“Harvard Beats Yale 29–29”
This weekend marks the 125th football game between Yale and Harvard. I note this because I got my Masters degree from Yale and attended “The Game” twice. Happy to note that Yale leads the series 65–51–8.
The most famous game in their history is the 1968 skirmish in which Harvard was down by 16 points with less than a minute left and came back to tie the game, leading to the headline in the Harvard Crimson, “Harvard Beats Yale 29–29.” There is a documentary out this week featuring numerous interviews with participants of that game including NFL great Calvin Hill (Yale) and actor Tommy Lee Jones (Harvard).
I have some fun memories of the 2 games at Yale Bowl I attended. I think my favorite were the cheers on the Yale side. When the Elis were on offense, the students would cheer:
“Progress! Progress!
Perambulate down the field!”
And when we were on defense, the cheer went:
“Harass them! Harass them!
Make them relinquish the ball!”
In the first game (1975), Yale was in the middle of a capital campaign to raise a then unheard of amount: $400 million. A friend’s father headed up the New York city part of the campaign, obviously a significant concentration of wealth. My friend sat with his father during the first half with Yale going into the locker room up 7–3. To which my friend’s father said, “Well, that’s worth $100 million.” Unfortunately, Harvard came back to win that game 10–7.
The next day, the late great NY Times sports writer Red Smith wrote a column about how there were so many national politicians and CEOs at the game, if the Soviet Union really wanted to paralyze the U.S., they would direct a nuclear strike at Yale Bowl, thereby smashing the country’s leadership. Oddly enough, David Brooks says the same thing in his NY Times column today:
If a foreign enemy attacks the United States during the Harvard-Yale game any time over the next four years, we’re screwed.
This year’s game has Ivy League title implications, although Brown would have to lose in order for Yale to win the crown. The game is being televised nationally on Versus tomorrow at noon. To which I can only add:
Boola, Boola; Boola, Boola; Boola, Boola;
When we “roughhouse” poor old Harvard,
They will holler Boola Boo.
Oh! Yale, Eli Yale!
UPDATE: The ‘Bad Guys’ in red won: 10–0.