Pennsylvania School Ends Thanksgiving Football Tradition After 40 Years

Having a tradition is a great thing, especially when it's a beloved holiday tradition. But, one Pennsylvania school is ending its long Thanksgiving football game tradition. This Turkey Day event has been going on for a whopping 40 years, too.

So, why are the schools sacking the game? It's apparently over safety concerns.

The school, located in Northeast Philadelphia, is Father Judge High School, a Catholic school. The staff took to social media this week to state that they will no longer hold their annual Thanksgiving football game against Abraham Lincoln High School, a public school located nearby.

Regarding why the change, Judge Alumni President Brian Patrick King stated in a letter to the Catholic school's community that was posted to Judge's Facebook page that, "After 40+ years, Father Judge High School and Abraham Lincoln High School have reached a joint agreement to cease playing our annual Thanksgiving Day game that has been a long-standing tradition in Northeast Philadelphia." King knows that it's a big deal to end a tradition that's been going on for so long. Many families and members of the community looked forward to this game, which was lovingly called the Turkey Bowl. He wrote that the school didn't take the decision lightly. Also, the two schools were considering the change for years now. They finally agreed to do it out of safety concerns. "The safety and security of players, referees, and attendees coupled with potential football conflicts with the PIAA and District 12 schedule were some of the driving forces that brought about this decision," King stated. Comments on the Facebook post are mixed, with many community members mourning the loss of the event. But, some say they understand the reasoning, so they accept it. Hopefully the teams will still get in some good games against each other in the upcoming seasons.

I always get a little frustrated when I see an ad on TV for a restaurant with delicious food, but it's not a restaurant located in my area. Why even advertise? I get that some of these are national ads, but why the tease? In that spirit, I was recently thinking about fast food restaurants we want to see in Pennsylvania.

Before we get to these hot spots that we'd like to see come to Pennsylvania, let's look at some of the state's most popular fast food restaurants. Foodandwine.com recently did a story highlighting the best fast food spots in every state. In it, they state, "Fast, easy, typically quite affordable, and nearly always imbued with a deep sense of place, these restaurants often end up pulling double duty as ambassadors for their place of origin — they can be a great introduction to an unfamiliar place, the perfect place to tune in to the local vibe." In Pennsylvania, they picked Wawa as the top. Moreover, they praise the restaurant's "breakfast sandwiches, the soft pretzels, the iced teas, the ice cream, and the nearly limitless TastyKake reserves." Also, looking next door, in New Jersey, they picked Jersey Mike's. That's actually my dad's favorite.

Another outlet, TasteofHome.com, also did a story about the best fast food in each state. For this article, they actually highlighted regional and local chains, not the super national ones. "Move over McDonald's and Chipotle—these treasured regional fast food spots should be on your bucket list!" they state. They picked the combination gas station / fast food restaurant Sheetz, Altoona as the best in Pennsylvania. Love me some Sheetz. "They offer made-to-order sandwiches that let you pile the toppings high, along with some pretty killer sides," the article states.

Now, let's get into five fast food restaurant we want to see in Pennsylvana.

Steak 'n Shake delivers just that: tasty shakes and steak. The chain was founded in 1934 in Normal, Illinois, so they've been around for more than 85 years. According to their website, "The word 'steak' stood for STEAKBURGER. The term 'shake' stood for hand-dipped MILK SHAKES." They were in Pennsylvania for a while but closed locations during the pandemic. Hopefully they come back.

If you like your ice cream made with custard, then Culver's is your haven. This spot is known for its ice cream and shakes, as well as fast food cuisine. It was founded in Wisconsin and is mainly found in the middle of the U.S., and not in Pennsylvania.

Whataburger is a burger favorite across America. The chain is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, and has more than 900 locations. Pennsylvania is not one of them. Maybe one day.

Jack in the Box has made the news lately for expanding into new states. But, they aren't coming to Pennsylvania. Yet. Please come.

Wingstop is all about the great wings and chicken items. "What began as a small buffalo-style chicken wing restaurant in Garland, Texas, continues to soar to great heights," they state on their website. Right now, Wingstop has more than 2,000 restaurants open. When you go to their official website, it says they don't have any Pennsylvania locations, but they actually do have some, including in Allentown and Easton. We want to see more, and we'd like them to proudly list them on their site.