'Turkey Bowl' Celebrates 40 Years of Port Washington Tradition

By Rich Jacques 

The fourth Thursday of November is a time when generations of Americans carry on Thanksgiving traditions of all kinds with family, friends and even complete strangers in the name of good faith and celebration.

Come rain or shine, this year will be no different for a dedicated group of footballers who will carry on with a holiday custom they began as Port Washington middle schoolers over 40 years ago.

"A few of us started playing football on Thanksgiving morning back in junior high school at Sousa," said Port Washington native David Barnett. "Mostly to get out of helping to set the table before dinner." 

Now an annual holiday event for many, the "Turkey Bowl" pickup football game became "a thing" in 1973, during Barnett's senior year at Schreiber. 

At that time, one of Barnett's best friends and classmate, Russell Weis, had a brother at school who invited his classmates to join the contest which pitted the seniors against the juniors — and the rest is history.

"It was an epic game, and we've be counting the games since then," said Barnett.

In the years since, the main purpose of the game has evolved to create a venue where friends and families have reconnected over Thanksgiving.

Family members who aren't playing in the game are on the sidelines, visiting with all the other family members of all the players.

"It's a great way for all the generations to come together and reaffirm the values of the holiday season, not to mention a great way for yours truly to dress up like a turkey and make a fool of himself," says Russel Weis.

Through the years, the game has included doctors, lawyers, bankers, software engineers, advertising executives, other professionals and residents of all sorts participating in traditions that have become an integral part of the game. 

Art Cohen, the 87-year-old dad and granddad of many of the players, snaps the ball on most plays.

"We even had my brother in for a play when he was on crutches about 15 years ago. We built a special "Clutch Crutch" play around him where we threw the ball at his upraised crutch and he deflected it to one of our players — who then went in for the winning touchdown!" said Weiss, the unofficial historian of the annual game.

For a few "special plays," kids as young as five have participated in the action.

Each year, the Turkey Award, a (stuffed animal) turkey given each year to the most remarkable (defined loosely) player of the game, is awarded. Once given, the award spends the year at the winner's house and is returned by him or her to the next year's game. One year a Swedish exchange student won the award. 

"Seeing as how he has won the Turkey Award at least once, you can understand that this stuffed animal is one well-traveled turkey!" says Weis. 

In 1989, six inches of snow couldn't keep the dedicated players away.

The 20th anniversary game in 1993 came complete with commemorative T-shirts. A "Sports Illustrated Turkey Bowl" invitation was invited players to join an early-1980s contest.

During what players call the "new millennium" game, just after the turn of the century, a second generation of players started joining in regularly. 

In 2011, the new players began outnumbering the original crew, according to Barnett.

"You can certainly see my beard getting grayer and grayer through the years," said Barnett, who will be on the field with Weiss Thursday for the 11 a.m. kickoff at Schreiber.

The game has helped with generous donations to canned food drives, and one one occasion, the Turkey Bowlers made a unique donation to Locks For Love, a which provides wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy.

"This came about because I was getting rid of my long braid and thought it might be fun for my friends to bid against my dad for the right to chop it off at the game," said Weiss. "My dad won and really relished his opportunity to wield the shears."

In 2013, money is being raised to support a local scholarship fund began by football group members about five years ago in honor of their former junior high school math teacher, Richard Boyle. Each year, the Boyle scholarship is presented to a worthy graduating senior.

Those interested in making a donation may checks payable to "Port Washington Public Schools" (with "Mr. Boyle Award" in the notes field) to Rebecca Weis, treasurer, Mr. Boyle Award, 111 Country Club Dr., Port Washington, N.Y. 11050.

For more information on the award go online to www.remembermrboyle.org.

Port Washington residents are invited to attend the 2013 holiday event.