2009 - 135th anniversary of McGill-Harvard game

CFL Talk
1

Was doing a little research this weekend. 2009 marks the 135th anniversary of the McGill-Harvard game played in Boston in 1874 that basically gave rise to the adoption of the modern rules of the game used in both the US and Canada.

(As I understand it, a rugby game played after the football game inspired Harvard to adopt the "touchdown" as the major way to score points - see wikipedia link below)

What a great marketing opportunity for the CFL with the Grey Cup game in Montreal this year.

I'd love to see a re-match of that historic game... maybe as part of Grey Cup celebtrations which are in Montreal next year.

Seems a natural fit and a great way for the CFL to demonstrate to pro-NFL Canadians - particularly in eastern Canada - that Canada played an integral role in the development of this great sport.

Plus, I really think that CIS university ball is pretty close in calibre to NAIA ball in the US. Would be interesting to see just how close.

Would love to see the CFL do something with this. Thoughts?

From Wikidpedia: Harvard (after a dispute over the standarized rules being proposed by other American colleges)...agreed to play McGill University, from Montréal, in a two-game series. The McGill team traveled to Cambridge to meet Harvard in a game played under "Boston" rules, followed by a game of rugby. On May 14, 1874, the "Boston"-style game, was won easily by Harvard. The next day, the two teams played rugby to a scoreless tie, quite a feat considering that the Harvard team was unfamiliar with the game.

2

I believe "Boston rules" was actually a type of soccer game. They didn't play football at U.S. colleges. McGill played rugby-football, a hybrid game which featured a scrimmage to put the ball in play, rather than a rugby scrum. This is the game that McGill brought to the U.S. Harvard tossed out their Boston rules soccer the next season and switched to Canadian rugby-football...and the rest is history!

The games of English rugby and soccer were also in their very early formative stages in the 1860's (when Canadian football was being popularized), and many of these games borrowed and melded from each other, different aspects of the football game.

3

do you realize that wyatt earp, billy the kid, buffalo bill, wild bill hickock, and bat masterson, to name a few, all could have been there.

4

yep, would of been cool if they had a shootout at the Boston corrall after the game...yeehaw! Incidentely, did you know that Buffalo Bill's trick outrider team was called the "Rough Riders"?

5

Kind of a neat idea. Would be interesting to see if it could happen.

6

That would be great especialy since Harvard isent that good a football team, it would be alot of fun to go out and watch Harvard vs McGill at Molson Stadium, i would be in for that

7

Good reads guys. And yes, Harvard vs McGill would be awesome. I guess most of Canadian schools are Ivy League in that academics is more important than sports, the way it should be I think.

8

So it seems like a few fans might be interested in something like this. But who do you contact with an idea like this? The CFL, the Als?

I wonder if anyone at the CFL office ever reads this forum. I can't believe there are no contact e-mail addresses for any staff listed on thw website. Even for the sake of optics.

I think it could be really huge, and it has way more potential interest for Canadian football fans than the American Bowl in Toronto.

I'd schedule the game outdoors at McGill on Sat., Play Canadian rules for 1 half, American rules (4 downs etc.,) the other. Use throwback jerseys. Get a few busloads of partying Americans up from Harvard. Award the trophy to the winning teams during 1/2 time of the Grey Cup. And you'd have to believe TV would be interested in televising the game.

And it would be a very interesting litmus test as to the level of CIS players.

So how do we get the idea in the hands of the powers that be?

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Contect the CIS they would love to get 20, 000 for an "fun" game. I think it would be such a great move

10

Too bad McGill isn't good either :cry:

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They should have a throw-back quarter where they play by the original McGill rules. That would be hilarious :smiley:

This is probably a doable game if some sponsorship can be drummed up. Maybe get the student unions involved, or the chancellors of the two schools.

Call it the Roots Game or something, and get Roots to supply the uniforms.

12

The Canadian Football Hall of Fame would love it too

13

It would probably make sense if it was a bowl game played around this time of year on occasion, but would it be televised?

And you'd have to believe TV would be interested in televising the game.
I'm not convinced.
14

I think it would be a great ideal as well..... somebody needs to put a bug in the ear of McGill.......and the Als......and the football hall of fame.......both of them

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madmaxxx, send them all e-mails about what we are saying here

16

I think it might be neat also to have some members of TFC, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps and some highest level rugby players in Canada (don't know if there is a league in Canada for rugby) do some sort of demo's of soccer and rugby as a tribute to these sports which allowed for Canadian football to happen. That would be cool.

17

Agreed. And not just Canadian football, but essentially the rules of the modern game played in Canada and the USA. This is huge to the history of the sport and should be celebrated. Come on CFL / Grey Cup Committee / Alouettes / McGill make it happen!