Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Sorry, but that's one screwed-up tradition, Baylor
According to Baylor's school paper, the Lariat, things kind of got out of hand at homecoming this year. The police chief, in fact, compared the students to European soccer fans (with all the violence but none of the patience for 0-0 ties).
As I understand it, there is a tradition that an "eternal flame" is kept in memory of basketball players who died in a 1927 bus accident. At homecoming, the flame is guarded by some freshman. That all sounds fine, but here comes the weird part. It seems that the tradition is that other students then try to extinguish the eternal flame. They take this very seriously, apparently-- two people, including a police officer, were hospitalized this year.
Now, here's the even weirder part. This year, the flame was attacked by a large group of students wearing hockey masks. Really? Goalie masks? Look, I'm from Michigan, and it is really easy to get a hockey mask there, but in Texas? Where did these guys go to buy a large batch of goalie masks? Or, God forbid, did they make them themselves?
Back in the day, of course, goalies didn't even wear masks. Check out Rangers goalie Gump Worsely in the photo above-- on the ground, skates flying by, puck coming in at 100 mph, and he is down there without a mask or even a helmet. Now that... that was crazy.
Comments:
<< Home
Hockey was crazy when Howe was playing and before. I remember hearing about the problems last year and that the tradition may be cancelled. I don't get what all the fuss is about and why they think it is fun to try and put out a flame.
The "tradition" started under the guise of "testing the freshman class's resolve," to determine if they were worthy of keeping the eternal flame. Back in my day (I was a freshman in 1996), a few upper classmen tried to put out the flame, but no violence ensued. It was mostly an excuse for the Freshmen to stay up all night.
My question about the hockey masks: Were they real hockey masks, or those flimsy Friday The 13th masks that you can get at any Halloween costume store? I could see them being the flimsy, cheap things you can get at the Card & Party Factory, but if they're the real deal... Wow. You'd probably have to special order those or something.
My question about the hockey masks: Were they real hockey masks, or those flimsy Friday The 13th masks that you can get at any Halloween costume store? I could see them being the flimsy, cheap things you can get at the Card & Party Factory, but if they're the real deal... Wow. You'd probably have to special order those or something.
# posted by 
: 7:12 AM
: 7:12 AM
The European soccer fan comparison might have been fairly accurate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMRD8fGToFY
Alas, yet another goalie without a mask.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMRD8fGToFY
Alas, yet another goalie without a mask.
I think it's entirely possible that a lot of people from Texas don't know what a modern goalie mask looks like. Perhaps they're confusing it with something in the baseball catcher mask category?
Dangit y'all, we got hockey down here, what are you talking about?! But I don't know what the goalie would need a "mask" for...that takes all the fun outta it. That must be some Yankee foolishness.
A better idea might be to send the Freshmen to A&M and have them try to put out the Aggies' flame.
(What is it with Texas schools and fire?)
(What is it with Texas schools and fire?)
# posted by : 10:47 AM
: 10:47 AM
No bonfire at Homecoming for W&M... officially that is. And our fraternity hasn't burned a float since 1981, as far as I know.
The students at W&M are pretty apathetic about Homecoming. The Tribe is even less of a sports powerhouse than Baylor. Homecoming used to be a great excuse to have parties, but what with the strictly enforced anti-drinking policies, not so much.
I've never heard of a Homecoming bonfire at any east coast school.
W&M DOES have a yule log, but its pretty puny.
The students at W&M are pretty apathetic about Homecoming. The Tribe is even less of a sports powerhouse than Baylor. Homecoming used to be a great excuse to have parties, but what with the strictly enforced anti-drinking policies, not so much.
I've never heard of a Homecoming bonfire at any east coast school.
W&M DOES have a yule log, but its pretty puny.
# posted by : 3:07 PM
: 3:07 PM
Notably, the last time we burned a float was the IPLawGuy's senior year. Not coincidentally, his nickname was "torch."
Of course, it was the original Fat Kenny that burned in my Senior Year... during the parade. I at least waited until AFTER the parade to burn the float down the year before. And the year before that, it was attacked during the night by unkown ruffians. Probably Pikas or Mokes.
# posted by : 6:31 PM
: 6:31 PM
I was a hockey goalie, and as a current Baylor law student I want to assure you my hockey mask was not a part of this debacle. It was safe and sound on my head while I slept.
The Gumpster!!! We played pick-up hockey all the time at the local outdoor rinks. We played without helmets or pads. It was wild. And dangerous. Those were the days.
Post a Comment
<< Home
