WWW.TURKEYBOWL.COM

Welcome to the Turkey Bowl. Our annual Thanksgiving Day football game that we've been playing in south San Jose for over sixteen years. Before diving into what we've become, let's take a brief stroll through where we've been. It all started in 1987with one left-out red headed kid named Scott Portera. Once upon a time Scott wanted to play football with his older brothers during the holidays but was too shrimpy to participate. Instead, he had to face the alternative of spending quality time with his dysfunctional family. Scott took a long hard look at himself and the hopeless path that his life was heading down as a pathetic high school teenager and decided that things had to change. The next year (that's 1988 for you ADD types out there,) he rounded up a group of guys who would later become his friends and formed the very first Turkey Bowl that was held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The rest, they say, is history. The first few games saw very little change. Seeing that his fledgling game was a success, Scott and the gang moved TBII to the morning of Thanksgiving and it has stuck ever since. Other than that, it was the same game at the same Edenvale Elementary School field at approximately the same time every year. The roster grew as Scott's popularity flourished and by graduation he even started rubbing elbows with the "cool" kids on campus. Somewhere down the line, we all grew up and most of us moved out of the neighborhood. But still, we would come home every year and play the game. Soon, we were spending more time catching up on what we've been up to lately and less time actually playing football. Seeing this, the game had to once again change and so the "Draft Party" was born. The DP is held the night before the game and is a chance to do two very important things. First, it allows us to touch base with the other Turkey Bowlers and do some serious male bonding, (read: get really drunk and act obnoxious.) Second, it's when we choose teams so as to waste less time on game day and still make it back home in time to spend with our loving families. In 1998, at the young age of 26, Scott's best friend, Frank Jr., died of heart disease. More than Scott's soul mate, Frank was a friend of the Turkey Bowl and a warm person to everyone he met. The man may be gone but his memory will live on as we have changed the game and now officially call it the "Frank 'Psycho' Dominguez Memorial Turkey Bowl." TBX saw it's largest display of resolve as the entire neighborhood came together to pay respect and play in his honor. As the years have gone by the Turkey Bowl has seen numerous changes. The game of yesterday saw young men playing smash-mouth football and things looked more like Thunder Dome. The game today is more like a highly orchestrated "show" and brings with it the pageantry and shenanigans of professional wrestling. Now, only players who are invited to participate must be present at the Draft Party and must bring a toy to donate to the less fortunate. Now the game takes on the look of a sports entertainment extravaganza and includes a pre-game show, souvenirs, sounds tracks, a video, programs, referees, girls in bikinis, plenty of explosions and best of all: this wonderful web page. While the game has seen many changes, it's good to know that some things have stayed the same. When all the dust clears, when all is said and done, it's still all about THE GAME. While the ferocious aspects have been replaced with nostalgia, our drive has continued to be about the neighborhood kids getting together to play some football. Tradition, friendship, and charity are what we have proudly become. Once again, welcome to our website. These pages show who we are, where we've been, and where we're going. They also serve as a way of keeping in touch with one another throughout the year. As always, active participation is both encouraged and appreciated. With that said, be forewarned: most of what you read is fictitious and is written in jest. Nothing should EVER be taken seriously, especially the stuff I write. If you would like to be part of history in the making, you are invited to join us at 9am at Edenvale Elementary School on what we now call the "Jim Morrison Field" on Thanksgiving day. Don't be left out, bring a toy!! We even have an award for the most fanatical fan so be sure to bring your team spirit as well.

See you at the game
Joe Marley,
Turkey Bowl Commissioner