1956 MAC Champs

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:56 am

As I (and I'm sure at least one or two others) wonder if there's anything in store for the 50th anniversary of the 1959 National Championship team in 3 years, THIS year marks the 50th anniversary of the first MAC football champions.

Any idea if something is planned to honor that? It would be a great gesture, I think. Even if it was just acknowleding members of the team at halftime.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:40 am

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Class of 61 · Post by **Class of 61** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:34 am

1987alum wrote:Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Karl, It may SEEM like a "no-brainer" but I've not heard of anything being planned in any way shape or form....all the more reason to have one game each year designated as Alumni Day, where such recognition could take place. This would be in addition to Homecoming, which tends to involve current students (rightfully so) a bit more.[/b]

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:35 am

Den:

Good point. Would seem like a natural for Varsity BG Day. Is that this week vs. Kent?

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:15 am

1987alum wrote:Den:

Good point. Would seem like a natural for Varsity BG Day. Is that this week vs. Kent?

This weekend is Family Weekend, EMU is HC, and Miami(OH) is on a Wednesday. Don't think it's gonna happen.

JohnnySwoop '85 · Post by **JohnnySwoop '85** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:17 am

I think Buffalo was Varsity Day....or whatever the correct name of it is.

They did recognize a couple of Alumni for athletic contributions from yester-year.

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:20 am

JohnnySwoop '85 wrote:I think Buffalo was Varsity Day....or whatever the correct name of it is.

They did recognize a couple of Alumni for athletic contributions from yester-year.

That was the Hall of Fame inductions. Which is why I wonder if it was "Varsity BG Day", too.

It's the Journey... · Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:48 pm

It's a shame the department misses out on these things. Honoring our first MAC Championship team, the 40th birthday of Doyt Perry Stadium, and our 1959 National Championship are great ways to show the proud tradition we have at BGSU, yet they are swept under the rug like they don't exist. You would think we would have some kind of signage about our NC. We have just as much right to claim it as anyone who wins a BCS title. They are both given through the voters in a poll, and not a playoff system. Little things like this really piss me off about our athletic department.

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:58 pm

It's the Journey... wrote:We have just as much right to claim it as anyone who wins a BCS title. They are both given through the voters in a poll, and not a playoff system.

I believe you are WRONG on that account my friend. I believe that we earned ours the hard way - blood, sweat, and hard work on the field of play. The BcS is awarded the easy way - through the polls.

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:05 pm

transfer2BGSU wrote:
It's the Journey... wrote:We have just as much right to claim it as anyone who wins a BCS title. They are both given through the voters in a poll, and not a playoff system.
I believe you are WRONG on that account my friend. I believe that we earned ours the hard way - blood, sweat, and hard work. The BcS is awarded the easy way - through the polls.

Nope, the 1959 title was voted on by the UPI. Though we earned ours by beating two of the top teams (OU and Delaware) on the field. Somehow, BG still didn't unanimously win that poll, but it was close. A lot of interesting things were written about that team, they were in line to go to a bowl game in Louisville until two big schools backed out, and word had allegedly spread that alot of big schools didn't want to play BG, if I remember correctly.

I agree that more needs to be done to advertise that title. Word is the giant team photo that used to hang above the West stairs in AA will be rehung in the Sebo Center, which I think is awesome, but doesn't do much to put it in the face of every fan on game day.

I would hope that the anniversary of the 1959 team in three years is marked in a VERY dramatic way by the university.

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:11 pm

TG1996 wrote:Nope, the 1959 title was voted on by the UPI.

WHEW! Good thing I wrote "believe" because I almost told Matt he was full of...which he is

I figured you would know the real story about that one.

Don't we have something about the MAC titles running up at the press box (or I am remembering the game at Oklahoma and their NC's ringing the stadium)?

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:21 pm

Yep. MAC titles are listed in a band beneath the press box.

I just thought a more formal introduction at a game would be nice. Maybe they've got something planned for homecoming, I know there's a big non-football event regarding the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1956, although I guess that would have been the 1955 football season. Hmmm...

I know lots of "real stories"... some of them are even correct.

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:26 pm

There was some type of recognition for the '59 squad a few years back (maybe 45th anniversary).

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:30 pm

transfer2BGSU wrote:There was some type of recognition for the '59 squad a few years back (maybe 45th anniversary).

I'll have to look into that. But they should do something again.

I still have this random idea for a Doyt statue as part of a fountain/reflecting pool, but I don't have the money, the skill or the pull to make it happen.

cbjhack · Post by **cbjhack** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:10 pm

I had from someone who was on the first team at BG to win a MAC championship, the 1956 Men's Swimming Team. He said at Homecoming there is supposed to be some kind of recognition. However, he is peaved that the Athletic Department views the football championship as first, even though it occurred in the fall and the swimming occurred in the winter. He points out rightly that the seniors on the swim team graduate in the spring, while the seniors on the football team graduated in the spring of '57.