the best telling of the story is that during a game in 1930, some co-eds stole the oil can from the Fresno Bulldogs college football team bus... and that prevented the Bulldogs from making a trip home on time, because of the extensive oil use of a 1923 engine (total loss design).
The oil can was hidden at the SDSU stadium, and never found until the stadium was demo'd and the new stadium built... and since then, the Old Oil Can IS the trophy, of the nearly 100 yr old rivalry game
There's a lot of "tall tale" involved in that story, but, it's very entertaining... and the trophy really is an old oil can.
About the contest
Entrants were asked to suggest a name for the rivalry game and as well as a trophy to commemorate it. Of the 65 entries received, one stretched back into history telling about the discovery of an oil can from Fresno (circa 1935) that was supposedly recovered during a San Diego State campus building project, discovered in the foundation.
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The Oil Can trophy comes from a 1930s-era oil can hailing from Fresno that was found at a construction site at San Diego State.
"The oil can likely came from a time when Aztec and Bulldog fans traveled to football games between the two schools via the old, twisting, precipitous Grapevine section of Highway 99 over Tejon Pass," said Jacquelyn K. Glasener, executive director of the Fresno State Alumni Association.
"Cars in those days carried extra oil and water to be sure they could make it through difficult trips," added Jim Herrick, executive director of the San Diego State Alumni Association.
The two alumni associations made the oil can into a trophy and the teams started competing for it during the 2011 season.
Great story with much humor to it. As for the two artists depicting scenes, they each deserve a WOW for their artistry and thanks to you for bringing these to us.
ReplyDeletea story that has everything I want, a vehicle related connection, with the team travel bus, a trophy, history, a prank, and it's all so unheard of that only college football fans of SDSU and Fresno would have EVER heard of it! Plus, I used to use a can exactly like that for a gas can when mowing lawns. So, an item so common, I've used one. On top of it all, I live walking distance from SDSU. I kid you not. I live about 3 blocks west of College Boulevard, and 8 blocks south of SDSU. My Dominos is next to the dorms, and the bridge from the dorms to the classroom buildings
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