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Where's the heart of football in America?

 
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jammerbirdi



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PostPosted: 01/28/11 5:57 pm    ::: Where's the heart of football in America? Reply Reply with quote

Sports Illustrated says that the heart of football beats in my home town, Aliquippa, PA.

Long article. Almost a complete cultural and social history of Aliquippa from about the mid-50s on. Goes into race and ethnic influences, mill economy and the urban 'feel' of the place and the ever present dangers of the street. Aliquippa was simply one of the most amazing small towns in America. It exemplified an era coming out of World War II of thriving north east industrial towns on the outskirts of major cities that retained the somewhat modern complex character and problems of those cities but then had the charm, yes, Aliquippa had amazing charm, of an American small town.

This is nothing less than a very detailed story of where I come from, not simply in terms of geography, but social background and culture. As I was reading it, I was at times cringing at the thought that people who know me now might read this. It was such a fascinating place and this is an article that captures that. I could amplify and contribute background on so many points in this article. From a short list of the cultural implants that growing up there puts into a person to details on so much that is mentioned in the article.

The hard part is that the Aliquippa I knew as a kid, this most exciting roaring small town 'where the action' most certainly was, is now, with the exception of what they used to call King Football, nothing but cold dangerous shadows and fleeting memories. Aliquippa was GREAT. SO great that now even after it has declined for decades into NOTHING, Sports Illustrated can publish a piece declaring that the HEART of FOOTBALL beats in this tiny ghost of a great American small city.

In the end I almost wish this article never happened. It's just not easy to be pulled back. And this is like someone whispering my own story back to me. My own personal history in Aliquippa is one of tremendous loss. I live with that loss every minute of every day. I remember asking an art teacher in high school what she was doing in a place like Aliquippa. She said, "I made the mistake of coming back. If you ever get out, never come back because if you come back you'll never leave." The whole point of my life since the age of about 20 has been to get out, stay out, and never look back. The irony is that I've forever wondered if anyone would ever write an unvarnished in-depth article like this but, now that someone has, reading it is like a psychological confrontation with myself. To stay away from Aliquippa you need to forget how much you loved it.

"Football isn't kind. It wasn't invented to save men or to serve as a civic barrier against the ills unleashed by the end of an era. Fueled by obedience, reveling in brute force, dismissive of weakness, the game hardly seems nimble enough to withstand the social trends that made Aliquippa feel, over the past 40 years, like some corroding edge of the American Dream. Industrial collapse, race riots, massive layoffs, white flight, corporate greed, fatherless families, the scourge of crack: All battered this tiny town like a series of typhoons. It's as if the same mysterious alchemy that keeps producing Hall of Fame talent and a team with a record 13 WPIAL titles created an equally outsized appetite for destruction. Aliquippa takes everything to extremes."

The Heart Of Football Beats In Aliquippa Over five decades of economic decline and racial conflict, a Western Pennsylvania mill town has found unity and hope on the football field



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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17
jammerbirdi



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PostPosted: 09/17/11 2:31 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Aliquippa beats down Beaver Falls 27-0 with Beaver Falls native Broadway Joe Namath watching.



Aliquippa (3-0) is ranked number one in the state of Pennsylvania.

"Trying to prepare for Aliquippa is like trying to prepare to face the Roman Army," Riverside coach Tom Liberty said. "Only Aliquippa might have more weapons."



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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17
jammerbirdi



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PostPosted: 12/02/11 1:23 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Oh. Almost forgot. Aliquippa won its 14th WPIAL Championship on Saturday.

Cutting it close. Shocked


These Quips rank among the best By Bill Allmann Times Sports Correspondent

PITTSBURGH -- Down by one point with 3:01 left, 96 yards away from the goal line, and no timeouts left, Aliquippa had its proverbial backs to the wall.

The fact that the Quips had won 13 previous WPIAL titles was of little import at that point other than the red and black some reason for optimism, even though Aliquippa had gained just 198 yards in the first 45 minutes.

Still, the Quips marched down the field, actually gaining 101 yards in the drive because of a penalty. Twice, Aliquippa converted third down plays, including the touchdown pass from Mikal Hall to Devon Walker with 29 seconds left that gave the Quips their 14th WPIAL title, 14-7.



http://www.timesonline.com/sports/high_school/football/allmann-these-quips-rank-among-the-best/article_a81cab03-17cd-5062-ab58-71881e9f2331.html



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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17
jammerbirdi



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PostPosted: 11/24/12 2:34 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Aliquippa wins record 15th WPIAL title... 34-7. GO QUIPS!!!

"... this was supposed to be the marquee game of the WPIAL championships. Since the WPIAL playoffs began for all classes in 1977, it was just the 17th championship game pairing teams with perfect records. This one didn't live up to the hype.

The Quips outgained Washington, 543-114, and held a 26-5 edge in first downs. Aliquippa, which has allowed 42 points this season, only gave up a touchdown when Washington's Josh Wise recovered a fumble and returned it for 50 yards for a score.

Wise, who completed 2 of 13 passes for 23 yards, said the speed of the Aliquippa defense was the difference.

"You can prepare for maybe size, but you can't prepare for speed, and that's something they have a lot of," Wise said. "We did all we could, but, in the end, it really wasn't enough."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-football/wpial-class-aa-championship-aliquippa-bags-record-15th-title-663466/#ixzz2D7gxdrWN



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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17
jammerbirdi



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PostPosted: 12/11/21 1:13 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I’ve missed some updates along the way as Aliquippa now has accumulated a PA state record 18 WPIAL titles.

Just won its fourth state championship Thursday night and 2nd in the last four years.

Aliquippa is by enrollment a Class A team that traditionally chooses to play two classes above whatever their enrollment would indicate as their class.

But because they won a state championship and a WPIAL title at 3A the PIAA moved them up to 4A this year. Now that they won another WPIAL and state championship the PIAA has indicated it is going to move Aliquippa up to 5A next season. They are already facing one-way players with an overwhelmingly two-way player squad.

Also, it has to be said, these bigger schools that they are taking on and marching through to win these championships over, they are many of the wealthier and whiter school districts. Mostly, much more, however you want to put it. If Aliquippa would just sit down there in 1A and win its titles and not take the trophies out of the hands of all these bigger more important to more important people schools, the PIAA would leave them alone. Anyway.

https://www.timesonline.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/12/10/why-not-us-aliquippa-rallies-behind-yet-again-capture-piaa-title-beaver-county-times-mike-warfield/8890818002/



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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17
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