College football is unique in the aspect that there are so many historical rivalries involving opposing colleges that are in many instances simply a short drive away. Further adding to the interesting dynamic of the rivalry relationship is that in college football these adversaries only compete against each other once every calendar year, thus maximizing the anticipation and the taste of victory or the agony of the defeat that much more intense.
With regards to the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy that is awarded annually to the winner of the Syracuse University (SU) Orange versus West Virginia Mountaineers (WVU) contest there is actually the memory of an influential man memorialized every time the game or trophy is discussed. The honoring of a specific individual in the naming of this traveling trophy is unique to other rivalries that often times name their trophies after goofy myths as is the case with the Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe (played between the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin) and the Battle for the Golden Boot (played between the University of Arkansas and LSU). In other instances instead of chooses to honor an esteemed individual who has passed away colleges instead decide to name their traveling trophies after abstract concepts like the Founder's Cup (played between Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago).
University
Ben Schwartzwalder was a football player at West Virginia University (WVU) as a youth and an accomplished head football coach at Syracuse University (SU) as an adult. Mr. Schwartzwalder passed away in June of 1993 shortly after celebrating his 84th birthday. In remembrance of the late influential football personality West Virginia University and Syracuse University began recognizing the man who impacted both of the schools by honoring him through naming a traveling trophy after him. The trophy, which was sculpted by a former Syracuse football player who played eight years in the NFL (Jim Ridlon), weighs a stout 55 pounds which is ironic considering that Schwartzwalder was known for being an undersized player when he played center at WVU at only 146 pounds.
The inaugural Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy was won by the alma mater of the namesake when WVU dominated SU in a 43-0 thumping in 1993. Of the 17 contests that have been played for the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy the West Virginia Mountaineers have a commanding series lead with eleven wins to six that the Syracuse Orange have.
Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy Football Game - Syracuse University (SU) & West Virginia University (WVU) University
No comments:
Post a Comment