The Only Game That Matters: The Harvard / Yale Rivalry

My great uncle Alex Wilson a captain of Yale and a Captain in WWI who died near the end of the war is part of the legacy

Not only is this a good read into the history of the Harvard/Yale rivalry, but it is also a nice glimpse into the origin and development of college football as well as the development of the sport of football as it is played today. As a fan of an SEC school, it definitely gave me an appreciation of the Ivy League.

This is one of the greatest rivalries of two great schools - It dates back to another time. In many ways this a great part of American Football History. Remember Yale contributed greatly to the modern development of American Football before 1900. Rev. Ron Hooker

The book was interesting and a fun read for any Harvard or Yale grad...or any fan of college football. However, I counted at least three errors in the book. Early in the book President Theodore Roosevelt is listed as being from the Harvard Class of 1880. Several pages later he's listed as the class of 1895. (1880 is the correct date...) In discussions of Frank Hinkey, he is mentioned as one of only 5 four-time All Americans. In the photo section, his picture is accompanied by a description that says he is one of 11 four-time All Americans. Then, there is discussion of Ivy League football dropping from Division I-A to I-AA. At first this is mentioned as having happened in 1982. Later in the book, the 1974 Yale team is noted to have the best defense in Division I-AA. (But they were still in Division I-A in '74, weren't they?) Anyway, these were three glaring errors that I picked up without doing any research or fact-checking. It just makes me wonder how many other errors are in the book that I didn't notice?

Every fall, colleges from far and wide gather together in some of the most intense and passionate rivalries in all of sports. Whether it be the classic rivals of Ohio State-Michigan, Army-Navy, or Auburn-Alabama, nothing truly compares to a game between two longly contested institutions. However of all the great traditional rivalries perhaps none exemplifies the true and humble beginnings of football better than Harvard and Yale. With this outstanding piece of football commentary and history, Corbett and Simpson give the reader a true sense of what The Game is truly about: sportsmanship, loyalty, and tradition. Whether your a die-hard alumni or a casual fan of good football, this book will keep you interested and motivated to know more. You begin to understand and apprieciate the rivalry that this is. Since many of the great Division I-AA rivarlies, like Harvard-Yale or Lehigh-Lafayette, don't get as much attention from the press, its very refreshing to see an example of the true student-athelete at his triumphal and inspiring best. The young men of Harvard and Yale, coming from different backgrounds and lives, come together every year not to showcase their own individual skills for NFL scouts but rather represent the institutions that have come to exemplify American excellence the last 300 hundred years. You don't even have to have gone to either school to gain a general sense of pride when observing such a rivalry unfold. It is simply inspiring and uplifting to know that sports are still played for the love of the game and to know with a combined effort anything is possible for a team. A truly honorable feat by both schools to keep tradition and pride alive in a otherwise prideless sports landscape.

In the 1875-1876 football game, Harvard beat Yale 4 to 0. The next year it was Yale's turn to win 1 to 0. In fact that began a winning streak that lasted until 1891 (to be sure there were some 0 to 0 ties and a few years when they didn't play) when when Harvard finally won 12 to 6. But in spite of a few tidbits like these, this isn't a history book. This is almost a eulogy to the rivalry. Perhaps eulogy isn't exactly the right word since they usually reflect on something past, and this rivalry certainly isn't over. The book is historical, but spends most of its time on the recent games, players, and coaches. The two writers are both Massachusetts men, but then again, Massachusetts is just a short physical distance from New Haven. Delightful book.