Looks like no TV, except a few local channels. Was this not on the NFL network as recently as last year? Quite frankly, if not for a post about the game on the board earlier this week, I might have not known it was being played today. Just had a look at the MD roster, and it has very few D-1 players on it. I guess everyone knew this was inevitable with the rise of early enrollees, and fear of injuries for others. It is just a shame that CFB is so big now that a prospect cannot even complete their HS careers without impact from the almighty $$$.
Shame to see the Big33 game so unimportant
- Thread starter sss
- Start date
It's a relic of a bygone era. I'm not sure why anybody ever thought a high school football all-star game between two neighboring states played in the way off-season was ever a good idea, anyhow.
I think a lot of the Ohio kids started playing in their all star games(forgot if it was north/south or east/west type of game). So the best Ohio kids weren't going to the Big 33 game and that started the downfall of the Big 33. That's when the game went down hill. It was discussed quite a bit when it started happening several years ago.
At one time I attended the game nearly every year. Now I really don't care. Players risk injury for a meaningless game. Maybe if multiple states played in a North/South type of game, say Ohio, PA & New Jersey vs, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, it might get me interested again, but PA vs Maryland is a snooze fest.
A few years back, the NCAA (I think) changed the rules about All-Star participation. Many kids chose the North-South game in Ohio. But many chose Big 33 and as I recall, the game was still strong and interesting. Why the Big 33 dropped Ohio to go with Maryland was a head scratcher. Ohio and PA are the only two states outside the south and west that can hold their own at the high school level. It was still a marquee matchup.
Ohio wanted the game IN Ohio every other year. The problem was the fact that the game was played for central Pennsylvania charities. Without the game at Hershey, lots of what makes the game special, goes away. All of the time spent with sick and special needs kids goes away. Ohio, I guess, either didn't understand or didn't want to understand that.
It's a shame the game is at an end. I saw my first one at age 6, back in 1959. I've seen many, many of them. I stopped going when the college coaches decided their precious freshmen couldn't play anymore.
Actually LL, if you had gone to some of the games back in the day.....when PA would take on MD, or PA would take on Ohio, or even the PA East vs PA West games......they were great games - great EVENTS, really (FWIW, I don't go back far enough to the PA vs Texas, or PA vs The Nation days).
Tons of talent.....kids really seemed to enjoy the whole week long experience......the games were very competitive, and it seemed that both squads really cared about the game.
Now.....I HOPE some of the guys enjoy their experience (that's what its really all about), but the competitiveness, the quality of play, and the entertainment value of the game was killed by the NCAA and the D1 Coaches.
Perhaps. Even as a kid, I remember wondering what all the fuss was about. Of course, I graduated from a WPIAL Class B high school, and no Class B kid was ever on those teams, so perhaps I felt disenfranchised.
In my "opinion" the game lost it's luster as the quality (depth) of Div 1 talent dropped off in Pennsylvania. Ohio still has that level of talent - which makes it far easier for OSU to maintain such a high level of talent. We, on the other hand, have to extend our "area" to include NJ and Maryland.
In short, playing Ohio started to become a mismatch.
In short, playing Ohio started to become a mismatch.
So many of Pa.top players no longer participate. They are selected ,but don't play e.g. bates and Cooper. Hell, I saw Joe Montana in this game and this year the top two QBs Shurmer and DiNicci aren't playing. Braumbaugh is a very good Qb and deserving to be in the game , but the two mentioned should be there. No longer a big event.
Ok, the old guy is chiming in again. Sorry, but I was a fan of the Big 33 back when the game pitted PA vs. TX all-stars. I was living in San Antonio by then (my brother, however, was still considered a resident of PA in his junior year at PSU), and PA had challenged Texas in the game.
