Imagine 7:00 am on a cold Thanksgiving Day morning at a secluded location in Central Florida. A group of strangely costumed and oddly motivated men begin to arrive. This isn’t just another flag football game. This is a unique fraternity of friends risking divorce in a desperate competition vying for the ultimate and most coveted award, the Mr. Turkey Bowl Trophy.

This male-bonding debauchery began nearly a decade ago, brought from Chicago by the founders, The Ehrhards. The group is divided into two teams, equally matched by size and speed. A bar graces the sidelines with plenty of cold beer for everyone. The amount of beer consumed is tallied by the beertenders and a “touchdown” is awarded for the team which consumes the most beer. This always puts my team a score ahead before kickoff. The most outrageous and often racy costumes are always a hoot. The idea is to be creative, acting your part, and stay in character during the game. Some of the costumes over the years included “The Chess Coach”, who would scream”CHECKMATE!” as he took you down, The Guzzling Grandma, beer swilling champion from 1946, and the latest trio from the Blue Man Group.

In recent years, a Monday Night Mixer was added to help the teammates get acquainted. This results in a party which the rookies are introduced and hazed into this elite club. I dare say these techniques are out of control and equally as ruthless. But I have said too much. Moving on to Turkey Bowl 10 in 2009, “A Decade of Decadence” what this football folly has in store is yet to be seen. Look for a website which will include every detail of past and future events, and some pretty damn funny video too. Later this year, www.turkeybowl.tv

Thats all for now, Get yourself a cold beer and get back to the huddle!

Belly