Dud Bowl

Dud Bowl was the 193rd overall series episode of Married... with Children also the 10th episode of Season 9 of the series. Directed and Gerry Cohen and written by Kim Weiskopf, the episode originally aired on FOX-TV on November 13, 1994.

Synopsis

When Al and the guys have a wake for a former high school football teammate, a group of guys from a rival high school challenges them to the decide the ultimate Chicago city champion. Guest appearances by former NFL All-Pro players Bubba Smith, Lawrence Taylor, and Ken Stabler.

Storyline

After the funeral of a former football teammate at the Bullpen Sports Bar, an old rival, named Jack Franklin, who was a halfback for George S. Patton High, Polk High's biggest rival team, which, like Polk High, had been undefeated until they met in the city championship one year, challenges Al and his former team from Polk High into a grudge football match between them. But Al ends up being turned into a tackling dummy by ringers Bubba Smith, Lawrence Taylor, Ken Stabler, Rod Martin and John Reynolds on the opposing team.

Recurring Cast/Regulars

• Amanda Bearse as Marcy D'Arcy
• Ted McGinley as Jefferson D'Arcy
• Buck the Dog as Buck Bundy
• E.E. Bell as Bob Rooney

Guest starring

• Bubba Smith as Himself
• John S. Reynolds as Himself
• Ken Stabler as Himself
• Lawrence Taylor as Himself
• Rod Martin as Himself
• Stan Ivar as Jack Franklin
• Drew Pillsbury as Thad
• Dean Norris as Rodent
• Chuck Le Fever as Speedy (as Chuck Lefever)

Notes

Title

• The title of this episode is a reference to "Bud Bowl" a stop motion promotion used by Budweiser during the Super Bowl from the late 80s into mid 1990s

Trivia

• The funeral in the opening scene is that of Al's former Polk High football teammate Skippy, who was previously seen in the episode "Hood 'n the Boyz"
  • The actor who played Skippy in "Hood 'n the Boyz", Chuck Lefever, plays Speedy in this episode, who is attendance at his previous character's funeral.
  • Also Speedy previously appeared in season 3's "Married... with Queen: The Sequel (Part 2)", but was played by a different actor who was balding and heavyset.
• Former NFL player Bubba Smith plays one of ringers for the opposing team. He had previously appeared on Married... with Children in the season 5 episode All Night Security Dude as Al's former high school rival, "Spare Tire" Dixon.

Cultural References

• The Polk High Panthers rival team, Jacqueline Onassis High First Ladies, is a reference to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who served as First Lady when her then-Husband John F. Kennedy was President of the United States from 1961 to 1963.
  • The team's former name "George S. Patton High" is in reference to U.S. Army General George S. Patton.
• After Jefferson tells the Polk High Panthers that the game is back at the sports bar, the announcer mentions the NFL on FOX several times to remind viewers about FOX now showing coverage of NFL games. The episode aired during the first season of the NFL on FOX.
  • This was previously seen in the preceding episode, "No Pot to Pease In".
• The field that the teams are playing on is named "Grushow Memorial Field". This may be a nod to Sandy Grushow, who served as President of FOX Entertainment from 1992 until he stepped down in September 1994, two months before this episode was filmed.
• After Rodent mentions that some of the "First Ladies" look rather big, Al mentions Barbara Bush who served as First Lady when her husband, George H. W. Bush served as U.S. President from 1988 until 1993.
• During their huddle, Al tries to encourage his teammates by saying that "This one's for us and Baywatch's Pamela Anderson!"
  • Baywatch was a syndicated television drama show that focused on the lives of lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County and in its later seasons, Hawaii.
  • Pamela Anderson is an actress and Playboy Playmate who starred on Baywatch as C. J. Parker.
    • She had also appeared twice on MWC in season 5, during Al's fantasies in "Al... with Kelly" and "Route 666 (Part 2)".
• The ringers for the Jackie O First Ladies were professional NFL players:
  • Ken Stabler - Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
  • Lawrence Taylor - Linebacker, New York Giants (playing as "Morty Fishbein")
  • Bubba Smith - Defensive End, Baltimore Colts (playing as "Eddie Yim")
  • Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds - Linebacker, Los Angeles Rams
  • Rod Martin - Linebacker, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders

Music

• "Amazing Grace" is sung by the Polk High Panthers during Skippy's funeral.
• The theme from the Western film, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is heard twice when Al is confronted by Jack Franklin following Skippy's funeral.

Locations

• Bundy Residence
• The Bullpen Sports Bar
• Grushow Memorial Field

Sets

• Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
• The Bullpen Sports Bar Seating Area
• Grushow Memorial Field / Stadium Bleachers

Goofs

• After Al catches the ball and is thrown by 24 and 10, part of a tumbling mat can be seen behind the two players as they catch Al and toss him behind them.
• When the two teams run onto the field and Jefferson tells Speedy "Go get 'em!", in the overhead shot, there are two players with #35 on their jerseys running together. In football and most other sports, it is against the rules for two players to be wearing the same jersey number in the same game, so as to make it easier for fans, coaches, announcers, and officials to differentiate between the players on the field.