In 1964, Texas still held its annual North-South High School Coaches All-Star game around the same time as the Big 33; therefore, the Lone Star State sent its "back-up" 33 up to PA for the game. The high school coaches’ game was a highlighted event across the state. I recall reading a Sports Illustrated article about the game
Well, when the game ended in a PA victory (something like 13-6 or close to that), the folks down here were irate. The feeling was "Those Yankees beat our second team." The state administrators who were in charge of the organizing the Texas half of the event promptly went to work to ensure such a drastic upset would not happen again. They convinced the high school coaches to move their annual game to a different, non-conflicting date, so that more of the top players in the state went to Hershey. Then they hired ex-Longhorn and NFL QB Bobby Layne to coach the Texas squad.
In 1965, PA had Mike Reid (who I think even kicked a FG for PA) and Ted Kwalick, but lost in a relatively close game 26 (27?)-10. I remember Kwalick having a great game, but TX had the legendary "Super Bill" Bradley (UT) as its QB and SMU star Jerry Levias at WR.
But a 2-touchdown win wasn't enough for the Texans. This game now took on state pride, and Layne convinced the high school coaches to send their very best to PA, unlike 1965 when some coaches kept their players for the in-state all-star game. So in 1966, Texas had SMU star Chuck Hixon and famed Longhorn James Street as its QBs; PA countered with 22-0 PSU QB Chuck Burkhart. But the Texas defense stuffed PA that night for a 35-2 rout that made the Lone Star folks happy. The game was shown on closed-circuit TV in the famed Majestic Theater downtown, and the place was sold out. I was among the viewers, decked out in PSU attire. It was a miserable night for me.
The 1967 game was the last one versus Texas, as it likely became clear to the Hershey people that the talent levels were not quite equal. Texas won the final game 45-14 behind QB Tim Montgomery who went on to star at Arkansas. Steve Worster of Longhorn fame as a Wishbone FB was another star for the Texas team. I can't recall whether any Penn State player had a good game.
I lost touch with the Big 33 after that, since it no longer made local news. Texas developed a rivalry with Oklahoma in a game called the Oil Bowl, but the state all-star game returned to its status as the prime event for high school players.
I apologize for errors in precise facts like final scores, but I think most other info is accurate.
In 1964, Texas still held its annual North-South High School Coaches All-Star game around the same time as the Big 33; therefore, the Lone Star State sent its "back-up" 33 up to PA for the game. The high school coaches’ game was a highlighted event across the state. I recall reading a Sports Illustrated article about the game
Well, when the game ended in a PA victory (something like 13-6 or close to that), the folks down here were irate. The feeling was "Those Yankees beat our second team." The state administrators who were in charge of the organizing the Texas half of the event promptly went to work to ensure such a drastic upset would not happen again. They convinced the high school coaches to move their annual game to a different, non-conflicting date, so that more of the top players in the state went to Hershey. Then they hired ex-Longhorn and NFL QB Bobby Layne to coach the Texas squad.
In 1965, PA had Mike Reid (who I think even kicked a FG for PA) and Ted Kwalick, but lost in a relatively close game 26 (27?)-10. I remember Kwalick having a great game, but TX had the legendary "Super Bill" Bradley (UT) as its QB and SMU star Jerry Levias at WR.
But a 2-touchdown win wasn't enough for the Texans. This game now took on state pride, and Layne convinced the high school coaches to send their very best to PA, unlike 1965 when some coaches kept their players for the in-state all-star game. So in 1966, Texas had SMU star Chuck Hixon and famed Longhorn James Street as its QBs; PA countered with 22-0 PSU QB Chuck Burkhart. But the Texas defense stuffed PA that night for a 35-2 rout that made the Lone Star folks happy. The game was shown on closed-circuit TV in the famed Majestic Theater downtown, and the place was sold out. I was among the viewers, decked out in PSU attire. It was a miserable night for me.
The 1967 game was the last one versus Texas, as it likely became clear to the Hershey people that the talent levels were not quite equal. Texas won the final game 45-14 behind QB Tim Montgomery who went on to star at Arkansas. Steve Worster of Longhorn fame as a Wishbone FB was another star for the Texas team. I can't recall whether any Penn State player had a good game.
