Bacardi Bowl - American College Football in Havana?

(Chicago) To escape this beautiful and relentless 2010 winter, we dream of Old Havana.  Our spicy black bean Chili Cubano heats things up!  Are you ready for some futbol?

Give your tailgate party a dash of Old Havana!  And read about Cuba's Bacardi Bowl.  And one of the bigesst (and least known) upsets in College football history.  The year was 1937 when things went loco!  Havana shocked national power house, Old Miss. 

Deep from the archives of Old Havana Foods comes this piece of football history.  And the story of the Cigar Bowl, otherwise known as the Rumba Bowl or Bacardi Bowl.    

For the better part of 40 years, thousands of football fanáticos flocked to Havana's La Tropical Stadium to see an event that historians say was alternately called the "Cigar Bowl," the "Rhumba Bowl," or officially the "Bacardi Bowl." Beginning in 1907, the capital city played host to some of America's gridiron giants for an annual holiday sports "espectaculo" or spectacle (see mmbolding.com or wikpedia for more details).

The inaugural bowl game kicked off on a balmy Christmas Day, 1907. Sports historians say a crowd of 10,000 came to cheer the home team against Louisiana State University. Although the Tigers mauled the inexperienced islanders, 57-to-nothing, sports-crazy Habaneros were hooked!

Things got really "loco" 14 years later when the Cubans engineered a football coup de' etat, turning the tables on the American "futbolistas." On December 31st, 1921, a team of islanders pulled one of the biggest (and least-known) upsets in college football history. The University of Havana locked horns with the highly-vaunted "Old Miss" squad. The mighty Rebels from the University of Mississippi were heavily favored. But the "Habaneros" stunned the football world with a 14-to-0 upset win!

The fnal score hit the American mainland like a Tsunami, sending shockwaves through the football-loving-South. Old Miss fans reading the scores back home figured it was a typo on the telegraph wires. But make no mistake - the Cubans were for real.

Sadly, the last Bacardi Bowl was played in 1946. Though the island's turbulent political climate forced a suspension of the holiday event, older Havana sports fanáticos fondly remember the day the Cubans shocked the sports world. And no doubt the Cubanos eagerly await the return of American football.


In the meantime, enjoy the college bowl games with a big bowl of Chili Cubano. A shot of Bacardi might not be a bad idea either. Check our Mojito recipe...
Authentic Old Havana Mojito
(1 serving)

Juice from 1 freshly squeezed lime
3 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
2 ounces white rum
4 ounces seltzer / club soda or sparkling mineral water
2 teaspoons sugar
finely crushed ice

Directions: Using a spoon, gently crush the mint leaves with the sugar against the side of your glass. Add the rum, lime juice and seltzer in the same glass and then pour into a cocktail shaker and shake to combine the flavors. Pour into a clean serving glass for your happy guests. Two or three of these and you'll be dancing the mambo! But remember - always please celebrate responsibly - don't dance and drive at the same time!

To make your football parties amazing, order our all-natural Chili Cubano now at Old Havana Foods!!