A Certain Modicum Of Sleep Until Big Game!
by TwistNHook on Nov 17, 2009 12:00 PM PST
in Football
31 comments
IT'S BIG GAME WEEK, BEARS! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! Many Cal fans get really riled up about Stanford stuff! And many Stanford fans notice that a football team exists and maybe they should go to a game. Or finish their chem lab. One of the two.
So, while Stanford fans' idea of Big Game spirit might mean emerging from their Genentech Start Up for a moment to a)see the sun and b)enjoy the concept of a competitive (sometimes) football competition, many Cal fans actually care. Those Cal fans they like to show their Big Game spirit by pulling pranks on Stanford (and on rare occasion, Rally Comm, because those guys are always asking for it). Of course, the most epic prank was the Phoenix Five (interviewed here). However, there are, we're sure, many, many crazzy stories out there. So, tell us your story! The crazzier the better.
Reader LeonPowe has been so kind as to write up one of his adventures from a trip to Stanford. It involves stenciling, wild car chases, and, surprisingly, alcohol. Didn't see that last one coming, did you? Enjoy the story and tell us your stories in the comment. GO BEARS! BEAT THE CONCEPT OF THE COLOR RED ALONG WITH TREES!
LeonPowe's story:
It was the week of November 21, 1992.It had been a disappointing Cal football season - more than most, as we had high expectations coming into the year (finishing 1991 ranked #7 overall, with Heisman hopeful Russell White, a powerful offensive attack led by QB Dave Barr and wideout Sean Dawkins and a tough, aggressive defense with Jerrott Willard manning the middle. It all fell apart in year 1 under new Coach Keith Gilbertson as Cal limped to a 4-6 record.No matter. It was Big Game week, and what did that mean? We were going to take an axe to Stanfurd's Glyn Milburn and Ellery Roberts. We were going to beat f'ing Bill Walsh and his West Coast offense. And we were going to pull pranks on the Farm.In the few weeks before, a secret organization had been recruiting connected students in order to pull off a big prank against the Furd. This organization went by the name of "B.U.S.T." - Burn the Ugly Stanfurd Tree. Various ideas were discussed. (Painting the "South San Francisco: The Industrial City" - highlighting the C, A, and L. Drapeing a banner across the Oakland Bay Bridge. Painting all the signs around Palo Alto so that they said "Stanfurd" Eventually all the big ideas fell by the wayside, as it was decided to paint a bunch of stenciled Bear Claws around the Stanfurd campus.My friend and I received invitations to show up at a house located somewhere in Berkeley at midnight. When we got there, the other 10-15 people were already deep into beverages. Well, except for those that were driving. We got split into 5 or 6 different cars - my friend and I got split up as they decided having two freshman in the same car would be really dumb - and as no one in my car was sober, except me, I got nominated to drive. Which would have been great, except I had never driven a column shifted car before.There may have been additional drinking on the ride down to Palo Alto, I'm not sure, but I belated realized that this was a huge "not wise" move on my part to be driving down with a car full of drunks, a trunk full of spray paint and stencils and a backseat full of empties.We arrived at Stanfurd around 2am, and our crack squad of Bear Claw painters went to work. I waited in the car, while they went off to paint Bear Claws. Luckily one of the members in our car had worked on the Stanfurd campus last summer and knew the whole layout pretty well.They hadn't been gone for more than 30 seconds when, there was a flurry of rushing and then "GO GO GO! DRIVE!" was being yelled in my ear and I just stepped on the gas. Apparently they had chosen a spot right underneath a dorm window and some woman opened it at 2am and said "Hey, stop it you guys!"Some more driving around and we find a second and third and fourth spot, which resulted in similar results as the first. It was around this time I realized that completely drunk spray painters probably equal the opposite of stealth.By this time, our intrepid crew had spent 40 minutes driving around the Stanfurd campus and had laid down a total of 4, yes 4, sets of Bear Claws.For our fifth set, the pattern repeated, but this time the running back to the car was more panicked. and they were shouting in my little freshman ear "DRIVE DRIVE GODDAMMIT JUST GO GO GO!!!" So I burned rubber (literally!) took off with no lights on, blew by another Cal car (apparently - we found out the next day - the other car also reported that the campus police car was just around the corner too) and we were being chased by a huge truck. Apparently it was also initiation week down on the farm and all the Stanfurd frat guys were out