63:
sales executive
Alexander "Bink" Dannenbaum concocted the idea of a mythical college football team. Using the name Jerry Croyden, Newburger phoned the New York papers and Dannenbaum phoned the Philadelphia papers with fantastic stories of Plainfield's lopsided victories over several (equally
124:
Finally, Newburger and
Dannenbaum had to confess, and "Jerry Croyden" wrote his final press release, stating that Plainfield had cancelled its remaining schedule as Chung and several other players were declared ineligible after flunking exams. The
67:
When the newspapers started printing the scores week after week, Newburger and
Dannenbaum invented other details, including a sophomore running back named Johnny "The Celestial Comet" Chung, whose amazing abilities on the
64:
nonexistent) schools, beginning in late
October. For the first two weeks, the scores and the opponents in the New York and Philadelphia papers did not match but by the third week, they were better organized.
518:"All the News That's Fit to Fake : In Days Gone By, the Terminally Mischievous Could Take Pride in Seeing the Flying Figments of Their Imaginations Make Their Way Into Print"
544:
76:
he ate on the bench between quarters. Hop-Along
Hobelitz was named as Plainfield's coach. There was even speculation that Plainfield might secure a bid to a small-college
388:
563:
436:
17:
454:
479:
538:
141:": "Far above New Jersey's swamplands / Plainfield Teachers' spires! / Mark a phony, ghostly college / That got on the wires...!"
573:
583:
97:, to try to find the college—and, of course, there wasn't one. (At the time, New Jersey had real teacher colleges in
87:
After several weeks of
Plainfield victories (padded by "wins" Newburger made up after the fact), Red Smith from the
568:
499:
138:
517:
106:
80:; in fact, Newburger had already planned for the team to "play" in the non-existent "Blackboard Bowl" in
110:
98:
118:
458:
414:
94:
578:
366:
130:
8:
361:
89:
356:
134:
39:
473:
69:
121:, none of them fielding football teams as the student bodies were largely female.)
114:
44:
548:
389:"The Greatest Hoax in Sports Reporting History (Yes, The Times Fell for It, Too)"
102:
93:(who by this time was also reporting the fake scores) decided to actually go to
557:
81:
56:
77:
413:
Levy, R. T.; Hamburger, Philip; Ross, Harold (November 22, 1941).
60:
437:"The Meaningless Hoax Before Manti Te'o's Meaningless Hoax"
73:
34:
539:"Plainfield State and Chung were Too Good To Be True",
129:
took it in good humor, reporting the hoax; columnist
412:
133:even wrote a song for Plainfield, to the tune of
555:
493:
491:
489:
278:
258:
238:
221:
204:
187:
170:
380:
564:Fictional American universities and colleges
486:
430:
428:
144:
386:
149:All games and opponents are fictitious.
425:
33:was an imaginary college, created as a
14:
556:
478:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
497:
434:
387:Christine, Bill (January 15, 2016).
27:Fictional college created as a hoax
24:
25:
595:
532:
435:Barra, Allen (January 18, 2013).
341:Blackboard Bowl at Atlantic City
18:Plainfield Teacher's College
498:Eyman, Scott (26 October 1986).
369:, founded as Plainfield College
510:
447:
406:
13:
1:
373:
332:
315:
298:
7:
574:Hoaxes in the United States
350:
50:
31:Plainfield Teachers College
10:
600:
584:1941 in the United States
500:"THE GREAT GRIDIRON HOAX"
139:Far Above Cayuga's Waters
47:fans across the country.
569:Plainfield, New Jersey
95:Plainfield, New Jersey
72:was chalked up to the
43:sports department and
415:"Plainfield Teachers"
367:North Central College
131:Franklin Pierce Adams
59:Morris Newburger and
541:The Westfield Leader
524:. October 11, 1987.
362:H. Rochester Sneath
309:Appalachian Normal
90:Philadelphia Record
547:2007-06-20 at the
393:The New York Times
357:Maguire University
323:November 22, 1941
306:November 15, 1941
40:The New York Times
522:Los Angeles Times
348:
347:
326:Harmony Teachers
286:November 8, 1941
266:November 1, 1941
246:October 25, 1941
179:Benson Institute
84:at season's end.
