From: hintzman@hpljah.hpl.hp.com (Jeff Hintzman)
Subject: Re: Best marching band
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1992 21:25:50 GMT
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: hintzman@hpljah.hpl.hp.com
Organization: HP IC Business Division R&D, Palo Alto, CA

In article <randall.717442253@seashore>, randall@informix.com (Randall Rhea) writes:
|> aelman@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Adam Elman) writes:
|> 
|> >mzimmers@netcom.com (Michael Zimmers) writes:
|> 
|> 
|> >>Let's be honest, eh?  Yes, LSJUMB is creative and has proven to the
|> >>world (ad nauseum) that they're #1 when it comes to programs in poor
|> >>taste and mean-spiritedness.  They're awfully cocky for a band that
|> >>caused their team to lose their homecoming game a decade ago.
|> 
|> >For the LAST TIME, it WASN'T THE BAND'S FAULT!!!!!!!!  If referees
|> >can't see a couple of illegal laterals, it's not the band's fault that
|> >they were in the end zone at the wrong time. :-) But I won't go too
|> >far with that one -- after all, I was only 9. :-) :-)
|> 
|> This statement is wrong.  The Stanford Band in the 1982 Big Game
|> never left the field after the late field goal that gave the
|> Cardinals (that's what they were called then) the lead.  I was
|> at the game, and I saw it with my own eyes.  I remarked to the
|> person I was with about the fact that the band was still on the
|> field.  They remained on the field before the now-famous kickoff.
|> They started deep in the Cal end zone, but they were clearly in the
|> field of play.  Once the kickoff started, they started moving
|> forward.  By the time Kevin Moen got the last lateral, they
|> were on the 20 YARD LINE.   They arrogantly and carelessly
|> ignored the rules.  The last Stanford defender who could have tackled
|> Moen was unable to get to him because the band was in the way.
|> Look at the films.
|> 
|> The laterals were quite legal.  Again, look at the films.  I know
|> there were smiley faces in the post, but Stanfordians still
|> woof about this play 10 years after the fact.
|> 
|> However, I certainly do agree with Adam that the current
|> Stanford band should not be blamed for that incident.  I also
|> agree that the USC band is far more guilty of arrogant
|> behavior.

I don't believe that Stanford was ever called the "Cardinals."

If the band was on the field before the kickoff play started, then
Stanford SHOULD have been penalized accordingly, just as both teams
SHOULD have been penalized for too many players on the field (which
was the case) and Cal SHOULD have been penalized for an illegal
kickoff-receiving formation (which was also the case.)  In retrospect
it is easy to see that it was a situation that was almost totally out of
hand.  Having said that, it is clear to me that in no way did the band
obstruct a Stanford tackler.  Yes, I was there.  Yes, I have seen the 
film; about 10,000 times.  It was not "the Band's fault."

If you look carefully at the film, you will notice that the last lateral
to Moen is quite clearly a FORWARD lateral, and thus illegal.  But,
what's done is done.

I do not wish to go on and on about a game that occurred 10 years ago.
What really makes me mad is that both sides continue to propgate the
myth that the Band cost Stanford the game when it was not so.  I don't
hear anybody talk about two years ago in Berkeley when nearly the entire 
Cal student body was on the field with 0:12 left in the game.  The 
resulting 15-yard penalty on the ensuing kickoff, which was squibbed and
recovered by Stanford, contributed DIRECTLY to Stanford's being in range
to kick the winning field goal.  You want to talk about non-participants
affecting the outcome of the game, let's talk about that.

At least we can agree that USC's band sucks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Hintzman                                  hintzman@hpljah.hpl.hp.com
Hewlett-Packard Integrated Circuit Business Division 
Palo Alto, CA                                              (415) 857-7616
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college