Turkey Tussle: Muir going for 12th straight on Friday

WHO: John Muir (8-1, 6-0) vs. Pasadena (1-8, 1-5)

WHEN: Friday, 7 P.M.

WHERE: Rose Bowl

John Muir leads the series, 36-17-2

THE HISTORY

As the story goes, Muir and Pasadena, as do most schools that have a cross town rival, played their homecoming football games against each another. It’s the last game of the season and it’s played just before Thanksgiving — thus the “Turkey Tussle.”

The father of a Pasadena student, as usual, brags as to how much Pasadena is going to beat Muir in the football game. A Muir dad takes offense and fires back that Muir will be victorious.

After much discussion a friendly wager is made between the two excited men. Not for money, but for pride. Something that would be sorely missed if lost. The Pasadena dad was a retired Santa Fe railroad man and as a retirement gift from the railroad he was awarded the bell from his locomotive train.

He then bet that Pasadena would defeat Muir and was willing to put his most sacred possession, his bell up as the prize.

Pasadena did win that game and the bell was heard rigging loud and clear after the game.

The following year, he once again put the bell up as a symbol for the victor – but Muir won the game and “The Bell” was silenced.

Muir demanded that the bell be sent to their campus until they played again next year.

And so it began…

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