The KGB Chicken and Donny & Marie Osmond headline the nominees.
While standing on the red carpet of the most recent ESPYS in
Los Angeles, a thought came to me about who would be on the red carpet entering
Qualcomm Stadium before the next Pacific Life Holiday Bowl game.With that thought in mind, I would like to
introduce the newest sports award show, the Hollies.Look into your mind’s eye and let us go to
the red carpet and see who has the honor of being nominated and who is
attending.
The paparazzi and crowd are gathering outside Qualcomm
Stadium’s Gate H for the inaugural Hollies and 2008 Pacific Life Holiday
Bowl.The red carpet lies in wait for
the plethora of Pacific Life Holiday Bowl greats who will be attending this
grand event.
The first guests to arrive on the red carpet are Donny and
Marie Osmond. Yes, the famed 70’s singing duo are nominated for Best National
Anthem Performance. This category is strong, including contenders Lou Rawls and
the Naval Academy Glee Club.
We have our first Hall of Famer sighting, a contingent from
BYU featuring head coach LaVell Edwards, and quarterbacks Jim McMahon, Ty
Detmer and Steve Young. BYU dominates the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Hall of
Fame with seven entrants. Edwards will also be receiving the Hollies Lifetime
Achievement award for participating in 11 Holiday Bowls, the most ever by one
head coach.
The City of San Diego is well represented in the Hollies.
San Diego State University, which has only participated in the Holiday Bowl
once, lost a close 39-38 contest to Iowa in 1986. Aztec quarterback Todd Santos
was named the co-offensive MVP, along with Iowa QB Mark Vlasic. Joining Santos
in the Best San Diego Connection Performance is Colorado State signal caller
Moses Moreno (Castle Park H.S.) and cornerback Garcia Lane (Helix H.S.) of Ohio
State.
1988 Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders
A loud roar from the crowd goes up as one of the all-time
greats in college and professional football steps onto the red carpet, Oklahoma
State running back, Barry Sanders. Sanders led the Cowboys to a 62-14 rout of
the Wyoming Cowboys in 1988. The Heisman Trophy winner gained 222 yards and
scored five touchdowns in only three quarters of work. “Sanders was everything
that he was advertised to be,” stated Wyoming coach Paul Roach. His feat has
him atop the field for the best performance by a player. Included in the group
are quarterbacks Ty Detmer (BYU) and Major Applewhite (Texas). Detmer threw for
a Pacific Life Holiday Bowl record 576 yards on 42 completed passes in a loss
against Penn State in the 1989 game. Applewhite came close to surpassing Detmer
in 2001 with his 473 passing yards on 37 completions. He threw for four
touchdowns in the Longhorn’s 47-43 win over Washington.
A college football game or a red carpet celebration would
not be complete without a marching band. The Pacific Life Holiday Bowl has
featured some of the best bands in the country on its grand stage. Leading the
popular Ohio State University Marching Band is its famed tuba, which is now
dotting the “I” after the band spelled out the scripted “Ohio” on the red
carpet. This maneuver is one of the finest traditions in college football.
Following the Ohio State band is the University of Wyoming
Cowboy Marching Band. Why is this band in the spotlight you ask? Well, in 1987
they were short-changed in performing for a variety of reasons. First, the band
was stranded overnight in the Denver airport by a snowstorm, arriving in San
Diego a day late. Then, the truck hauling the band’s instruments to the game
was stuck in traffic, preventing the band from performing in the pre-game show.So, to answer your question, the Hollies
invited them back 21 years later to be involved and showcase their talents.
Rounding out the nominees are the 1989 and 2006 Fightin’ Texas A&M Aggie
Bands, the largest military marching band in the world; and the 2000 University
of Texas Longhorn Band, also known as the “Showband of the Southwest.”
More celebrities are arriving on the red carpet. Sharlene
Wells, 1984 Holiday Bowl queen and former Miss America returns to grace the
proceedings. Wells also covered the game for three years as a sideline reporter
for ESPN. Rock star Alice Cooper, who participated in the 1992 Holiday Bowl
Hole-in-One Shootout and qualified for the final, smiles for the photographers.
Is that Tina Turner over there? No, it is a Las Vegas impersonator who performed
in the 1996 halftime show.“Up With
People,” the intriguing entertainment group is back at the site where it had
its final performance during the 2000 game. The Budweiser Clydesdales are
prancing down the walkway. It is okay, a cleanup crew is right behind them if
needed.
Famed coaches have strolled on the Qualcomm Stadium turf and
now they are back on the red carpet. Nebraska head coach Frank Solich begins
his journey down the carpet. Joe Paterno, Penn State’s current coach, is
looking good for his age as he enters. Gaining popularity after his coaching
career on television is former Indiana head coach Lee Corso. Pacific Life
Holiday Bowl Hall of Fame member Hayden Fry led the University of Iowa to three
bowl appearances in San Diego. Texas head coach Mack Brown and Kansas State
boss Bill Snyder also return to the venue.
1978 Holiday Bowl MVP Phil McConkey
Another Hall of Famer is in sight.It’s Naval Academy wide receiver Phil
McConkey, the MVP of the first Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. McConkey is
representing the 1978 Navy team in the Best Upset category. The Midshipmen
surprised the explosive BYU Cougars with a 23-16 victory.The 1984 National Championship BYU team is
favored to win a Hollie for their win over national power Michigan. The
University of Arizona’s thrilling 23-20 defeat of Nebraska in 1998 ranks as
another big Pacific Life Holiday Bowl shocker.
Dignitaries are always on display at such events and the
Hollies are no different. John Reid, former Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Executive
Director, who helped the game become one of the best in the nation, is here.
Current Executive Director, Bruce Binkowski joins Reid for a photo opportunity.
Behind that duo is a steady parade of past presidents and Red Coat members. The
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl has grown to its current stature with the assistance
and dedication of these wonderful people. Bob Breitbard, San Diego Hall of
Champions founder and San Diego sports business marvel, receives a great
ovation for his work with the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.
The fun is in full swing with the entrance of the mascots
and cheerleaders. More live animals are striding down the carpet. Bevo, the
University of Texas longhorn, follows Ralphie, the University of Colorado
buffalo. Both are deserving of winning the Hollie, but the Famous San Diego Chicken
should steal the vote.The well-known
feathered fowl had to overcome some animated exchanges with the Navy mascot
goat before he tangled with stadium security who attempted to eject him from
the sidelines due to not having the proper credentials. The security officers
take a softer line and let the Chicken remain to entertain the appreciative
crowd. Two mascots, Kansas State’s Wildcat and Washington’s Husky, were
disqualified from the competition for being ejected for fighting on the
sidelines in 1999. Not a stellar moment in mascot history.
The big award presentation to conclude the evening will be
the Best Performance by a Team and parading onto the red carpet now are members
of the 1980 BYU team, who will be joining Edwards and McMahon inside Qualcomm
Stadium. With its stunning comeback BYU won probably one of the best bowl games
of all time. Also representing the Cougars is the 1984 National Championship
squad and rounding out this prestigious group is the 1990 Texas A&M Aggies
for their 65-14 victory over BYU. The 51-point margin of victory is still the
largest in Pacific Life Holiday Bowl history.
The action is winding down and it is time for the big show.
We hope you have enjoyed this exciting trip down the red carpet of the first
Hollies award show.
