The First Rose Bowl

January first, nineteen oh two, was when the first rose bul occurred, and the story behind this iconic event may surprise you. Welcome to Daily Sports History, a'm e. Theuries, your guide to diving deep into the stories of sports history. To truly understand the very first rose bull, we have to go back a little bit to eighteen ninety when the very first tournament of Roses festivals started, which was to celebrate the beautiful weather and the large amount of roses in southern California. This was to generate tourism in Pasadena, California during the winter months, and though they were having great success in their parade that featured floats covered in flowers, they thought it could be even bigger, so they wanted to add a special event, and they chose to add one of the most popular sports at the time, college football. They decided to pit two teams, East and West versus each other as a quasi national championship, as the game would be played after the regular season. The two teams they chose were the Michigan Wolverines and the Stanford Cardinals. That year, Michigan had one of the most historic in dominating seasons college football history, led by coach Field H. Yost, known for coaching innovations and concepts such as the forward pass. The team went undefeated that year, posting a perfect season eleven and ohero, which was very uncommon at the time. Their defense was so stout that they didn't allow a single point the entire season. But it was not all defense. Their offense was known and nicknamed point a minute because they averaged one point every minute they played, averaging fifty five points per game during the season. Stanford was a solid program at the time and had a good season as well, only losing one game and led by legendary coach Walter Camp, known as the father of American football. Though not posting any historical stats, they did post quality wins over University of cal and Oregon. As the day came, the teams prepared for the game. Newspapers crossed the country dubbed it as the Tournament East West Football Game, and the anticipation was building. The game was a potential turning point in the history of college football. Over eight thousand spectators gathered to witness the historic events on New Year's Day. Little did they know the game would lay a foundation for the future of Rose Bowl traditions. The Wolverines took the field wearing their distinctive winged helmets for the first time that they continued to wear it to this day, and the game continued to show Michigan's dominance throughout the season as they scored forty nine points and gave up zero, solidifying themselves as a national powerhouse and they would be named national champions. Even though this was a national championship game and at the time they did not play such a game, newspapers named the national champion. Today, the Rose Bowl is not only one of the most prestigious football games, but it's also a symbol of New Year's Day celebration. Has been the site of many unforgettable moments in football history, and Michigan and Stanford have gone on to play in multiple Rose Buls. Michigan has won eleven national titles, including the one this year in nineteen o two, and Stanford has gone on to be considered a consistent force in college football, winning two national championships of their own. And one thing the game has never lost was their roots of a parade every year. The Rose Bowl Parade is one of the most popular parades in all the United States. And is a great honor for everyone involved and continues the Rose Bowl tradition that we all know and love. Today, thank you for joining us for this week in daily sports history, a daily dive into the sports that we love. If you enjoyed this, go tell a friend all that you've learned, and subscribe wherever you're listening.