The Seattle Seahawks' 10-9 victory against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, was the third coldest game in NFL history.
It reminded us of a game at Pullman over 60 years ago.
The date was Nov. 12, 1955 when the Cougars played San Jose State at Rogers Field. It became known as the "Refrigerator Bowl."
Cougar Athletic Fund member George Forbes was there that historic day. During the 2014 football season, he returned to the Cougar football sidelines for the first time since that 1955 game.
His adventures, including building a fire on the Rogers Field sideline to stay warm, is featured at the Cougar Athletic Fund website.
“I remember being cold,” Forbes said of that day over 60 years ago. “It was bone-chilling cold.”
In October 2014, Cougar Athletic Fund member and Washington State alumnus George Forbes returned to the sidelines for the first time since he was a student at the Refrigerator Bowl, Nov. 12, 1955. Read his adventures at the game at the Cougar Athletic Fund website.
Temperature at kickoff was a brisk 5 degrees. It was the coldest Nov. 12 in the 75 years of weather bureau history. The wind chill was well below zero.
The woodwind section were told to stay home and the brass froze before halftime. One unfortunate trumpet player, celebrating a Washington State score, had his lips stuck on his mouthpiece when he attempted to play.
Coffee in the press box quickly turned to ice. A dial on the telephone stuck and a heater had to be used to keep the machine responsible for statistics functioning.
Seated in the 22,000-seat stadium were approximately 1,000 frozen students and 400 customers who paid in advance.
And with them one fan who paid at the gate.
The one individual who purchased a grandstand ticket quickly become legend, and sought by Washington State staff and the media.
The letter from Robert Smawley, WSC ticket manager, to Charles Moore, the lone ticket purchaser to the WSC-San Jose State game.
With every newspaper account of the game there was story about the one fan, and who that person was.
The Spokesman-Review reported that individual was Charles Moore from Harrington, Wash. Upon learning this, ticket manager Robert Smawley wrote a letter to Moore offering to refund his ticket in person at a basketball game.
On January 7, Moore received his refund during a ceremony at the basketball game.
And the game, which became known as the Refrigerator Bowl? It finished in a 13-13 tie.
Go Cougs!
Jason Krump, WSU Athletics
