Alumni Association of the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta: Boxcar Derby

A PHOTO HISTORY OF THE MUD BOWL 1934 to 1997 ~ MICHIGAN'S GREATEST FRATERNITY ATHLETIC RIVALRY During the fall of 1934, Phi Delta Theta (PDT) active member E. Reed Low '37 challenged the "house across the street" (Sigma Alpha Epsilon -- SAE) to a friendly game of "touch" football on the morning of Homecoming in a little used valley in their side yard along South University. Low is considered the founder of the Mud Bowl. The men of PDT and SAE fought a close match which SAE narrowly won 8 - 6. Given the intense rivalry between the two fraternities which were located only a couple hundred feet apart, it was decided that the Mud Bowl would be an annual event. The Mud Bowl became a revered Homecoming tradition as PDT and SAE fiercely battled each year for nothing more than pride. In the early years, the game essentially was a rough intramural football match played on a field that was wetter and shorter than regulation. As the annual contest matured, it was decided that the challenge and entertainment value of the game could be enhanced by tilling the ground and flooding the field. Eventually, the Ann Arbor Fire Department contributed to making the mayhem on the field even more muddy by pouring approximately 10,000 gallons of water into the valley shortly before the game. By kickoff of games played in the 1970s through the 1990s, it was not uncommon for the mud to be more than one foot deep with water covering the west end of the "field." The PDT-SAE rivalry series in the Mud Bowled ended in 1997 after the 60th game between the two fraternities was played. The records about these 60 games are a combination of fact and myth, but no one disputes that this was the greatest fraternity athletic rivalry in the State of Michigan if not the entire nation. The Mud Bowl grew into such a spectacle that crowds numbering in the thousands showed up each year to witness the game. The game attracted coverage by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, ABC Sports as well as campus, Ann Arbor and Detroit media. The Mud Bowl became so popular that national brewing companies -- at first Stroh's, and then Miller -- sponsored the event. Of course, some people have speculated that the presence of sororities playing football, or speedball in some years, during the half-time may have garnered most of the great public interest in the event. Nonetheless the athleticism and intensity of the PDT-SAE matchups proved to be very entertaining for the fans. While the exact win-loss tally is subject to dispute, it is believed that PDT rightly boasts a few more victories in the series than SAE. Given that SAE hand picked the referees for each Mud Bowl, a PDT victory typically required overcoming the opposing players plus the men in stripes. For this reason, PDT's hard fought "losses" remain as much a source of pride as its many victories. If you have pictures or memories of the Mud Bowl to share with the Alumni Association's Heritage Project, please contact us at [email protected].

1st Annual Boxcar Derby a Winner

Money and Awareness Raised to Fight ALS

[Posted July 1, 2009] On the last Saturday in March, Michigan Alpha and Ann Arbor Active Against ALS (A2A3), a local non-profit organization, co-hosted the first annual Boxcar Derby on South University. The event, which was open to the community and witnessed by a crowd of more than 100 people, raised money and awareness for promising research to combat Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS).

The race course began near where South University meets Oxford and ended about one block from the chapter house. Racers were given a push start and then gravity propelled them down the hill on South University, which was closed to traffic during the event, to the finish line.

A total of 16 teams participated including many children of parents involved in A2A3. The race was run with a tournament-style single elimination format. Prizes were awarded for the overall race winner as well as for other categories such as creative design.

A2A3 President Suzanne Ross said, "It was a pleasure to partner with Phi Delta Theta in hosting the Derby. The event was entertaining for children and raised much needed resources for research to cure this terrible disease. We were impressed by the ingenuity and commitment of the Phi Delt men to envision the Derby and make it a big success."

After the race, a picnic BBQ was held on the side lawn of the fraternity during which Kevin Szawala '07 gave a motivational speech and presentation about ALS in conjunction with U of M Public Policy Professor Bob Schoeni.

The Derby raised a total of more than $1,500, but fundraising was not the only goal of the event. The Derby generated publicity in the community and on campus about the need to cure ALS. The Ann Arbor Chronicle online newspaper published a very positive report about the Derby that is well worth reading (http://annarborchronicle.com/2009/03/28/box-cars-zoom-down-south-university/).

Patrick Moore '09 said, "The active chapter wanted to establish a new annual tradition for our philanthropy program to fight ALS. We came up with the concept of the Derby as being both fun for the brothers and Ann Arbor community.

"A2A3 is an outstanding group dedicated to bringing together the community to battle ALS, so we were extremely pleased that they partnered with us in this endeavor. A2A3's help was key in making the Derby a reality. We also thank the Alumni Association for their financial support and encouragement.

"We're hoping the Derby will grow in coming years. Additional alumni support and participation is certainly welcome."

The Derby marked the fourth year that Michigan Alpha raised funds to benefit efforts to defeat ALS. ALS claimed the life of brother Lou Gehrig (Columbia '25) and is a major philanthropic focus of Phi Delta Theta's national headquarters as well as local chapters across the nation.

All combined, Michigan Alpha's ALS philanthropy events have raised more than $35,000. For more information, view the Alumni Association's web site at www.pdtumich.com.

DERBY PICTURES (View Derby pictures by clicking on "Continue reading "Boxcar Derby")