The Rose Bowl Game Is Dead
The Granddaddy of Them All Was 121 Years Old. It Was Killed By Two Chronic California Diseases
The Rose Bowl game, an annual sports spectacle embodying cherished California conceptions of beauty and inclusion, is dead.
It was 121 years old.
The causes of death were two chronic California diseases—greed and our winner-take-all culture.
In Pasadena, the hometown of your columnist, city and game officials remained in denial, claiming that the Rose Bowl was very much alive. They noted that the old stadium in the Arroyo Seco will continue to be called “Rose Bowl” and will host college football playoffs for many years to come.
But the Rose Bowl itself—a post-season football …
