The Big Game: A Look Back

[Nftnat]

Well, that other game has passed, & still we have not seen this year's Big Game; which causes me to think that maybe this year there will be no Big Game, which is a tragedy indeed. Perhaps it's yet another casualty of 9/11, or perhaps CN just lost interest, which wouldn't surprise me given their recent conduct. What I will now try to do is give a comprehensive history of The Big Game. I'm not sure on what forum to post this --- the last such thread iirc was on teh Cartoon Cartoons forum --- but if it's in the wrong place a moderator will move it & I'll take it from there.
The information I'm about to impart comes directly from the 2000 CN special The Big Game: A Look Back, hosted by Jim Huber; which is among my videotape collection. As yet I have not the scores of the past two Big Games @ hand, tho I do have them in my collection as well. (If anyone would care to save me the trouble of going through my tapes to find the finals of those last two feel free to e-mail me nftnat@aol.com) It features interviews with the following, listed in order of appearance:
Willy Hawkins, Warner Brothers fan
Sheldon Crinkle, curator of the Big Game Hall of Fame
Lester Wanamaker, Hanna Barbera fan
Hank "Harry" Ribisi, groundskeeper
Little Jimmy, assistant groundskeeper
Robert Thornton, author of "Play On Saturday, Soup Du Jour On Monday", "Foghorn Leghorn: He Saw Benjamins", "How'd He Do It? It's Still A Mystery", "It Was a Blowout 34-0", "Droopy Dog: Looks Like Nothing...", "Now That's Good D", "Squiddly Diddly: Eight Legs to Freedom", "That's Why He Only Has Six", "Squiddly Is the Only Octopus I Know", & The Big Game Why Is It So Popular?"
Dr. Sheldrake of the Spinach Health Center
Billy Cone, currently serving 5 to 10 for racketeering

And now, The Big Game, A Look Back

1882 In a flophouse somewhere in Mississippi, one Dazzy McPete was drawing on the back of a book of matches. He drew the first cartoon, Sweeny the lamb. This was followed immediately by another drawing, of a lion. And thus, the first cartoon rivalry was born. That same year Dazzy's brother Abner founded Stinky Studios to produce Sweeny cartoons; unfortunately, it soon folded, never to be heard from again. But the McPates' place in the history of the Big Game was assured.
In succeeding decades, toon leagues were formed by most of the big studios --- Disney, Fleischer, Warner Brothers, MGM, etc.
1906 An unwanted de-pantsing incident which somehow is known as one of the defining moments of the Big Game. Very little of it was shown in the special & it was only referred to the one time. I saw enough of it to think it was a Snagglepuss cartoon in black & white, but that's just me.
1910 Bugs vs. Elmer for the WB championship
Later that decade Daffy defeated Porky 42-7
1919 The Paw Paw Bears were champions of the Hanna Barbera League
Also, Bugs faced Sam for the WB title
1925 Bad Luck Blackie vs Spike for the MGM title
As the decade wore on, certain sports stars --- like Harry the Hare & Delaware Duck --- tended to vanish not long after starring on the field
1928 Chuck "Juicy Fried" Chicken (1909-?) was the MVP of the MGM league. Soon after, he also disappeared; although with a nickname like his one can guess what happened to him.
With the advent of World War II, toon stars enlisted in droves to do their part for their country & the cause of freedom. Among them: Shazzan, Genie First Class, 82nd Airborne
1943 Olive Oyl vs the Pots (thought by me to be cuspidores she got her feet caught in in a Popeye cartoon, but that's just me)
1948 Droopy vs the Wolf for the MGM title
1952 Speedy vs Sylvester for the WB League title
In the early '70's, Foghorn Leghorn had a vision: a cartoon championhsip game to end all cartoon championship games. To that end, he called a meeting of the heads of all of the toon leagues. After a 14 hour debate in a locked room, his will prevailed. It is still a mystery as to how this was accomplished, although there have been unsubstantiated rumors regarding possible involvement with the Ant Hill Mob.
1972 Big Game I, Yogi Bear vs Ranger Smith. Smith won 34-0, signifying that the authority would always win.
1973 Big Game II, Jabberjaw vs a little red robot.
1974 Big Game III, Daffy vs Porky.
Another Big Game from that decade featured the Cattanooga Cats.
Among the stars who rose to prominence in these early years of TBG was Squiddly Diddly, who blazed a path for all multi-appendaged toons to follow. Not only was he a sports star, he was a humanitarian. He even donated two tentacles to a kid who had none, which explains why he only has six instead of the usual eight.
But there was a dark side to some toon stars as scandal befell some of the best & brightest. Popeye's abuse of spinach & the Top Cat gambling scandal were but two incidents that come to mind.
1980 Highly touted rookie Magilla Gorilla was acquired in a trade for an obscene amount of money.
1981 The "Magilla Gorilla" clause was added to toon sports contracts. While it made life enjoyable for a few, it made life miserable for such as the Peter Potamuses (Potami) & the Hardy Har Hars out there.
That same year toon stars went out on strike, resulting in the quality of play going into a nosedive. But the games continued, although with sub-par players.
1983 Big Game XII Trollkins vs Inch High Private Eye
1984 Big Game XIII Mr. Sanitary vs a sock puppet
In another of the Big Games from these years, Mr. Flouride took on Plaque. Yes, it was a hygiene film. Oh, these were dark days for TBG indeed.
1993 Big Game XXII was the opening act for Eddie Money on his No Control tour.
In succeeding years, Commissioner Leghorn took control of TBG. He called in some favors, & next thing you know, the big guns were back.
1998 Big Game XXVI Tom vs Jerry
1999 Big Game XXVII Tweety vs Sylvester
2000 Big Game XXVIII Roadrunner vs Wile E Coyote
2001 Big Game XXIX Bugs vs Daffy

That's all the information I currently have, until I can hit the tapes for some details & final scores. Until I fix the above in editing, I leave you with these words of wisdom from Big Game Commissioner Foghorn Leghorn: "The Big Game could be the game for the 2000's. You drop a piano on Elmer Fudd; it's no big deal. You drop a piano on Keyshawn Johnson; I got news for you, my friend; he ain't getting up."

Thank you, & good day.

[Jimmy Kustes]

I am sure Cartoon Fridays would like to see this. Why don't you e-mail him?

[mojokingbee1]

I remember that special, along with the "In memory - Touche Turtle" card at the end. I had it on tape, but I think it may've got eaten by my VCR. I wish Warner home video would put Cartoon Network's Big games on DVD like it did with the super bowl.

[Spike Mcdougal]

The Big Game is still one of the best things they've done and it was fun to hear John Madden and Pat Summerall doing play by play, back before DVD comentaries. Road Runner vs Coyote is my all time favorite of the three. A full pregame show without the toons in the middle. The mountains and desert in the stadium. Oh the memories

[sag_2002]

Yeah, I definately remember "The Big Game". Good times seeing all the classic cartoons, and the legendary Madden/Summerall team made it even cooler.

[Dudley]

Yeah, I remember that. I was excited to see it. But when I saw it, I was dissapointed because it was a dumb sports mockumentary.

[mojokingbee1]

Holy Crap! I just remembered the "Mean Joe Green" Parody with Johnny Bravo and Morocco Mole.

"I'm not a dog!" Hahahaha!

[JusSonic]

Man, these spoofs were so good. I wish I could know what happened in "Tom vs. Jerry" and see what the score is. I wish I could be able to tape that Big Game as well as "Sylvester vs. Tweety". Not to mentioned I wish that they are still doing this.

Oh well, at least I can still use the Big Game in fan-fictions.