You still? But didn’t we have to see each other anymore?
The great Battisti will apologize for borrowing the quote of his song “Still you”, but after what was seen in 2023 between Panthers Parma and Guelfi Florence, we hoped heardly not having to attend an Italian Bowl played in the desert of an American stadium.
How does it quote David Briggs On the pages of Toledo Blade (no, he is not the Corriere della Sera), in his editorial, “Let’s also call it” Italian Bowl in Toledo – Part II “: a novelty. A feverish dream. A American football meme. But don’t confuse the show with a secondary event.” (https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/pro/2025/06/28/briggs-say-what-you-will-about-italian-bowl-winning-toledo-dream-visitors/stories/20250628120), What is the point of playing an Italian sporting final 7000 km away from Italy?
According to Briggs, the reason is to give Italian players a “prize”, making them savor the real football by living for a week in a NCAA structure.
An award … Ok can be there, but to the Italian American football members, and the few (perhaps) fans in tow, interests more than a hundred people (between teams, staff and federal managers) enjoy a week paid in the USA, or that their sport is promoted and seen by those who follow it all year round?
This is all the difference between the “romantic” idea of David Briggs and the task of a sports federation, for him it is legitimate that there is a prize to the finalists, but for Coni, The main objective of a national sports federation is to promote, organize and regulate a specific sport at national level.
What did the Italian football earned after the Italian Bowl 2023 between Panthers and Guelphs?
What will the Italian football earn after the Italian Bowl 2024 between Guelphs and Dolphins?
Our thought (but probably the thought of most of the Italian American football fans) is that the gain is ZERO.
Why zero?
Because in two editions of Italian Bowl in Toledo (Ohio – USA), Perhaps added with a little creativity there will have been 4000 spectators In a stadium with almost 40,000 seats.
Because in 2023 the estimates spoke of 2500 spectators present, Ergo, in 2025 it is better that we do not say how many will have been.
Because we complained about the 1300 spectators (perhaps) of the 2008 edition between Lions Bergamo and Giants Bolzano (among other things beautiful game), which was played at San Giovanni in Marignanovillage of 9500 inhabitants in the province of Rimini, which Cetto laqual would say “But is it legal to play a superbowl in San Giovanni in Marignano?” (yes at the time it was still called Italian Superbowl….). But at least we were in Italy, on the Riviera Romagnola, a trip out of town at a bit of everyone, game and then sea!
In short, let’s say that if in 2023 everyone welcomed with skepticism the choice to play the final in the USA, after the disappointing results, perhaps it could be said “ok we tried, enough so” and instead no, wrong is lawful but persever is diabolicalsays an old Latin phrase.
The game: overwhelming guelphs, dolphins on the high seas
Let’s pass now to the technical side of the event, the game, won in a way too easy by the Guelphs Florence, to their second title.
Guelfi decidedly superior to the Dolphins, who perhaps pay the emotion of reaching the final, was in fact since 2004, that the Dolphins did not arrive at the final act of the Italian championship.
Florence with a peremptory 49-14 without if and without but, he redeemed the defeat of 2023 suffered against the Panthers Parma for 29-13, and has in Andrea Fimiani his winning xfactor. The Lombard quarterback (by birth) closes the match with 24 full out of 33 for 310 yards and 4 touchdown pass, as well as 147 yards of personal races and 3 touchdown runs and wins the challenge with the Ancona quarterback, the American Blake Eaton.
The game itself was perhaps more disappointing than the public present at the stadiummore than anything else because he put too early in the freezer, with Fimiani who opened signatures with a 10 yards race in touchdown, then served Giacomo Mibelli For a 11 yards touchdown in the first quarter, and not satisfied, in the second quarter he found Stefano Bartoccioni For a 12 yards touchdown and still scored on a personal race from a Yard to the fourth down. Practically we go to the interval on 28-0, with the Dolphins who do not give signs of life, and in the third quarter of the game the situation precipitates their own, with another TDPASS for Cosimo Casati and one of 50 yards for Frankie Stolabringing Florence forward 42-0.
Dolphins have a shy reaction only in the 4th quarter, when Eaton finds Matteo Dazzani For a 19 yards touchdown on a 4th & 10, and in the final match with a 35 yards transition for Antonio NoceraObviously, in the middle of the two signatures of Ancona, yet another Touchdwn Touchdwn on Fimiani race for 6 Yards.
Obviously, the enthusiasm of the Tuscan team who enrolled in the exclusive Italian teams club who have conquered the title with a “Perfect Season” (12-0), thanks also to a very high level offensive line.
More to say? Well we could talk about the bad streaming service, which would have been indecent even if free, instead it was paid. But perhaps it is better to stop here, hoping that in the future the Federation thinks more about the content than in the form, and it understands that the Italian Bowl must be played in Italy, in worthy plants (there are a bit, if you need a suggestion …) and perhaps with a decent media coverage, to get to the stadium not only friends and relatives but also fans of football, which even if it does not seem, in the peninsula there are really many.
Article created by Marco Balsa, Luca Chiesi and with the support of the entire editorial staff of Touchdown Magazine.
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