I lost touch with the Big 33 after that, since it no longer made local news. Texas developed a rivalry with Oklahoma in a game called the Oil Bowl, but the state all-star game returned to its status as the prime event for high school players.
I apologize for errors in precise facts like final scores, but I think most other info is accurate.
Your memory is certainly better than mine. I do remember Bobby Lane instructing his LBs to blitz every play where the rules stated NO BLITZING..
Winner winner chicken dinner fair.
Who was that stud recruit that selected Pitt over PSU from Freedom or Freeport Pa that; got hurt in this game, and was never the same player ever! ??
He had NFL written all over him.
I think the Big 33 game should just be disbanded. Name kids to the "team", but disband the game itself.
For better or worse, it has no real place in today's game. It doesn't resonate with most of the kids like it once did, nor does the public really get behind it anymore. Barnstorming was once popular in football in baseball with traveling exhibition teams too. Just because the game was once popular and a good thing doesn't mean it continues to be so, or needs to continue at all.
For better or worse, it has no real place in today's game. It doesn't resonate with most of the kids like it once did, nor does the public really get behind it anymore. Barnstorming was once popular in football in baseball with traveling exhibition teams too. Just because the game was once popular and a good thing doesn't mean it continues to be so, or needs to continue at all.
Part of that problem is they don't really advertise it or promote it well. I had no idea it was even this weekend until someone posted about it 2 days ago.
You're correct on that.
But, even if it was accompanied by a huge marketing campaign....would it matter? I think it would help, but I'm not sure games like this (at least with top grade talent) have a place in today's sports world.
I agree the NCAA rule changes and early enrollment limit the talent at the games. That said they could still be interesting games. However, if they don't get the public behind the games or excited over it, it's going to disappear quickly. You can't have the public- (especially in the Harrisburg/ Hershey region)- not even aware the game was being played this weekend.
At this point it might be better to go back to an all PA game of east vs west to get more interest rather than playing Maryland.
I agree the NCAA rule changes and early enrollment limit the talent at the games. That said they could still be interesting games. However, if they don't get the public behind the games or excited over it, it's going to disappear quickly. You can't have the public- (especially in the Harrisburg/ Hershey region)- not even aware the game was being played this weekend.
At this point it might be better to go back to an all PA game of east vs west to get more interest rather than playing Maryland.
I don't think NCAA rule changes/early enrollment have as much to do with it as the injury factor. If you're a Division 1 athlete with a chance to play at a big school in college......why risk injury? I worry about our guys who play in these all star games. They're one awkward bend away from possibly never being the same again, so why do it in a game that means nothing?
Yeah but kids that age don't think injury. They think they are indestructible. They could get injured at any game or practice throughout high school or college. I get what your saying and that could have an impact (especially from their parents and future college coaches point of view). I just don't like seeing some traditions like the big 33 fade away. Wish there was a way to 'fix it' but I don't see it being around much longer.
Over 30 years, I doubt that even ONE high end high school ball player turned down a chance to play in BIG 33 due to concerns about possible injury. The rosters used to be 90+% comprised of D1 players....and the kids - almost to a man - talked about what a great experience it was.
Now, you are lucky if 1/3 of the roster is comprised of kids with D1 abilities. It isn't due to injury concerns.....it is due to D1 Coaches wanting to bring the freshmen in earlier (for purely selfish reasons), and the NCAA allowing it (because....you know.....they are the stewards who "put the student-athlete first").
As someone mentioned earlier, the game was on TV in western Pa., channel 22 Pittsburgh. I watched most of the 1st half. You could argue Maryland outplayed Pa., certainly ran the ball better. I think Pa. had about 0 yds. rushing. However, Pa. had some big pass plays on fewer attempts. Obviously, Maryland didn't put the ball in the end zone. Givens looked god, but there weren't many D1 players on the field. It was called right after the half due to thunder storms.
Game started out being played in mid-August, then late July until 2005 when it was rescheduled to take place in mid-June. So you don't think that had anything to do with the NCAA's revisions of financial aid rules regarding summer terms which took effect in 2004?
