We want the Maroon's championship back - NOW!

(left) The “Mona Lisa” of football memorabilia, an almost mint condition rare Maroons' pitchie card. Estimated value is $2.5 million. It is kept in the steel, concrete and granite vault fifty feet below City Hall and guarded around the clock by Pinkerton Agents, alligators and ruler-toting nuns. This particular pitchie card displays quarterback, "Jalappa Joe" Flannagan, when the 1923 Pottsville team was a member of the American Rooftop Football League. When the league collapsed in 1924. "Jalappa Joe" died in that collapse. His remains were interned at Pic A Pac Park, South Centre Street, where a concrete monument was erected in his memory. He is considered the "lost Maroon," and his name is a frequent answer on the popular TV quiz show "Jeopardy" under the category "Hodge Podge." This pitchie card is one of two featuring "Jalappa Joe" Flanagan still in existence. The other one is at the Vatican. It is scheduled to be displayed the week of October 8th, 2007 during Pottsville's Maroon Week festivities.





I was hoping that Pottsville Maroons would have reclaimed its 1925 NFL championship by now. I still have Grandpappy Trout’s crumpled, old Maroon wager slips placed high away in the drawer; never giving up faith that someday I would receive the pay-off that Pappy should have received. Pappy had an uncanny ability to pick sports winners and, with the championship restored, he too would be posthumously vindicated, as the compounded interest earned on those winning slips would be greater than what I would get with my lousy daily number tickets.
In 1925, we thought the Chicago game clinched the title for our Maroons. Did you know that about 1,000 fans packed the Hippodrome to get a running account of the game from a ham radio operator while live actors recreated the event on the stage, play by play? They did this, as television hadn’t been invented yet. Yes, there was actually a time without television. No “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” no “Jerry Springer Show,” no “Deal or No Deal.” It was a very bleak time indeed.
Fans greeted the team when they arrived back at the train station the day after the big game. As Prohibition was the law of the land, and even fermented Gatorade was illegal, the festivities were rather subdued. Everyone held up a cone of Yuengling ice cream and made a celebratory toast while the Third Brigade Band played a rousing musical tribute to fallen Maroon, "Jalappa Joe" Flannigan. That was about it. There was no looting downtown; no one ran off with stolen phonographs, toasters, vacuum cleaners or iceboxes. In effect, it was very dull.
If the trophy was given back to Pottsville, then things would be a lot different now. For starters, Pottsville would go absolutely bananas. Just imagine Cruise Night, Winter Carnival, Disability Check Day and the Spelling Bee all rolled up into one! That's how it would be.
I am sure that the first priority would be for Mayor Reiley to receive the long awaited congratulatory phone call from the President of the United States. In fact, I was told that a special crank handle telephone was installed in 1925 just to receive that important call; that same phone is still in the Mayor’s office just collecting dust as it sits on top of the building code ordinances. Unfortunately, the President making the call would not be silent Calvin Coolidge, but George W. Bush. Maybe "D.W." could ask “W.” how Chaney enjoyed his visit to Pottsville back in 2004 and if he plans to come back soon.
I am sure that the last surviving Maroon cheerleader will be carefully flown by medivac helicopter from Mazucca's landing pad to King’s Plaza for the biggest victory party this area will ever experience. Hopefully the excitement will not be too much for her, as she is dressed in a flapper outfit, giving one last inspiring Maroons cheer for “her boys.”

King’s Plaza is the shopping mall outside of Minersville and it was the Maroons’ playing field for those of you ignorant of the team’s glorious history. Palermo’s Restaurant is located on the 50-yard line, but back in 1925 pizza hadn’t been brought to America yet. The football fans at that time dined mainly on pork and sauerkraut. They also swallowed live goldfish. In any event, the Maroons never played in Pottsville, just as the New York Giants don’t play in New York.

I was so sure that the Maroons was going to get their title back that I invested heavily in Maroon bobbleheads, shower curtains, aprons and blankets. My living room is now filled with boxes of Frank Racis, Barney Wentz, and Charley Berry bobbleheads. If any of you have any resemblance to any of these players then please contact me and we can work out a deal.
You do know that the NFL a few years ago blocked Pottsville’s attempted field goal by voting 30-2 against reinstating the 1925 championship? I think the two teams that voted for Pottsville were The Providence Steam Roller and the Canton Bulldogs. That stinks.
Is it all over for us? How can we hold our heads up high again? Why even Pottsie Ottsie, the Maroons’ mascot, has been the subject of vicious attacks; more vicious than those inflicted upon the Milwaukee Brewer’s Italian Sausage Mascot several summers ago. This must stop! We must reclaim our dignity, title or not. Having the Maroons' Week in the city is a good thing but won't get the trophy back. Hunger strikes have been suggested as a peaceful approach. A few brave souls are even willing to forego nacho cheese and beer bologna until our demands our met. Other suggested a more militant strategy including guerrilla tactics. Rumor has it that Gombar’s Costume Shop in St. Clair cannot keep up with the demand for guerrilla costumes. Other militants plan to paint their bellies maroon and keep them that way until the crown is returned. Huge demonstrations are being planned at Henry Clay Park and with large “UP YOURS, NFL!” banner to be placed in Henry’s hand for all passing motorists to see.
I sure just hope things don’t get ugly around here. To avoid violence we must keep our demands simple and limited to three:

the title is to be immediately returned with an apology.

the NFL must buy up all my bobbleheads.

Grandpappy’s wager slips must be honored with compounded interest of course.

Maroon fans, are you with us or against us?