that night doing, well, whatever it is that Stanfurd frat guys do during initiation.After about 5 minutes of chase, and some panicked driving I ended up in a dead-end parking lot and face to face with the truck. I have to emphasize, it really was a car chase - like one they'd interrupt "Meet the Press" for on Sunday mornings. (I swear to God this story is true). I popped on the headlights - all I could see was they were driving a big pickup truck - it was one of those that wouldn't be out of place in the Central Valley or the South. Jacked up with big tires, they popped on their roof lights and shouting something at us - something about getting out of the car. I revved our engine, but was scared to the point of peeing. Then from behind me "JUST GO! GUN IT!!!!!" I took off straight at the truck, I think they panicked, I aimed straight at the front tire, then turned the wheel right at the last minute, then I'm hearing directions and I'm wired in "RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT" I was like a rally car driving. Totally in the moment, and I'm driving like I've never driven before.Finally we made it to a gas station. Adreline is pumping 100 miles an hour. The owner of the car says "Let me drive all the way home. I'm 100% sober now. Completely."Drive all the way back to Berkeley - arrive back at 4am. Go to sleep, arrange to meet my friend for late breakfast at the DC (left a note on her door). She meets me there, looking very bright and chipper. As I relay the events of the evening past, she goes "Oh. Nothing exciting happened to us, we painted about 200 Bear Claws, and didn't see any Stanfurd students. Just got back to Berkeley around 6am."
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The best laid plans
completely drunk spray painters probably equal the opposite of stealth
True. I learned that as a High School sophomore during a TP raid, but that’s another story.
I never actually enganged in pranking the Furd, though my friends and I had some ideas about what we could do. The one we thought would be best would have been to burn the Cal logo into the real grass field of Furd stadium the night before the game, using salt or alcohol, or some other chemical that would have killed the grass.
I also remember hearing of a failed attempt at releasing about 500 mice dyed blue and gold in the main Furd library.
On ATQ I'm known as JSoCal Oski
It's spelled J-etc
by SoCal Oski on Nov 17, 2009 12:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
say what you will about America
but $13 still buys you a hell of a lot of mice!
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
by CBKWit on Nov 17, 2009 2:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Who said anything bad about America, you shoplifter?
dboneisloose
by HolmoePhobe on Nov 17, 2009 2:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I successfully released 500 goldfish dyed blue and gold in the library, but I can see how the mice would have been a better idea.
by sec119 on Nov 17, 2009 2:38 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Now that I think about it though
It didn’t seem to hamper the other cars. Maybe my Bear Paw’ers were drunker than most?
by LeonPowe on Nov 17, 2009 9:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
High School (senior year): Stole home plate with a bunch of high school buddies (who all eventually went to Cal as well). Not too difficult, just hopped the baseball field fence, and dug up home plate. You’d be surprised though how deep home plate is dug in there. The plan was that each person would get home plate for a year. Unfortunately, during our junior year it was stolen from my friend’s room in Loth. Those damn hippies.
Freshman year: Did the whole bleach the grass out on the Stanford quad thing with some floor mates during big game week. We spelled out “Cal”. Nothing too exciting. Although there were reports from friends saying that they could see the “Cal” from their airplane, this was never confirmed though. One word of warning for any current Cal students out there though, security around Stanford campus is pretty tight during big game week. They have these ridiculous rent a cops roaming around campus, specifically looking for any Cal students wanting to play a prank. Even during the wee hours of the morning, these rent a cops are out there. We wore Stanford sweatshirts and stuff and I even borrowed a friend’s Stanford ID, so we were ok, but just beware that these rent a cops may ask for your ID.
Sophomore year: Stole a bunch of signs and stuff from the Stanford campus during big game week. My most prized possession is a Stanford Daily Newspaper dispenser that I took. I put it in my cubby at law school and used it as my bookcase, it was awesome. All the whiny stanford students at my law school would always be aghast “oh my god, can’t believe you would do that.” Losers.
