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Green Machine wins 8th Annual Turkeybowl
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Posted on Nov 28 2004
While many people of the CNMI were dreading the rain while preparing for the Thanksgiving Day fiestas, a small group of football players gathered upon the soggy grass field of Garapan Elementary School to partake in the 8th Annual Turkeybowl.
In a game that required double overtime, the Green Machine team of Nick Gross, Shawn Frinke, Jeff Taylor, Michael Conrad, Brad Ruszala, and Bob O’Connor was able to eke out a narrow victory over the team of Dick “Stone Fingers” Brostrom, Chris Nelson, Dale Evans, Shawn “Zola” Frinke, and Mike “Jamal” Johnson by a 28-21 score.
Gross overcame the strong wind, poor field conditions, and heavy rains to quarterback his team of green-shirted gridiron warriors to four scores, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Sean Frink in the second overtime.
A mainstay of the just about every neighborhood in the mainland, the Turkeybowl is the result of a male migration to the local parks and playgrounds. Once there, the players don the jerseys of their favorite teams, and engage in a game of pick-up football until which time the Thanksgiving feast is ready.
Year after year, the older players find themselves giving way to the new blood of the community to allow for the passing on of the tradition. After its introduction to Saipan some eight years ago, the Turkeybowl has slowly become better known, and the next generation of the bowlers may soon be ready to receive the torch.
Twelve-year-old Luther Taylor was on hand to watch the contest, and the 7th grader from Cavalry Christian Academy wasn’t discouraged by the foul weather, but in true Turkeybowl form was enticed by it.
“Yeah, it’s nice. It’s even better this year with the weather like this. Even through the rain, it still looks like fun,” he said.
