of my friends that often,” said John Steward, 58. “I look forward to coming out here and running around even though I have to ice my knees for the next five days,” Steward said, with a smile on his face.
One team had green pinneys, the other blue. It’s six-on-six football with each team having a player over 60. The green team is dominating the blue team, and it is apparent that the blue team is out of shape with half of them gasping for air.
“I see us all out here until we’re 70,” said Tom Lee, an offensive lineman on the blue team. “If anything we’ll have to get a defibrillator out here or something.”
Steward said that as long as he’s able to move with minimal pain he will always play football on Thanksgiving. “The excitement that builds up in me the week leading up to the game is incredible. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is getting out here with friends, and it really doesn’t matter who wins or loses.”
But what makes these games so unique is that the extent of organization is a matter of taste. No practice is required. Design plays on the fly. Team jerseys are a bonus, but torn up sweatshirts and sweatpants work just fine. Tackle or touch. Some keep score, others don’t.
Turkey Bowls are also a way for many to return to times when they were younger, thinner and quicker. “I’ve lost about five steps and gained about fifteen pounds since my high school days,” said Jeff Dombrowski, 38, with a chuckle. “But when I’m playing in the Turkey Bowl none of that matters because everyone else I play against is also fatter and slower.”
One word of caution: injuries do happen. At a park ten minutes away from where the Pilgrims and Indians battled, a game between the Giants and Huskies was in progress. The game was 11 v. 11, tackle with no pads. Five men stood off to the side watching the game.
Josh Smith, 28, said that he tore his Achilles tendon last year playing in this game. “It totally ruined my Thanksgiving,” Smith said. “I don’t know if I didn’t warm up enough or what, but I’m still not 100 percent.”
Tom Jones, 31, standing right next to Smith, broke his collarbone two years ago and quit. “I played in this game more for fun and it wasn’t worth getting seriously injured, to me at least,” Jones said. “I still wanted to come out here and support the other guys, but I cringe at the big hits in fear of someone else getting injured.”
The best way to avoid injury is to stay in modest physical condition. For some, this translates to dominating performances during the game and the turkey and mashed potatoes tasting that much better during Thanksgiving dinner.
“I try to keep myself in half-decent shape, and if you do that, you have a great shot at being better than anyone else out there,” said Vance Violante, who took home the MVP award with three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Huskies. “I’ve won the past two MVP awards and have won the last four Turkey Bowls.
“The winners enjoy the food a lot more and are a little less sore the next day.”
“It’s tradition. These guys look forward to playing in it all year,” said Chris Romaniwitz, 43, who sells insurance the rest of the year but caught passes as the 6-foot 200 pound receiver of the Pilgrims.
Football and Thanksgiving go together like turkey and mashed potatoes, from the annual NFL games in Dallas and Detroit to college football games between in-state rivals.
Then there are the backyard Turkey Bowls: the games played by friends, families and whoever else has the urge to chuck it long like Brett Favre. The games have become Thanksgiving rituals across the United States.
The Pilgrims v. Indians game was first played in the 1970’s, as many of the current players’ dads started the tradition.
“I remember coming out here when I was a little boy and watching my dad and all his friends play,” said John Russo, 37. “My dad was always in a much better mood if he won the game.”
Now Russo is playing in the game as the quarterback for the Indians. He is a divorce lawyer the rest of the year, but on Thanksgiving he puts all that behind him and tries to relive his park district football days.
“I can’t throw the ball as far as I used to,” Russo said. “But I still got pretty good touch on the ball.”
The game is tied and the next touchdown wins. The Indians have the ball and are driving down the field. Russo dropped back and seemed baited to throw it deep by a Pilgrims defensive back. But he underthrew the ball and was intercepted and returned for the game-winning touchdown.
“What a big win,” said Marcus Kardos, the Pilgrims defensive back who had the game-winning interception return for a touchdown. “We’ve lost the past four years and I didn’t want to lose again. I’m going to give Russo crap about it for the next year.”
At another park a mere two blocks away, men in their 50’s and early 60’s were out playing football. Even though some of the men are going to be sore for the next week, they said the two hours of fun is worth it.
“I don’t get to see many of my friends that often,” said John Steward, 58. “I look forward to coming out here and running around even though I have to ice my knees for the next five days,” Steward said, with a smile on his face.
One team had green pinneys, the other blue. It’s six-on-six football with each team having a player over 60. The green team is dominating the blue team, and it is apparent that the blue team is out of shape with half of them gasping for air.
“I see us all out here until we’re 70,” said Tom Lee, an offensive lineman on the blue team. “If anything we’ll have to get a defibrillator out here or something.”
Steward said that as long as he’s able to move with minimal pain he will always play football on Thanksgiving. “The excitement that builds up in me the week leading up to the game is incredible. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is getting out here with friends, and it really doesn’t matter who wins or loses.”
But what makes these games so unique is that the extent of organization is a matter of taste. No practice is required. Design plays on the fly. Team jerseys are a bonus, but torn up sweatshirts and sweatpants work just fine. Tackle or touch. Some keep score, others don’t.
Turkey Bowls are also a way for many to return to times when they were younger, thinner and quicker. “I’ve lost about five steps and gained about fifteen pounds since my high school days,” said Jeff Dombrowski, 38, with a chuckle. “But when I’m playing in the Turkey Bowl none of that matters because everyone else I play against is also fatter and slower.”
One word of caution: injuries do happen. At a park ten minutes away from where the Pilgrims and Indians battled, a game between the Giants and Huskies was in progress. The game was 11 v. 11, tackle with no pads. Five men stood off to the side watching the game.
Josh Smith, 28, said that he tore his Achilles tendon last year playing in this game. “It totally ruined my Thanksgiving,” Smith said. “I don’t know if I didn’t warm up enough or what, but I’m still not 100 percent.”
Tom Jones, 31, standing right next to Smith, broke his collarbone two years ago and quit. “I played in this game more for fun and it wasn’t worth getting seriously injured, to me at least,” Jones said. “I still wanted to come out here and support the other guys, but I cringe at the big hits in fear of someone else getting injured.”
The best way to avoid injury is to stay in modest physical condition. For some, this translates to dominating performances during the game and the turkey and mashed potatoes tasting that much better during Thanksgiving dinner.
“I try to keep myself in half-decent shape, and if you do that, you have a great shot at being better than anyone else out there,” said Vance Violante, who took home the MVP award with three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Huskies. “I’ve won the past two MVP awards and have won the last four Turkey Bowls.
“The winners enjoy the food a lot more and are a little less sore the next day.”
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