The Bacon Bowl was an annual charity football game in the United States. It was originally played between members of the Seattle Police Department on one side, and members of the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County sheriff's deputies, and state police working in Pierce County on the other side. Over the years, participation grew to include personnel from other law enforcement bodies in the counties. [1]
It was the second largest charity football game played in the US. All money raised, after expenses, went to various children's charities around the Puget Sound region. [2] Through 2001, $2.4 million had been distributed to charities. [3]
The Bacon Bowl was played from 1979 through 2005. By 2004, there was criticism that too much of the money raised had gone to a telemarketing firm and expenses. In 2002, although the game raised nearly $350,000, after expenses only $18,380 went to charities. [1] [4] Other problems were a decrease in attendance, injury concerns and the difficulty in finding players to play the game. The game was replaced in 2006 in favor of other athletic events, including a 3.1-mile (5-kilometre) run and walk. [5] A later replacement for the football game in 2007 was a boxing event. [6]
Over 3,000 law enforcement officials in both police departments participated in the game during its 26-year un.
Its name derives from the eponymous pork product, a play on "pig," a pejorative term for police officers in the United States.
At the conclusion of the 27-game series, standings were:
Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 63,612 at the 2020 census.
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Marcus Lavon Trufant is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for Washington State Cougars, and was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks 11th overall in the 2003 NFL draft.
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Jerramy Ryan Stevens is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL).
Damon Paul Huard is a former American football quarterback. He is the director of community relations and fundraising for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater.
The T Line, formerly known as Tacoma Link, is a light rail line in Tacoma, Washington, part of the Link light rail system operated by Sound Transit. It travels 4.0 miles (6.4 km) and serves 12 stations between Tacoma Dome Station, Downtown Tacoma, and Hilltop. The line carried 934,724 total passengers in 2019, with a weekday average of over 3,100 boardings. Tacoma Link runs for nine to 18 hours per day, using streetcars at frequencies of 12 to 20 minutes.
Sound FC is an American soccer team based in Tacoma, Washington. Founded in 2006, the team most recently played in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
Bill Leavy was an American football official who officiated in the National Football League (NFL) from the 1995 through 2014 seasons, wore uniform number 127, and was also a retired San Jose, California police officer and firefighter, serving for 27 years. In his twenty-year NFL officiating career, Leavy was assigned to fifteen playoff games, including two Super Bowls. He was selected as a back judge on the Super Bowl XXXIV officiating crew in 2000 and most recently headed up the Super Bowl XL officiating crew as referee in 2006.
In March 2007, high-profile protests were focused on the Port of Tacoma, in Tacoma, Washington, United States. The protests, which lasted for 11 days, centered on a shipment of Stryker vehicles belonging to the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, which were scheduled to ship through the Port of Tacoma to the Iraq War. During the protests, members of Port Militarization Resistance tried to obstruct the shipping operations. A total of 37 protesters were arrested.
Tacoma Dome Station is a train station and transit hub in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It is served by Amtrak trains, the S Line of Sounder commuter rail, the T Line of Link light rail, and buses on local and intercity routes. Located near the Tacoma Dome south of Downtown Tacoma, the station consists of two train platforms used by Sounder and Amtrak trains, a platform for the T Line, a bus terminal, and two parking garages. The Sounder station is integrated into Freighthouse Square, a former Milwaukee Road depot that was converted into a shopping mall, and is on the east side of the Amtrak station.
Pierce Transit, officially the Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation, is an operator of public transit in Pierce County, Washington. It operates a variety of services, including fixed-route buses, dial-a-ride transportation, vanpool and ride-matching for carpools. The agency's service area covers the urbanized portions of Pierce County, part of the Seattle metropolitan area, and includes the city of Tacoma. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 7,021,900, or about 23,900 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Robert James Turbin is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah State Aggies, and was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Seahawks. With the Seahawks, he won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Denver Broncos. He has also played for the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and Indianapolis Colts. He appears on CBS Sports Network as a commentator for their college football broadcasts.
Bob Robertson was an American sportscaster, best known for covering Washington State University football from 1964–68 and 1972–2018, and WSU basketball from 1972–1994. He was also play-by-play announcer for Tacoma's Pacific Coast League team, and one of the last to recreate play-by-play from the studio while the team was on the road. He was the full-time radio announcer for the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League from 1999 to 2010, and called occasional games in 2012.
Manuel Ellis was a 33-year-old African American man who was killed by police during an arrest on March 3, 2020, in Tacoma, Washington by the Tacoma Police Department. The Pierce County Sheriff's Department initially claimed that Ellis had attacked a police car and officers, leading to the arrest. State prosecutors quoted civilian witnesses as saying that Ellis did not attack the police car or officers; they also said it was the officers who attacked Ellis after a conversation. Video of the incident showed officers repeatedly punching Ellis, choking him, using a Taser, and kneeling on him. State prosecutors stated that "Ellis was not fighting back", citing witness statements and video evidence. A police radio recording showed that Ellis said he "can’t breathe". Ellis told officers "can't breathe, sir" multiple times, according to prosecutors. Ellis was hogtied, face-down, with an officer on him, for at least six minutes, and a spit hood was placed on his head in this position, stated prosecutors. Ellis died at the scene while receiving medical aid from paramedics.