It is recommended that any first timer to the Boston Turkey Bowl Website read the history in chronological order. Please scroll to the bottom to start and enjoy.

The only thing more entertaining than playing in the Turkey Bowl is the plethora of excuses the Commish has to field the week before the game. "Oh, I'm too old"...Really? !!! We all are. "But, I had knee surgery"...Just rub some ground tire pellets on it and you are good to go. "I have to bake a cake and babysit my kids"...C'mon, for the love of God, man up for one day a year !!! "I dropped a dumbbell at the gym and broke my leg"...Ok, we had to let this one go after viewing the gruesome pics that proved it !!! All kidding aside, the nineteenth annual Boston Turkey Bowl had a heavy helping of Turkeys, plenty of scoring, abundant playmaking, and was all served up with an unhealthy side of pulled hammies. Early in the game, the Light Shirts jumped out to a number of quick scores led by the emerging talent...10 years emerging that is...of wide receiver Carlos Colon. Rookie, Eric Hoover displayed his upside potential as he entered the annals of Turkey Bowl history as the youngest Turkey Bowler to ever play the game. The Light Shirts continued to pile on the points for the rest of the day and their domination of the Dark Shirts got so bad that even Jesus couldn't save them...although he definitely tried his damnedest to. After the Dark Shirts had their Tail Feathers handed to them and there wasn't a good hamstring left to be had, the boys hobbled down to Touchie's Shamrock Pub to grab some wings and a few cold ones. Despite all of the highlights on the field, by far the best play of the day was put in by the wily veteran Steven Gribbin who, within ear shot of the waitress stated, "I've never seen it before but I wonder if they would serve pitchers of Guinness." Needless to say, Touchie's Shamrock Pub proved yet again why it is the official location of the Boston Turkey Bowl drink-up.

What happens when half of a flock of Turkey Bowlers decide to fly the coop on the biggest...and by the way...only game of the year? Yep, that’s right...the rest of us Turkeys get to run wind sprints up and down Moakley Field for two hours straight !!! The eighteenth annual Boston Turkey Bowl saw a significant decline in attendance due to just about every excuse known to man. When asked, all the Commish could offer up was “...Excuses are like assholes. Everybody’s got one and they are all full of shit !!!” Although disappointed, the boys bucked up and made the best of the almost perfect summer November weather. The game was a high scoring event with almost every drive finishing up in the back of the end zone. As time was expiring, the Light Shirts marched down the field to score one final time to secure the victory. Exhausted...which doesn’t even begin to describe how everyone felt...the crew headed over to Touchie’s Shamrock Pub to grab some cold ones and to proceed to use them as ice packs for their sore Turkey legs.

The start to the seventeenth annual Boston Turkey Bowl couldn’t have been any more typical or unassuming...the Commish enjoying the sunrise over Southie, the piss slow trickle of Turkey Bowlers arriving for battle, and of course the ever present potential pregame fight with other Thanksgiving wanna be footballers trying to take our field. It was at this very moment, that a group of large bodied Southie utes Truffle Shuffled their way through the morning sun across Moakley Field. One Turkey Bowler exclaimed, “Do you guys think there’s really any treasure here?” A chorused reply followed, ”The whole pack is a treasure !!!”. Just before the opening snap from scrimmage, one of the Southie recruits yelled across the line, “I’m gonna hit you so hard when you wake up your clothes are gonna be out of style !!!” And with that, this collection of unknown Southie rookies re-established the glory days of Turkey Bowl power football and the swagger of hard-nosed Turkey lineman. The game, itself, was a hard fought back and forth battle which concluded in the Light Shirts edging out a victory for the second straight year. Exhausted, sore, and thirsty the boys headed down the road to try out one of Southies fine Irish establishments in hopes of finding a new home for the post-game celebration. After being greeted by being yelled at by the hostess / waitress / bartender, receiving dirty looks from the before noon locals, and being the best dressed in the pub after playing two hours of football...Turkey Bowlers knew right away that Touchie’s Shamrock Pub was the new official location of the Boston Turkey Bowl drink-up.