16:(Redirected from
591:
526:
525:
514:
508:
507:
504:Sun-Sentinel.com
495:
484:
483:
477:
469:
467:
466:
457:. Archived from
451:
445:
444:
432:
423:
422:
410:
404:
403:
401:
399:
384:
152:
151:
45:college football
21:
599:
598:
594:
593:
592:
590:
589:
588:
554:
553:
549:Wayback Machine
535:
530:
529:
516:
515:
511:
496:
487:
471:
470:
464:
462:
455:"Archived copy"
453:
452:
448:
433:
426:
411:
407:
397:
395:
385:
381:
376:
353:
147:
53:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
597:
587:
586:
581:
576:
571:
566:
552:
551:
534:
533:External links
531:
528:
527:
509:
485:
446:
424:
419:The New Yorker
405:
378:
377:
375:
372:
371:
370:
364:
359:
352:
349:
346:
345:
342:
339:
337:
335:
331:
330:
327:
324:
321:
318:
314:
313:
310:
307:
304:
301:
297:
296:
290:
287:
284:
281:
277:
276:
270:
269:Randolph Tech
267:
264:
261:
257:
256:
250:
247:
244:
241:
237:
236:
231:
228:
226:
224:
220:
219:
214:
211:
209:
207:
203:
202:
197:
194:
192:
190:
186:
185:
180:
177:
175:
173:
169:
168:
165:
162:
159:
156:
146:
143:
52:
49:
37:, that fooled
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
596:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
570:
567:
565:
562:
561:
559:
550:
546:
543:
542:
537:
536:
523:
519:
513:
505:
501:
494:
492:
490:
481:
475:
461:on 2021-08-30
460:
456:
450:
442:
438:
431:
429:
420:
416:
409:
394:
390:
383:
379:
368:
365:
363:
360:
358:
355:
354:
343:
340:
338:
336:
333:
328:
325:
322:
319:
316:
311:
308:
305:
302:
299:
294:
291:
288:
285:
282:
279:
274:
271:
268:
265:
262:
259:
254:
251:
248:
245:
242:
239:
235:
232:
229:
227:
225:
222:
218:
215:
212:
210:
208:
205:
201:
198:
195:
193:
191:
188:
184:
181:
178:
176:
174:
171:
166:
163:
160:
157:
154:
153:
150:
145:1941 "season"
142:
140:
136:
132:
128:
122:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
91:
85:
83:
82:Atlantic City
79:
75:
71:
65:
62:
58:
48:
46:
42:
41:
36:
32:
19:
579:1940s hoaxes
540:
521:
512:
503:
463:. Retrieved
459:the original
449:
441:The Atlantic
440:
418:
408:
396:. Retrieved
392:
382:
292:
272:
252:
233:
216:
199:
182:
148:
126:
123:
88:
86:
66:
54:
38:
30:
29:
398:January 15,
213:Chesterton
99:Jersey City
57:stockbroker
558:Categories
465:2021-08-30
374:References
344:cancelled
329:cancelled
312:cancelled
289:Ingersoll
320:Saturday
303:Saturday
283:Saturday
263:Saturday
243:Saturday
164:Opponent
115:Glassboro
111:Montclair
78:bowl game
55:In 1941,
545:Archived
474:cite web
351:See also
107:Paterson
70:gridiron
51:The hoax
249:Winona
167:Result
135:Cornell
127:Tribune
119:Trenton
196:Scott
117:, and
103:Newark
295:13–0
275:35–0
255:27–3
161:Date
155:Week
61:radio
480:link
400:2016
230:Fox
158:Day
137:'s "
74:rice
35:hoax
334:10
560::
520:.
502:.
488:^
476:}}
472:{{
439:.
427:^
417:.
391:.
317:9
300:8
280:7
260:6
240:5
223:4
206:3
189:2
172:1
113:,
109:,
105:,
101:,
506:.
482:)
468:.
443:.
421:.
402:.
293:W
273:W
253:W
234:W
217:W
200:W
183:W
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.