Dud Bowl (13 Nov. 1994)

After the funeral of a former football teammate at the Bullpen Sports Bar, an old rival, named Jack Franklin, challenges Al and his former team from Polk High into a grudge football match ... See full summary »

Director:

Gerry Cohen

Writers:

Ron Leavitt (creator), Michael G. Moye (creator),

Stars:

Ed O'Neill, Katey Sagal, Amanda Bearse

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Ed O'Neill	...	Al Bundy
Katey Sagal	...	Peggy Bundy
Amanda Bearse	...	Marcy D'Arcy
Christina Applegate	...	Kelly Bundy
David Faustino	...	Bud Bundy
Ted McGinley	...	Jefferson D'Arcy
John S. Reynolds	...	Himself
Bubba Smith	...	Himself
Kenny Stabler	...	Himself (as Ken Stabler)
Lawrence Taylor	...	Himself
E.E. Bell	...	Bob Rooney
Stan Ivar	...	Jack Franklin
Drew Pillsbury	...	Thad
Dean Norris	...	Rodent
Chuck Le Fever	...	Speedy (as Chuck Lefever)

Storyline

After the funeral of a former football teammate at the Bullpen Sports Bar, an old rival, named Jack Franklin, 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, Laurence Taylor, Ken Stabler and John Reynolds on the opposing team.

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Plot Keywords:

ringer | challenge | superbowl ring | sex change | punched in the face | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1994 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Sony Pictures Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

22 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The funeral in the opening scene is that of Al's former Polk High football teammate Skippy, who was first glimpsed in the episode _"Married with Children" Hood in the Boyz (1993)_.

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Quotes

Cigarette Girl: What is it with you football guys? You pound on each other, you abuse your own bodies, why do you do it?
Lawrence Taylor: It's a man's thing.
Kenny Stabler: A commitment to excellence.
Bubba Smith: And it gets out out of the house, and away from your wife.
John S. Reynolds: Bust most important, we do it for pride.
[John 'Hacksaw' Reynolds sits down at a table with Thad, unaware of his true gender]

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Connections

References The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

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Soundtracks

"The Good, The Bad And The Ugly"
Written by Ennio Morricone

User Reviews

Age Brings Change

For ten years Al Bundy was television's favorite sad sack. Married to a shrew of a woman, two kids who have no respect for him, a feminist neighbor who is constantly showing him up as a Neanderthal and a dead end job selling women's shoes he hates. Have I left anything out?

But as any devoted fan of Married With Children knows Al Bundy had his moment in the sun. As a high school football star he scored four touchdowns in a single game for Polk High. For seven seasons everyone in America heard about it. But we never met the other players on the team, particularly the quarterback who threw those bullets.

This episode involves Al getting suckered into a bet involving a game with some old rivals. Unbeknownst to Al the other team has several ringers in it, former pro football stars as a reading of the cast list will show you.

Everyone has grown older, that kind of change with age is inevitable. But it turns out the quarterback of the team who we learn was named Thad, had an additional change.

Thad is played by Drew Pillsbury who some years earlier transitioned and became a woman. That was not something Al expected.

As played by Ed O'Neill, Al Bundy was a lot of things, but he was a blue collar guy singularly free from prejudice except maybe against one thing, pretentious people. He had an abiding hate for that. It was a lesson we can all learn.

After a few qualms, Al and the rest of his former teammates accept the transgendered quarterback and go play their hearts out. Let's just say everybody's a bit out of shape including the pros.

This review is dedicated to a transgender woman I met a few days ago named Cindy who dreams of playing on a transgender football team. May Thad be your quarterback.