Riding a five year consecutive winning streak, the Dark Shirts strutted onto Moakley Field for the sixteenth annual Boston Turkey Bowl with their breasts puffed out full of confidence and swagger. The Dark Shirts endless gobbling trash talk and fanning of their tail fathers during the pre-game warm-ups, incited an already determined Light Shirts team that this year’s results would be different. The first half saw the Light Shirts methodically march up and down the field scoring on each possession while their “bend but don’t break” defensive scheme stifled the Dark Shirts offence. By halftime, the Light Shirts had a sizable lead and an optimistic confidence that the day would be theirs. The Dark Shirts, however, had different ideas and mounted a second half surge that Patton would have been proud of. In the end, the Light Shirts first half lead was just too much to overcome and when the final Turkey Call was sounded, the Dark Shirts winning streak was over. Excited for the best part of the Boston Turkey Bowl...the post-game celebration...the boys headed down to the Stadium Bar unknowingly to find it boarded up. The only thing more shocking than finding that the Stadium Bar was shut down, was the look on the yuppies faces when this flock of Turkeys strolled into the first bar we could find on A Street. Needless to say, the offseason will be spent finding a new suitable home for our post-game celebrations.

After years of self-denial, increase in injuries, and declining fitness, veteran Turkey Bowlers finally came to the realization that most of them are entering the twilight of their careers. Lending to that conviction, the fifteenth annual Boston Turkey Bowl saw its largest influx of young, talented rookies in years join the ranks of the games greats and they wasted no time doing their best to try to upstage the wily veterans. The first half was a tight, low scoring defensive effort on both sides with more punting than scoring due to the excellent pursuit of the ball by both teams. Halftime featured the 10 or so veteran Turkey Bowlers stretching, hydrating, and just plain groaning...all refusing to sit down fearing they may never be able to return to the game if they did. The scoring opened up in the second half as the speed and endurance of the rookies started to shine through...although it became increasingly harder and harder to navigate all of the veteran's laundry that was being left on the field after each play. In the end, the Dark Shirts cruised to victory on the second half effort of Mike MacDonald who led the way for the rookies with a great all-around effort on both sides of the ball ultimately earning him MVP honors. Although having been upstaged on the field of play, the Turkey Bowl veterans made a gallant last stand at the post-game festivities at the Stadium Bar displaying to the rookies the true talent of a great Turkey Bowler which takes gallons of beer, pounds of wings, and years to perfect.

Since its humble beginnings of two hand touch on make shift fields, the Turkey Bowl has always placed a high priority on game improvement and rules development. The fourteenth annual Boston Turkey Bowl would be no different. After scoring the game’s first touchdown, an anonymous member of the Dark Shirts shouted...”We are going to kick your ass today so we might as well kick the PAT as well !!!” Within minutes, a decisive ruling from the...literally...on field rules committee changed the way points are awarded and scored in Turkey Bowls going forward. And not a game too soon, considering the amount of scoring that was to occur...the most in any Turkey Bowl by both teams combined. Unfortunately, most of the scoring was done by the Dark Shirts who relied on big plays from QB Paul Collins to WR Carlos Colon in their deep game to counter the Light Shirts methodical, yet time consuming marches down the field. Having worn out the turf on Moakley Field, the boys headed on down to the Stadium Bar to wear out the bar stools and the patrons with their endless stories of glory.

