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The Most Lopsided Game in History : GA TECH 222 Cumberland 0
#1
Anyone familiar with the most lopsided game in history ?     GA TECH    222      Cumberland    0  ?   (Btw, this is the Cumberland from Lebanon, TN, not the one from Williamsburg)

The game was played on October 7, 1916 in Atlanta.  The backstory to this game is just priceless. I'll give you the Reader's Digest version.  John Heisman(yes, that one) was both the baseball and football coach at GA TECH.  Earlier that spring, Cumberland had beaten GA TECH in baseball 22-0. But there was a catch. It wasn't really Cumberland.  Cumberland's baseball and football student manager, George Allen, had gotten a bunch of ringers(minor league players) to play the game against Tech.  Heisman found out and didn't take it well at all. He was determined to get back at Cumberland for the foul play.

Cumberland University was in the midst of a financial crisis and had actually scrapped its football program after the 1915 season. When a local preacher, who knew a lot about sin but nothing about football, took over as coach the whole team quit and the program was scrapped. However, Cumberland was still contracted to play GA TECH  in 2016 and Heisman wasn't about to let them out of that contractual obligation. He said that if Cumberland didn't play that would have pay Tech $3,000 in compensation. That was about $69,000 in today's money.  Heisman, in fact, ended up telling Allen that he would GIVE Cumberland $500 if they would hop on the train and make the trip to Atlanta and play the game. That ba$tard was obviously bloodthirsty.  Btw, for those who don't know, GA TECH had one of the top football programs in the country at that time. In fact, Heisman guided them to the national title in 1917 .

 Anyway, Allen rounded up about twenty of his fraternity brothers(I'm not kidding) and the boarded a train for Atlanta and an embarrassment that would live in sports infamy.  When the train stopped in Nashville, Allen tried to coax some Vanderbilt players to accompany his "team" to Atlanta. They said no thanks.   Three of Allen's fraternity brother players missed the train when it left out from Nashville and never even made it to Atlanta.[/font][/size][/color]

Some of things that happened during the game that ensued is some of the craziest  and funniest sh!t I've ever heard.

Here's the quarter-by-quarter score:

GA TECH           63 /  63 / 54 /  42  /    222
CUMBERLAND      0/   0/    0/     0   /     0



According to the NY Times,   here's the pep talk that Heisman gave his players at halftime :   “We’re ahead, but you just can’t tell what those Cumberland players have up their sleeves. They may spring a surprise. Be alert, men.”    Smile 


Here's some of the embarrassment that ensued during the game:

*[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Most plays, the Bulldogs failed to even reach the line of scrimmage. Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice jokingly wrote [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)] that Cumberland’s greatest offensive play that day was a fullback run around the right side for a [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]loss[/color][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)] of six yards. They actually completed a 10-yard pass, but it came on fourth-and-22.[/color][/color][/color]

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]*[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]At least five times, Cumberland opted to punt instead of receive after giving up a touchdown. Back then, apparently that was a rule. Maybe Cumberland figured to avoid getting hurt they’d rather just give away the ball. Safety wasn’t exactly at the forefront of college football in 1916.

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]* On the opening kickoff, Cumberland returner and starting quarterback Charles Edwards was knocked out of the game on a vicious tackle. He returned later in the second quarter only to be hit in the head on the snap and knocked out again on the next play. If that play didn’t summarize the rest of the game, it sure set the tone.
[/color][/color]
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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]*[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]On one kickoff, Georgia Tech kicker Jim Preas attempted to boot the ball through the uprights. He sprinted to the end zone, where a Cumberland player fell after backpedaling into the goal post. The ball bounced off his head and into Preas’ hands for an unbelievable touchdown.[/color][/color][/color]

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]* [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]A wild dog on the field chased a Cumberland player on another kickoff. That player — [b]John “Johnny Dog” Nelson[/b] — was actually a sportswriter who had played football before.[/color][/color][/color][/color]

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]* In maybe the most famous play of the game, Nelson fumbled the ball. He shouted for Allen, who had entered the game for a few plays, to pick it up. Allen replied, [b]“You dropped it, you pick it up!”   Smile [/b][/color][/color][/color][/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]* On another kickoff (are you sensing a pattern yet?), a Cumberland player who went by “Pee Wee” — who was assured by Allen he’d never have to touch the ball — was given the snap and immediately tossed the ball and ran off the field in fear.[/color][/color][/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)] *Cumberland’s golden opportunity to score came on a kickoff in which Georgia Tech players overran the returner. Left with nothing but open space ahead of him, he tripped over his own player at their 20-yard-line. That teammate was looking for his glasses at the timeSmile    (I couldn't make this stuff up)[/color][/color][/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]*On the final play of the game, Cumberland successfully blocked an extra point when Vichy Woods climbed his teammates human pyramid style. His face, however, paid the price.[/color][/color][/color]

I am reposting some of my previous post  so that it will be easier to read.  Hopefully , this is better.

Again,  here is some of the embarrassment that ensued during the game:


** Most plays, the Bulldogs failed to even reach the line of scrimmage. Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice jokingly wrote that Cumberland’s greatest offensive play that day was a fullback run around the right side for a loss of six yards. They actually completed a 10-yard pass, but it came on fourth-and-22.

** At least five times, Cumberland opted to punt instead of receive after giving up a touchdown. Back then, apparently that was a rule. Maybe Cumberland figured to avoid getting hurt they’d rather just give away the ball. Safety wasn’t exactly at the forefront of college football in 1916.

** On the opening kickoff, Cumberland returner and starting quarterback Charles Edwards was knocked out of the game on a vicious tackle. He returned later in the second quarter only to be hit in the head on the snap and knocked out again on the next play. If that play didn’t summarize the rest of the game, it sure set the tone.

** On one kickoff, Georgia Tech kicker Jim Preas attempted to boot the ball through the uprights. He sprinted to the end zone, where a Cumberland player fell after backpedaling into the goal post. The ball bounced off his head and into Preas’ hands for an unbelievable touchdown.


** A wild dog on the field chased a Cumberland player on another kickoff. That player —  JOHN "JOHNNY DOG" NELSON  — was actually a sportswriter who had played football before.

In maybe the most famous play of the game, Nelson fumbled the ball. He shouted for Allen, who had entered the game for a few plays, to pick it up. Allen replied, "YOU DROPPED IT , YOU PICK IT UP !"


** On another kickoff (sensing a pattern yet?),  a Cumberland player who went by “Pee Wee” — who was assured by Allen he’d never have to touch the ball — was given the snap and immediately tossed the ball and ran off the field in fear.


** Cumberland’s golden opportunity to score came on a kickoff in which Georgia Tech players overran the returner. Left with nothing but open space ahead of him, he tripped over his own player at their 20-yard-line. That teammate was looking for his glasses at the time.  Smile ( I couldn't  make this stuff up) 

** On the final play of the game, Cumberland successfully blocked an extra point when Vichy Woods climbed his teammates human pyramid style. His face, however, paid the price.
#2
Here's a video about the events leading up to and during this crazy game. You'll love this.



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