38 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • NOVEMBER 19, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
A half-century of Thanksgiving football
BY KYLE BRENNAN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
At only 18 years old, Rob Brennan, the
fourth child of 10, had an idea that their
family’s Th anksgiving could be more fun
than simply eating turkey at the dinner
table. A competitive family by nature, Rob
was the born leader of all things sports
related.
On Nov. 27, 1969, Rob formed a game
of two-hand touch football at a local high
school fi eld in Great Neck for his nine
brothers and sisters. Somehow, Rob had
the foresight that this game would morph
into something bigger and bigger for years
to come and christened it the “Brennan
Th anksgiving Bowl.”
In 1972, a permanent location for the
Th anksgiving Bowl was established. Rob’s
sister Mary and her husband Roger had
purchased an acre and a half of waterfront
property in Sag Harbor, New York.
Th ey had unknowingly just secured a
family football sanctuary.
Th rough the late 90’s, Rob and his siblings
Mary, Bill, Tom, Sue, Terry, Grace,
Joe, Dick and Dan bred and trained child
athletes of their own. In total, they produced
23 grandchildren — 14 boys and
nine girls. By 2005, the family had grown
so big, the game had to be expanded from
two teams to four.
How the game is organized each year
is a story in itself. Th ree weeks prior to
kick-off , Rob would send out a familywide
email, notifying the family of the
incoming weather patterns. A meteorology
hobbyist, Rob moonlighted in identifying
weather patterns of the Shelter
Island Sound. He would provide the captains
with a list of eligible players for the
draft — former MVPs, retirees, newcomer
in-laws or a surprise guest visitor from
overseas.
Th e rules are virtually the same each
year, but nonetheless they are argued and
debated over endlessly. Th ere have been
infamous tiff s and injuries in the legacy
of Th anksgiving Bowl: concussions, broken
hands, fractured ankles and damaged
egos. Players and fans chastise refs
for their botched calls, biases or clear negligence.
Th e game is two-hand touch, but the
competitiveness enraptures family into
foes. Th e sole focus becomes crossing that
ball over the end zone lines; other family
members are just in the way. Aft er
the games all sides shake hands, rib each
other over contested plays, and get consoling
back-pats from their mothers and
fathers. At dinner, Rob Brennan would
convene to hand the treasured MVP trophy
to the game’s best player.
Rob Brennan passed away this year at
just 68 years old. To the day of his death,
he ran at least three miles every single
day. Th e hunger for sport and sweat never
died, nor did his zest for life and family
competition.
Due to the pandemic, we were not able
to gather as a family to mourn, or more
likely to celebrate, his contributions to
our lives. Rob was the embodiment of the
Brennan competitive spirit, and he likely
contributed to the all-too-common cheering,
crying and arguing that occurs in
every Brennan sports event.
A left -handed delivery resembling Steve
Young, Rob was the quarterback for more
than 30 years. He instructed everyone
on the rules, etiquette and trick plays of
two-hand touch football, from his little
brothers and sisters, to his own two sons
Michael and Matthew. Rob was a leader;
a born teacher and instructor of sport.
He could have been running the show for
a big organization like the NFL or MLB,
but instead he poured his eff orts every
year into one game for his own family,
showing up early to paint the lines of
the fi eld, making T-shirt jerseys, hats, trophies,
plaques and all forms of memorabilia
without ever asking for a dime or
recognition.
Weeks prior to his passing in April,
Rob became a grandfather to a baby girl,
Photos courtesy of Kyle Brennan
Chloe. Th ere’s no doubt Chloe will be
spoiled over in all our family traditions
and maybe one day hoist the inaugural
Rob Brennan Th anksgiving Bowl MVP
trophy. She will get to hear stories about
her grandfather. How every Th anksgiving
morning, there he was, painting lines
on the fi eld with a big smile before anyone
arrived. His blue Toyota Prius, driven
right up onto the middle of the fi eld,
with boxes of T-shirts for each player to
grab as they arrived. Rob’s vision for the
importance of family has carried on for
fi ve decades and will continue for many
more.
Kyle Brennan, a Long Island City resident,
is a digital marketing director at
Condé Nast and a freelance writer who has
been featured in Lifehack. He is an accomplished
triathlete, marathon runner and
book reviewer. He provides reviews for his
favorite books and tools on his personal
blog and newsletter, Observe and Rapport.
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