Junior year: We planned this elaborate heist to take the Stanford banner out of Maples. We did some scouting out the day before the heist. The stanford banner is permanently hung on top of Maples on the ceiling. But there is also a catwalk on top of maples, where you could reach the chain link that was holding the banner up. So our plan was simple. We would just sneak into Maples and then cut off the chain link and then the banner would drop to the floor. So everything was going great. We were lucky that there was a women’s basketball game that night, so we went to the game and then hid in the guy’s bathroom till way after the game ended. I think I bought some books so I could do some reading while we waited for the security to clear out. By like 2am we emerged from the bathroom. We had rented a huge ladder which we hid in the bushes nearby Maples, so we used that to get to the catwalk. We also had a bolt cutter that we bought with us to cut the chain. But when we got to the catwalk, we couldn’t reach quite high enough to get enough leverage to cut the chain that was holding the banner. So the heist failed, but I think with just a little more planning, it can be pulled off. Maybe a current student can learn from our mistakes and carry out the heist.
by ryandrew on Nov 17, 2009 1:24 PM PST reply actions 4 recs
That last story would have been beyond epic. Oh well.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Nov 17, 2009 1:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
We need to employ someone young and innocent, with no criminal record and no shame.
….ROLLON!
The Lack of Mack's Imposition Attacks My Disposition.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Nov 18, 2009 10:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
If you think I have no shame you really don’t know me.
All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!
by rollonubears on Nov 18, 2009 6:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Excellent, excellent.
Your suggestion has been noted.
WHAT'S YOUR DEAL?
by Thoroughbred on Nov 17, 2009 3:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Friends of mine....
….in a year where we did not own the axe, made a fake one and ran it through Maples Pavilion during the Cal-Stanfurd basketball game, in the winter of 79. They had scoped out the easiest escape route prior, and so got away, leaving everyone to think that the axe had again been stolen. You can e-mail me so I can hook you up with someone who can give you the whole story.
by ohsooso on Nov 17, 2009 1:54 PM PST reply actions 3 recs
I was hoping this story would come up!
by Yes We Cannon on Nov 17, 2009 1:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
YES! YES YES!
I LOVE this story!!
Honk if you think Rags is great!
by AndBears on Nov 17, 2009 2:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Give 'Em the Fake Axe!
I think someone should go cut and paste the original Axe theft story, just in case there’s people who don’t know it.
by LeonPowe on Nov 17, 2009 3:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
From http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~yoda/sports/biggame/axe.html
Stanford Buys an Axe
In 1899, the Stanford baseball team was considered to be highly rated. However, other Stanford sports had taken a big slump. Stanford had lost twice in a row to Cal in track, Stanford’s ’98 Freshman football team lost to Cal, and later the Golden Bears defeated Stanford in Varsity football by a score of 22-0 (Touchdowns were worth 5 points at the time).
The Stanford yell-leading squad decided that it would be a good idea to have something to help rally the student body to cheer their team to victory. Because of the popularity of the Axe Yell, it was decided that an Axe would be the perfect instrument to help rally the students. The Axe was not custom made for the Stanford yell leaders, but was a standard lumberman’s axe weighing ten pounds with a fifteen inch blade (it was quite possibly ordered from Sears). When the Axe arrived, the handle was painted red.
In April of 1899, there was a best-of-three game series scheduled between Cal and Stanford. Cal upset Stanford 4-1 in the first game of the series. On Thursday April 13, 1899, a rally was held on the Stanford campus to whip up spirit for the second game, to be played two days later. The Axe was displayed to the Stanford student body for the first time at this rally, and was used to decapitate a straw man dressed up in blue and gold.
The Theft of the Axe
The game itself was played at 16th Street and Folsom in San Francisco. Head Stanford yell leader, Billy Erb (whose nephew Charles would go on to play for Cal’s Wonder Teams), brought the Axe with him. After every good Stanford play, Erb and the other yell leaders would use the axe to chop up some blue and gold ribbon, and then gleefully parade the axe in front of the Cal bleachers, shouting the Axe Yell. Needless to say, this upset the Cal fans, and convinced two separate groups that they should attempt to steal this annoying instrument.
