Forward Pass invented at CP?

My grandpa told me that the forward pass was invented on the beaches of CP. He said there were like 3 guys playing and they decided to throw the ball. Everybody said that you can't throw the ball. That year Notre Dame started throwing the ball and no other team could beat them. He said there was a sign on the beach, but he didn't know where it was.

Is this story true and where is the sign if it is?

Also he was there in '73, I think that is the year, when the tornado hit CP. He said it tore up CCMR and that it broke the track in two, there was a couple of trees on it too. He was in the parking lot in a van, and the tornado kept tipping the car and pushing the car towards the lake. Luckily it didn't push the van into the lake.

Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne and teammate Gus Dorais developed the forward pass when both worked there just before WWI. There is a sign marking the event at Soak City.

The tornado hit the Point in June, 1977.

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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual *** This post was edited by Gemini on 6/22/2000. ***

The language that I've most often heard in this matter is that the forward pass was "perfected" on the Cedar Point beach. To me, that indicates that technically, it wasn't "invented" at CP. Still, a great part of the Cedar Point history!

You're right, the forward pass had been in limited use before Rockne; but the mere fact such a legendary name was once associated with CP just adds to the rich history of the park.

OK time to chime in. This is by far my favorite CP story. (cue music... ND fight song)
....working as life guards during the summer of 1913(?) famous football legend Knute Rockne along with Gus Dorias PERFECTED the foward pass.
If you see the BGSU CP Memories show on PBS there is a group shot of the life guards with Knute Rockne.

Just found this tidbit regarding this story. Nothing new, but interesting. From "College Football's Great Dynasties: Notre Dame" by Roland Lazenby:

"In 1913, Harper's second year at the helm, Notre Dame registered one of the most famous victories in the history of college football. Notre Dame had been asked the previous year to fill a vacancy in the Army schedule, and accepted seeing it as a way to earn some national recognition. During the summer of 1913, Gus Dorais and Knute Rockne, the team's quarterback and split end, respectively, worked together at Cedar Point, a resort in Sandusky, Ohio. During this time, they practiced their passing combination together, perfecting a relatively new invention in the game"

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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual

*** This post was edited by Gemini on 6/23/2000. ***

I was a Ride dept. seasonal from July 1976 through Sept 78 on the Mill Race, near the Blue Streak and Turnpike Cars. The Mill Race, I believe, was disassembled and rebuilt at Valley Fair. I was working AT the time of the tornado, and after my ride was closed for the weather, I went to the Rides office, as a second year seasonal who made it to work most every day. Mike J., becoming an Area Assistant and Peggy [?] became a Rides Area supervisor. Being a return employee, from BG area, I was a fairly familiar employee to people.

I was handed a commercial grade, 6 volt flashlight, sent to Frontier Town and guided about a dozen people back to the Midway, because trees were down everywhere, blocking the Frontier trails, the brick bridge [the home of super carp] and several of the Frontier Town buildings had trees on them. The group walked along the railroad tracks, past a couple of the free-standing "animatronic" displays, then re-entered midway, like maybe near the Corkscrew or Jungle Larry's.

Yes, we had heard about Knute Rockne and the forward pass.

How long did it take you to find a 19 year old thread???

Looks like around an hour and nineteen minutes. Give or take. :-)

I learned this Rockne info from the CP video on sale at the park in the early 90’s.

Throwing a football had to be invented? This is coming from someone who knows next to nothing of the sport.

You and me both. I've never understood the appeal of football.

My understanding is they developed a particular technique for throwing the ball.

I'm not even mad this was resurrected. This is something I never knew and find quite intriguing.

This thread is so old, that when it was created it was only a few years after the forward pass was perfected.

CPVet said:

Throwing a football had to be invented? This is coming from someone who knows next to nothing of the sport.

Heck, in the early 1900's, football was so brutal that people were dying on a regular basis. Teddy Roosevelt even had to become involved to get the rules changed.

How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football

They're still dying on a regular basis. Broken brains are a thing.

True enough. I guess I should have said they are not dying on the field.

Silly me, I was under the impression that Forward Pass was the exclusive method utilized by certain fanatic coaster enthusiasts when they spot an open seat on certain coasters or desire the first or last ride of the day. There is no upcharge for this pass, just self important attitude is required for use.

I've never witnessed such behavior. Ever.

Gemini your horoscope sign? I noticed somewhere about Rockne story and did a search and found the tornado story and I was working on ride when tornado hit back by frontier Town. Mine ride had an almost complete loop to rival the Corkscrew

Any previous seasonals work with folks that called CP "Six Flags over Sandusky"? I was on second occupied train that ran the Gemini. Anyway, I found this site and saw last post on this thread was 19 years ago.

Old Mill Race had two giant water pumps and an ETS employee dumped, he claimed, 8 gallons of concentrated cleaner at the base of pumps.Ride was closed for about an hour or so because of giant soap balls. Some about 4 or 5 feet around began blowing down midway.

Finally, park brass rode the ride wearing blue CP raincoats, Mr Kinsel might even been among them. The log boats made a kinda plop on the suds. an area super or two rubbed the foam right into their face and said not a problem. Most of the foam was gone by late in afternoon. All the ride "guests" were happy to know how we cleaned the ride at the end of the year