From the very start of pregame warm-ups, there was strange, ominous feeling in the air that no Turkey Bowler could quite figure out. Was it the gale force winds blowing directly down field, the return of Jackson Cabo that drove home how old most of us are getting, the supposed multiple sightings of Joe Brueggeman heckling from the bleachers, or was it just that it was the thirteenth annual Boston Turkey Bowl? Regardless the reason, this year's Turkey Bowl had more than its share of strange occurrences. Veteran Turkey Bowler Paul Collins, taking full advantage of the field conditions, kicked the first ever touchback on a kickoff in Turkey Bowl history. Another first was registered by Andrew Stebbins who led the Light Shirts on a 60 yard scoring drive by running only QB sneaks up the middle on every single play. Rookie Ryan Clement probably had one of the best debut performances of any Turkey Bowler registering 5 sacks, 7 hurried throws, and a couple of long receptions. Conversely, all-pro Dan "Full House" Alvear managed to rack up some impressive stats of his own with no receptions, no interceptions, no touchdowns, no contacts at the bar...hell, we think he even whiffed trying to grab his own ass!!! Not to be out done, veteran Steven Gribbin defied football logic by somehow managing to find a way to play both offense and defense at the same time by self-tackling himself on a would be 80 yard pick-six interception return. Even the Wonger managed to make it through the whole day without even a scratch to show for his efforts!!! When all was said and done, the Dark Shirts cruised to an easy victory over the Light Shirts. Yearning for some normalcy, the boys headed down to the tried and true Stadium Bar for a few cold ones.

What do you get when you take two of the hardest playing players in the game and let them smash heads at full speed...Yep you guessed it...a great name for the twelfth annual Boston Turkey Bowl and a trip to the emergency room. The rules committee may have to consider requiring everyone to wear some of Wonger’s protective equipment for next year’s game and investing in one of those flatbed carts. Despite the near on-field tragedy...this year’s Boston Turkey Bowl was one of the closest, hard fought contests in recent history. It’s about time you Turkeys finally turkeyed up and came to play on game day !!! After a slow start from both teams, the Light Shirts settled in first and scored on a long run, but the Dark shirts returned the favor on their next drive. This would turn out to be the pattern for the rest of the game which saw over five lead changes, long scoring drives, key defensive stops, multiple sacks, and even a number of laterals. With less than two minutes left in the game, the Light Shirts punched the ball into the end zone to even the score and to surely send the game into the first ever Boston Turkey Bowl overtime. However, the Dark Shirts had different plans and lead by veteran QB Paul Collins, promptly drove the length of the field and scored the game winning touchdown with no time left on the clock. Exhausted, thirsty, battered, thirsty, and did I mention thirsty, the crew headed down to the Stadium Bar to celebrate a great day of football and to try to make sure we all left the field with all of the body parts we arrived with.

Turkey Bowls and cold, nasty weather have been synonymous for nearly a decade...that is until the eleventh annual Boston Turkey Bowl. In stark contrast to last year’s game, game time conditions were truly a balmy 70 degrees with a slight easterly wind. The near tropical weather made veteran Turkey Bowler Illya Jordanoff wonder if he had took a wrong turn at Albuquerque on his way up from Pittsburgh. The weather, however, wasn’t the only contrast from last year’s game as the Dark Shirts enacted payback on the Light Shirts for last year’s blow out victory. From the opening kickoff, the Dark Shirts came full blast and top down, hitting on all cylinders, and before the Light Shirts knew what hit them the game was out of reach. The highlights of the game were by far the all-around play of the Dark Shirts Nick LaVita and the huge defensive game of Andrew Stebbins as well. Following the game the teams headed down to the Stadium Bar, as usual, for some light hearted jabbing and to throw a few back. The Light Shirts, finding it uncomfortable to sit after having been taken to the wood shed, vowed next year’s outcome would be different.

What cosmic event could possibly bring the likes of legendary Turkey Bowlers Gary Cabo and Jeff Zinda out of retirement ...legendary of course meaning that they haven’t played in a Turkey Bowl game in so long that it is only legend that they even played at all. The answer...of course...is the 10th annual Boston Turkey Bowl. Upon arriving at Moakley Field, Turkey Bowlers were delighted to find game time conditions to be a balmy 20 degrees with a slight 30 mile an hour wind coming off the harbor. Needless to say the pregame tailgate was extended longer than usual to ensure all Turkey Bowlers were properly warmed up!!! Shortly after the kickoff of the 10th Anniversary Bowl game, it was evident that the extreme wind rather than the bitter cold was to have the biggest impact on the game. Pass after pass either fell short of the intended receiver or was just blown clear off the field. Consequently, both teams were forced to rely heavily on their running attacks, causing a stalemate in the early goings. The White Shirts, however, managed to overcome the elements and completed a couple of short passes that went for long gains and ultimately put the White Shirts in the lead at half time. The second half saw the White Shirts build upon their lead while the Dark Shirts offense sputtered and their defense was at best nonexistent. In the end, the 10th Anniversary game proved to be one of the most lopsided victories in Turkey Bowl history. Frozen to the bone, the White Shirts headed down to the Stadium Bar to celebrate their victory while the Dark Shirts tried to drown out their sorrows.

