City of Champions by Hank Gola

Author:Hank Gola [GOLA, HANK]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732222700
Publisher: Tatra Press

Davey Eldredge and Jesse Yarborough go over the playbook before a game. Note the diagram of the short punt formation off tackle play on the chalkboard behind them. HistoryMiami Museum.

The National Sports Council had been talking with Dill’s group about staging a national championship high school game. Dill was there to ask the Miamians for the use of the Orange Bowl. The group was high-powered. It also included Edison coach Ed Parnell, City Manager L.L. Lee, City Commissioner Fred Hosea, Earnie Seiler and Jack Baldwin from the Orange Bowl committee, stadium Committee Chairman A.A. Ungar, Public Welfare Director Gerald Ash, Jack Bell from the Daily News and George C. “Dutch” Kirkland, whose position was described in the papers as “man about town.”22

Kirkland, who was involved in just about every sports venture in Miami, over time became known as the university’s biggest football fan. A fixture at home games, he was allowed to walk up and down the sidelines, shouting: “Go get ’em Hurricanes.” He remained a force of nature the rest of his life. In 1957, two years before his death at age 80, the irascible Dutch faced an assault charge for slugging a bus driver in the nose with a haymaker in dispute over a bus transfer. His lawyer said Kirkland was sorry. He would even buy the driver a new set of pants after his trousers were torn in the scuffle.23

Although there is no record of his vote, Kirkland undoubtedly approved of Dill’s proposal, because nothing sports-related ever went ahead without him.

Theoretically, Miami and Edison Highs were relinquishing control of the game. The winner—always Miami, of course—selected its northern opponent. Now that choice would be up to a committee, although Yarborough ended up with a goodly amount of influence in the matter. It was to be an annual event, but this year, owing to limited time, the South would be represented by the winner of the November 30 game between the Miami rivals (as always).24

“And if Miami High goes through its season unbeaten,” Dill noted, “it will have as good a claim to national honors as any team in America since it will be champion of Florida.”25

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