Bowled Over

From our entertainment editor Qwerty Lee Dickinson:

We hope you have a super Super Bowl Sunday today -- and of course, if you're a fan of Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) then you know that were it not for Emmett Lee Dickinson there wouldn't even be a Super Bowl.  We wrote about the history of how the game was named HERE.   A Dickinson poem also inspired the creation of the Super Bowl ring -- we wrote about that HERE.  

Emmett Lee Dickinson also invented…
 

• The marching band
• The half-time spectacle
• The 16 ounce red cup for beer
• The concession stand
• The hotdog (and third cousin Emily Dickinson developed the first recipe for nachos)

We wrote about his influence on the half-time show HERE.  

Other members of the Dickinson family have also influenced the sport of football.  Emmett Lee Dickinson's Uncle Hobart -- a world-famous clown known as "Gurgles the Clown" -- introduced a spectacle that is now known as the "Puppy Bowl."  Originally it was called "Gurgles the Clown presents the Marvelous Foot-Ball Dogs."

Also, Emmett Lee Dickinson's brother Darth invented the football helmet.  He noticed the need for a helmet after watcihng a football game at Harvard Junior College in Washerst, PA.   

Pictured below on the right:  The original football helmet invented by Emmett Lee Dickinson's brother, Darth Dickinson.

Of course, Emmett Lee Dickinson also wrote many poems about football, and two of his works seem to have captured the excitement of Super Bowl LII, "Fly -- fly -- as Eagles fly" and "Where every Eagle's bold to go" (below on the left).  His poems inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poems "Fly -- fly -- but as you fly" and "Where every bird is bold to go" (below on the right). 
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By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
Fly – fly – as Eagles fly –
Remember – the Pats might pass them by –
Both teams are pursuing the Championship
The Championship is set for Eternity –
Ah the Responsibility –
No wonder that the thirty-second ads
Cost such a frightening sum –
​

By Emily Dickinson:
 
Fly – fly – but as you fly –
Remember – the second pass you by –
The Second is pursuing the Century
The Century is chasing Eternity –
Ah the Responsibility –
No wonder that the little Second flee –
Out of its frightened way –

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
 
Where every Eagle’s bold to go
And must abashless play
The Patriots before the World
Must strive to win today.
​

By Emily Dickinson:
 
Where every bird is bold to go
And bees abashless play,
The foreigner before he knocks
Must thrust the tears away.