Plainfield Teachers College was an imaginary college, created as a hoax, that fooled The New York Times sports department[1] and college football fans across the country.
In 1941, stockbroker Morris Newburger and radio sales executive Alexander "Bink" Dannenbaum concocted the idea of a mythical college football team.[2][3] 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 nonexistent) schools, beginning in late October.[4] 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.[5]
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 gridiron was chalked up to the rice he ate on the bench between quarters.[5][3] Hop-Along Hobelitz was named as Plainfield's coach. There was even speculation that Plainfield might secure a bid to a small-college bowl game; in fact, Newburger had already planned for the team to "play" in the non-existent "Blackboard Bowl" in Atlantic City at season's end.[5]
After several weeks of Plainfield victories (padded by "wins" Newburger made up after the fact), Red Smith from the Philadelphia Record (who by this time was also reporting the fake scores) decided to actually go to Plainfield, New Jersey, to try to find the college—and, of course, there wasn't one. (At the time, New Jersey had real teacher colleges in Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, Montclair, Glassboro, and Trenton, none of them fielding football teams as the student bodies were largely female.)
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 Tribune took it in good humor, reporting the hoax; columnist Franklin Pierce Adams even wrote a song for Plainfield, to the tune of Cornell's "Far Above Cayuga's Waters": "Far above New Jersey's swamplands / Plainfield Teachers' spires! / Mark a phony, ghostly college / That got on the wires...!"[6]
^Christine, Bill (January 15, 2016). "The Greatest Hoax in Sports Reporting History (Yes, The Times Fell for It, Too)". The New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
^Levy, R. T.; Hamburger, Philip; Ross, Harold (November 22, 1941). "Plainfield Teachers". The New Yorker.
^ abBarra, Allen (January 18, 2013). "The Meaningless Hoax Before Manti Te'o's Meaningless Hoax". The Atlantic.
^. Archived from the original on 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2021-08-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ abcEyman, Scott (26 October 1986). "THE GREAT GRIDIRON HOAX". Sun-Sentinel.com.
^"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". Los Angeles Times. October 11, 1987.
External linksEdit
"Plainfield State and Chung were Too Good To Be True", The Westfield Leader 2007-06-20 at the Wayback Machine
October 21, 2023
plainfield, teachers, college, imaginary, college, created, hoax, that, fooled, york, times, sports, department, college, football, fans, across, country, contents, hoax, 1941, season, also, references, external, linksthe, hoax, editin, 1941, stockbroker, morr. Plainfield Teachers College was an imaginary college created as a hoax that fooled The New York Times sports department 1 and college football fans across the country Contents 1 The hoax 1 1 1941 season 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksThe hoax EditIn 1941 stockbroker Morris Newburger and radio sales executive Alexander Bink Dannenbaum concocted the idea of a mythical college football team 2 3 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 nonexistent schools beginning in late October 4 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 5 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 gridiron was chalked up to the rice he ate on the bench between quarters 5 3 Hop Along Hobelitz was named as Plainfield s coach There was even speculation that Plainfield might secure a bid to a small college bowl game in fact Newburger had already planned for the team to play in the non existent Blackboard Bowl in Atlantic City at season s end 5 After several weeks of Plainfield victories padded by wins Newburger made up after the fact Red Smith from the Philadelphia Record who by this time was also reporting the fake scores decided to actually go to Plainfield New Jersey to try to find the college and of course there wasn t one At the time New Jersey had real teacher colleges in Jersey City Newark Paterson Montclair Glassboro and Trenton none of them fielding football teams as the student bodies were largely female 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 Tribune took it in good humor reporting the hoax columnist Franklin Pierce Adams even wrote a song for Plainfield to the tune of Cornell s Far Above Cayuga s Waters Far above New Jersey s swamplands Plainfield Teachers spires Mark a phony ghostly college That got on the wires 6 1941 season Edit All games and opponents are fictitious Week Day Date Opponent Result1 Benson Institute W2 Scott W3 Chesterton W4 Fox W5 Saturday October 25 1941 Winona W 27 36 Saturday November 1 1941 Randolph Tech W 35 07 Saturday November 8 1941 Ingersoll W 13 08 Saturday November 15 1941 Appalachian Normal cancelled9 Saturday November 22 1941 Harmony Teachers cancelled10 Blackboard Bowl at Atlantic City cancelledSee also EditMaguire University H Rochester Sneath North Central College founded as Plainfield CollegeReferences Edit Christine Bill January 15 2016 The Greatest Hoax in Sports Reporting History Yes The Times Fell for It Too The New York Times Retrieved January 15 2016 Levy R T Hamburger Philip Ross Harold November 22 1941 Plainfield Teachers The New Yorker a b Barra Allen January 18 2013 The Meaningless Hoax Before Manti Te o s Meaningless Hoax The Atlantic Archived copy Archived from the original on 2021 08 30 Retrieved 2021 08 30 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link a b c Eyman Scott 26 October 1986 THE GREAT GRIDIRON HOAX Sun Sentinel com 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 Los Angeles Times October 11 1987 External links Edit Plainfield State and Chung were Too Good To Be True The Westfield Leader Archived 2007 06 20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Plainfield Teachers College amp oldid 1176360798, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
