The Class of Football

Being Super Bowl Day, I thought this comedy sketch was particularly appropriate.  But first a little bit of background.

​In the early 1900s, the University of Chicago had one of the powerhouse college football teams in the country.  They were particularly renowned for their coach, the legendary Amos Alonzo Stagg who began with the school in 1892, and stayed with them for 41 years, thought 1933.  But within just six years, the school dropped their football program in 1939.  And they stayed without an official football team in 1969.

Which brings us to the Second City and this famous 1961 sketch, "Football Comes to the University of Chicago."  It's a look at an attempt to bring football back to the college by first offering a class that teaches the sport, in hopes of recruiting players.

I was only able to find audio of the sketch on YouTube, but then audio is how I fist heard it years ago on the Saturday night Midnight Special radio show on WFMT in Chicago.  Several years later, I saw the Second City do the sketch on television -- and happily that exists, and I was able to track it down on Vimeo.

Here then are Andrew Duncan as the professor, and his few students -- a very young Alan Arkin, Eugene Troobnick, and coming in last, perhaps my favorite performer from Second City (who I've written about) the great Severn Darden, the fellow with the beard.

A caveat -- this isn't the full sketch, but an edited 3-1/2 minute version that cuts off early.  However, I'll also post the audio of the complete sketch afterwards with where it picks up after this lets off, for those who want to hear the whole thing.

Football Comes to The University of Chicago from The Second City on Vimeo.

​And here's the full sketch.  It basically picks up at the 2:10 mark from where the video above leaves off.