When I talk with old-timers who played football at South Philadelphia High or Bishop Neumann, one of the first things they mention is how they played Thanksgiving Day in front of a standing-room-only crowd at 11th and Bigler. The Southeast Catholic-Neumann grads love throwing in the part about beating the Rams. The Southern players will occasionally do the same, if they were fortunate enough to play on one of those 18 teams that buried the Pirates.
Unfortunately, the Southern players will step on the field this morning riding a 13-game losing streak against Neumann that includes one forfeit. The last two meetings have been rather ugly, with the Pirates outscoring the Rams by a combined score of 129-6. When the games are this lopsided, I start wondering why the two teams still bother playing each other.
The empty seats far outnumber the full ones, and the game is usually decided by the end of the first quarter. Blowouts don’t exactly make for great headlines, especially when the story comes out a week later. This year’s game is one of the most symbolic for the Neumann program, as it marks the farewell appearance for the Pirates. Next year, they’ll become the Neumann-Goretti Saints as part of the consolidation of South Philly’s two Catholic high schools.
In my six years of covering this event, I have realized it isn’t just about wins and losses — even though the winning team gets neighborhood bragging rights for a year. Thanksgiving Day is also about getting together with old high-school buddies to talk about the good times over hot dogs and beer. It’s about school pride and keeping intact a tradition that dates all the way back to 1934.
On paper, the teams might no longer match up well, but both squads will still step on the field today thinking they have a chance to win. Yes, Southern is still looking for its first win of the season, and averaging just seven points per game, but that hasn’t stopped the players from telling their friends at Neumann that they are going to beat them.
Every year, when I talk to the Southern players for a preview story, they share their confident outlook that they have a chance against the bigger and stronger Catholic League squad. Never do they look at past scores and rule themselves out before the game begins.
The Neumann players aren’t about to overlook their neighborhood rivals, either, even though they are averaging a far superior 25 points per game. Last week, the players and coaches were more concerned about beating Archbishop Wood for a shot at the Catholic League Blue Division championship than they were about playing on Thanksgiving Day. But come 10:30 a.m., these players will have all their attention focused on Southern as they prepare to make school history.
The tradition might not be what it once was, and the crowds might have dwindled drastically, but the kids still look forward to playing the game.
For some, today will be the last time they ever put on a football uniform, and that’s a tradition that should never be taken away.