At last year’s post game celebration, a more than thirst quenched Turkey Bowler exclaimed, ”Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to wait till the post-game celebration to start drinking?” With this slur of a comment, Dana Orlando gave rise to the next great Boston Turkey Bowl tradition...the pregame tailgate. Held in the back of Dana’s pickup in the parking lot, the pregame tailgate was a great way for Turkey Bowlers to warm up before they warmed up. Due to a special request from a not-to-be named veteran Turkey Bowler...Illya...the ninth annual Boston Turkey Bowl was held a week earlier than normal. The result of this fateful decision was hundreds of peewee soccer players descending on Moakely Field. In a step backward for the Boston Turkey Bowl, the game was held on a makeshift field in Columbus Park. The first half was owned by the Light Shirts who brought a three score lead into the intermission. However, the second half saw the Dark Shirts rally behind quarterback Paul Collins to even the score with 10 minutes left to play. A fourth down punt play snapped out of the end zone...for the first ever safety in a Boston Turkey Bowl...gave the Dark Shirts the victory. Afterwards, the muddied rabble of Turkey Bowlers headed to the Stadium Bar for beer, wings, beer, and more beer.

Word of the success of the previous year’s game and of the new Turkey Bowl venue spread near and far, making the eighth annual Boston Turkey Bowl one of the most anticipated and well attended games in recent memory. Due to the outpouring of players, play was expanded to 9 on 9 and the reserves were still plentiful. The game itself was a low scoring, back and forth affair that seemed to last for hours...probably because it did last for hours...three plus to be exact. Although it seemed like a good idea at the time, ask any Turkey Bowler who played that day what three hours of football feels like three weeks after the fact...needless to say the implementation of timed halves for future games was more than a welcomed rule change. In the end, the Light Shirts edged out the victory behind Dan Alvear’s superior performance in which he caught more passes from the opposing quarterback than did the rest of the Dark Shirts team. One Turkey Bowler exclaimed, “It was like every pass on both sides of the ball were thrown directly to him...” All involved have vigorously denied any wrongdoing, however the game tampering investigation is still ongoing.

Although the fields at the Schraft’s Building solved the nagging Tufts issues the previous year, wallowing through the goose shit was just too much for many Turkey Bowlers. So, after some legwork...ok more like throwing darts at a map...it was decided that it was worth giving the vast fields at Columbus Park in Southie a try. And just like the park’s namesake discovering the New World, the Turkey Bowlers that glorious morning discovered Moakley Field Stadium. “Is this heaven?” one Turkey Bowler exclaimed. “It’s Southie.” exclaimed another. “Southie? I could have sworn this was heaven.” The seventh annual Boston Turkey Bowl was a war...a war of attrition that is. The size of the new venue proved too much for many Turkey Bowlers and the winner was determined by the team who had enough players standing to finish the game. Exhausted, sore, and thirsty the boys headed down the road to the Stadium Bar for the post game celebration. The level of excitement expressed over more than a few beers solidified Southie as the new home for the Boston Turkey Bowl.

With the newly appointed commissioner, Steven Gribbin, at the helm, the Boston Turkey Bowl was to be issued into a new era of prosperity. The first task was to move the location of the game to a more stable venue, so the sixth annual Boston Turkey Bowl was held at the fields next to the Schraft’s Building in Charlestown with its ample parking, large fields, and most importantly availability. The new venue seemed perfect...that is until the start of the game when veteran Eli Hoisington exclaimed, “What is all this shit on the field?” and come to find out it was just that...goose shit. Not to be deterred, the Turkey Bowlers pressed on with the game which featured, for the first time, true tee kickoffs and most importantly, the first time in four years the game finished at the same field it started at. With that small moral victory and after wallowing through shit all day, the boys headed down to the local pub, the Warren Tavern, for the post-game celebration.

