Lot 249
The Spaghetti Bowl was an American football bowl game played between Fifth Army and Twelfth Air Force in Florence, Italy, on 1 January 1945. The game was won by the Army 200. The Spaghetti Bowl served as the de facto championship game between the service teams of the European military theater. As it was the only edition with the war close to conclusion, it was branded the "First and Last Spaghetti Bowl". It was played at Stadio Giovanni Berta, but the location was kept secret for fear of an air raid by the Luftwaffe; reports after the game told of a German broadcast proclaiming it would be "a great day for an air raid at Florence" while another said, "Nero fiddled while Rome burned and the Fifth army and 12th air force are going to play football while Florence burns." Practices for the game were also held in private, prompting the AP's Sid Feder to quip that the teams were more "hush hush than a ward room where they plan an amphibious landing." 25,000 attended the game, with all ticketed spectators being military personnel though some civilians sneaked in. Due to the cold weather, the Red Cross provided concessions like hot dogs, coffee, and donuts. Other attendees came as part of a United Service Organizations tour, including Broadway theatre singer Ella Logan, Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher, and New York Giants outfielder Joe Medwick; Durocher and Medwick also gave speeches at halftime. 56-person Army bands and majorette Peggy Jean performed at the game, while parade floats were constructed out of Army vehicles with Women's Army Corps members riding them. The game also included a mule as a mascot. Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft flew over the stadium on patrol duty, though no attack ultimately took place. Moody rushed for the first two touchdowns of the game, while Georgetown wide receiver Lt. Arthur Lemke caught the third and final touchdown from ex-Florida quarterback Private Frank Buel. The game's trophy was a metal bowl containing paper spaghetti, while the Krautclouters also received brass medals. Please ask specific questions on details, condition, and shipping prior to bidding, ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS, and the bidder will be responsible for payment. We box and ship what we can to keep costs low, and use USPS and UPS. Large items, extremely fragile, and high value items will be packed by UPS. Quotes available on request
- Dimensions: 4.5" x 6.25"
- Condition: Good - Very Good Condition
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $49 | $5 |
| $50 | $99 | $5 |
| $100 | $199 | $10 |
| $200 | $499 | $25 |
| $500 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 + | $250 |