Anyway, the effort of Stanford’s yell leaders did not came to fruition as the Bears won the game 9-7. As fate would have it, the Cal section was the closest to the exit of the field, and so one group of planners decided to wait for the Axe. When it arrived, an “old-fashioned brawl” (or small riot, depending on the account) ensued as the Cal men jumped the Stanfordites with the Axe. At this point, the second group of Cal men jumped into the fray. The Axe was taken by Cal at the cost of a black eye, a torn suit, and a cut finger. Paul Castelhun ’00, who lived only blocks away, was given the Axe and took off as fast he could. Unfortunately, he was slowed down because he was wearing a heavy overcoat, so the axe had to be taken by someone else.
At the same time, a squad of police arrived, and Jack McGee ’99, succeeded in confusing the police by trying to convince them that some Stanford students were attempting to steal a California Axe. The Sergeant in charge, Michael Josephy Conboy decided “They are college byes. Let them foight it out.”
The Axe was passed on to Cal sprinter Billy Drum ’00, who took the Axe along a winding route through the City. At one point, Drum accidently handed the Axe to two Stanford men who pretended to be Cal men, but he and some other Cal men helped retrieve the Axe from the two pretenders after chasing them for two blocks. Eventually the Axe reached a butcher shop at Scott and Oak streets where the Cal men were able to saw the handle off. The Axe and handle were then given to Clint Miller ’00, who stuffed the Axe under his overcoat and put the handle down his pants leg. On the way to the Ferry Building, Miller stopped at a Chinese hardware store on Clay St. to make the handle easier to hide.
At the ferry building, the police were searching all UC men taking the ferry to Berkeley. Miller kept the axe as close to his skin as possible, buttoned up his coat and overcoat, and looked quite innocent as he waved goodbye to the Cal men while grabbing the arm of an old girlfriend that he saw was in line to board the ferry to Oakland (some legnds say that the girlfriend was a guy in drag, others say that the girlfriend hid the Axe under her skirt—neither are true). Jimmy Hopper ’98 noticed what Miller was doing, bought Miller a ticket to Oakland, and handed the ticket to Miller just in time to board the ferry.
That night, the Axe was stored in the safe of Morris the Photographer, and the next night, under the pillow of Al Lean, the trainer of the baseball team. Then, on Monday April 17th, the baseball team plus the men who helped steal the Axe, elected Loll Pringle as the “Custodian of the Axe”, and the first Axe rally was held on the Cal campus.
"It's going to be a long season" - Old Blues from 1868-present
by AVNevis on Nov 17, 2009 4:13 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs
Aside from the stealing of the axe, my favorite part of the story has always been this:
The Sergeant in charge, Michael Josephy Conboy decided "They are college byes. Let them foight it out."
by LeonPowe on Nov 17, 2009 4:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Wish they would have that kind of attitude that these days…
by trisweb on Nov 18, 2009 7:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
It's like kissing your sister
This is less prank and more criminal behavior but . . . We drove on campus early evening to do our dasterdly deeds before people were very vigilant. basically we saved up old food stuff (think eggs, tomatoes, etc) and bombed unsuspecting walkers and bike riders. In sober times we promised no headshots or pregnant ladies would be assaulted. However, there was much drinking and faulty aiming. We were shouting Go Bears kinds of things and ugly anti-tree things as well. It all came to a literal crashing halt as our final victim bit the dust off her bike in tomatoed glory. As our cowardly band began making our getaway amidst the “Go! Go!” someone is yelling “Stop! Stop!”. You got it- we had bombed his sister. After sheepish apologies and chagrined ride back to Berkeley we promised to do it again. :-)
by YleeXOtee on Nov 17, 2009 3:33 PM PST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
My sister was never the same after that, you bastards!
