Shrine Football

The Shrine College All-Star football game was the first such anywhere. Naturally, it began in San Francisco.  At the time, college football was pretty much parochial.   University of Southern California had home games with Notre Dame, and the Rose Bowl invited various teams to play the Pac-Ten Conference winner. But there wasn't much long distance competition otherwise. The success of the Rose Bowl, and rapidly improving air transport, encouraged New Orleans, Miami, and Dallas to do as Pasadena had, and bowl games began to proliferate. 

San Francisco's tiny Kezar stadium (35,000 max), was really inadequate for the Shrine's income needs.  All its net income provides free treatment for child polio victims. And the January date put the game in a losing competition with too many other major bowl games.  Eventually, the Shrine moved the game to Hawaii, and to a later date to separate it from the Bowl Championship Series.  The income still goes to the Shriners Hospital for Children on 19th Avenue.

The Shrine All-Star game in San Francisco was the very first all-star college game, and a loner for a long time.  The daily Hawaii-San Francisco flight by Catalina aircraft had a six person capacity. When my water polo team went with Stanford’s football team to L. A., we left on Thursday to meet U.S.C. on Friday afternoon, and then U.C.L.A. on Saturday forenoon. We sat in the Coliseum and missed our Monday classes.  Today, it takes longer to get to the airport than for jet planes to get to L. A.  The thousand miles between U.C.L.A. and Washington State U. near Spokane is nothing these days for the teams or the student fans.

My high school was across the street from Kezar Stadium and can be seen peering over the stadium rim.  This was a special shot of the Polytechnic student body.

When, as a preteen, I got to see an East-West Shrine Game, there was no TV.  You went to the game, listened to a radio account, or read about it in the papers the next day.

All I knew about football and Shrine games then was that the hospital was supported by the contest and was on 19th Avenue, about 25 blocks from my home.  I thought “The Shrine” might be Catholic, because Catholics had shrines (like for Mary, mother of Jesus).  That didn’t keep me from being elated when the Y.M.C.A. physical education director said our gymnastics squad could go free to the East-West Shrine game by performing at half time. WOW!!!

My mother, of course, was more concerned that I'd catch pneumonia clad in tee shirt and shorts in San Francisco air in January.  She made me leave the house with Dad's bathrobe for protection when not performing.  I left it at the "Y," which seemed easier than arguing.

Looking back, I realize that our little group had a great location.  It was just behind the West's players’ bench.   We were close enough to recognize a couple of the West's All Stars, and, when he ran by, an East All Star player from Minnesota who'd been featured in the sports news.  He was a monster!   I remember recognizing the West's running back.  He was the smallest player on the field.  When he ran with the ball, he disappeared into the mass of huge bodies and squirted out from it yards down field.

Our “Y” coach told us to keep our I.D.'s as souvenirs; but I didn’t know what a souvenir was until I had discarded mine.

I think the West won that day.  Our coach was happy, and the people leaving after the game smiled.  What I actually remember best about that day was a whole bunch of middle-aged men parading around before the game and at half time wearing funny hats with tassels.  I'd never seen a Catholic wear a tassel.  I asked Dad if padres ever wore those “dangle” things on their caps.  He shook his head, no.  So, I asked him if bishops ever wore “funny” caps.  He nodded, so I figured all those guys marching around at haft time were bishops, or something like that. 

I remembered to bring the robe home, so my mother was happy.   She asked me how the day went. I said, “It didn’t rain.”