Having learned nothing over the past two years and against the wish of many Turkey Bowlers, the commissioner decided that the fifth annual Boston Turkey Bowl was again to be held on the fields at Tufts University. There are many constants in life...like the sun rising, Jordanoff’s pony tail, and Tufts security booting the Turkey Bowlers off of Tufts fields. And sure enough, our buddies in Tufts security did not disappoint and like clockwork, about halfway through the game they gave us the boot. The game was yet again moved and ended unceremoniously. Discontent amongst Turkey Bowlers was at an all time high…so much so that the post game festivities were canceled. This was the lowest point in Boston Turkey Bowl history. Change was needed and without it the future of the Turkey Bowl was in jeopardy.

In the offseason, the rules committee was tasked to revamp the game from its rag tag beginnings and to bring it into the modern era. Rule changes such as the use of flags for tackles, a marker for a true 10 yard first down, full time offensive lineman, and any time blitzes are just a few of the major changes implemented in this year’s game. However, the biggest change to the game wasn’t for its rules but for women’s suffrage...the fourth annual Boston Turkey Bowl is the first Turkey Bowl to break the gender barrier and the girls did not disappoint...displaying hard, gritty play equal to that of the guys...especially that of the Wonger. Unfortunately, all of this progress was overshadowed by our buddies in Tufts security, who again saw fit to ruin a harmless Saturday flag football game by evicting us from their fields. For the second straight year, the Boston Turkey Bowl was forced to move fields midway through the game and to finish competition on an inferior patch of grass. The post-game celebration was beginning to be a way to booze away our sorrows instead of celebrating a great day of football.

The third annual Boston Turkey Bowl issued in a new era for the game...unfortunately it would be an era of frustration. The powers to be decided that Newton was no longer suitable to host the Turkey Bowl, so the venue for the game was moved to the fields at Tufts University. At first, the move seemed to be a great choice as the fields were in great shape and they were significantly larger to hold the increase in the number of Turkey Bowlers. However, the initial bliss was soon soured when the Tufts security goons arrived to boot the Turkey Bowlers off Tufts precious fields...which by the way no one ever seems to use. The game was reluctantly moved down the road to a random field and was finished out, a scene to be played out again and again over the next few Turkey Bowls. The tenacious play between then rookie Illya Jordanoff and veteran Steven Gribbin was one of the highlights of the game and would, over years to come, blossom into the greatest individual rivalries seen in Boston Turkey Bowl history.

Having had a blast the year before, the boys decided that holding another Turkey Bowl might be a good idea...and a good idea it was. Gathering again in Newton, the second annual Boston Turkey Bowl was held. The game was a hard played, high scoring contest full of good passing, hard blocks, and great defense...basically just a day of plain good ole football !!! Speaking of old...the only blemish on the day was the number of old boys who pulled their hammies, injured body parts they didn’t even know they had, or were just way too out of shape to continue after 10 minutes of play. Afterwards over wings and beer, Joe Brueggeman exclaimed, “Today was a blast…I think we should make this game an annual event.” Little did he know that the Boston Turkey Bowl would become THE annual event of the year.

With the chill of the fall air and an undying urge to relive their glory days of high school football, a rag-tag group of friends joined together one November Saturday at Albemarle Park in Newton and played what was to become the first ever Boston Turkey Bowl. The game played that day loosely resembled today’s modern Turkey Bowl games...they had two teams, a football, and played on a field. However, that is where the similarities ended. The original game consisted of two hand touch for tackles, two pass completions for first downs, no time limits...hell, the teams didn’t even have the same color shirts. Although crude, the game was a friendly competition played with desire and passion with the goal of having a great day hanging out with the boys, especially those not often seen. The result of the First Ever Bowl is lost to time. What we do know is that a post game celebration took place, legend says it was an all night oak barrel bonfire, with a pig roast, kegs, etc...ok, ok maybe this is a stretch but the boys did grab a few beers afterwards and the post-game celebration is tradition that carries on to this day.