The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-12
Offer To Marlborough Rated Publicity Stunt
TODAY'S SPORT PARADE
BY HENRY McLEMORE

(UnAted Press Stan COrreSpOnuent)
 Los Angeles, Dec. 12.-(UP)-Just year ago today wrote a piece saying it was dirty shame that Tennessee wasn't going to bring its band to the Rose Bowl, and even went so far as to urge the Tennes- see musicians to beat their tnstru- ments into bludgeonS and whack the stingy athletic directors over the heads with them.
 This had such an electric effect that when Rose Bowl day rolled around the Tennessee band was still back in the hills of Knoxville and the sacred and martial tunes of the school were played by some such or ganization as the Pasadena Depart ment of Sanitation band or the Burbank P. s. 43 Fife and Drum corps. Is it any wonder that the Tennessee players, with such in- Spirational music to keep them up, went out and got the daylightS licked out of them?
 Now another Rose Bowl game is approaching and Nebraska's Corn huskers are coming out to play. And I don't believe the train reservations they have made include any tick cts, berths or standing room for the Nebraska band. Unless my infor- nation is wrong the band will get no closer to the New Years game than the huge statue of the sower atop the State Capitol in Lincoln. In fact, the SoWer will probably have a better view of the game than the bandsmen, being as he towers some 400 feet in the air.
 Not Discouraged.
 Well, I'm not a man who lets one failure discourage him, so let's launch another crusade, this time in behalf of the Nebraska band. Mind you, my interest in bands isn't because I'm musically inclined. The only thing can play is the ponies, and I don't play them very well. I just feel it's unfair to boys who contribute so much toward school spirit to ignore them when a bowl trip comes along.
 The life of a college bandsman isn't too much fun. Not under the exacting demands made on col lege musician these days. He not only has to spend hours practicing music, but he must spend almost as many hours marching and rehears- ing the intricate maneuvers that modern bands go through. He is a combination musician, soldier, ballet dancer, and clothes horse. And he has to know the English language, too, because bands spell out every thing under the sun. Suppose you had been capital T all season or, worse still, serni-colon, and then were denied a trip where you could have some fun and show of before 90,000 folks?
 Confident.
 feel even more strongly about the Nebraska band getting to the Rose Bowl than I did TenneSSees. This is because of the difference in climate between the cities of Knox vile and Lincoln. Knoxville IS fair ly pleasant in the fall and winter, and bandsman can parade before the game, between halves, and aft erwards, with some degree of com- fort. But gridiron in Lincoln in the winter needs only a couple of wolves and 8 few guys who speak Russian to double for the SteppeS. Imagine playing a flute when it's 5 below, or wrapping yourself up in a frosty tuba and marching out to blow it in the teeth of blizzard.
 To my way of thinking the Me- braska band deserves 8 trip to Pasa- dena, if only for the chance to thaw out and get its collective blood nov ing through its collective veins once again.
 And. finally, what is the reason for schools not sending their bands to the bowl? Is it because it costs few thousands dollars of the big chunk they make with post-Season games? If this is the reason tn n why in the name of goodness don't they say SO? Why don't they come right out and say the one reason they want bowl bids is for the old dough that's in it, and nothing else? That the honor, the trip for the hard-working football players, the sport of the thing, mean nothing.