WHAT'S YOUR DEAL?
by Thoroughbred on Nov 17, 2009 3:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
We actually had a lot more success
Evading Rally Comm (who is guarding the Cal campus) and painting Bear Claws all over the Cal campus.
by LeonPowe on Nov 17, 2009 4:13 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I had a fairly good prank against Rally Comm, but I’m hesitant to tell it here for fear of retribution.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Nov 17, 2009 4:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Except you’ve already told it here before?
by Yes We Cannon on Nov 17, 2009 4:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Great, now you’ve ruined everything.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Nov 17, 2009 4:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You represent our fine University quite well.
WHAT'S YOUR DEAL?
by Thoroughbred on Nov 17, 2009 5:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Not everything, but enough to feel accomplished.
by Yes We Cannon on Nov 17, 2009 5:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Back in '76...
not quite a prank, but somehow a big game week competition was set up between the fraternities at Cal …the idea was to make some sort of sculpture or something to commemorate the big game and put it out in front of the house..we had some very creative guys, who came up with a huge (I remember it at about 7 feet tall )chicken wire/ painted paper mache annimated sculpture of a Golden Bear giving it to a Cardinal from behind…with each thrust the Cardinal’s wings flapped and it’s mouth opened (…sheesh, where did we find the time)…anyway, I think we won…Go Bears, Boff the Cardinal
by TKE Prytanis 79 on Nov 17, 2009 8:50 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
Please spell Stanfurd right.
It drives me nuts to read ‘ford’ as [furd].
by CaliforniaBone on Nov 18, 2009 9:57 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Btw, pretty sure those bear claws are still there. I like to take a trip out there before every away game and I still see some on their main church pillars.
by CaliforniaBone on Nov 18, 2009 12:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Stanfurd frat guys were out that night doing, well, whatever it is that Stanfurd frat guys do during initiation.
Biting the heads off virgin lizards.
The Lack of Mack's Imposition Attacks My Disposition.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Nov 18, 2009 9:58 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
'75 in Old Snodfart Stadium
Coming up on Big Game in the Fall of ’75, the Knights of Emperor Norton decided to bring the slingshot out of retirement. We use to lob water balloons across the quad at Unit III, dropping them onto the balconies and into the windows of the other dorms.
We had not lived among the Units for several years so our contacts gave us access for some late night artillery practice. We regained our range and control and retreated to our hovel until the day of Big Game dawned.
As this game was in Palo Alto, so our friends gathered at our place for the car pools and caravans required for the journey. We could break down the “weapon’” by removing the surgical tubing and one member wore the dish as a Freshman beanie, but how to get five dozen baseball sized water balloons in the gate?
Then, Eureka, a friend had baked cookies to bring (I know it was the 70’s but the cookies were regular) and had them packed in two shoe boxes. Next thing, we gathered all the shoe boxes in the place, put a layer of balloons on the bottom, some aluminum foil and then two layers of cookies on top. Now we had several boxes of “cookies” to bring to the game. Arriving at the stadium, we checked in with our contacts in the marching band to confirm that we were indeed armed and ready,
We scattered to access the stadium through multiple gates so the guards would not see all these people bringing in “cookies” together. They may have thought they were magic and we were selling,
We all got in without problem and were seated dead in the end zone. It’s key to remember that in the visiting endzone, there were several sections without tunnels from below. We settled in and just prior to the pregame decided to unlimber the slingshot.
Our surrounding Cal fans marveled at our efforts, but we were almost expelled when the first shot missfired and landed 10 rows below, We quickly recovered and loosed a shot towards the Snodfart bench where that Junior Band was gathered. We dropped a number of shots into their formation, scattering them. Our crowning moment was when they began their pre-game, we dropped a shot into a sousaphone and watched the band member turn it upside down to drain it..
Security was alerted and began their search, We melted into the background until halftime.
At halftime, the Cal fans surrounding us were in full cheer, the game was in hand, and we had more balloons, Security was all over the track and on the stadium aisle, but we had a cadre of support, When we would be loading all our “friends” stood up to stretch, and when the call to fire came out they would duck down and then stand back up.
The snodfart band did not cross the 50 that half time and we were roundly cheered by our section when we lofted our last round into the field,
Go Bears!
by Not Leon Powe on Nov 20, 2009 5:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
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