On July 1, Toledo will host the XLII (42nd) Italian Bowl. Players from the Italian Football League (IFL) will face off at the University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl stadium to determine this season’s League Champion. But what is the Italian Bowl and why Toledo, Ohio, of all places?
With Italians passionate for (American-style) football, connecting the story with the selected Toledo locale, this year’s final game being played here makes all the sense in the world.
A Brief History
World War II brought American football into Europe, and the sport gained fame after the sports-famous “Spaghetti Bowl” in January, 1945 highlighted a faceoff between the servicemen of the Fifth United States Army (the Krautclouters) and the Twelfth Air Force (the Bridgebusters). The bout took place in Florence, Italy at Stadio Giovanni Berta with the Army winning 20 to 0.
In the ‘70s, American professional teams, players, and executives began scouting different countries for expansion of the sport. One of the places considered was Italy which resulted in Italian Bowl I being played between Rhinos Milano and Frogs Gallarate. The rest flowed from that beginning.
Italian (American) Football Comes to America
So, what about the IFL’s road to America, 41 championships later? It’s a story of kismet and passion.
On a trip to Ferrara, Italy, Jim Rush, the Vice President of Thread Marketing Group, met with the city’s mayor, Alan Fabbri, who happens to drive a Jeep. There, he noticed many similarities between Ferrara and Toledo. “They have a great university like we do,” Rush said. “There’s a lot of automotive facilities, including Dana Corporation. They have citizens who are proud of their walled city, and our citizens should be very proud of our city.”
After the visit, Mayor Fabbri visited Toledo. Through Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and Toledo Sister Cities International (TSCI), a not-for-profit organization that speaks for Toledo’s sister cities, the two locales further strengthened their blossoming partnership. Without the groundwork laid by TSCI, the Italian Bowl would never have been possible.
Two literal key players, who both also played in the IFL are Toledo-area developer Nick Eyde and Italian businessman Raffaelo Pellegrino. The two connected over their love for the game. Eyde played five seasons in Italy. Afterwards, he traveled back and forth to do color commentary for the Italian Bowl, which was directed by Ferrara’s team owner, Pellegrino.
“The idea of taking the Italian Bowl to the US was a dream born during an Italian dinner a few years ago with me and Nick wondering how to put Italian football in the spotlight,” Pellegrino said, “and now the dream is becoming reality.”
The 42nd Italian Bowl
“The game should be a lot of fun,” Eyde said about what to expect on July 1. “There will be tailgating experiences with food trucks. Miriam Battistelli, an Ethiopian-born Italian soprano, and world-renowned opera singer, as well as an ex-American football player in the women’s league, will sing the Italian and American national anthems, and it should be a great match up.”
After the game, the Night Market will be held at UToledo’s Flatlands, just outside the stadium, followed by a Fourth of July fireworks celebration over the Maumee River. The Italian players will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only play football close to football’s birthplace but to experience Toledo at its finest. Saturday, July 1 at 3pm. $15-$30. italianbowlusa.com
