Thanks to everyone for making this years game such a blast. Enjoy the gallery updates, talk some shit, and make sure you're there next year.

As far as updates go I'll say this: A bunch of us had kids, a bunch of us have kids, and some of us don't. Some of us live where we always did, some of us moved, and some of us are thinking about moving. Some of us have jobs, some of us don't have jobs and some of us wish we didn't have the jobs that we have. But all of us are grateful for something.

Get Gameday weather conditions here.

Turkey Bowl 2008

In looking for inspiration to help me put together this year's newsletter, I spent a lot of time in the archives, looking at newsletters past.  I'll admit that I was drinking at the time, but I had fun reminiscing and more than once Carrie caught me giggling at something that I couldn't adequately explain.  After all, how do you explain Steve Dietz, for example? 

One thing my trip down memory lane yielded, aside from odd looks from my family, is the first-ever Turkey Bowl Quiz.  I don't know if these questions are hard or not, but if you don't know all of the answers, most of them can be found in the archives.  Answers will be provided in due time.

If you don't want to take , a quiz, you might find some of the answers here, in thoughts to accompany the trip down memory lane.   The theme of this year's newsletter, focusing on one person's imperfect memory, means that as you read it, you have to reach deep into your own memory banks.  I guess that makes it a kind of interactive exercise. 

I think that 1987 was the first newsletter, delivered by hand to various addresses as I didn't get it done in time to mail.

So no, Doug, this year's newsletter is not the latest ever. 

Instead of a newsletter, that first missive was more of an invitation.  But it does contain one interesting tidbit: a reference to the first-ever Turkey Bowl MVP, Chris Gefken.  1987 was Brian's first year playing. And on an odd side note: I signed the newsletter "commissioner" because I didn't want to be personally liable for any turkey bowl-related mayhem.

1988 was the year of the play-by-play.  Kesin, injured, and I did a fine job, if I do say so myself, of making witty comments about the players.  This may have also been the year that Brian Zusi was caught on tape getting up-ended by a sideline play.  These were the glory days of the Turkey Bowl, when we knew where the party would be the night before and we knew that there would be not only enough players but plenty of specatators.  The biggest worry was evenly dividing the teams. 1988 was also the first year that the Big Cat, John Nulty, played.

1989 was the year I graduated from College and the year I started graduate school. Of course, I just finished up yet another degree this year, so that's not such a big deal.  Dom's first year was in 1989, and it was also the first year of the Dimpel Rule, after Dimpel failed to show up at the night-before party and played in the game the next day, without shame. 

1990 was the second year in a row that Doug flew in from Boston just to play in the game.

1991 was the first year that the newsletter mentioned the now-laughable question of whether or not the game will be played. It was also the first year that Steve Dietz appeared on a roster. Yikes. 1991 also marked the higest number of players to be listed on a pre-game roster: 21.

1992 focused on the theme that Bob Evans might not make it; to their credit, they never let their desire to make it big in music get in the way of spending two hours on a muddy field in Maplewood . This was also Jonny Lubow's first year playing. 1992 was also the first year that the lampshade award was not given out.  Instead of a blip, it turned out to be an indicator of things to come.

1993 was the first year that Joe Martineau appeared on the roster.  And he mysteriously disappeared as quickly as he arrived. 

1994  was the first, and currently only, time that co-MVP's were awarded, to Steve Dietz and Jon Lubow.

1995 was the CHS class of '85's Reunion edition and featured a look back at the game's beginings, including the all first-decade team.  What's interesting is that I named only a few people and then got bored or distracted or something and moved on to something else.  The 1995 game makred Joe's return to the game. Other than showing up, he did nothing of note.

In 1996, under the thrall of graduate school, I wrote a newsletter in epic verse.  What the hell was I thinking?

1997's was particularly lame newsletter, if I do say so myself.  It just played the one-note song of yes, there's another game this year.

1998 referred to 1997's game, which was the first with a four-on-four, another harbinger of Turkey Bowls to come.

The 2000 newsletter contained sentiment that I have to remember more, and which warms me as I write this this time.

“As far as I'm concerned, if you like me and I like you, and we spend some time together and have some fun, that day's a true holiday. And every day should be a holiday like that."

2001 focused on the fine comments we have received over the years.  My favorite comment was the following: 

You guys are nothin' but a bunch of overweight, outta shape has-beens who are trying to re-live some sorta athletic glory that you never lived in the first place. I feel sorry for your kids who will probably have to endure the "having to play sports because my Dad needs to feel competitive" syndrome. The only redeeming thing about these games is that you guys don't wear helmets. Maybe it will knock some sense into you.

Enough of my rectal spew. I'm late for my nail appointment. PK

Of course, 2001 was also the year we lost one of our own and we mourned along with the rest of the country after the terrorist attacks. 

2002 was the first newsletter from Northampton , Massachusetts , aka ."Happy Valley."

2003 focused on the ghosts of Orchard Park .  It also featured an inspired train-of-thought montage about playing in the game, if I do say so myself.

2004 was another flight of fancy on my part.  The "Four Questions of the Turkey Bowl" was based on the four questions of Passover.

2005 was a personal low point in putting the newsletter together.  The final version, a dark spew on the sorry state of the TB, was much, much, lighter than earlier drafts that had Kesin ?figuring out how to score some prozac for me. It was also the first we officially acknowledged the change to touch football.  And it featured a bit of computer wizardry with a Google map.  Fancy stuff.

The Dark Stuff from 2005:

Suddenly I feel like I'm stuck in a pyramid scheme that I now can't get out of because there's no one left to sell to.  There's no one new to recruit, and I'm stuck with it—the bubble has burst and the Turkey Bowl will dog me harder than male pattern baldness dogs Ken Hogenauer.

 I thought of a title for this year's edition:  Don't Get Your Hopes Up. I've realized the following, and those of you reading this should too: 

1.            There won't be as many players as you'd hoped. 

2.            You won't run as fast as you thought you would. 

3.            Your passes won't be as true as you want. 

4.            And the plays ?you think up won't be that creative.

In 2006, we were going to get really fancy and do a movie, but it never quite came together and ended up being some pictures. Which I think was pretty cool, actually.

Last year I focused on some of the enduring questions of the Turkey Bowl, the most prominent of them being, "Will there be a game this year?" 

And that brings us to this year. On Thursday at 10:30 in the morning, we can expect the Turkey Bowl bowl to be returned in person by Brett Jenks and a return to the game from Chris Zusi.  There will also be a growing and ever-more-confident contigent of kids ready to play, including Sam Shelffo and Jasper Kesin, fresh off .their success Northampton Blue Devils Pee-Wee Football season.  And I can now reveal that all of that marathon training was just a clever smokescreen to hide my new training tactics for this year's game. 

As I look back on all of these Turkey Bowls, I can't help but think about how thankful I am to be associated with such a great group of people. The Turkey Bowl is a sacred tradition in my life, and I am extremely proud and grateful that it has endured and now includes our children.  Each of us is extremely lucky to have this event in our lives, and it's great to see how we all recognize that fact every year, on Thanksgiving, in Maplewood 's Orchard Park . 

Now let's get out there and eat some Ham Egg and Cheese, drink some beer, and kick some ass.