Offered is the opportunity to possess a fascinating, truly outside-the-box item - an extremely rare Oct. 16, 1932, Sing Sing football program from a game in which the inmates from Sing Sing, the nickname of the Federal Penitentiary at Ossining, New York, play a home game at Lawes Field against the visiting Port Jervis Cops. Of course, because of their incarceration and prison administration concerns about prisoners escaping, ALL of the Sing Sing team's games were "at home." Although the offered program shows the prisoners' team playing police officers, the overall theme of prisoners playing football against a squad of law enforcement officers foreshadows the plot of The Longest Yard, the 1974 hit film starring Burt Reynolds and Eddie Albert in which prisoners play their own prison's guards. The film also had a 2005 remake starring Adam Sandler. In 1931, prison reforms permitted Sing Sing prisoners to take part in various recreation activities intended to help them prepare for a successful transition to outside life after leaving Sing Sing. These activities included baseball and football games against outside teams. Tim Mara, the owner of the New York Football Giants, provided uniforms and equipment for the Sing Sing Football Team, and he helped to coach the team during the squad's inaugural season. The team was primarily known as the "Black Sheep," however, as a light-hearted reference to prisoners' stripes, the team was also sometimes known as the "Zebras." All games were played at Lawes Stadium, named for Warden Lewis E. Lawes. "Alabama" Pitts was the team's starting quarterback and star for four seasons, but then he finished his sentence and later played professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL. Another Sing-Sing star, 1932 "graduate" Jumbo Morano, a fullback, was signed by the Giants and played minor league football for the Paterson Nighthawks of the Eastern Football League. Unfortunately for the future of the Sing Sing Football Team, in 1935, the starting quarterback and two other starters escaped the morning before a game. In the years from 1934-36, new prison restrictions on ticket sales and advertising helped to lead to the eventual demise of the inmates playing football outside Sing Sing.

The four-page program measures 5.5x8.5". In the program, the prisoners played under the name of Mutual Welfare League, the prisoners' organization. Most of the players on each team are listed by last name only, and a few of the prisoners are listed only by their nickname. The rosters show each player's number, weight, and position. No mention is made of each inmate's "class" at Sing Sing, as the length of each player's prison sentence is tactfully omitted. The program even carries this notice: "Visiting players may boast of their Alma Mater. The M.W.L. boys must forget the past, but can they play football?" The paper program shows some darkening, to be expected after more than nine decades. There are a few minor imperfections: The program has a few partial tears of less than an inch and some minor paper loss - approx. a half inch - at the top margin. On the back page are two spots that show glue or mucilage remnants from when the program was apparently kept and then removed from a scrapbook. A light fold is horizontally across the center. Overall, considering its age, the program is in very nice condition. This Sing Sing Football Program is the first we have ever seen. The offering makes a great addition to any sports collection, and it will be a terrific item to display and a sparkling, entertaining, conversation starter.